parking on rubber horse stall mats

[gashog]

Been thinking about using 3/4" horse stall mats under tires while storing my TT. Sounds like having rubber on rubber would be good on the tires. I've used these mats for other application and they are easy to cut with a Stanley box knife.
Rubber Mat, Black, 4 ft. x 6 ft. - For Life Out Here

Might even be great if cut in strips for camp site leveling..

[rclogg]

that's the best idea I've gotten from this forum yet, we have four or five sitting in the back of the barn. They will go in next time we move our 5er, thank you.

[Davidg]

Very interesting idea. Where I park the camper is crushed rock. I used to use a 2x8 around 6' long, but they often split, and sometimes get cut up for other projects...lol. When I recently moved the 29RE under the barn, I used a section of plywood.
Next time I stop by TSC, I'm going to look closer at those mats.

Thanks for the idea. I'll be interested in others thoughts.

[4mula1fan]

Those might hold water...might make the tires sit in a puddle when they sink in...

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by 4mula1fan

Those might hold water...might make the tires sit in a puddle when they sink in...

All the ones I've seen have deep, wide grooves to drain liquid.(urine)

[4mula1fan]

Could be, OC. I've delivered a bunch of them, but was always in a hurry to get the heck out of there to pay much attention.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by 4mula1fan

Could be, OC. I've delivered a bunch of them, but was always in a hurry to get the heck out of there to pay much attention.

I have a pc of one in front of my metal lathe and it is a PITA to get the chips, etc out of the grooves.

Usually just use the air nozzle and blow them out onto the concrete.

[gashog]

I store my Jammer in a building with a crushed rock floor. Figure it would be better than sitting on the rocks or 1 x 8 boards.

I believe you can get them with smooth or grooved surface...

[gashog]

Originally Posted by 4mula1fan

Those might hold water...might make the tires sit in a puddle when they sink in...

Made from recycled tires, don't see them holding water?????
non issue for me anyway beings it's stored inside..

[Aggie Dad]

i cut a old rubber truck mat in half and place them under the tires, same idea as yours!

[GreenImp]

I have used stall mats for leveling and long term storage (on gravel). I really liked that they allowed more precise leveling than wood planks (3/4" vs 1 1/2") and are essentially indestructible. My only complaints were the weight (1 mat = 100lbs), and something that was my own fault (I cut my leveling strips too narrow).

I cut mine to 8" wide...just barely wider than my tires tread. What I didn't realize was that the rubber strips would flex just a tad as I pulled on them. This occasionally caused a tire to have a little tread hanging over the edge requiring an adjustment. This slight flexing was amplified when stacking multiple strips. If it wasn't for having cut them the way I did I would almost certainly still be using them.

I have since moved to Andersen Levelers...which I love (although they're not perfect either).

[Luckybreak]

"My only complaints were the weight (1 mat = 100lbs), and something that was my own fault (I cut my leveling strips too narrow)."---Green Imp

x2 on the weight, but cut up, they are easier to handle!

[gsiepe]

I just bought some rubber pavers, 16" sq. for patio use, thought this would work good for storage on concrete. Just $3.99 each

[Filterman]

Along the same line as this post.... I put on all new tires this year prior to our marathon northern trip. I'm wondering if there is merit in parking on wood (or something) rather than on natural earth like I always have. Also is there a real benefit in covering your tires...and what about taking the weight off them with Jack stands or is that going to be harder on the axles? Just some questions as another season starts to wind down.
Thank you

[dannyeager]

Ditto on the 16 inch rubber patio pavers idea. I anchored them to a six foot 2 x 12. Trimmed the pavers to fit the board nicely and use them when I store the trailer on my crushed stone driveway. I figure rubber on rubber won't be hard on tires when it is stored for winter.

Dann & Diane
2008 F150
2015 Rockwood 2109s

[scottydl]

Quick thread revival... I just recently ran across the idea of using a horse stall mat (trimmed into 12"x12" squares) as leveling squares. There was a decent Youtube video showing the process of trimming the mat, which I can't seem to find now (the video). I ran across it while watching a bunch of other leveling videos.

I already have some 2x10 board sections that I'll use for leveling, but plan on picking up a stall mat once the boards need to be replaced. The video mentioned above said that 1 mat makes plenty of 12"x12" squares for at least two RV's, so you could even split the purchase cost with a buddy.

Originally Posted by Filterman

Also is there a real benefit in covering your tires...and what about taking the weight off them with Jack stands or is that going to be harder on the axles? Just some questions as another season starts to wind down.

Some RV'ers are religious about covering tires, but what tires really "like" the most is rolling. For motorhomes, you ought to drive the RV at least once per month to circulate the chemicals in the rubber and help it last longer. That's less practical to do with trailers in the off-season, but something to consider.

Age-related dry rot happens from the inside out generally, so covering the outside of the tire will only accomplish so much. If you live in a really high-intensity UV sunlight area like the southwest U.S. (and your RV tires don't get any shade) then maybe a cover of some kind might be useful. But I'd be reluctant of many RV tire covers that will block in heat. It seems air circulation would be important to tire health too.