Tire Inflation Questions

If you are wanting to lower your inflation only do so after having weighed the rig ready to travel. Then find the load inflation table for your tires (if I am not mistaken the load tables are the same regardless of brand just make sure you are looking at the correct size and load rating and whether single or dual. I personally use the tables and air accordingly. Some want to use inflation as stated on the rv manufacturers sticker, some want to use the max inflation on the tire sidewall, some want to follow the load inflation tables and some do whatever they want, don't care and drive until their tires are toast without a care in the world. I wont say any are wrong. "I" will say that "I" feel the load inflation tables are the ultimate resource for tire pressure. First and foremost they are designed around a standard that the tire manufacturers recognize and follow. Who knows more about their own tires than the manufacturer. No one, not the rv manufacturer and not the government mandated stickers, not the rv dealer, not the local mechanic nor Billy Bobs best friends ex sister inlaw who used to work at a tire store 40 years ago for a summer. The rv manufacturer doesn't know anything about tires they buy them and put them on though they may very well have looked at the load inflation table to come up with the number on their sticker but that number is based on max GVW of the unit and may be totally appropriate for the unit and it may be overly high that depends on the unit and how much cargo/stuff you carry. I know on my trailer the original tires were barely adequate for the load and they did ride at max psi as they needed it. When I changed tires I went up a load range and gained significant capacity. I was able to lower the air pressure from max 80psi to 60psi which was actually 5lbs less than the previous tires which had a max of 65psi. I am still well within the tire capacity based on the unit weight. I know I looked at some trailers that had 4k of cargo capacity I usually have about 1200lbs including water. Why do I need to inflate my tires to max capacity if I am not using max capacity? I dont but someone else might carry 3500lbs of cargo in the same trailer and need that max capacity. The rv manufactures psi recs are based on gvw to cover their arses which is forced upon them by two things our litigious society and the government. The government does not trust the average citizen to be able to figure out the correct course of action in this case. They know few people pay any attention to their tires and I dont disagree with that. If you were to go to the Federal Register and read the law about TPMS systems you would find that the only reason for it is the government does not trust the average consumer to properly inflate and monitor the tire pressure, it says that very thing in very plain english more than once in the Federal register.

Long winded way of saying don't do anything until you weigh the unit axles or even better a 4 corner weight to find out what capacity is needed(even with 4 corner weigh all tires on same axles should be at same psi using heavier side as the base). Then go from there whether you stick with the rv sticker, tire sidewall max pressure, the load inflation tables or your own ideas of what is right at least you started out with knowing what the real load is going to be on the tires.