Tires sitting on cement

[Theunz]

Originally Posted by mlh

This is probably tar your tires collect on the pavement before you park your truck.
Lynwood

Plus 1

[dieselguy]

One thing I've learned over the many years on the MOC ... everyone's mileage or conclusions differ. We'll even argue about what oil to put in out hydraulic reservoirs when all you need is the very basic ATF fluid that contains anti foaming agents. I pretty much know what "tar" is picked up on blacktop roads. I'd guess if I have that much "tar" it would be on the inner fenders, mud flaps, under the running boards, and on the front of my fiver. Believe me ... it's not because I seldom run the backroads. It's oils from my tires sitting in the same garage ... same spot over a period of 7-10 years. Concrete is from the same plant in about 80+ houses in my sub division ... tires have been Firestone Transforce and the highly vaunted "Sailun Terramax " that several on here rave about. If any of you flip houses ... you find the same spots in the garages of older people that do as I do ... park the same vehicle in the same spot for years and years. All this being said ... I really don't see any premature issues with my tires, but I do store my fiver with plastic placemats between the tires and concrete over the winters. You guys know better than to pose an iffy alternate conclusion with me ... none of us will win.

[dieselguy]

Yeilding to the OP's original intent of this thread, I'll step out with this last unusual tire offering involving oils. My youngest son cleaned carpets for a while in his quest for a bettter job and sometimes took photos of oddities he encountered. Here's a photo of what was left behind on a carpet after a new motorcycle tire was left for about a year during a restoration that went south. It took a bit of work to get the ring out of the carpet.

[Theunz]

There is a reason we don’t eat off the floor, or in this case the road. It’s filthy. Thousands of cars leaking fluids as they drive all day everyday. You drive over it and it sticks on your tires then it leaches into the concrete when you park in the same spot day after day, year after year.
Now, tires may leach chemicals, but i don’t think it is exacerbated by the concrete. If they are going to leach they will leach from all of their surface area.

[Maury]

Originally Posted by jensonec

Have any of you heard of the tires sitting on a cement driveway for an extended length of time can deteriorate the tires over time.
I have heard that it is better to let them sit on a wooden plank, such a 2x8.


Thanks in advance for your response.

Many years ago when we were full-timing, we enjoyed an RV neighbor who was an engineer with Goodrich in his other life. He strongly suggested plastic blocks under long-standing tires as moisture, over time, would wick into tires and tend to weaken them from inside. He said wood was not an adequate protection as it also absorbed moisture and passed it along to tires.

[bigred715]

I guess putting cardboard under my car and truck tires isn't helping. In my storage area for the trailer it sets on gravel. There, I use pieces of plywood under tires and spin the tires every month to prevent flat spots. Trailer isn't used from late September to early July since we are not going south anymore.

[Starmaster]

The following is from the “Michelin RV Tires Guide for Proper Care and Maintenance”.......

LONG TERM STORAGE
When a tire is fitted to a wheel and put under load, but it is not regularly used, the tire does not have an opportunity to “exercise” and will prematurely age.
If a recreational vehicle is not driven regularly, care must be taken to preserve the remaining life of the tires. Best practices include:
1. Store the recreational vehicle in a cool, dry,
sealed garage, away from electric generators or transformers. Do not store in an area where welding is performed, or in a garage that has frequently used electric motors.
2. Place a barrier between the tire and the storage surface. Suitable barriers include plastic, plywood, cardboard, or rubber floor mats.
3. Before storing the vehicles, thoroughly clean tires with soap and water.
4. If outdoors, cover tires to block direct sunlight and ultraviolet rays.
5. Inflate tires to the maximum inflation pressure indicated on the sidewall.
6. If long term storage exceeds 3 months, consider taking the recreational vehicle for monthly highway drives (about one hour of operational time). Driving the vehicle will give the tires an opportunity to generate internal heat which will promote long life.
Before removing the vehicle from long term storage, thoroughly inspect each tire, and restore all tires to the proper inflation pressure.

[mlh]

Originally Posted by Starmaster

The following is from the “Michelin RV Tires Guide for Proper Care and Maintenance”.......

LONG TERM STORAGE
When a tire is fitted to a wheel and put under load, but it is not regularly used, the tire does not have an opportunity to “exercise” and will prematurely age.
If a recreational vehicle is not driven regularly, care must be taken to preserve the remaining life of the tires. Best practices include:
1. Store the recreational vehicle in a cool, dry,
sealed garage, away from electric generators or transformers. Do not store in an area where welding is performed, or in a garage that has frequently used electric motors.
2. Place a barrier between the tire and the storage surface. Suitable barriers include plastic, plywood, cardboard, or rubber floor mats.
3. Before storing the vehicles, thoroughly clean tires with soap and water.
4. If outdoors, cover tires to block direct sunlight and ultraviolet rays.
5. Inflate tires to the maximum inflation pressure indicated on the sidewall.
6. If long term storage exceeds 3 months, consider taking the recreational vehicle for monthly highway drives (about one hour of operational time). Driving the vehicle will give the tires an opportunity to generate internal heat which will promote long life.
Before removing the vehicle from long term storage, thoroughly inspect each tire, and restore all tires to the proper inflation pressure.

