We drove on summer tires on our trip through Europe, including Scandinavia. These were perfect for our conditions; we travelled in summer, and temperatures were between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius. However, when we were at the end of our travels in Norway, temperatures started to drop faster than we anticipated, and we were forced to move down quicker than we wanted. One of the main reasons was that we were travelling on summer tires, which are not suited for low temperatures or wintery conditions.
In this article, we will discuss summer vs all-season tires. We will explain why you should get a suitable tire for the conditions you are travelling in with your motorhome, talk about the difference between these tires, and how you decide which is better for your motorhome’s next adventure.
Why you should care about getting suitable motorhome tires
Most modern motorhomes weigh close to 3.500kg. Two things must be up to par to stop that mass when you break: the braking system and the tires. The braking systems of motorhomes are adapted to the weight of motorhomes and, if maintained correctly, can slow down the wheels sufficiently to come to a stop in time when required. However, your tires also play a big part in stopping your motorhome duly. Since these are the only contact point between your motorhome and the road, they need to provide enough grip when braking (hard) without the tires slipping. A suitable motorhome tire ensures you have the best grip for your conditions.
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Stopping your motorhome in time isn’t the only thing. You also want to keep your motorhome on the road in all circumstances. There is a reason why there are different compounds and different tire profiles. In the rain, you want your tire to be able to get rid of the water between the road and your tire. When it’s snowing, you want your tire to collect snow in its profile, creating a better grip on the road and preventing your drive from turning into a slip-and-slide.
Lastly, having the right tire for the weather and road conditions will also result in lower fuel consumption. Having the right amount of grip, thread pattern, and compound determines how much fuel you need during your travels.
Please note that countries’ regulations limit the use of certain tires. For example, in wintery conditions in Germany, you need to have tires with the 3PMSF symbol; these guarantee a (tested) minimum amount of traction. You will be able to find these on most winter tires, but certain all-season tires also have these symbols.
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The differences between motorhome tires
So now that we know that using the wrong tire for the weather conditions will result in a greater breaking distance, less grip, and higher fuel costs, it’s essential to know the differences to decide which tires you should get for your RV.
In the table below, you can find the most important differences between summer and winter tires. An all-season tire, also known as a four-season tire, is a compromise between a summer and a winter tire.
| Summer tire | Winter tire | |
|---|---|---|
| Compound | Relatively hard, staying more flexible in higher temperatures | Relatively soft, staying more flexible in lower temperatures |
| Profile depth | New around 7.5mm Replace when < 2mm | New around 9 mm Replace when < 4 mm |
| Tread pattern | Simple with a big contact surface | Coarse, able to collect snow and thereby improve grip |
| Temperature | Best performance > 7 degrees Celcius | Best performance < 7 degrees Celcius |
| Conditions | Dry and wet roads | Snowy and icy roads |
| Symbol | No specific symbol | Three Peak Mountain Snow Flake (3PMSF) |
So what does this mean? A summer tire is hard and performs best when it’s not cold. It can rain or be scolding hot, and the tires will still perform. A winter tire is soft, has its best performance when it’s cold and can take snow and ice. An all-season tire is in between and will work in warm and colder temperatures. It will wear faster when it is really hot and will have less grip when it’s cold and when there is loads of snow.
In summary, there are three options to choose from for your camper:
- Summer tires – If you only drive with your motorhome in summer, opt for summer tires. They offer the best performance for these conditions.
- All-season tires – If you primarily drive in summer but might encounter (less harsh) wintery conditions now and then, opt for all-season tires. This way, you will be safer in these conditions while you still have a reasonable performance in summer. Make sure you buy tires with the 3PMSF symbol that qualify as winter tires.
- Summer + winter tires – If you travel all year round and love winter, chances are you will encounter harsh wintery conditions. Then you should buy summer tires for your motorhome now and switch to winter tires when the seasons change in autumn.
Note that you should replace the tires on your motorhome every 4 to 5 years, even if the tires have enough profile. Tires become brittle over time, which degrades their performance and increases the risk of a blowout.
We experienced a blowout personally with our motorhome due to old tires, which was scary and costly. Most damage was collateral damage to the undercarriage of our motorhome and even part of the interior.
But having to replace them quite regularly might mean that opting for the summer + winter tire option might become an expensive adventure, swapping the tires twice per year and replacing them every 4-5 years.
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Why we switched from summer to all-season tires
We travel mostly in spring, summer, and autumn. Since we don’t encounter harsh winter conditions during our travels, we don’t need to use winter tires. So this leaves us with the choice of summer or all-season tires.
Shortly after we bought our second-hand motorhome, we got new tires. We didn’t think about which tires to pick, and our local garage automatically got summer tires. This is the best tire for most RV campers, and you know why: because most motorhomes are only used in warmer weather.
After our adventures in summer through Europe and Scandinavia, and our rushed departure from Norway, we travelled home to the Netherlands. A few weeks later, we decided to spend Christmas with Natalie’s parents in France. Because the whole family was invited, we decided to take our motorhome to park it in their yard and sleep in it.
However, we were unsure if we should drive 1200 kilometres on our current summer tires. There were temperatures expected of around 0 degrees Celsius during the day, and we might even get snow on our way! And you now know that cold and snow aren’t good conditions for a summer tire to drive in. And to top that off, the front tires had already seen significant wear from our trip. In the end, we decided to replace our tires with all-season tires. And we made the right choice.
We probably should have gone for an all-season tire for our camper immediately because we knew there would be chances of us travelling through lower temperatures and might encounter light wintery conditions.
In conclusion, summer vs all-season tires: which is better for your motorhome’s next adventure?
So, summer vs all-season tires, which should you choose? Well, it depends 😊. When only driving in summer, choose summer tires. If you encounter less harsh wintery conditions now and then, consider all-season tires instead of summer tires. If you know you will also travel in harsh wintery conditions, choose both summer and winter tires and switch them out at the appropriate times.
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