Tire covers for UV Protection

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Tire covers for UV Protection

October 09, 2013, 01:22:59 am

I happened to read on RVtravel that some typical tire covers offer no or very little protection against UV rays, the radiation that damages tires. They cited a discussion with Adco covers as sold at Camping World.

I have been careful to cover tires. Now I wonder if there is or was a need? Any other ideas on this, not needed or get some other brand or type of cover?

mike

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #1 – October 09, 2013, 09:19:43 am

Really Curious. I can't imagine that vinyl tire covers would allow UV pass-through enough to degrade tire rubber.

Don't forget that Ozone is as damaging to rubber tire compounds as UV. However, ozone levels are only a factor in an enclosed environment where internal combustion engines are running.

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #2 – October 09, 2013, 10:41:28 am

Quote from: Michael & Jackie – October 09, 2013, 01:22:59 am

I happened to read on RVtravel

I hesitate to believe everything I read. Did they list supporting documentation? All we have to do is look at the The poorest cities in America - Yahoo Homes article which states that NAC city has a population of 65,466, while documented official sources put it at 34,047. The article states that they use the U.S. Census Bureau's metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas for their information, while the headline of the article, probably not written by the author, says specifically "cities". Newspaper and other media authors seldom write their own headlines. Often headlines are written by someone who never read the article.

My wife's cousin is a editor for a technical publication, she not only proofreads, but is authorized to rewrite articles to make them more readable. She has not technical expertise at all except a degree in journalism. She is paid $40 a hour for her work. I have no idea how she can rewrite technical information that she knows nothing about. Anything I've ever written professionally, I have had to do tons of research on the subject. I think some of this stuff we read is just thrown together with no in depth research.

I do use Snap-Ring TireSavers - better protection for your tires.. I did a considerable amount of research before choosing the particular brand. Bottom line, it fit my personal needs best.

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #3 – October 09, 2013, 10:48:05 am

Kent, I wondered too. Still do. I looked in latest Camping World brochure and see that they state there is UV protection on their RV covers made with Tyvek. Then there are the regular tire/wheel covers listed without mention of UV but further over in the brochure they list other tire/wheel covers, more expensive, made of Tyvek.

No point me wasting time putting them on if not doing the job, but I thought UV would be stopped by a heavy shirt, a hat or certainly that black tire cover. I hope another on forum can shed some light on this....without the UV, ha.

Then someone pointed out that the front air springs are exposed too to sunlight.....well, that is just going to have to be. They lasted at least 12 years with 145,000 miles, so that'll do for me. I have a friend with a Allegro Bus though. He has some type of entire wheel-well cover that snaps on, I think someone told me made by MCD.

Cheers and a blessed day to each,

mike

P.S. PatC, I responded on the other thread about Nac and population. You are right about city size error and you or whomever, plus I, covered speculation of impact of college that makes up about 25 - 30 of city population. But it is not a town or area of Texas that does well financially, is below average in several important stats.

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #4 – October 09, 2013, 10:50:22 am

I use them and will continue to do so until some technical documentation is available. Thanks and have a great day ---- Fritz

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #5 – October 09, 2013, 10:58:01 am

Well, I do have ideas of how a non-technical person can re-write technical papers, publications, etc. It's done all the time and has little to do with technical issues.

It mostly has to do with the English language, and breaking down stilted language technical people believe they are supposed to use, like:

Changing: "The experiment was..."
To: "We ran the experiment for..."

This clearly identifies who did what, when, etc. Pick up a Scientific American magazine sometime to see some of the best modern technical writing.

Contrary to popular belief, pronouns are OK.

best, paul

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #6 – October 09, 2013, 11:55:33 am

Checked the Adco site. They state that the Tyre Gards protect against heat, you need to park on proper surface, inflate the tires correctly, protects from dust, keeps them clean so ready to go and protects them from water. They do go on to say that it protects them from UV from the sunlight that will cause cracking. I cannot say why RVtravel's site purports that guards do not block out the UV, for I buy shirts that do....well, they advertise that. Led me to thinking I needed a shirt for each tire. Or maybe I was missing something, and not UV protected? Maybe they were thinking of some other radiation that does go through everything, you cannot stop it. But RVTravel did some homework.

