Forum Discussion

Happy_Jim's avatar
Happy_Jim
Explorer
Oct 31, 2016

Your F53 tire pressures

I was curious how much ititial cold tire presure folks run on their Ford F53, 19.5 tires. I run 85psi cold all way around. I understand loading ect.

I have noticed that pressure will rise approx 10psi while driving on a warm day.

Thanks.
  • wolfe10 wrote:
    Treads like this concern me. Basing tire pressure on YOUR coach on what others with different coaches, different weights will not get you the correct answer for YOUR coach.

    Please:
    Best-- get individual wheel position weights. Using the heavier wheel position on each axle, go to your tire manufacturer's Inflation Table to determine the correct MINIMUM PSI for all tires on the axle.

    Get axle weights. This ASSUMES perfect left/right weight distribution which is not likely. So you will need to add a "fudge factor" to account for left/right imbalance.

    I agree. This is not a matter for personal opinion or anecdotal stories. The only safe way is for a four-corners weighing and careful reference to the manufacturer's load/inflation tables. Goodyear's tables (the brand for my RV) are here: http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/rv_inflation.pdf.
  • TNGW1500SE wrote:
    The sticker on my Sunova says to run 80 so I just run 80

    Why do you do that? The sticker also says that this pressure is the max pressure for the max rated load. Do you know what your individual tire laod is?
    My sticker also says 80, but I run 75 in the front and 80 in the rear!
  • Happy Jim wrote:
    I was curious how much ititial cold tire presure folks run on their Ford F53, 19.5 tires. I run 85psi cold all way around. I understand loading ect.

    I have noticed that pressure will rise approx 10psi while driving on a warm day.

    Thanks.

    One need only concern themselves with cold tire pressures, no matter what the ambient might be for that particular day.
    Each axle must be weighed and I always allow 10 - 15 psi for a cushion and to take care of all the variables that can and do take place over an extended trip, especially. These would include changes in ambient temps. as well.
  • Stay with cold temp inflation numbers and adjust you pressures as necessary during the year as local temperatures change or as you move around the country. I'm also an 80 PSI owner which gives me slightly more capacity in the tires than I have in the axles. Pressure increases can be high as air and road surface temps increase but those numbers are factored in by the tire builders. You have to consider that regardless of if the coach is rolling down the road or parked in the driveway put to bed for the winter your tires need to be aired up to the recommended pressure for the load we demand they carry. Bleed down a high daytime temp and you could be under inflated at 5AM the next morning.

    I have my weight checked twice a year. In the spring after taking out all the stuff I didn't use all last year and loading new stuff I probably won't touch all season. Also at the start of our two weeks on the road mid summer when I'm really loaded with stuff I think I might need or use but never do. The hard part is figuring in the weight of the rocks my Navigator collects along the way and forgetting to take them out of the coach when we get home before the next trip and more rock collecting. Maybe I should go with 85 or 90 PSI just to be on the safe side?
  • "Cold pressure" has nothing to do with a specific ambient temperature.

    It means BEFORE DRIVING (which heats up the tires) at whatever the ambient temperature is.

    So, absolutely, most of us have to add air in the fall/early winter.
  • The the load inflation chart for our R250 series Bridgestone 245/70x19.5 Load range "G" tires reflects a minimum of 80psi so that's what we comply with.
  • I run 80psi on all 6 tires, per the recommendation on the sticker. I find going by the tire markings, the ride is much rougher. Also, as noted the pressure will rise considerably while driving, especially in the desert climates, well over 100 psi. Good luck and enjoy the travel.
  • First how many are aware that you can pull up on any truck scales along the interstates and I have never found one who wasn't more than happy to weigh you?
    If you only go by stickers on your coach, what happens if you're overloaded like so many are, before they even leave the driveway?
    How many of you that do weigh, only weigh each axle, like I do and if so, how do you know if one side weighs a lot more or will get that way during your travels?
    How about when you leave Death Valley CA one morning and go up to Yosemite National park and where do you stop along the way to to air up your tires because of the change in ambient temps. I mean there's snow up there on Tioga Pass in the summer, folks.
    Load inflation chart is the only way to go IMO and again, add the 10 - 15psi to take care of these possible variables.
  • tropical36 wrote:
    First how many are aware that you can pull up on any truck scales along the interstates and I have never found one who wasn't more than happy to weigh you?
    If you only go by stickers on your coach, what happens if you're overloaded like so many are, before they even leave the driveway?
    How many of you that do weigh, only weigh each axle, like I do and if so, how do you know if one side weighs a lot more or will get that way during your travels?
    How about when you leave Death Valley CA one morning and go up to Yosemite National park and where do you stop along the way to to air up your tires because of the change in ambient temps. I mean there's snow up there on Tioga Pass in the summer, folks.
    Load inflation chart is the only way to go IMO and again, add the 10 - 15psi to take care of these possible variables.

    Also and recently learned is that even though you might have plenty of CCC to burn, it doesn't mean that it's going to be evenly distributed and no matter how hard you try. With our new to us and present coach, we're about a ton to the good on the front, but 160lbs over on the rear. A paltry amount I know, but still and just saying that one never knows without weighing. Still don't know if both rear sides are equal and there's no way I'm going with that exact weight with the load inflation tables.
    I think you'll find that most all blowouts occur with under inflated tires, unless it's due to a road hazard or advanced age, of course.
    Here's a tip and even if you do run over something in the road, causing a blowout and damage to the inner fender and beyond, don't report this road hazard to your insurance company, otherwise it will go on record as a collision, rather than be treated as a comprehensive thing. In other words, you don't have a clue as to what happened, which is usually the case anyway.