MCSA - Motorhomeclub of South-Africa.

MOTORHOMES AND TYRES

(Written by Richard Clark)

INTRODUCTION

Most common road vehicles comply with a factory specification, and thus have predictable tare and gross permissible masses that can be found in tables available from tyre retailers, or from the vehicle manufacturer. Choice of correct tyres for such vehicle should therefore not be a problem. Equally important is the provision of correct inflation pressures, front and back, for the loads that such tyres will be expected to bear on that particular vehicle.

Motorhomes, on the other hand, differ in that they are extensively and invariably modified and customised after manufacture, to the extent that it has been said that there is virtually no such thing as a "standard motorhome". Tyre loadings for any individual motorhome can therefore only be known by measurement on a weighbridge or load-palette and recording these readings. Front-end and rear-end measurements (there will be errors, if the vehicle is not level) as well as total vehicle mass, loaded as if the motorhome would be prepared for a tour or holiday, should be recorded. It is illegal for any vehicle to have a left-to-right-side mass that differs in excess of 10%. It is also illegal for any motorhome to be on the road with a loaded-up total mass that exceeds the plated GVM, or either of the plated permissible maximum "axle masses", front or back.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

A tyre should have a compatible fit with the rim to be used. Complete tyre

What is Wood rot ?

Wood rot is damage to wood caused by fungal colonies which settle on the wood and extend structures known as hypae into the substrate to take advantage of the nutrients and moisture in the wood. Around the world, wood rot is a very serious problem, and many people find themselves dealing with rotted wood at some point. It is also something which people routinely check for before they commit to purchasing real estate, as it can be expensive and time consuming to fix.

Any time wood is allowed to get moist and stay moist, wood rot can emerge. To prevent this, many lumber companies treat their wood so that it will resist moisture, often adding chemicals which harm fungi so that if the wood does get damp, fungi cannot settle on it. Proper ventilation of wooden structures is also critical, to keep fresh air blowing across the wood so that it stays dry, and wood-to-ground contact is generally to be avoided, as wood which sits on the soil will eventually attract fungi, causing rot.

This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as “dry rot,” despite the fact that the wood involved is often in fact quite damp. The term “dry rot” is a holdover from the time when people distinguished between wood rot in treated timber and wood rot in untreated timber. Treated timber was said to experience dry rot, while untreated and raw timber was simply rotting when it was colonized by fungi.

Classically, wood rot causes the wood to become crumbly, spongy, or stringy. Sometimes the outer layers remain intact, and the rot only becomes apparent when catastrophic failure appears. In some cases, the fungi in the wood may put out fruiting bodies, making the problem readily apparent. While it may be tempting to scrape off the fruiting bodies and call it a day, the presence of fungus on wood indicates the need to address the underlying wood rot.

Rotten wood generally needs to be removed. People can repair wood rot by taking out and replacing r

This guy lives in a garbage truck....you have to see it! from MARIANNE
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.