Why Use Protective Storage Covers for 24-Foot Jayco Travel Trailer and Trailer Tires

Question:

We've met plenty of fellow campers here in the SW who've told us to get tire covers for our Jayco Eagle TT. We have been told that using covers on the tires - even when at a campsite for only a few days - will save the tires from damage from the sun. Are these people being worry-warts or is this for real? Some have also said we really ought to get a storage cover for the trailer. It almost never rains where we live so is this also a good idea or just another thing to buy that I won't really need? Tires are 15-inch and the travel trailer structure is 24-feet without the front frame part.

asked by: Herschel

Expert Reply:

I think you got good advice.

The natural rubber used to manufacture tires really is amazingly durable when you think about it. It can hold up for tens of thousands of miles while carrying thousands of pounds! But if you want to see what UV radiation can do to man-made materials just put something that is not made for sun exposure in the path of strong UV radiation for a week or two.

I learned this lesson the hard way after my wife and I bought a fancy new vacuum cleaner for the house. This high-quality (expensive) vacuum was left in place near a window for several weeks while we were away on a trip this summer. We thought nothing of it. When we came home we found that the plastic side of the vacuum facing the window was faded, almost as if it had been bleached. This was NOT direct outdoor sun exposure such as what your tires must endure, just what indirect light reached inside our house from outside.

So that is why I think you got good advice. If nothing else, look at it this way: a pair of tire covers costs only a fraction of what even just one replacement tire will cost you and a damaged tire cover does not mean you'll be on the roadside changing a tire.

Since there are more than one size of tire to fit a 15-inch rim, just measure your tire overall diameter with a tape measure. A mounted and inflated ST225/75-15 measures about 28-1/2 inches overall; an ST205/75-15 is just about 27-inches. For the easiest fit pick a set of covers that can handle tires slightly larger than yours.

Adco's Ultra Tyre Gard # 290-3953 will fit both of the above tire sizes. They feature heavy vinyl construction with overlapping seams and double stitching and their inside surface is soft fabric to protect your rims.

Even though you live in a dry climate in the Southwest, a storage cover for your trailer will help protect against entry of dust, insects, critters and any moisture that does appear, as well as the sun's UV rays. The Adco All-Climate cover # 290-52243 will provide an easy fit since it works on trailers up to 26-feet. This storage cover also protects things like your AC unit and roof vents from the destructive power of the sun.