Whether you’re an RV novice or expert, RV tire blowouts can happen to everyone. That’s okay, but it’s important to be prepared if it does occur. If you’ve ever had an RV tire blowout while going down the road at highway speed, you know how scary it can be! Even the most experienced drivers lose control when a sudden loss of tire pressure catches them off guard.
We’ll talk about what to do if an RV tire blows out while you’re on the road, and we’ll talk about how to prevent it from happening again.
What to Do If My RV Tire Blows Out?
The best things to do when you have a tire blowout are sort of counterintuitive. It goes against what your gut feeling tells you, but it’s all about physics! Your first reaction will probably be to hit the brakes or at least slow down. Instead, it’s best to maintain the speed you’re at. If possible, you can also try to accelerate. It may sound strange, but think about it this way: If a tire blows out, the instinct of your vehicle will be to pull to that side. If a tire on the right blows, your vehicle will automatically begin to pull that way. If you keep your speed, this will level out that pull and will help you keep the motorhome in forwarding motion.
To maintain control, you’ll have to do quite a bit of steering and wrestling with the wheel. Once you find a safe place to pull over, gradually reduce your speed and steer towards the side of the road. You can either replace the tire yourself or call a service truck.
Though difficult, it’s also important to remain calm! If you get worked up, you’ll lose control even quicker, and the situation will become more dangerous.
How to Prevent RV Tire Blowouts
It goes without saying that it’s simply best to take precautions to avoid RV tire blowouts in the first place. A few of the main causes of blowouts are motorhomes being overloaded or under-inflation of the tires. Basically, don’t overload your RV, and don’t over or underinflate your tires! However, there’s no way to guarantee you’ll never have a blowout, but here are a few more precautions you can take to help avoid one:
- Purchase high-quality tires. Search around for good tires, and be sure to read reviews from previous owners.
- Don’t overlook ply ratings. Most tires you’ll find have two or three sidewall plies, but those for heavier RVs will have higher ply ratings, meaning they have more sidewall strength.
- Ensure your tires are rated for a proper load. A good idea is to check your load on each axle on a scale and make sure it’s not too much. Evenly distribute the weight, and remember full gas tanks add hundreds of pounds to each load!
Check each tire’s pressure before every trip. For extra safety, check each morning.
- Inflate the tires according to the manufacturer’s manual. They know which pressure is best. Being in higher altitudes may require more air since the pressure will drop the higher you climb.
- Keep your tires maintained. Rotate them regularly, consistently check the pressure, and make sure they’re always balanced. You can even use tire covers when your RV isn’t in use. These will protect them from the elements that are damaging to rubber.
Going at a slower speed in your RV will help keep you and others on the road safe, especially if you’re new to driving or towing an RV. If you’re driving slower during a blowout, keeping control and reacting to it will be much easier. Maintaining more distance between you and the vehicle in front of you will also give you more time to increase your speed should you have a blowout on the highway.
We hope these tips help you along your RVing journey as you remember to remain calm and keep control if your RV Tire blows out. Reach out for any questions you have. Happy RVing!