Mr. Marvin Bozarth is the Tire Industry Association technical expert. He was cited in the posting as the technical source for the statement that the tire guards, black or otherwise, do not protect. As I recall, they said black will not protect as it absorbs UV. Hmmm. So I thought I would see if others wondered about all that. I could/can not explain. Maybe as Paul says, someone misunderstands some experiments or rewrites. Don't know.

But I see an opportunity. For the UV, maybe I can take info off of the RVtravel.com site or cite Mr. whomever and I can market a UV protectant spray? I think I could sell it for about $25 per spray bottle, plus of course S&H. You only have to reapply twice daily or after going in the water. Just spray it on those covers and walk away, no fuss, no muss. Yep, that should work.

Have a good day, smile a lot and avoid too much UV

Mike

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #7 – October 09, 2013, 02:50:36 pm

If tire covers don't work..... fine with me. I hate putting them on and they look like crap.

I wonder if 303 Protectant actually works. The makers claim UV protection. I have used it for years on my boats and RVs and it seems to work, but who knows. At least my tires look nice when I'm done applying it.

George

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #8 – October 09, 2013, 03:42:02 pm

I use "Forever Black Tire Gel"

How to restore your faded tires with Forever BLACK Tire Gel & Applicator

It claims UV protection but don't know how effective it is. It does last for 6 to 8 weeks. I just reapply when the tires start looking dull. It doesn't shine like many of the silicone tire products since it doesn't contain silicone. Some say silicone can lead to dry rot. Silicone Tire Dressings Bad!! For Tires And Paint!!!! - Auto Geek Online Auto I use it on the air bags too.

Amazon carries it. Amazon.com: Forever Car Care Products FB810 BLACK Tire Gel and Foam Applicator:

It is a bit of a pain to apply. Do where disposable gloves to keep your hands clean and like it says in the video keep a wet rag handy to clean the rim as it's a pain to get off after it's dried. Creds go to Barry & Cindy for telling me about this product.

FWIW I believe that anything you put over the tire that prevents direct exposure to light would provide UV protection. Don't have any evidence but common sense says it has to be so!!!

see ya
ken

As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #9 – October 09, 2013, 09:10:12 pm

Ken, agree anything like vinyl should work against the UV. I tried to talk to Adco, not much info there.

But the tire coating product you mentioned sounds interesting. Does it attract dirt on the wheels? Some of the sprays I tried on the car tires made a mess....tire looked good but the wheel picked up road dust and held it firmly.

But like George, I rather dislike putting them on when travel, so I guess I am looking for an excuse to not use them. But the tire expenses lead me to try about anything to keep them safe.

Mike

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #10 – October 09, 2013, 09:46:27 pm

@Mike No it doesn't pick up any dirt. It does leave a mark when I scuff a curb though...

When I've picked up a few scuff marks that's what usually motivates me to redo the tires.

I don't currently use tire covers. I had them on my SOB and they were a PITA to put on. If I wasn't full timing and was parked for weeks at a time I would consider using them again. This could easily change if I see a suitable set on sale at a fire sale price.

I've also read that the flexing of the tires as they are being driven causes compounds to be released that protect the tire. I just tried a google search to back that up and got nothing! Maybe I need better keywords.

Anyone else hear this story?

see ya
ken

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #11 – October 09, 2013, 11:33:57 pm

Quote from: kenhat – October 09, 2013, 09:46:27 pm

I don't currently use tire covers...This could easily change if I see a suitable set on sale at a fire sale price.

