There’s no doubt about it, more and more people throughout the United States and Canada have been embracing the fun adventure of RV travel.
Not only is it a great way to keep your mobile shelter close at hand, but it also allows you to enjoy the comforts of home, even when you might be far away from home.
From pop up campers, to travel trailers, fifth-wheel campers to giant Class A motorhomes, and everything in between RV sales are on the rise.
Of course, your budget matters not only in the initial purchase price, and the cost to stay at campgrounds and RV parks, but you also have to factor in the long-term cost of ownership.
One of the things that surprise many RV travelers, by taking an unexpected bite out of their summer travel budget, is the cost of replacement tires.
This is one of those times when a pinch of preparation can prevent a pound of problems when you are on the road.
If you have an RV, or you are thinking about getting an RV, you might be wondering how much does it cost to replace rv tires?
RV replacement tires price vary depending on the size of the RV tires, as well as how well you maintain them over time. Shooting from the hip, you can expect the cost of large Class A motorhome tires to be around $300 per tire. Though there are certain things you can do to prolong the overall life of each tire. In contrast, a small popup camper tire might cost as little as $75 per tire.
To really understand the things that influence the price of RV replacement tires, we’ll need to roll up our sleeves and look at things like tire size, tire brands, and the things you can do to make the most out of your RV tire tread life.
Understanding The Cost Of RV Tires By Size And Class
As you can imagine, a large Class A motorhome with its multiple large wheels is going to have a higher price per tire than a lightweight popup or a teardrop camper.
Other factors also play into it like how often you rotate the tires on a motorhome, as well as things like making sure they’re at the right tire pressure.
Cost Of Class A Motorhome Tires
Sitting at the top of the weight range is the Class A motorhome. This is a drive train vehicle that has essentially been married to a large camper.
Most Class A motorhomes are over 35 feet long and are extremely heavy. This often calls for dual rear axles and/or dual tires on a rear axle.
All that vulcanized rubber drives up the total price of tire replacements.
Though, if you keep an eye out for sales, you might be able to save money on a deal that reduces the total cost per tire when you buy more than four at one time.
The average cost of a Class A motorhome tire tends to be around $300 to $350 per tire.
Class B Motorhome Tires Cost
As strange as it might seem, there is a fair amount of variety in the Class B motorhome niche.
On the larger end of the spectrum, Class B motorhome tires can cost just as much as Class A motorhome tires in the $300 to $350 range.
Though there are certainly some Class B motorhomes that are a little smaller, and might only have a cost per tire of $200 to $250.
Class C Motorhome Tires
It might be a little counter-intuitive, but some Class C motorhomes are larger than their Class B counterparts.
Here again with these monsters of the road you might be looking at an average cost per tire of around $275 to $300 for a large Class C motorhome.
Fifth-Wheel Camper Tires
Fifth-wheel campers reside in a comfortable middle ground. Many have the interior space and creature comforts of a large Class A Motorhome.
Yet fifth-wheel campers can be detached from the tow vehicle pickup truck. It lets you use your tow vehicle to get around and see the sites, without having to completely break camp.
Of course, it also means that fifth-wheel campers bear a payload weight similar to a Class A motorhome, which translates into a cost per tire of around $275 to $350.
Though fifth-wheel tires tend to last longer as they aren’t responsible for applying torque from the tow vehicle’s drive train.
Travel Trailers & Toy Haulers
Here again, you have a tow vehicle pickup truck that’s responsible for getting the camper from Point A to Point B.
This means that you don’t have to worry about things like tire rotation as the tire tread tends to wear out evenly.
Just be prepared to replace both or all four of the tires at one time. Travel trailer and toy hauler tires can cost as little as $90 per tire on sale, to as much as $200 per tire.
Teardrop Camper Tires
Teardrop campers have long been popular for their lightweight towing and ability to sleep two to three people comfortably.
Since they don’t have to bear as much weight and they don’t need rotation, you can tend to get a lot of life out of teardrop camper tires.
Though when it comes time to replace them, you should do both at the same time. You can expect teardrop camper tires to cost around $90 to $150 per tire.
Popup Camper Tires
A lot of popup campers are on par with teardrop campers when it comes to overall towing weight.
Though their ability to expand out for more sleeping space makes them incredibly popular. Especially with families that love to travel.
Some popup camper tires are very inexpensive and can be found on sale for as little as $70 per tire.
Though some of the high-end models can end up costing you up to 150 per popup camper tire.
Common RV Tire Brands
In North America, there are some tried and true tire manufacturers with names that are well-known for a reason.
