Tire protection, tire cover and airconditioning

[leong1]

Hello everyone. I am fairly new to this forum and would like to please ask a couple of questions to you fine folks about UV tire protection and air-conditioning.

1. I have looked thru the sub-forum on tires to ascertain what is the best product I should use to protect the tires on my ’77 31’ Excella 500 from becoming damaged by strong sunlight, UV rays and the summer heat here in S. Florida. So far, I have come up with: motor oil, Black Again for Tires, One Grand Exterior Rubber Treatment, 303 Aerospace Protectant, Turtle wax Tire wax and Glycerin. Which of these products is best? My trailer is parked on a concrete slab, and I am presently living in it. Two wheels on the left side are on wood leveling boards, and the other two are on the concrete. Because of the location of the parking space (not in an RV park) and other circumstances, it is not feasible to move the trailer every month or two or remove the wheels and place them in storage. I last went out to Central FL about 2 months ago. Unfortunately, my trailer is in the hot sun every day and there is no available shade at all. This, and previously storing it out in the sun and snow in IL for years, has taken a toll on the clear coat and my exterior is really looking shabby, but that is a whole nother story….. Does anyone have any new thoughts/ideas on the subject of tire protectant/sealant?

2. Some people use the commercial white vinyl covers from Camping World to cover their tires, but it seems that after a year or two, the covers start ripping and shredding. Are these covers really a good investment/good protection? My idea is to apply a tire protectant spray or wax, and then place some plywood boards against the wheels, secured under the wheel well, so as to block out the sunlight. I have measured and it seems that I would need two 4 x 8 boards, each cut to 60.5” x 30”, which I can get at Lowe’s. I will then apply a sealant to waterproof the boards, and then paint the boards silver or black. In theory, there should be no sunlight coming into contact with the tires. I will use two separate wood blocks to extend the height of the board on the side which is raised.

3. An alternative to the board option, is that I purchase 2 sheets of white Tuftex Polycarb corrugated roof panels from Lowe’s that supposedly offers 100% UV protection. Since these panels come in 26” x 8 ft sections, I will have to join some pieces together to get a height of 30inches. The panels are not as sturdy as the wood boards, but they may look a bit better and would be lighter for transporting when I eventually travel. May I ask for your thoughts on this? Also, how are other members dealing with this situation?

4. My final question relates to the air-conditioning. I have to leave it on pretty much 24/7. I am away from the trailer at work during the day. On the few days that I have turned it off, the temp inside has been very high, making it difficult to cool down when I return in the late afternoon. Because it is so hot here, I do need to keep the air running throughout the night. I have two questions on this topic:

1. Is it OK to leave the air-conditioning on day and night? What are the down sides to this, other than electricity cost?

2. Is it better to turn it off during the day when I am not there? If so, how high will the temp go inside? What kind of “damage” can take place inside in high temperatures? Will it affect the operation of the fridge?

Thank you all very much. I look forward to your responses and debate on this……!!!!