We just bought ADCO Ultra Tyre Gard at camping world - buy one pair get one free

Quote from: kenhat – October 09, 2013, 09:46:27 pm

I've also read that the flexing of the tires as they are being driven causes compounds to be released that protect the tire. I just tried a google search to back that up and got nothing! Maybe I need better keywords. Anyone else hear this story?

see ya
ken

That has been my understanding too. This article talks a little about that. http://www.rvmagonline.com/tech/1207rv-rv-tires-care-and-maintenance-guide/viewall.html

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #12 – October 10, 2013, 12:32:03 am

Quote from: Michael & Jackie – October 09, 2013, 01:22:59 am

I happened to read on RVtravel that some typical tire covers offer no or very little protection against UV rays, the radiation that damages tires. They cited a discussion with Adco covers as sold at Camping World.

I have been careful to cover tires. Now I wonder if there is or was a need? Any other ideas on this, not needed or get some other brand or type of cover?

mike

Mike,
I have no idea why ADCO might have been dissed, but ADCO's are decent, low cost options that offer high UV Protection as well as physical protection. The vinyl is nearly impervious to UV ionizing radiation and the felt lining helps keep heat transfer down.

I feel strongly that tire covers and proper tire protectant coatings are necessary for a whole host of reasons. Here are a few;

Tire sidewall deterioration

Vehicles parked for extended periods WILL experience accelerated tire sidewall deterioration. Sometimes called tire dry-rot, the sidewalls literally dry, check and eventually crack and split. The sections below examine this FACT.

Tire Compound Additives

Tires commonly contain chemical ingredients which lessen damage from ozone (trioxygen, as opposed to dioxygen, O₂) and various ultraviolet light wavelengths (UVA, UVB, UVC), the main environmental enemies of tires. Ozone is an odorless gas, which some people call the electric train smell. Although it is more concentrated in cities and industrial/manufacturing centers, ozone is a normal part of the air we breathe everywhere. Among other ways, ozone is generated by the UV radiation interactions with our own atmosphere, atmospheric electrical discharges (lightning), electric arcing between electrical contacts such as DC motors with brushes, electric trains/vehicles, electric breakers, welding operations, etc. When combined with ultraviolet (UV) light, ozone (which is tremendously aggressive in oxidation/reduction chemical reactions) causes rubber to become dry and brittle. That in turn results in accelerated tire sidewall deterioration.

Carbon Black leads to Black Tires

Tires are black in order to protect the tire's rubber composition against UV damage. Tire makers use a common type of UV stabilizer called a "competitive" absorber. Competitive absorbers capture and absorb UV light instead of the tire's rubber compound absorbing the damaging UV radiation. Carbon black is a very cheap tire compound ingredient and it is used as a competitive absorber whereas, thus far, all other UV stabilizers are extremely expensive. That is why tires are black and are not available in designer colors.

UV stabilizers are called sacrificial, meaning they are gradually used up and reach a point where they can no longer protect the tire against UV damage. As carbon black loses its ability to do this job, it turns gray, which explains why tires appear gray as they age.

Ozone Protection

Waxes are used to protect tires against ozone. When tires are being driven they flex. This flexing causes the protective waxes to move to the surface where they form a physical barrier between the air --which contains ozone (O₃) and oxygen (O₂) -- and the tire polymer. This is called "blooming".

Things that Degrade the Tire Compound Additives

Petrochemicals, alcohols, silicone oils, formaldehyde (and even water, to a much lesser extent) will dissolve and remove the protective waxes, thus increasing the rate of decay. MANY common automotive protectants and tire dressings contain highly aggressive amounts of petrochemicals, alcohols, formaldehyde and/or silicone oils which dissolve the protective waxes and can actually attack the sidewalls. If it doesn't say on the product container, look online at the product's MSDS sheet to try to determine the ingredients. If it says "Distillates", I usually read that to be Petroleum Distillates. (Kent may correct me there.) In the event of tire failure, one of the first things tire manufacturers generally look for is evidence of the use of these types of products. If it is found, it may be a cause for invalidating a warrant against manufacturing defects.

