Escapees May June 2015 Demo

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54 .ESCAPEES |May/June 2015 |
Mark,
My Words
By Mark Nemeth #45776
Tire Wear
Q. At Escapees RVers’ Boot Camp, it was said that tires
should be replaced after five to seven years even though
the tread is not worn, because the sidewalls deteriorate
due to age and sun.
We’ve been full-time RVing in our fifth-wheel for a
year, typically staying a week in a park, then moving on.
We put about 20,000 miles on the truck in the first year,
and about 12,000 miles on the trailer. Our trailer tires are
wearing along the outside edges of the tread, especially
those on the rear (two axles). By observing the wheels
while backing into a space, we can see that the rear tires
slide sideways during the turn, and we think this is caus-
ing the excessive wear. It seems worse on paved surfaces
and when the spaces are 90 degrees to the street. And
we often leave some rubber on the street while trying to
park more so on narrow streets and spaces, as the truck
has a wide turning radius and there is a lot of backing and
filling. The front truck tires are showing the same sort of
wear, though much less.
1. Is this sort of wear normal for the way we use the RV?
2. Is the five- to seven-year recommendation based on
using the trailer for only two to three weeks a year, and
we should expect to wear them out in two to four years,
depending on mileage?
John and Vicki
A. There are several possibilities. Wear on the outside of
the tread can be caused by the scuffing of the tires during
sharp turns, but that wear is usually fairly light. If you
are seeing significant wear on the outer edges, it could be
caused by operating the RV over its designed weight lim-
itations or by alignment issues on the trailer axles.
If you are sure you are not overweight and you are see-
ing significant wear patterns forming, it may be a problem
with the axles/suspension. It is easy to bend axles or sus-
pension components with a curb strike, or even by backing
into a tight spot and jackknifing the trailer tightly. That
misalignment can cause odd wear patterns. Try to avoid
really tight turns when backing by lining up on the site as
straight as possible before backing. It is better to work back
and forth several times to get into a better position rather
than to try a sharp backing turn in one shot.
As for tire life, your RV tires should be watched for
signs of deterioration, especially when they reach and pass
the five-year-old mark. All RV tires should be replaced at
seven years of age, regardless of how they look or how
much tread is left on them. Trailer tires have a tough life
and tend to wear faster than other RV tires. If the tread
reaches the minimum safe depth (generally 3/32 inch),
the tire should be replaced. RVs typically run at, close to
or even over their maximum load ratings 100 percent of
the time. That is a demanding tire application, and tires
degrade as they age. If you have a tire failure or a tread
separation, it usually does costly damage to the RV. If your
tires are old, worn out or show any sign of deterioration or
damage, replace them.
Slide-out Adjustment
Q. I have a Carriage Compass 2005 SLQ. How do you adjust
the bedroom slide-out? It has a solid bottom, and I have
looked inside the bed compartment, and I’m not sure how
to adjust it. I have an almost one-inch gap on the upper
left-hand side as you are looking at the slide-out from the
outside. On the inside of the slide-out on the same side,
it is rubbing against the carpet and making a pretty good
canal. The other side of the slide-out seems to open and
close with no evidence of any problem.
Dennis
A. In my opinion, if the slide goes in and out reliably,
is not actually damaging anything and does not leak, it
probably does not need adjustment or repair. It’s also my
opinion that slide-out adjustments are probably beyond the
capabilities of the average RV owner. An experienced RV
tech will probably be the best choice when your slide gets
“I am one of those folks who really prefers to do
it myself whenever possible, but I am not sure I
would tackle a slide-out myself.”
Staff