They’ve been in the marketplace and decades of success have helped them master the tire making process.
This translates into longer overall tread life as well as less risk of a blow out while you’re driving down the road.
This includes names like:
Of course, theses aren’t the only RV tire manufacturers worth considering. Though they do tend to be at the top of the list.
So, if you see an unfamiliar name at a similar price, it’s better to go with either Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, or Road Warrior RV tires
Tips For Maximizing RV Tire Lifespan
Properly maintaining your RV tires will go a long way toward maximizing their lifespan and reducing the long-term tire replacement costs.
Maintaining Proper Tire Pressure
Whether you have a lightweight popup camper or a heavy-duty Class A motorhome, low tire pressure will tend to make the tread wear down rapidly.
If it’s too low you could see catastrophic damage on a single trip. On the other end of the spectrum, incredibly high tire pressure can cause a serious blow out as well as excessive tire tread wear.
If you want to prevent tread wear or any serious damage of tires you should use TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) for maintaining tires pressure level on your motorhome or travel trailer.
Also when TPMS indicate air pressure drops 25% below the manufacturer’s recommended level, Use portable air compressor To Keep Your RV Tires Inflated without finding a gas stations to use their RV tire inflator.
Rotating Motorhome Tires
Most motorhomes are rear-wheel drive. This means that the torque produced by the drive train tends to wear out the drive tires 20 to 30% faster than the other tires on the rig.
Rotating them per the manufacturer’s instructions will help prevent excess treadwear, and might extend the time before you need replacement by as much as 25%.
Proper Winter Storage
Tires that are allowed to freeze to the earth in the wintertime are far more likely to suffer damage.
Even if the treads aren’t affected tires that are allowed to sink into the soil and freeze are far more likely to see problems in the sidewalls.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Spare Tires Do I Need?
There are a lot of RVs that come with a single spare tire. Some are even tastefully installed into a hatch in the rear.
However, that doesn’t mean you should only carry a single spare with you. Especially if you are going to be traveling over rough roads.
If you have a fifth-wheel camper or a travel trailer with dual axles, you should consider carrying two full-size spare tires.
That way if you run over something that damages the tires on one side of your RV, you can replace all of them at one time.
Are RV Tires On Sale Seasonally?
Tire manufacturers are savvy enough to realize that there are certain times of the year when they are going to sell a higher volume of tires.
This includes RV tires which tend to be in the highest demand in the spring through the summer. This also tends to place the cost for replacement RV tires a little bit higher.
If you wait until the fall or early winter to buy new tires for your RV you could find them on clearance sale.
In some cases, they might be as much as 30% off. Just keep in mind that your first or even second choice in replacement RV tires might not be available.
It tends to be a first-come, first-serve sort of sale. While it’s a little bit of a gamble, you could shop around and find a great deal!
What Are Signs That My RV Tires Need To Be Replaced?
RV tires have a limited lifespan, especially the drive tires on a motorhome or tires for travel trailers and fifth-wheel campers that do a lot of boondocking.
There are a few arguable tests to determine if you need new RV tires, and just about every tire center salesman has their own method that just happens to be in favor of selling you a full replacement set of RV tires.
Though there are a few objective things that tell you new RV tires are in your future. In the spring you need to do a close visual inspection.
After all, a few extra minutes of inspection in spring can spare you hours broken down on the side of the road in summer.
Signs that you need to replace your RV tires:
- Cracks in the sidewalls
- Uneven wear in the tread
- Exposed steel belting
- Significant discoloration at the seams of the tires
- One or more tires that can’t hold sufficient air pressure or has a slow leak
- A tread depth of 3/16ths of an inch or less
Conclusion
RV tire maintenance and replacement are an integral part of the cost of ownership.
Taking a few extra minutes to inspect your tires in the spring and before a long trip, will save you countless hours sitting at the side of the road with a flat.
Of course, you’ll also need to factor in the cost of RV replacement tires in your budget.
While sales abound at certain times of the year, and prices can range by the manufacturer as well as size, there are a few ballpark costs you can use to save up over time.
The replacement tires for a Class A motorhome will likely cost you over $300 per tire. Whereas a Class B or Class C motorhome’s replacement tires might cost a little less.
Replacement tires for a fifth-wheel and travel trailer replacement tires can vary, but you should plan for it to cost at least $250 per tire.
Once you start dipping down into teardrop and pop up campers the cost to replace the tires starts to become more reasonable.
Smaller tires like these can cost as little as $75 per tire or as much as $150 for a high-quality RV replacement tire.
