tire pressure for tv

[Danford50]

I have a 2012 dodge ram 1500 and i would like to know what psi i should run in my goodyear wrangler tires when i am towing my 30 ft camper, should i keep the same pressure in my tires that is indicate on the tires them self or do you hae to increase your pressure when towing?

[JIMNLIN]

All P tires are a very soft tire and work great on the std duty 1/2 ton truck rear axles which generally run in the 3800-4000 lb range. When towing with the wifes 1500 chevy with P265/70-17 tires I pump them to the max at 44 psi. Even 44 psi is still a soft tire for load carrying or a several thousand lb trailer pushing the back end of the truck around.

This from CapriRacer on P load capacity vs max pressure;

(snipped)
" On P metric Standard Load tires, the load carrying capacity increases as the inflation pressure increases - up to 35 psi.
The maximum usage pressure for a Standard Load P metric tire might not be 35 psi - it might be 44 or 51 psi, but that doesn't change the relationship between the pressure and the load.

Don't believe me? Find a load table for P metric Standard Load tires and see for yourself. They all end at 35 psi."

[mowermech]

Well, first you load your vehicle as it would be normally.
Then, you weigh the vehicle.
Then, using the tire loading/inflation charts provided by the tire manufacturer (usually available at the manufacturer's website), you inflate the tires to match the load, making sure that the tires on any one axle are inflated equally.
Or, you just go by the tire size/weight chart on the door jamb of your vehicle. the tire inflation pressures listed there are the correct pressures for THAT vehicle when loaded to the maximum rated weight.
Or, you can try the "chalk test". Make a chalk mark across the tread of the tire. Drive a few feet. Is the chalk mark evenly worn? The pressure is just right for the load. Is the chalk mark worn more on the edges? The tire is under inflated. Is the chalk mark worn more in the center of the tread? The tire is over inflated!
The pressure on the tire side wall is for the MAXIMUM load the tire can safely carry. Are you REALLY loaded that heavy?

[jadatis]

BarneyS wrote:

jadatis wrote:
I cant see how a weight that pushes behind the rear axle , can be distributed to the front axle by such a WD hich.
I thougt only weight distribution was better between left and right.
But then I dont understand how such a hich works.
So to my opinion the front axle dont get more loaded by such a hich.
I am assuming bumper pull now, but mayby its a plate a bit in front of the rear axle wich can give some more weight on the front axle .

Take a long look at the first post in this thread. 🙂
Barney

OK now I understand how such a hich works, but had to google furhter for some pictures and film about it .
Cant make the hich to stiff otherwise the rear wheels could come off the ground when driving troug a large hole.
So for off road driving its not sutable ( but who does).
SoCalledDessertRider already gave the good explanation that best adjusted hich stil lowers about 30% of the original hich weight of the front axle.
So this front axle still does not need to have higher pressure in the tires, sooner can do with a lower pressure wich probably is within the margin so can stay the same.
And still gives about 85% of the unhiched tonge weigt, so rear still needs higher pressure.

the working of a weight distributing hich is about the same as a shovel from wich a picture here. Difference there is that you only have 2 axles wich cant come of the ground .

[SoCalDesertRid1]

peirek wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:

My front tire psi doesn't change because front axle weight doesn't change whether towing or not

Clearly not true when using a WD hitch. Unless of course you are towing an extremely light TT with a really big TV. The hitch weight should be distributed to all axles (TV and TT) Take it to the scales for proof.

All the weight distributing hitch does is replace weight lost from the front axle after hooking up the trailer. It does not typically load significantly more weight onto the front axle than was there when the trailer was unhooked, unless the hitch is overadjusted for the tongue weight.

In a utopian setup, the front axle weight would remain the same, between trailer unhooked, and trailer hooked up, with spring bars connected.

Even an overadjusted hitch isn't going to place more than 300 lbs onto the front axle, than was there before the trailer was hooked up. A 300 lb weight increase per axle (150 lbs per tire) is insignificant, as far as normal working tire pressure is concerned.

[Shavano]

Moved to Tow Vehicles

Moderator- TT's

[BarneyS]

jadatis wrote:
I cant see how a weight that pushes behind the rear axle , can be distributed to the front axle by such a WD hich.
I thougt only weight distribution was better between left and right.
But then I dont understand how such a hich works.
So to my opinion the front axle dont get more loaded by such a hich.
I am assuming bumper pull now, but mayby its a plate a bit in front of the rear axle wich can give some more weight on the front axle .

Take a long look at the first post in this thread. 🙂
Barney

[jadatis]

I cant see how a weight that pushes behind the rear axle , can be distributed to the front axle by such a WD hich.
I thougt only weight distribution was better between left and right.
But then I dont understand how such a hich works.
So to my opinion the front axle dont get more loaded by such a hich.
I am assuming bumper pull now, but mayby its a plate a bit in front of the rear axle wich can give some more weight on the front axle .

[peirek]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

My front tire psi doesn't change because front axle weight doesn't change whether towing or not

Clearly not true when using a WD hitch. Unless of course you are towing an extremely light TT with a really big TV. The hitch weight should be distributed to all axles (TV and TT) Take it to the scales for proof.

[jadatis]

Shame on your NanciL to put 5 psi more in then that " maximum" on the sidewall:W .
Now I was joking, it is allowed even by the stiffer TRA to put 10 psi more then it in for LT and ST tires. for C-load tires and up the maxloadpressure is given on the sidewall and not the maximum pressure.
For Standard load /P tires and XL/reinforced/Extraload though the maximum pressure is given on the sidewall and the pressure needed for the maximum load is respectively 35 and 41 psi.
You are not allowed to go over the maximum cold presssure , but are allowed to go over the pressure needed for the maximum load cold.

But for this topic its probably not needed to go over that maxloadpressure, and you have even enaugh reserves for , pressure-loss in time, incidental little extra load, misreadings of weight and pressure-scales, to high given maximum load of tire, etc , with a lower pressure .

[NanciL]

I have the same tires, and my tire guy says to put them five PSI more than the sidewall says.

He says that if I am normally carrying loads even when I am not towing it is best to do that.

I get good mileage out of my Wranglers, so I'll continue to do it.

Jack L

[skipnchar]

IF they are truck tires fill to the door post recommendations. If they are p rated (passenger car tires) fill them to the max on sidewall

[SoCalDesertRid1]

On a single rear wheel truck loaded/towing, use the max sidewall pressure on the rear tires.

On that truck, it's likely 50 psi, if it has LT truck tires. If it has P car tires, they may be only 35 psi max, and should be changed out to LT truck tires instead.

[downtheroad]

Terryallan wrote:
When towing. Air them up to the max psi listed on the tire. Why? Doing so will stiffen the sidewalls of the tires, and help to control the TT better.
It is the same reason folks run tires with more load capacity than they need. To help control the trailer. And of course. The higher PSI raises the load capacity of the tire to max as well.

Do this...

[usmc616]

In order to improve my tow experience I had to experiment with diferent amounts of air in my TV tires. I finally liked the ride best when my rear tires were set to 75psi and the fronts to 68psi. Anything less would give me a squishy feel and anything closer to max tire pressure,80 psi, would give me the feeling the tires were not gripping the road.
I think once you know thw max tire pressure your TV tires can handle you will need to experiment also.