How to Change Your RVs Tire
When you’re traveling in your RV on a road trip or around town, there’s always the risk of running over road debris or having a leak in one of the tires. Changing a tire is never fun and can delay your travel plans if a tire needs replacing. If you want to have confidence in changing the tire of a RV and avoid becoming stranded on the road, there are a few steps to take to complete the task.
Gather the Right Tools
You’ll need to have a certain set of tools on hand to ensure that the tire can be changed correctly and safely. The necessary tools include a tire wrench, a spare tire, work gloves, a small air compressor, and a trailer changing chock or jack. Chocks are ideal for double axle trailers and jacks can be used on single axle trailers, making it necessary to have the right product stored in the vehicle whenever the RV is in use.
Jack Up the RV
Start by pulling over to a safe area to perform the work. Although jacking up an RV can be intimidating due to its size, you can do it safely by using more than one jack. Consider using a few jacks on one side of the RV to ensure that the weight is evenly distributed. You’ll need to break the lug nuts loose before the tire will spin. The jacks that are used should only be in contact with the frame of the RV to prevent damage to the other parts of the vehicle. Once the jacks are secure, pump all of them three times until the tire is completely off the ground. Remember to completely remove the lug nuts before attempting to remove the tire.
Replace the Tire
After putting on the new tire, make sure you screw on at least one lug nut to ensure that the tire doesn’t fall off. Secure the lug nuts by tightening them without making them so tight that they’re difficult to unscrew the next time. The tire will need to be inflated to the correct PSI.
Lower the RV
Lower the RV to the ground. You can now tighten the lug nuts because the wheel will be held still due to the weight that is applied from the rig. Place the flat or damaged tire in the place where the spare tire was originally stored.
Care for the New Tire
You can prevent a tire on your RV from becoming flat again by following the inflation guidelines, not over or under inflating. Overloading is also a mistake that can cause tires to have too much pressure applied, which increase your chances of having a flat tire. It’s also important to look for signs of tire damage each week, which includes sun damage, making it necessary to cover them with cardboard or tire covers. The tread on the tires should also be more than four to five mm deep. Cracks and bubbling on the tires is an additional sign that the tire needs to be replaced immediately because they’re at an increased risk of a blowout.
If you want to learn more about how to change a tire on an RV, you can contact or visit our dealership to speak to a representative. We can provide you with more information and also show you around our large inventory.
