Just realized how much gravel roads chew up tires after my off-grid camping trip

I took my truck up to a remote campsite last week, and the gravel access road was brutal. By the time I got back, two tires had deep cuts from sharp rocks. A buddy who does off-road repairs showed me how to patch them with a vulcanizing kit. Do you guys have tips for prepping tires for rough terrain?

3 comments

3 Comments

hugo_cooper1mo ago

Wait, gravel roads tear up tires that much?

jake_ellis431mo ago

My buddy Chris drove his pickup on County Road 12 for his daily commute, maybe 15 miles each way. After one summer, his front tires were completely bald on the inside edges from all the loose gravel washing out. He also had two sidewall cuts from sharper rocks, had to replace them way early. It absolutely chews them up faster than regular pavement, lol.

theas941mo ago

Seriously, what pressure were you running? A lot of people just keep their street pressure, but letting a bunch of air out for gravel can help the tire wrap around sharp rocks instead of getting sliced. I dropped mine to like 28 psi on a forest service road last month and it made a huge difference in how it felt. Did you air down at all before hitting that access road?