Do not depend on tire aerosol sealants and inflators to permanently fix a damaged tire. These products are designed to provide only a temporary, emergency repair to help get you off the road and to the nearest tire repair facility. They may also make the tire non-repairable.

Some aerosol products of this type use flammable gases, such as butane, propane or isobutane as propellants. Follow all directions and precautions printed on the canister when using these products. Be sure to inform tire service personnel when you have used any flammable aerosol to inflate your tire.

The purpose of regularly rotating tires is to prolong their useful tire life by achieving more uniform wear for all tires on a vehicle. Before rotating tires, check your owner's manual for rotation recommendations for specific vehicles. If no rotation period is specified, rotate your tires every 6,000 to 8,000 miles or at any sign of uneven wear. If the tires show uneven wear, ask a serviceperson to check for and correct any misalignment, imbalance, or other mechanical problem before rotation.

Rotating the tires as recommended by the RV or tire manufacturer will help even out the amount of wear on each tire and extend the life of the entire set.

Note: Some kinds of tires cannot be rotated in the manners described below. Such tires include uni-directional tires and tires with asymmetric tread designs. Also, some vehicles may have different-sized tires mounted on the front and rear axles, and these different-sized tires have rotation restrictions. Check your owner's manual, or with your tire dealer, for the proper rotation recommendations for these special cases.

When tires are rotated, the inflation pressures must be adjusted for the tire's new positions in accordance with the actual loads on that wheel position. Underinflated or overinflated tires may result in poor handling, uneven treadwear and increased fuel consumption.

Note: Lugnuts should be properly torqued anytime a tire/wheel/rim assembly is re-installed on the vehicle.

When parking your RV for extended periods of time, it is important to make sure the vehicle is as level as possible -- not only for convenience and comfort purposes, but also to avoid tire overload due to weight transfers. On RVs without built-in leveling devices, it is customary to "block" the low wheel positions.

Extreme caution must be taken to ensure that the tires are fully supported when using blocks. The load on the tire must be evenly distributed on the block and, in the case of duals, evenly distributed on blocks for both tires. If this isn't done properly, tires can be damaged, leading to premature sidewall fatigue and ultimate tire failure.

The illustrations below show the correct and incorrect blocking methods.

When recreational vehicles are out of service for long periods of time, they should be put on blocks. Place the blocks under the axles so that tires bear no load during the storage period. Also ensure that the tire/wheel assemblies are protected from direct sunlight. Because inflation pressure will fluctuate with surrounding temperatures, a slight, gradual air loss will typically occur over extended periods. Be sure to inflate the tires, including the spare, to operating pressure before returning to service.

If you remove your tires from the RV, store them in an area that is clean, cool, dry, dark and well-ventilated with circulating air. Tires should be stored so that the tires at the bottom of a stack retain their shape. Store tires whitewall-to-whitewall to avoid staining. If outdoors, protect tires with an opaque waterproof covering.

When you have questions about tires, consult your tire dealer. A dealer is the best source of general information and professional service on tires. Have your dealer inspect your tires periodically and otherwise assist you in maximizing your tire investment. Dealers have service manuals, wall charts and other industry publications on tire load and inflation, tire repairs and tire replacements. They can provide any replacement tires your vehicle needs, balance your tires and properly repair damaged tires which are repairable.