tire pressure

Here is a very informative reference from Toyo Tire. It does not support tire inflation pressures equal to the load carried for RV service. See their rational.

Click Here!

FastEagle

It is pretty well understood that the recommended TV tire pressure is the “cold” tire pressure. It is generally expressed as such on labels and in the manuals.

However, the writing on the side of the TV tire states a maximum inflation pressure. It does state whether it is that this is the maximum “cold” pressure or the not to exceed pressure.

Since 75% of my TV service is day to day driving I keep the tire at the factory recommended pressure for the best ride and tire wear. When towing and near the max cargo limit, I boost them to 40 psi. this is still under the max tire limit.

I keep the TT tires at 50 psi because that is what the manufacturer has deemed appropriate for the tires they provided.

Running tires with more air than the load requires increases your chance for road hazard failure, it decreases traction, and causes uneven wear. To me all of those are in the bad idea category.

I run the pressure needed for the load on my TT. I have only had flats from sharp rock punctures on some nasty dirt roads (the reason I now run LRE LT tires).

There are lots of load inflation tables for trailer and truck tires and for a good reason, so use them!

High speed driving takes a little more air per lb than low speed driving, otherwise it's pretty cut and dried.

No need to run max pressure without max weight.

Many people have had bad luck with ST tires, so they want to run max pressure. I disagree with that, based on my experiences. All the trailer tire flats I have been around have been due to rock punctures on back roads or being under inflated. Most people don't check pressure often enough, which leads to under inflation and subsequent failure.

sh410 wrote:
The two tire engineers that have posted on this forum have said to run trailer tires at the max pressure on the tire sidewall for the reasons that Gdetrailer has stated.

I have two friends I used to work with who are tire engineers and they steered me in the direction I operate.
So let's just agree to disagree - OK?

Not always necessary but it's never a BAD idea.

IMHO on a trailer, yes, yes, yes.

The two tire engineers that have posted on this forum have said to run trailer tires at the max pressure on the tire sidewall for the reasons that Gdetrailer has stated.

I monitor the proper pressure by looking at the edge of the tread, if the wear is right along the tread edge it's ok, over the edge, too low, toward the middle of the tire too much pressure. First, of course, have to make sure tire is not over inflated. If it is up to max recommended pressure and the wear is over the side, then the tire is over loaded.

GdeTrailer, please read my post again.
I AM running my trailer tires at the max pressure on the trailer (50psi is on the placard) but the max pressure on the sidewalls of the tire is 65psi.
And 50psi (cold) is where they are at all the time - I do NOT constantly adjust them.

kaydeejay wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:
......To me, not worth the hassle with constant adjustments in pressure..

What "constant adjustment"?:h That is rather extreme!
Only time I make any adjustment is when my TST system tells me my tires are not:-
Truck front - 45psi
Truck rear - 70 psi
Trailer (all 4) - 50psi
The Max sidewall pressures of those are 80psi/80psi/65psi respectively.
So no, I do NOT run at sidewall max pressure. These pressures are what the tire tables say are required to support the truck and fiver at each one's GVWR.

You MISUNDERSTAND THEN TAKE MY POST OUT OF CONTEXT.

My assumption was that the OP IS ASKING ABOUT THE TRAILER TIRE PRESSURE NOT THE TOW VEHICLE.

There are quite a few folks on this form that advocate setting the tire pressures ON THE TRAILER TO THE LOAD USING THE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER AND TIRE PRESSURE CHARTS. THAT IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

My point is most everyone runs their trailer NEAR, AT and some cases ABOVE the GVWR rating of the TRAILER.

It makes zero sense to put 48 PSI into a 50 PSI trailer tire if your load on the trailer is half or 3/4 of the tire capacity..

That is nitpicking and really serves no purpose..

You have more chance of BLOWING a tire since you are now LOWERING THE TIRE CAPACITY TO THE LOAD.

People come here and whine and complain all the time about blown tires, not to mention extremely quick to blame the tire manufacturer..

Why not TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EXTRA TIRE CAPACITY and fill it TO THE MAX SIDEWALL PRESSURE ON THE TRAILER.

It HAS worked for me very well, even ran those dreaded Carlisles that everyone here says are bad on several trailers with ZERO blowouts..

If I used these charts for my 10K flat bed utility trailer I would have to drop the pressure from 80 PSI to 40 PSI when empty then pump it up to the load pressure when I put a load on it..

Thats just stupid.

For your trailer there is no "gain" to be had by nitpicking the pressure..