Posted in Beginning RVing, but a reminder to the veterans as well.A cheap gauge and a tire shop just cost me $500 in trailer tires.I had new tires put on our fifth wheel before a trip. Tire guy says he set them to 50psi (where they should be). 250 miles into the trip we stop for lunch and I bought a cheap gauge to check them because they didn't feel right on the road. New gauge (I forgot my good one at home) says 53psi after being on the road. I shrug it off and we continue on our way. Still doesn't feel right. Another 250 miles to our destination. Now the new tires are starting to wear around the edges (after 500 miles), so I check them again before we leave: 45psi. I add 5psi to each tire and drive 500 miles home.When we get home the tires with 1000 miles on them are completely bald on the edges - all 4 of them. I get my good gauge out and check them. 25 psi!!! Perfect tread in the middle and damn near showing cords on the edges. Toasted after one trip. I am damn lucky I didn't have blowouts on the highway in the middle of nowhere Nevada. Lessons learned: don't trust the tire guy. Don't trust a truck stop tire gauge.

A close call for sure. I'm surprised the tires didn't look flat.

2oldman wrote:A close call for sure. I'm surprised the tires didn't look flat.Me too. Even on doubling their pressure to 50psi there was very little visual change.

JoshInReno wrote:Posted in Beginning RVing, but a reminder to the veterans as well.A cheap gauge and a tire shop just cost me $500 in trailer tires.I had new tires put on our fifth wheel before a trip. Tire guy says he set them to 50psi (where they should be). 250 miles into the trip we stop for lunch and I bought a cheap gauge to check them because they didn't feel right on the road. New gauge (I forgot my good one at home) says 53psi after being on the road. I shrug it off and we continue on our way. Still doesn't feel right. Another 250 miles to our destination. Now the new tires are starting to wear around the edges (after 500 miles), so I check them again before we leave: 45psi. I add 5psi to each tire and drive 500 miles home.When we get home the tires with 1000 miles on them are completely bald on the edges - all 4 of them. I get my good gauge out and check them. 25 psi!!! Perfect tread in the middle and damn near showing cords on the edges. Toasted after one trip. I am damn lucky I didn't have blowouts on the highway in the middle of nowhere Nevada. Lessons learned: don't trust the tire guy. Don't trust a truck stop tire gauge.I stop people on the road all the time that be ridin round with a flat one. Peoples don't realize how dangerous it be riding around like that on a folder tire. Be careful out there specially lugging all that there weight!

I am surprised that your TPMS didn't warn you of low pressure.:S

Yep! When we left the dealer with ours, I specifically asked if the tires were aired up appropriately and the answer was"yes". Well, when home, only 8 miles, I thought they looked low. 40 or less in every tire. Glad we didn't have to go a long way.

A reminder to check your tire pressures | Good Sam Community

dsurette
Explorer
Jun 30, 2014
Thanks Mamasboy. That information wasn't there when I first looked. And although I do care about the accuracy I just wanted to be sure that it would measure at least up to 100 PSI.
opnspaces
Navigator II
Jun 30, 2014
Did you check the cheap gauge against your good gauge after you aired up the tires at home? Is the gauge actually off by 25#?
Raften
Explorer
Jun 30, 2014
I have never seen a 25 psi difference in gauges. I'm guessing slow valve sten leak.
mamasboy
Explorer
Jun 30, 2014
dsurette wrote:
I can't find any information on the Mountain Crest Premium Tire Gauge. I'm trying to find out what the maximum pressure is that it can accurately read. No specs on Amazon and no specs on the Mountain Crest web site. I tried to send Mountain Crest an email to the help address given on their web site but it was returned as undeliverable. Does anyone here have that information? Thanks.

@dsurette. I can see PSI accuracy rate on their amazon listing. It states here:
Measuring Range 3-150PSI, Product Accuracy:+/-1PSI 1BAR=14.50PSI=100KPA
Measurement Modes: PSI, BAR, KPA
Big display with backlight
Nozzle Torch LED Light

I just googled their site again and I can see a phone number and address. I haven't tried emailing them though.

FYI, High Accuracy Rate is just a marketing tactic as far as I am concerned. I can see higher accuracy rate of 0.1 to 0.05PSI, but all of these quality products are just same thing. I can't see "much" of their difference though. I advice reading their respective reviews before pulling the plug.
PS. I have tried a handful of them here.
Jim_Shoe
Explorer
Jun 26, 2014
After the final 300 mile leg of a long trip in my 'C', I checked the pressures and found an inside dually with NO pressure but it did have a large nail in it. I don't know if I picked up the nail on mile 1 or 300. Certainly the tire with the nail had to be replaced, and I also replaced the outside dually because of the possible over weight condition for some portion of the 300 mile drive.
Before I took another trip, I had a Tire Pressure Monitoring system installed. I added a mounted and inflated spare in the rear storage compartment of the 'C'.
Paying for roadside assistance doesn't help much if you don't have a spare.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jun 25, 2014
Only 25# in a 50# tire.....visually the tire should have looked low.

I'm a pest at the tire shop. I have them show me the pressure in tire as I run 55# truck front tires, 80# truck rear tires and 105# trailer tires.
Show me!

I use a digital pressure gauge every AM on every travel day.
dsurette
Explorer
Jun 25, 2014
I can't find any information on the Mountain Crest Premium Tire Gauge. I'm trying to find out what the maximum pressure is that it can accurately read. No specs on Amazon and no specs on the Mountain Crest web site. I tried to send Mountain Crest an email to the help address given on their web site but it was returned as undeliverable. Does anyone here have that information? Thanks.
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Jun 25, 2014
JoshInReno wrote:
powderman426 wrote:
I am surprised that your TPMS didn't warn you of low pressure.:S

No TPMS on trailer.

That's one of the reasons I went to TPMS, but I check my tires regularly with a good gauge, and the TPMS checks them constantly while on the road.
Allworth
Explorer II
Jun 25, 2014
Load Range "C"??
Monaco_Montclai
Explorer
Jun 25, 2014
yep, me too,got home with 29ft mh, tire looked a bit low. gauge says-45, wow, label on the door says,80 cold, wow NOW ITS ALL HAPPY-CAMPING