How to Choose Snow Tires for Your RV
How to Choose Snow Tires for Your RV
Posted on November 13, 2020
TL;DR
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- Determine the ideal pressure
- Make sure the size is in the middle of the given range to provide the most leeway
The freedom an RV gives you to travel where you want, when you want shouldn't be limited by the weather. If you live in a climate where snow is expected for a large part of the year, such as most of Ontario, you'll want to make sure your RV can handle whatever the weather throws at you.
One of the most important ways of doing this is to fit winter tires, which are specifically designed to work well on snow and ice, increasing both safety and performance.
Can't You Use All-Season Tires Instead?
You may wonder why winter tires are needed when all-season tires are available. The answer is that while all-season tires could save you money, they don't offer the full security and performance of dedicated winter tires.
In light snow, all-season tires can provide satisfactory grip, helped partly by the weight of your RV pressing the rubber down onto the road surface. For medium snow, fitting tire chains is an essential, and this will likely undo any cost savings. And for heavier snow, anything but winter tires runs the real risk of your RV becoming either unacceptably dangerous to drive or stuck altogether.
What to Look for in RV Snow Tires
Snow tires are usually a little wider than regular tires, but that's far from the only difference. The rubber compound is softer so it can hug the road more closely, and the tire tread is deeper, often measuring up to an inch or more. Also, winter tires have more complicated siping, or the pattern of grooves and zig-zags cut into the tread.
These three features together vastly increase grip, leading to a safer and more comfortable drive.
Fitting the Right RV Snow Tire Size
But it's not only about choosing tires with good winter characteristics. In all conditions it's important to fit the right size of tire that can carry the weight of your RV safely, but it's even more vital in poor weather. Tires which may be serviceable in perfect conditions can easily fail to meet the grade when faced with slippery ice and snow.
Your RV is designed to work with a specific range of tire sizes, and you'll find the details in your owner's manual. When choosing winter tires, make sure the size is exactly in the middle of the given range to provide the most leeway.
Snow Tire Pressure
All tires work best at a specific pressure, and your RV manual will indicate what the ideal pressure will be to handle your vehicle's weight. This will be described in pounds per square inch, or PSI, and there'll generally be a range given rather than a single accurate figure.
For winter tires, make sure they have a pressure rating that fits this PSI figure, along with a good margin on either side. In cold weather, tires undergo wider pressure fluctuations as the air within contracts while stationary and expands when heated on the road. This means a winter tire needs a wider working pressure range than a regular tire.
Buying and fitting winter tires needn't be complicated or expensive, especially in the hands of an expert. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to visit our Ontario service centre where we'll be happy to advise on the best winter tires for your specific RV model.