It is important to periodically check your RV’s tire tread looking for unusual wear patterns. Your tires are one of the most critical safety components in your RV, and their condition can directly impact your handling, fuel efficiency, and overall safety on the road. Unlike passenger cars, RVs often carry heavy loads for extended periods, which puts extra stress on the tires. Ignoring subtle signs of wear could lead to blowouts, alignment issues, or even costly repairs down the line. By regularly inspecting your tire tread and being aware of common wear patterns, you can prevent problems before they occur and keep your RV in top-roadworthy condition. Below is an image I created to help identify types of wear patterns to watch for:
Tire Wear Patterns
Center Wear
This is typically caused by overinflation which creates a rounded tread pattern and excessive heat on the center which wears the tread faster. It is important to check the pressure of your tires every time you hit the road. This should be done at the beginning of the trip when the tires are considered cold or at ambient temperature. To fix this, check the inflation of your tire and reduce the pressure to the recommended PSI which should be listed on the data label of the trailer.
Outside Wear
This is typically caused by an underinflation tire which flattens the tread and creates a reverse curve causing the outside of the tread to wear faster. Check your tire pressure before every trip and adjust according to the recommended PSI. This condition can also be caused by overloading the RV. It is important to weigh your rig on a CAT Scale to ensure that you are not over the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).
Inner Wear
If the inside tread is wearing faster than the rest of your tire it is typically due to an overloaded situation that puts excess weight on the axle and creates a loss of camber or simply put, a bent axle or spindle. It is important to check the weight of your RV to ensure it is not over GVWR and reduce weight if needed. The only fix for this situation is typically an axle replacement.
Outer Wear
This wear pattern is caused by excess camber which could be a bent spindle, damaged axle, or improper axle installation. This typically requires a laser alignment inspection and spindle replacement.
Periodic Inspection
It is a good idea to periodically inspect the tread of all your tires looking for excessive wear, bulges, cracks, or other imperfections that could cause premature tire wear and even a blowout. Rub your hand across the face of the tread back and forth. If you feel a rough or “feathered” tread in one direction and smooth in the other, this is an early sign of misalignment. Getting it checked by a quality service center will prevent tire issues in the future.
Cupping and Flat Spots
A flat spot on the tire tread is typically caused by over-aggressive braking and usually means the auxiliary trailer brake is set too high for the weight of the trailer. The trailer brake is designed to simply slow the momentum of the weight of the trailer, not stop it or the tow vehicle in case of brake failure. One of my drivers always had the trailer brakes set to maximum as he liked the feel of the pull when braking. His tires always came back from a trip almost square! Have your auxiliary braking system set according to the trailer weight.
Cupping can be caused by unbalanced tires, improper seated bearings, or improper weight distribution. If the tongue weight is too high or too low, you will experience highway hopping or porpoising which can be corrected by having the tongue weight checked and corrected. Some tire centers do not balance trailer tires as they do not feel it is necessary, however, I have always felt it was important to verify not only the tire but the rim is running down the road in good condition.
When Is It Time To Replace A Tire?
There are several conditions that would require a tire to be replaced starting with age. There is quite a debate regarding how long a tire should be kept in service and typically one will blow out long before it gets too old. All tires have a date stamped on the side of the tire. It starts with DOT and the last four digits are the week and year of the tire. In this case, the tire was manufactured in the third week of 2016.
For many years, tire manufacturers have recommended replacing a tire after it is 7 years old, then switching to 10 years due to newer technology. However, today most tire manufacturers do not have an age recommendation but rather a suggestion to inspect the tire and replace it if there are imperfections or excessive tire wear. Most tire experts recommend replacement after 7 years.
Another issue is tread wear as indicated earlier. Excessive and uneven tread wear should be addressed and tires should be replaced accordingly. The Department Of Transportation (DOT) has a minimum tread depth of 4/32” on steer tires and 2/32” on all others. Check your tire depth with a quality depth gauge as part of your pre-departure checklist.
About the author: Dave Solberg: Managing Editor, RV Repair Club
For the last 25 years, Dave has conducted RV maintenance and safety seminars, developed dealer and owner training programs, written RV safety and handyman articles, authored an RV handbook reference guide and logged over 100,000 miles on the road in an RV.
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