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Front tire pressure for 3500 long bed pulling 5th wheel

smokeylew
Explorer
Explorer
Have a 2016 Ram diesel long bed and pull a 36' NuWa 5th wheel. Haven't had the 5th wheel that long. Prior to this I pulled a heavy TT with an Egualizer hitch. Always put max air pressure in all 4 TV tires for towing. Weight distribution on TV is much different with 5th wheel.

Door sticker on Ram states 60# for front and 80# on rear.. Can anyone with similar TV and 5th wheel combo advise what front tire pressure should be? I've been putting 74# in front tires while towing 5th just on gut feeling. Tires have max 80# on sidewall. Trailer is 12,300 unloaded. 15,500 max.

Thanks
29 REPLIES 29

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
Me Again wrote:
YnotTurbo wrote:
I run 72 PSI in the front and 76 in the rear when towing. Truck and RV on the scales, 29,300 lbs. No problems.


I would run 80 all the time in you fronts according to my friend Cummins12V98 and 76 is more that needed in the rears. Chris


Yes VERY true! I run 65 in the rears at full RAWR of 9,750#. He has a triple axle DRV that will have a lighter pin than I do.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
YnotTurbo wrote:
I run 72 PSI in the front and 76 in the rear when towing. Truck and RV on the scales, 29,300 lbs. No problems.


You may want to weigh your front axle fully loaded as in with humans and full fuel and hitched. At 72psi I am betting you may be overloaded. Look at your door jamb it will say 80# if you are a 4x4.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

RoyJ
Explorer
Explorer
Durb wrote:
I would go with the manufacturer's recommendations. Why assume people on this forum know more than the engineers that designed the truck and the engineers that specified the tires? With this litigious society I'm sure their specifications are set with your safety in mind.

Hooking up my 5er does not change front end loading appreciably.


Because engineers very rarely have the final say in an OEM environment. If we did you wouldn't have Ford recommending 26 psi in those Explorers...

Engineers only spec psi based on max GAWRs (note I didn't say GVWR), with a factor of safety built in. In real life, you're rarely at both max F & R GAWR.

One can better the "engineering spec" by measuring the axle weight, and look up the inflation tables from the tire manufacturer.

shepstone
Explorer
Explorer
80 all round all time, 113,000km on them, still fair amount of tread left. But 90 percent of the time it's got the fiver in tow.
2017 F350 Ruby Red Super Cab Dually 6.7 3.55 gears. B&W Companion 25K. BackRack. Gatorback mud guards. AUX65FCBRG aux tank. 2021 GD 380fl
2010 GMC Savanna 3500 extended 6.0

azdryheat
Explorer
Explorer
I weighed my truck with and without the toy hauler. Front end weight was the same on both weighs. Chevy says 70 front and 65 rear (duals). Have had great results with those pressures.
2013 Chevy 3500HD CC dually
2014 Voltage 3600 toy hauler
2019 RZR 1000XP TRE

BobKrogstie
Explorer
Explorer
I run 73 front, 80 rear duals, scaled 23600 gross, 3320 pin weight.
Bob and Natalie
2008 Grand Junction 37QSB
2009 Dodge 3500DRW Big Horn 4X2/CC/LB/CTD/4:10/Auto

burningman
Explorer II
Explorer II
Because the engineers who design these things aren't doing it on a case by case basis, they have to settle for general-use specs. We make all sorts of modifications to how the factory engineers - and accountants - built our trucks, based on our intended use. Mine is rather heavily modified, and does the job I want it to do MUCH better.
You can run max pressure all the time if your option is to trade a little harder ride for a little better MPG, or go softer and make the opposite trade.

Having said that, 60-65 is probably happy medium and the best way to fine tune from there is to try different pressures and see where you like it best.
2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD SE
99 Ram 4x4 Dually Cummins
A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
4.10 gears, Gear Vendors overdrive, exhaust brake
Built auto, triple disc, billet shafts.
Kelderman Air Ride, Helwig sway bar.

Durb
Explorer
Explorer
I would go with the manufacturer's recommendations. Why assume people on this forum know more than the engineers that designed the truck and the engineers that specified the tires? With this litigious society I'm sure their specifications are set with your safety in mind.

Hooking up my 5er does not change front end loading appreciably.

Me_Again
Explorer II
Explorer II
YnotTurbo wrote:
I run 72 PSI in the front and 76 in the rear when towing. Truck and RV on the scales, 29,300 lbs. No problems.


I would run 80 all the time in you fronts according to my friend Cummins12V98 and 76 is more that needed in the rears. Chris
2021 F150 2.7 Ecoboost - Summer Home 2017 Bighorn 3575el. Can Am Spyder RT-L Chrome, Kawasaki KRX1000. Retired and enjoying it! RIP DW 07-05-2021

Me_Again
Explorer II
Explorer II
smokeylew wrote:
Have a 2016 Ram diesel long bed and pull a 36' NuWa 5th wheel. Haven't had the 5th wheel that long. Prior to this I pulled a heavy TT with an Egualizer hitch. Always put max air pressure in all 4 TV tires for towing. Weight distribution on TV is much different with 5th wheel.

Door sticker on Ram states 60# for front and 80# on rear.. Can anyone with similar TV and 5th wheel combo advise what front tire pressure should be? I've been putting 74# in front tires while towing 5th just on gut feeling. Tires have max 80# on sidewall. Trailer is 12,300 unloaded. 15,500 max.

Thanks


Sounds like a SRW truck. The 60 in the front is enough and no more than 65 if you want a little more capacity up front. 45 or so in the rear empty and 80 with the 5th wheel. Chris
2021 F150 2.7 Ecoboost - Summer Home 2017 Bighorn 3575el. Can Am Spyder RT-L Chrome, Kawasaki KRX1000. Retired and enjoying it! RIP DW 07-05-2021

YnotTurbo
Explorer
Explorer
I run 72 PSI in the front and 76 in the rear when towing. Truck and RV on the scales, 29,300 lbs. No problems.
Navy Chief (Ret.) Still working. 2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 4:10 Geared and 935 lbs. of Grunt..., 2011 Mobile Suites Lexington

Halmfamily
Explorer
Explorer
60 on the front and 65 in each dually.
2008 GMC Sierra 3500 SLT DRW D/A 4x4 (Big All)
2006 Ford F350 PSD SRW King Ranch 4x4 (Henry) (Sold)
B&W Companion, 90 Aux Fuel Tank, Scan Gauge II, Curt f/m hitch, Swagman XC
2015 Forest River Sierra 360 PDEK
DW Diane, DS Michael, FB Draco and Sabian

12th_Man_Fan
Explorer
Explorer
I always use what is posted on the door jam. A 5th wheel puts very little extra weight on the front axle if your hitch is in the right place.

In my case it calls for 70 psi in front 65 psi in rear duals 4K pin weight.
2014 GMC Duramax 4X4 DRW Crew

2015 DRV Tradition

camp-n-family
Explorer
Explorer
Fivers put very little, if any, weight on the front axle. No need to air them up higher than the recommended 60psi.
'17 Ram 2500 Crewcab Laramie CTD
'13 Keystone Bullet Premier 310BHPR
Hitched by Hensley

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
I run 60# front ALL the time......towing or not
I run 80# rears towing 13,873# scaled weight 5vr
I run 50# rear not towing

With Michelins AT2s typically get at least 60K per set w/o rotating tires

Just put Cooper Discoverer ATPs on........same air pressures.
Will see how they wear
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31