Summer is Coming to Fort McMurray! Get Ready Tips from the Team at MXC Racing & Offroad

It has people itching to get their bikes on the road, their sports cars out of the garage, and their vehicles and campers primed and ready for the season.

But what exactly should you be doing to prepare for the summer ahead? Besides your seasonal oil change and windshield washer top up with some of that awesome RainX Bug washer fluid, many folks look to changing their wheels and tires.

For many, summer means hauling a camper, boat or ATV. Having a tire that is safe becomes paramount when hauling over busy highways with your family on board. But what should you consider?

AGE AND WEAR
Tires, even if unused, only last for about six years, research shows. Some manufacturers even recommend changing after three years regardless of tread wear. After that time, just like many other substances, it starts to break down, dry out, and lose strength. This becomes an issue, and even though the tire looks fine, at high speeds the tread can actually separate and rip apart. Certainly not something one would want to experience firsthand. This is also true for trailer and camper tires.

General wear should also be considered. Poor wheel alignment can cause excessive wear on the outer portions of the tire. This increases chances of tire blow out. The general guideline states that tires should be changed when there is 2/32” remaining of tread. Stick a penny in the tread, and if you see the top of the Queen’s head, it’s time to change (save one of these rare items just for this). Ideally 4/32” is when you should be replacing, for safety, if travelling in wet conditions.

TIRE PRESSURE
It is important to check the tire pressure regularly if your vehicle is not equipped with a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System). Under-inflation can damage the internal structure of the sidewall, decreasing the integrity and safety of the tire. A tire that is 30% under-inflated can reduce overall tire life by 55%. It also reduces handling and fuel economy by as much as 10%. Alternatively, over-inflation can be just as dangerous. Over-inflation causes the tire to be easily damaged or cut by objects or fail by sudden impact. The tire determines the pressure, not the vehicle. Check the tire itself for recommended tire inflation. Most vehicles that are 2008 or newer have a TPMS system, where a light will alert the driver on the dash if a tire is not properly inflated.

The tire pressure of the camper or trailer tire should also be regularly checked.

LOAD RATING
The weight of the load you intend on carrying or pulling should be considered when choosing a tire. Most trucks come factory equipped with P (passenger) rated tires. Even though the truck itself has a max payload equipped to haul your camper, the factory equipped tire usually does not. Most manufacturers state a ply or load rating and the weight it can carry on their website or catalogue. It is usually recommended to run at least a 8ply/D rated tire on a 1/2T pick up and a 10 Ply/E Rated tire on a 3/4T truck. An overloaded tire will cause the sidewall to overheat, which will lead to tire breakdown and blowout.

This should also be considered with your trailer tire. The most common reason a trailer or camper tire fails is overloading. It is important to review the tire load rating and take into consideration the weight of the camper, all other items in the camper and fuel weight. Take extra caution when travelling in extremely hot weather as this issue is compounded by the sheer heat of the environment.

There are too many variables that can ruin a family road trip, like bad hotels, wet weather, and crabby kids, to let easily avoidable breakdowns from things like worn tires ruin your summer.

MXC Racing & Off-Road offers a full line of tires to get you ready to roll this summer, as well as many other items to get you summer ready like air bag load levelers, hitches and fuel savings solutions.

Check your tires, check your oil and fluids, top up the fuel and hit the road this summer!