If you are buying RV tire covers, you should properly measure their size. Tire covers protect the tires from dirt, dust, UV, moisture, and other environmental conditions while parking your RV.
How are RV Tire Covers Measured? The selection of appropriate size tire covers for your RV is a tricky yet doable job. You can identify the right size by looking at the tire code that provides information about its diameter. You can confirm it by manually measuring the tire size.
How are RV Tire Covers Measured?
Tire covers are an accessory that use by RV owners to serve the purpose of protecting your wheel from dirt, dust, and moisture accumulation over time.
Moreover, RV tires also develop cracks with time while parked for a prolonged period at a location.
There are different tire covers available in the market that vary in sizes, shapes, designs, materials, and brands. Most vehicles come with manufacturer-designed tire covers. However, you will find spare ones from the market.
Replacement of tire covers is a tedious job in a sense, so you do not always find the perfect match for the wheel once the original pieces are lost.
It starts with the measurement of its size to find the matching. Sometimes you find it, while other times, you have to make a compromise.
This article will discuss the tire covers for RV, their types and designs, their advantages, and methods to measure its size to find the best match.
Types of RV tire covers
There are a variety of tire covers based on their material of construction. Often soft materials with waterproofing and UV resistance are preferred for this job.
Some common materials are aluminum film, polyester, UV-resistant vinyl, rigid plastic, and waterproof fabrics.
Aluminum Film: It has an aluminum film of a few millimeters thickness as its primary material. It also contains cotton wool lining. It protects the tires from harsh weather conditions and maintains their shape.
Vinyl: These tire covers come in black and white shades. Their uniqueness lies in their ability to protect the tires from UV rays which causes the tires to crack. The Camco tire covers code number XXXXX available in different colors such as white, black, and off-white and Model 6.
Polyester: They are flexible waterproof material and pretty much inexpensive to buy. Despite use as the isolated material, in which the base material for tire covers with a vinyl layer as a UV resistant shield.
Hard Plastic: These are rigid plastic covers to conceal the face of tires. Their back-side has a band of vinyl sewn to zip it on the rear of the tire. They provide extra protection to tires from weather conditions and physical damages.
Fabrics: Fabrics like cotton, wool, fleece, and linen are general as a lining material. They are not used alone because of their ability to allow moisture to pass through them. Their common combination is with aluminum film and vinyl covers.
Closing Mechanism of Tire Covers
The closing mechanism of tire covers has vital importance that ensures tight-fitting of them over the RV tires. We will discuss a few common mechanisms tire covers available in the market.
Elastic Closures: These covers have a type strap on their rear ends. You can quickly install these covers using the Elastic material attached that elongates on stretching and comes back to its shape when released.
Buckle and Strap: These tire covers have buckle and strap attached over it. You install the tire covers and lock the hook by adjusting the strap length according to tire size. They are flexible and can install with various tire sizes.
Hook Design: This design is general with aluminum film tire covers. They contain two hooks attach on both ends of a strand installing on the RV covers rear side. You install them on tires, tighten the rope and lock both buckles with each other.
Rope: You will find a tight tread at the rear side of these covers. Pull the strand on both sides until the RV cover tightly fits the tires and tie a knot by combining both ends.
Benefits of a Tightly Fitted RV Tire Cover
Measurements of tire covers are essential in a sense, and no unsteady spots on sides avoid entrance of dust or water.
Protection from Dirt/Dust
Tire covers act as a shield against dirt on wheel cups. Dirt accumulation affects the overall look of tires has detrimental impacts on the performance and life of tires.
Tire covers protect the wheels of your RV during the stay at a camping site or during vehicle storage at your garage. Sometimes the problem occurs in RV axels because of the axel curve or bent down.
It also causes the tire to wear out, and this problem results in too much dust and debris storage. If you cannot cover your vehicle tires, RV rays combine to dirt and debris, which leads to deterioration. This wheel cover giver the extra protection layers to RV tires and increases the rubber life.
WaterProof
Materials used for the construction of tires are waterproof. The combination of moisture with dirt is the primary source of corrosion on wheel rims and other metallic accessories.
Therefore tire covers a perfect match for tire size to avoid any leakage of contaminants towards tires. This is the main reason RV owners cover their tires.