Solutions

The most effective (as well as most impractical) solution for this problem is to remove the tires from their rims and store them in a cool, dry location which is not exposed to sunlight and ozone producing devices, whenever the coach isn't going to be driven for a few weeks.

The next most effective solution is to routinely clean the tires with a gentle car wash soap or a mild detergent such as Dawn. Then, replenish the protective surface film to help isolate the tire's surface from UV ionizing radiation, water and oxidizing agents (O₂, O₃). That's SPF lotion for your tires. Several non-petroleum, non-alcohol, non-silicone, non-formaldehyde protective agents are available, not the least of which are Wash 'n Wax-All Rubber Care, 303 Protectant, Forever Black Tire Gel (all recommended previously on this Forum).

Keep each tire isolated from surface moisture and parking surface chemicals (asphalt is particularly bad as it, itself, is a petrochemical product) by parking on thin pads or sheets of impervious metal, man made products, sealed wood, etc.

If the tires are not being routinely exercised (to work fresh compound additives to the surface), it is important to keep the tires covered with UV impervious covers (SPF clothing for your tires). Surface flushing and environmental abrasion of the tires embedded protectants and your applied replenishment protectants are greatly slowed by decent wheel covers. Look for the UV ratings on the box or in advertisements of covers, before deciding which to purchase.

Sorry, even though tire covers are a PITA, they should be considered necessary if your coach is parked outside, exposed to direct (or reflected) sunshine and the elements for more than a few weeks at a time.
Neal

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #13 – October 10, 2013, 01:50:49 am

Where are you reading this stuff about tire covers??? In http://www.rvmagonline.com/tech/1207rv-rv-tires-care-and-maintenance-guide/viewall.html, I read that "Sunlight contains harmful UV rays that dry out rubber so if you are going to beparking in a sunny area for a while it's a good idea to cover your tires. It can be as simple as a piece of plywood laying up against the wheel well or better yet, a nice custom fit tire cover."

Read more: http://www.rvmagonline.com/tech/1207rv-rv-tires-care-and-maintenance-guide/viewall.html#ixzz2hIO26gdx

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #14 – October 10, 2013, 04:50:46 am

Nice review Neal. I suspect you are right and that tire covers do help to reduce UV exposure of tires. I tried to find some information on the transmission of UV through vinyl. There is a lot of information on UV penetration of fabrics used in clothing, but not a lot for plastics, at least that I could find. But it makes sense that if the cover reduces the amount of visible light hitting the tire, it probably does a good job with UV light also. That is, short waved UV light probably does not penetrate plastic any more than longer wavelengths of visible light. And I suspect the same holds for reflection of light from white plastic material.

Darn.... I though I could get away without those ugly covers, but I guess not.

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #15 – October 10, 2013, 06:56:45 am

Nice having a garage, the coach only sees direct sun light about 30 days year, otherwise its indoors. Now tell us the negative effects of garage storage. Sun, dry rot, rust, sit on carpet etc.

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #16 – October 10, 2013, 07:22:15 am

I still put down large plastic floor protectors in the garage

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #17 – October 10, 2013, 10:03:07 am

Quote from: Neal Pillsbury – October 10, 2013, 12:32:03 am

Keep each tire isolated from surface moisture and parking surface chemicals (asphalt is particularly bad as it, itself, is a petrochemical product) by parking on thin pads or sheets of impervious metal, man made products, sealed wood, etc.

Couple of questions Neal:
Impervious metal? I thought all metals were impervious to moisture. Can you be more specific?
Man Made products? Do you mean plastic? Are not all plastics petroleum based?
Sealed wood? Aren't most sealers petroleum based too?
Thank you in advance.

