Winter storage and tire flat spots

[Mark42]

I used to jack the trailer and install some stands so the tires and axle hung freely in the air. This got to be too much trouble (and I worried about winter storms blowing the trailer off the stands), and then I was putting some pieces of 2x6 under the tires for winter so they wouldn't sink into the ground. After getting a second boat, and having to do dual maintenance/storeage, I started just parking the trailer with the 2x6 under the jack and the tires directly on the ground. What I noticed in the spring was that the ground had conformed to the shape of the tire. It struck me that the tire can't get a flat spot from sitting long term if the tire is "cradled" by the ground. In fact, putting the hard 2x6 under the tires probably contributed to flat spotting.

So now I just park the trailer with the tires pressure up to the max rating and let it sink into the ground a few inches until spring comes along.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Winter storage and tire flat spots

Makes sense. As long as your tires will sustain max pressure. I don't worry about flat spots, I just wrap the boat in a tarp with the cover over the top and roll it into the side yard for the winter. It's protected by the house on one side and the fence on the north side so it doesn't pick up much snow, and we typically don't get a lingering heavy snow here in dry West Tejas. I think putting it away on a hard surface for a long time could cause flat spots, but I don't worry about that in-season when the boat is garaged because I'm always moving the boat around to make improvments and do in-season maintenance. I think UV/sun exposure when it's outside is a bigger threat to tires than almost anything else, except thieves.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Winter storage and tire flat spots

I have always been told that settign the tires on teh grass/dirt contributes to the dry rotting.

My sits on concrete so I don't worry about it. Its max rated pressure for me, and it only sits from Nov to the end of March.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Winter storage and tire flat spots

There was a car "on blocks" on my way to work for years, the guy jacked the car up and literally put blocks under the tires, which were brand new.

What he didn't realize is the entire purpose of putting something on blocks is so the tires aren't in contact with the ground.

the only way to avoid flat spots is to get the tire completely off the ground with no load on it, so putting 2x6 under your tires really didn't do anything and I would say leaving it on the ground is not quite as bad it is still on the ground and takes a good amount of time to sink so both methods will flat spot a tire.

So if you are really worried about flat spots even though it is a pain, your first method is the only way to avoid them.

I think the spots work themselves out in pretty short order once you start hauling the trailer again anyhow, I have radials nad have never noticed a problem and I don't do anything with mine and it sits from Nov to March

 

[mthieme]

Re: Winter storage and tire flat spots

Mine sits about four months out of the year too. No problems.

 

[Rusty Boater]

Re: Winter storage and tire flat spots

I park mine in the shop for the winter on cross hatched 4x4's. I really do this so I can lower the drive all the way down for the winter.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Winter storage and tire flat spots

Here are some things you can do to protect your tires:

1: Make or buy covers to protect them from the sun.
2: Treat them to some tire protectant several times during the summer and
winter months.
3: Keep them totally off the ground if possible during long term storage.
4: And this one is crucial -- check the production code on the tire. Just this morning I delivered two tires with about 1000 miles on them to the dealer that delivered my new pontoon boat last March. One tire had a split about 1/2 inch long in the sidewall and both were severely cracked (not weather checked) in the tread grooves and sidewalls. The date code was 2004. These tires were four years old when they made their way onto my 2008 trailer. Just because you buy new tires does not mean they are new. Like mine, they may have sat in a warehouse for several years and have a head start on deterioration. And just for the record -- these are load range "D" tires and yes, they were and have always been inflated to 90 PSI.