UV Protection/Tire Cracks
Exposure of tires to sunlight for longer times causes hairline cracks on the tire surface. Ultraviolet rays can damage the polymer material of tires by fading its color and chemical properties resulting in loss of strength. Therefore the use of vinyl tire covers protects against UV damage.
Aesthetics of Tire
Prolonged exposure of tires to dust, sunlight, and water makes them weak, worn out, and fades their color. Moreover, UV damage also creates cracks on their surface. Therefore, tight-fitting of the tires beneficial to avoid these losses and maintains the look of tires and your RV.
Protect from weather condition
Weather conditions like rain, storms, sun, and dry resulting in damage to the tire rubber. The tire rubber becomes drying with time and cracks out prematurely, which leads to the breakdown.
Saving of Cost
Replacement of tires requires a handsome sum of money. Therefore, protecting them by using appropriate quality and size covers increases their life. It results in high financial benefits by spending a meager amount on purchasing the wheel covers.
Better Efficiency of Vehicle
Good quality tires free from wear and tear have excellent road grip and better movement coordination. It also affects better engine performance and is essential for your safety as worn-out tires pose the risk of burst and accident. The proper combination of tire covers gives various potential benefits and ensures the protection of your family.
How to Measure the Size of RV Tire Covers?
Two (02) essential parameters to purchase fitted tire covers are the diameter and width of tires. You should measure them with due attention as small errors can result in too tight or too loose its fitting.
Find the tire code on RV tires
You will find a code on the side of the tire in the form LTxxx / XXXX. LT stands for the type of vehicle that is a light truck.
The next three digits show the width of the tire in millimeters. Two-digit after slash character (/) indicates the aspect ratio (width to height ratio) radial construction of tires stands for R the next two digits indicate the rim diameter in inches. It gives an idea about the size of the cover required.
Measure tire from the rim
You should physically measure the tire diameter besides reading the tire size. Use the steel measuring tape and determine the tire diameter from one end to another of the tire diagonal and the tire center.
Take at 3 measurements at 3 different points and take the high reading. Purchase the tire cover ½ to 1 inch larger than tire diameter.
Measure the tire width
Measure the tire width between two points from one edge to the other edge on the tire surface. Take at least three to four readings as there can be non-uniformity due to wear and tear with time.
Determine the wheel size
For this wheel size determination, you have to find out the 9-letters series, and the number that is present on the tire side starts with Letter P.
The wheel size determines through the series, in which the last 2-consecutive number followed by R. in this way, you can find out the wheel size number like Pxxx/xx Rxx.
The wheel size determines in the inches form, so you have to refer to the tire code number and get the exact size.
Determine the wheel cover size
You can determine and obtain the proper tire cover size in the easiest way. RV tires have the number on their sidewall, which gives you the right information about the tire cover.
For example, 205/70-R15, you can find out from this number the correct section width, with the wheel diameter, and the aspect ratio of the sidewall.
Size Chart of wheel cover
An easy way to determine the tire cover size with the size calculator provides you the proper size.
If the tire size is in inches around 29.3, then the suitable cover size required 30 inches for it. For example, you have a code like P223/14-R12, you can find it in inches like 28, 29.
How to select RV tire covers?
You have to make some consideration while buying the tie covers. It includes
- Choose the best color and prefer white as compared to black and grey.
- You have to check out that the covers protect against any damage due to adverse changes.
- Buy the warranted cover.
- Obtain the cover with an excellent elastic installation.
Which brands are suitable for RV tire covers?
You always buy the RV tires cover from well-reputed brands like Camco, TCP Global, and ADCO. These brands produce excellent quality RV tire covers.
The Canvas tire covers develop through the TCP Global brand, which best for a dry climate. The best heavy-duty tire covers have an excellent tensile strength that prevents any damage.
These are available in different colors, and the size ranges from 27-32 inches and cost approximately $24-$25. You can buy the RV tire covers from the best-recommended brands.
It divides into best Budget, premium, heavy-duty, Multi-Axle. Camco XXXXX size ranges from 24-42 inches with a price around $25-$26.
Another example of tire covers under the best premium is the Leader accessories available, and the size ranges from 24-32.2 inches with water protective capacity.
The Oxford Canvas under TCP Global available range is 27-34 inches. The Multi Axle produces the Classic Accessories and RV tire covers at a suitable price of $30-$31 in a different size, ranges from 27-33 inches.
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