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #18 – October 10, 2013, 06:13:07 pm

Ken, I am told that flexing does release a chemical that is necessary. I had lunch today with a friend's son who operates a huge wholesale distribution center for tires out of Ft. Worth. He says that the chemical release is important to counter ozone. On UV protection, he said that his experience is that with it tires for cars and small trucks can last four times as long as those without, assuming the same miles driven over that period.

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #19 – October 10, 2013, 07:41:00 pm

So sunglasses, which are almost transparent, offer protection from UV but not opaque tire covers?

Uh huh...

Craig

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #20 – October 10, 2013, 10:57:36 pm

Sorry for the delayed responses...........too many irons in the fire!

Quote from: PatC – October 10, 2013, 01:50:49 am

..........................Where are you reading this stuff about tire covers???..............................

PatC
If you mean me Pat, the knowledge isn't necessarily written specifically about tire covers. It's just general knowledge about electromagnetic light energy wave propagation from physics and from many years in the nuclear industry. These are just basics associated with particulate and electromagnetic wave energy radiation/propagation, how to work with it and how to shield from it.
UVA, UVB, UVC, etc. light energies behave just like visible light energies (think rainbow colors). UV light is invisible to humans (but visible to many other species, like bees). UV light is just beyond violet in the rainbow (hence Ultra-Violet). UV comes from the sun and it's wave length ranges between 5 and 400 nanometers in length. UV fits between visible violet and X-rays in wave length. Any specific wavelength (or spectrum) of electromagnetic wave energy may be blocked, filtered or scattered by placing absorber or deflector/reflector material in the path of the light source, just like one can absorb/deflect/reflect visible light or specific colors of light, depending upon what you want to do.

Quote from: George Hatfield – October 10, 2013, 04:50:46 am

...................I suspect you are right and that tire covers do help to reduce UV exposure of tires. I tried to find some information on the transmission of UV through vinyl. There is a lot of information on UV penetration of fabrics used in clothing, but not a lot for plastics, at least that I could find. ..............................

George
There's lots written on UV behavior in plastics, George. Tons in fact, available on the internet. Just like with tires, the majority of plastic manufacturers don't want UV energy to be absorbed in the material because that hardens and gradually destroys the base material. Therefore, they manufacture materials that either "layer in" or homogeneously mix deflector/reflector atoms or molecules. These are atoms or molecules that have the proper cross sections for blocking, deflecting or reflecting UV rays. They don't let the UV rays pass deeply into or through a material. The materials can be directional (in not out or vice versa), they can be completely clear or completely opaque to visible light, they can be dark or light in coloration or they can be made to either block or to pass specific bandwidths of electromagnetic wave energy.
Many more laymen level articles are written about UV protective clothing because that's a more popular or attractive (sexy) subject material to non-engineers, but the absorption/deflection/reflection principles for UV protective clothing/glasses/lenses are essentially the same.
Opaque materials may pass UV freely while clear materials (think glasses or contact lenses or home glazing or plastic sheeting or Lexan) may be manufactured to pass less than a tiny fraction of 1% of all incoming UV. So, one has to read and trust what the manufacturer states in terms of their material's UV characteristics. You can't see UV light with your naked eye, but you can read out UV transmission directly on UV meters. However, few of us have that technology readily available to us, or even know where to borrow or rent it.
All is not lost however, in that a good rule of thumb is that if you place yourself in a totally blacked out closet, then place a sample of any (supposedly UV blocking) fabric/vinyl/plastic over a hole in the closet wall (say something the size of a doorknob hole) with bright sunlight shining on the outside of that closet, then look to see if you have a blue tinged pattern on a white sheet of paper held as a target for any incoming light. If you have a visible pattern of bluish light on the white target, UV is passing thru the material. The brighter the blue in the pattern, the poorer the UV filtering power of the sample material. The thumb rule even works reasonably well with clear materials in that if there is no blue tinge , there is little to no UV passing.

