I am running G670 19.5's on our 31 foot Itasca. I have been monitoring tire temps during travel closely but have not been able to find any good info on what temps ranges are tolerable, expected, safe, or inappropriate for the tires.Today on a 250 mile run from Florida up to Ga ,the ambient air temp hovered around 70-- the roads were dry.Speed relatively constant 62 mph I check my temps on all 6 on every stop. Outside rears ran about 110 F. Fronts ran 115. Inside rears ran 120-125.What is the max that these tires can be expected to take? Is anyone aware of data or charts on temps for these tires before they become risky? Note I do a cold tire check every morning of travel and run right at 90 lbs in each tire (a bit above manufacturers spec but well within tire limits).And I am under weight on all tires- .

I think maybe your kind of worrying about a non-issue. As long as the temps are consistent and you don't have one that much hotter you really don't need to be so concerned.

Make sure the pressure is correct and do not worry about the temp. If you take the temp as you drive just use the info, what ever it is most of the time, as the standard. If it ever exceeds the "normal" temp. It will be because the pressure is low or a brake is dragging or maybe a wheel bearing is going bad. Just keep the cold pressure correct and don't worry about the Temps

Having asked a Goodyear Rep your question he said at 180 he'd start to worry. The highest I' ve seen is 145 on a hot day. On a cool day 120 is my norm. I temp mine on the sidewall about one inch in from the tread as that's the easiest spot to temp the inside dual tire.

I wouldn't be concerned if you put your palm on the tire and you couldn't hold it there indefinitely... Or, at least felt that it was very, very hot otherwise...Those temps you report would not concern me at all.I always check my tires with the "palm" test when I stop after a long run.It's just part of my walk around I do when I stop and go while on a road trip.. Even when I'm not towing, I do that.. ;) (on long road trips)Mitch

I agree with ScottG above.Most of us have traveled lots and lots of miles for lots of years and never monitored our tire temps. Keep the pressures where they belong and don't make RV'ing more complicated than it needs to be.

Tire temps-- any info out there? | Good Sam Community

22 Replies

Daytonaman
Explorer
Apr 15, 2015
I have checked w/IR, over-the-road tractor trailers in rest stops at times and on various types of loaded trailers. Always saw around 125d. This told me that the tire size/ loading/pressure was in that range for safe long term highway operation.
I have seen 175 on my drive axles when @ maximum load stated on the sidewall @ rated pressure. I've had a Major brand tire dealer state that tires can go much higher..I find that drive axle tires are under the most stress; inner duals run hotter.
Coyote74
Explorer
Apr 15, 2015
X2 on the road we use digital thermometer gun to get temps.
Oldme
Explorer
Apr 15, 2015
downtheroad wrote:
I agree with ScottG above.
Most of us have traveled lots and lots of miles for lots of years and never monitored our tire temps. Keep the pressures where they belong and don't make RV'ing more complicated than it needs to be.

So true about so many things with our hobby/lifestyle.
FormerBoater
Explorer
Apr 14, 2015
spotrot wrote:
RE: WTF

If I had 3 tires blow out in 6 years of driving, I'd get a TPMS system too.

But I keep newer tires on my RV, check them frequently and in 10 yrs of driving in the 6 figure range,on crappy NE roads and blazing hot SW roads, never had a blow out.

Tire pressure either goes down slowly or it goes down fast. Sure, if it's the latter, and the driver doesn't feel any difference, the TPMS is great.

Like many other RV'rs, I check the tire pressure before starting a day of driving. Then, at every stop, I use the IR to quickly and easily determine if there's a problem. Much faster, more comfortable and cleaner than using a gauge and therefore it gets done every stop.

X2...the 60 degrees above ambient is the threshold for me. Anything below and in range with the other tires and I am satisfied that all is well.

Just saying...
spotrot
Explorer
Apr 14, 2015
RE: WTF

If I had 3 tires blow out in 6 years of driving, I'd get a TPMS system too.

But I keep newer tires on my RV, check them frequently and in 10 yrs of driving in the 6 figure range,on crappy NE roads and blazing hot SW roads, never had a blow out.

Tire pressure either goes down slowly or it goes down fast. Sure, if it's the latter, and the driver doesn't feel any difference, the TPMS is great.

Like many other RV'rs, I check the tire pressure before starting a day of driving. Then, at every stop, I use the IR to quickly and easily determine if there's a problem. Much faster, more comfortable and cleaner than using a gauge and therefore it gets done every stop.
JimM68
Explorer
Apr 14, 2015
time to get on my horse...

Buy the TPMS. $300-400 bucks is nothing to protect your investment, not to mention your family. Aiming an IR temp gun at your tires so you don't have to spend the time to take a pressure reading? WTF?

2 motorhomes over 6 years, I've lost 3 tires. The first 2 were catastrophe's. The third I had a TST system installed, I knew it was going down before it did, had time to get safely off the road, where I watch the pressure go to zero inside of 3 minutes.
Inspection showed the tread was peeling off, a few more miles at 65 it woulda been tearing the h-e-double hockey sticks outa the underside of my motorhome.
spotrot
Explorer
Apr 14, 2015
rgatijnet1 wrote:
Also remember to aim your IR at the same place on each tire. The middle of the tread will read a different temperature than the sidewall. Tires on the sunny side will be hotter than those tires in the shade.
As long as you have the correct air pressure when the tire is "cold", meaning it has not been driven yet that day, and that you have NOT overloaded that tire, your tires are designed to handle any temperature increases as you drive.

Excellent info. Also be aware that while tread temp is significantly higher than sidewall temp, the between-the-tread temp is higher still and a better measurement of the heat buildup in the tire. To measure this, you need to hold the IR thermometer as close to the tread as possible because they see a 'cone'- like a camera lens (e.g. at a few inches an IR gauge will be averaging the temps on a circle of a few inches diameter on the surface).
FormerBoater
Explorer
Apr 12, 2015
The best information I could find was on the Bridgestone site:

http://www.bridgestonetrucktires.com/us_eng/answers/doctor_performance.asp

The Tire Doctor basically says that up to 60 degrees F above the ambient temperature is considered normal. He also has some information on where and how to measure tire temperatures.

Hopefully one of the "Clicky Doctors" can make it easy for members to access the URL above.
bshpilot
Explorer
Apr 12, 2015
Checking tire temps w/ an IR thermometer is great...but how do you do that going down the road ??
w/ the TST system i know my temp & pressures w/out having to stop....and i can see the relationship of temp & pressure between all the tires.

In the summer, driving, the TST system shows our tires generally run about 125* to 131* in 95-100* weather (sunny/dry).

Although it's rare - In heavy traffic, with heavy brake use, I've seem temps as high as 161*
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Apr 12, 2015
Also remember to aim your IR at the same place on each tire. The middle of the tread will read a different temperature than the sidewall. Tires on the sunny side will be hotter than those tires in the shade.
As long as you have the correct air pressure when the tire is "cold", meaning it has not been driven yet that day, and that you have NOT overloaded that tire, your tires are designed to handle any temperature increases as you drive.