How Hot Should RV Tires Get?

Are you wondering, how hot should RV tires get? Nothing is more stressful than traveling in your RV and facing a blowout. At that point, with your adrenaline flowing, what you do to control the vehicle is of utmost importance. Nonetheless, the most crucial thing is understanding how to prevent such blowouts in the first place.

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You will find a few things, which could contribute to a blowout. Being informed about them and doing everything in your power to avoid such things will go a long way in keeping you and your entire family safe and sound.

Why do RV tires heat up too much?

When your tires heat up too much, it indicates distress. One of the most typical reasons for too much heat in RV tires is under or over-inflating tires, driving faster than is recommended for the RV tire’s specifications, or overloading it with more weight than they’re intended to take.

Checking the tire pressure and not overloading the RV before hitting the road are two quickest and easiest things you can do to avoid a disaster from taking place.

Once you are on the road, keeping the correct speed specified by the tire’s rating is something that must be adhered to to keep you, your family, and your belongings on the road with you safe.

There are other things at play when the heat causes air pressure to build in your RV tires:

Friction

As you drive down the road, your RV tires are rubbing against the asphalt. That produces a decent amount of friction, and that friction produces heat that makes your tires hotter throughout the summer.

Hot molecules

All materials are made up of molecules and atoms. When these molecules get hot, they begin to vibrate intensely. The vibration then causes expansion. It’s simple to know why air-filled tires expand in the summer heat, given that there are molecules in the air.

Rubber

The third part of the trifecta is what RV tires are made of rubber. Keep in mind that rubber molecules are connected together in long, winding chains. When those polymers are vibrant, they contract instead of expanding. Tire rubber is also made so that the polymers cannot coil in on themselves, but everything has its breaking point.

Consider a rubber balloon. What will happen to it if you keep blowing air into it? It will burst eventually. The same thing can happen to a tire when it is extremely hot outside.

How hot can RV tires get?

RV tires are rated to endure temperatures of at least 69 degrees Celsius. Temperatures above that number put the tires at risk of blowing out. Thus, as an RV owner, you must take additional precautions when it comes to knowing the quality of your tires and making sure you are operating your RV under safe conditions.

It is frightening knowing that an ostensible “home on wheels” has the possibility of blowing its tires. However, there are different ways you can guarantee your RV is in safe driving condition without continuously undertaking expensive tire replacements.

Further, blowing your tires on the highway is undesirable in any car, but it’s extremely frightening in a heavy RV, which might be at a higher risk of causing or rolling massive damage to its surroundings. Thus, RV owners like you should guarantee your tires are in perfect shape to drive on and operate your RVs under safe conditions.

An important statistic to understand is that many RV tires are at risk of blowing out at temperatures more than 156 degrees Fahrenheit and that RV tires will typically get at least 30 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit above ambient temperature while in use.

Using those numbers, RVs might be at great risk of blowing a tire when the ambient temperature is 96 degrees Fahrenheit or above. As such, you must guarantee conditions that will prevent the tires from ever getting into that temperature range.

It’s also crucial for you to know whether the tires are rated to endure lower temperatures or are in a condition, which might make 156 degrees Fahrenheit unpreventable.

How can you prevent hot tires?

RVs are more susceptible to blowouts due to heat than other types of vehicles. Thus, take the steps listed below before and during your trip. You can substantially lessen the possibility of having such a blowout while you’re on the road.

1. Keep the tires inflated throughout the trip

Underinflation is the most typically cited contributing factor to tire blowouts. It causes tire blowouts as it transfers pressure from the tire’s tread to the sidewall. The tire’s sidewall has less elasticity than the tread. That means it can’t take that added pressure.

Make sure you check your tire pressure every month, irrespective of whether you’ve used it or not and every 1,000 miles traveled.

In both those timeframes, your tires could lose at least two to three Psi of pressure. That equates to five to eight percent of the overall pressure of the tire. That’s enough to boost the risk of a tire blowout and lessen your fuel economy.

2. Be cautious of overheating

The friction caused by driving at high speeds could cause heat to accumulate within the tires. That could boost the level of pressure within your tire to the point where it adds pressure on the sidewall of the tire.

Keep in mind that the sidewalls aren’t intended to take much pressure and that overheating could result in blowouts. Likewise, low-rolling-resistance tires can provide a solution to that concern, as they’re made to lessen the amount of heat and friction produced by traveling at high speeds.

Nonetheless, what if you don’t prefer investing in such types of tires? It will help if you take a break for at least half an hour for every two hours of highway travel. That’s essential if the weather is hot, as that will contribute to your chances of overheating the tires.

Further, parking on the pavement during hot days could contribute to the tires overheating. Try to park on the grass during the daytime if you can, especially if the weather is hot.

3. Do not overload your RV

Overloading your RV with too much stuff will put too much weight on the tires, causing them to blow out. Make sure you check the RV owner manual for the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) to understand the maximum weight the rig could handle, such as the passengers.

Most weight stations have a certified CAT scale you can use for easy and cheap weight measurement. Further, wheel positioning weighing costs only $10 and an additional $2-3 for every re-weigh.

4. Change old tires

RV tires typically last at least three to six years, depending on how much they have been driven on and how well you have sustained them while in storage. You must keep the tires updated and inspect them regularly for cracks, bumps, or wavy-looking areas. If you need to purchase new tires, choose new ones when you can and understand what to search for if you’re purchasing used tires.

5. Store your RV in a place that minimizes tire deterioration

Tires will naturally deteriorate in the end. That process also called dry rotting, is increased by exposure to direct sunlight, excessive dryness, moisture, and heat. Keeping your RV in a way that stops tires from being exposed to such elements will lessen your possibility of experiencing a tire blowout during the trip. That will also boost the lifespan of your RV tires.

Covered or indoor vehicle stores are the ideal options for keeping your RV in a way that safeguards its tires. Such types of storage provide protection from dangerous sunlight. Keeping your tires safeguarded with tire covers while it’s in storage can help achieve this.

Final thoughts

So, how hot should RV tires get? The answer is that RV Tires can get to a temperature of 156 degrees Fahrenheit before it blows out. As the tires will get at least 30-60 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the ambient temperature, it’s essential not to drive the RV in conditions more than 96 degrees Fahrenheit to guarantee its safety.

Further, these general numbers offer a baseline for when to expect a tire blowout, but other aspects could put your tires at higher risk of failure.

Using tire covers, driving at moderate speeds, and keeping the RV tires at the proper pressure are some of the different ways you can help minimize the peril of a tire blowout on the road.