Quote from: JohnFitz – October 10, 2013, 10:03:07 am

Couple of questions Neal:
Impervious metal? I thought all metals were impervious to moisture. Can you be more specific?
Man Made products? Do you mean plastic? Are not all plastics petroleum based?
Sealed wood? Aren't most sealers petroleum based too?
Thank you in advance.

Good questions John,
It has to do with what Paul Smith was pointing out (writing technical information in a manner that doesn't confuse readers)
What I meant was " Keep each tire isolated from surface moisture and parking surface chemicals (asphalt is particularly bad as it, itself, is a petrochemical product) by parking on thin pads or sheets of impervious material (e.g. - metal, man made products, sealed wood, etc.).

I've seen 1/8" or 3/32" sheets of stainless or galvanized tin used.

I've used 2" X 12" X 24" treated wood pads mounted on 3/4 " plywood, all sealed with BEHR #30001 Water Proofing Sealer which is readily available from Home Depot. Look for "Green, non-toxic" wood sealers and they won't have petroleum or alcohol or formaldehyde ingredients. Also, most of the Soy based products (like Soy Shield, Soy Guard, etc.) work well and last a long time in sealing outdoor wood.

I now use some "light duty" DICA outrigger/jack pads. They are made of a thermoelastic polymer, man-made material that is impervious to moisture, chemicals and petroleum products. DICA pads weigh 1/7th what steel does and 1/4 what aluminum does and their "memory" returns them to perfectly flat after each use. They work great for the coach and trailer tires, when parked long term. But they are expensive, so one needs to look for them through eBay or similar. I found 6 small plus 2 large ones (for the duals) for less than $100, used, but in "like new" condition.

Light Duty - Outrigger Pads

Quote from: Michael & Jackie – October 10, 2013, 06:13:07 pm

...................I had lunch today with a friend's son who operates a huge wholesale distribution center for tires out of Ft. Worth. He says that the chemical release is important to counter ozone. On UV protection, he said that his experience is that with it tires for cars and small trucks can last four times as long as those without, assuming the same miles driven over that period........................

Mike, so at least your friend's son and I agree? Did we answer your original question(s)?

Hope the above helps,
Neal

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #21 – October 10, 2013, 11:54:40 pm

Quote from: Neal Pillsbury – October 10, 2013, 10:57:36 pm

Sorry for the delayed responses...........too many irons in the fire!

PatC
If you mean me Pat, the knowledge isn't necessarily written specifically about tire covers

No, I meant the info Mike had posted that the typical tire covers offer no or very little protection, particularly the Adco covers . I could not find it, although I found the other article on the same site that recommended tire covers in general.

And for those of you who don't like messing with they because they are awkard, you really have to check out the ones I use. Snap-Ring TireSavers - better protection for your tires.. There are not ropes or cords to mess with. They are held in place with a spring-steel ring on the back side of the cover. You just spread the bottom of the ring and slip the cover over the tire. The spring snaps back into place and holds the cover in place. I read all about the other ones, and found that these were the only ones I could consider because of the ease of installation. What I don't like is the fact that japanese beetles like to get on the inside of the covers and die there.

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #22 – October 11, 2013, 12:25:28 am

Pat,
I like the Snap-Ring Tire Savers as well. Decent price, haven't seen any sales or other incentives, they don't store quite as compactly, but I believe their material stands up better than most of the competition, and they sure go on and off a whole lot more easily.
Neal

Re: Tire covers for UV Protection

Reply #23 – October 11, 2013, 09:04:31 pm

We have Adco tire covers for many years and find it hard to connect bottom bungee cable. Used to use awning hook and had to lay on ground to connect bungee.

Many years ago we improved a way to quickly secure tire covers and offered our idea to Adco, who rewarded us but did not adopt it.

We made a single long bungee for each tire (with two bungees tied together), that after putting covers over tire, we drop over tire, hook ends together, so that it is positioned horizontally about mid-point across tire.

BTW, we changed from white to black covers after painting our coach, but most of the time we do not put covers on.

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