Thanks no matter guessing.
Lynwood

[Chukar]

M & N
3120RL 2019 Montana Anniversary. F350 2017.
Hey that picture tells it all about leeching tires and ends this conversation.
We sure have a lot of fun reading all the responses but also recognized the valuable and detailed info included. A whole lot of experiences and know hows. I have never greased a wheel bearing, with the Montana being the 6th or 7th 5ver and finally bought a grease gun. We are leaning, traveling and camping and now doing Maintenance on the5ver also.

[Dave10]

Sitting on concrete or asphalte is not a problem. Sitting in water or damp soil is. there are a lot of "wise tails" out there. If you have questions about tires, send them to the manufactures instead of forums like this IMHO. That way you will get the correct information.

[Denny and Angie Miller]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

I think the OP has a legitimate question about leaving a camper sit on concrete for a goodly length of time. There has been way more questionable things asked over the years on the MOC that many of us have sat and scratched our heads about. For me, whether there is an issue or not with the oils in the tire rubber leaching out, it just isn't that hard to place something under the tires should it be sitting for a long time. For those who can't find anything about this on the internet or seem to think the question is way out there ... here's what the OP is concerned about. This is a photo taken of my garage floor where my dually sits in the same spot over time when not in use.

I get those same marks on my garage floor from my dually too...Michelins, not china bombs. I think its a legitimate question, even with todays tires

[8e3k0]

Have parked tractors, rvs , farm equipment etc on my concrete floor in my huge quonset and never had any problems with tires over 35 plus years.
Both our truck and SUV are parked on concrete with no problems.
Far superior than sitting outside on dirt or grass. IMHO

[steiny93]

I get the notion of 'flat spots' occurring after extended periods of sitting (long term storage). What I don't understand is the notion of 'leaching' and how that would be any different in a long term situation vs normal usage.

For example
Lets say you use a vehicle every day to drive to work, then after work it sits in the garage, same deal every day (so 1/2 the time the vehicle is sitting on the garage floor).

Lets then take the same vehicle and it never gets driven; it just sits in the garage.

Wouldn't the driven vehicle be on the same leaching schedule just 50% behind the non driven vehicle?

If leaching is a thing; why wouldn't the guidance be to have all tires off the floor when not in use? IE, wouldn't it be helpful for all tires, regardless of duration?

[Creeker]

If people would just take a minute or two to realize how many tires they've owned over their lifetimes and how many of these tires have been parked/stored on concrete; I think most would conclude from their own proven experience this "leaching" is complete nonsense.

I honestly can't count all the tires I've owned on various vehicles, trailers, campers, motorcycles, atvs, utvs, scissor lifts, bicycles, wheelbarrows etc... All of them have been stored on concrete. There are literally millions of tires sitting on concrete at this very second.

I think I'll take my chances.

[DutchmenSport]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

Yeilding to the OP's original intent of this thread, I'll step out with this last unusual tire offering involving oils. My youngest son cleaned carpets for a while in his quest for a bettter job and sometimes took photos of oddities he encountered. Here's a photo of what was left behind on a carpet after a new motorcycle tire was left for about a year during a restoration that went south. It took a bit of work to get the ring out of the carpet.

Perfect conclusion! Tires leach on ANY surface. It doesn't matter if it's carpet or concrete, or asphalt, or wood, or grass, or gravel. A tire leaches it's oil. Point solved. Park on any surface. It doesn't matter.

[richfaa]

We will continue to keep our Rv tires on Plastic blocks as we always have because we want to.

[BB_TX]

Nothing wrong with putting something under tires when parked. That keeps the concrete from getting the dark spots. But I don't think it does any thing in the way of protecting the tires from anything. Googling and reading a lot about it, the only mentions of any problems of tires on concrete or any hard surface for long periods is the potential of flat spots, and not exercising the tires does not allow the natural oils to circulate in the rubber and keep them in good condition. No where, except on personal opinion comments, can I find anything about concrete leaching any thing from tires. I think the black stuff that appears on concrete, or any other surface, from tires sitting there is simply the fact it sits there longer than rolling down the highway where that black stuff is deposited in equal amounts along that highway.

[paulinbaja]

On concrete or not the tires are going to be questionable in five years.

[mlh]

Has anyone ever had a tire go bad because it sit on concrete or plastic or wood on in a cow pile?
Lynwood

[team bradfield]

Originally Posted by richfaa

We will continue to keep our Rv tires on Plastic blocks as we always have because we want to.

I do too, but they are dual purpose, I leave them in the driveway, when I return, I use them for guides while backing up in the driveway, DW thinks I'm watching her directions, I just smile and wave