tow vehicle tire pressure w/hitch

moose308 wrote:
I am towing a trailer with 1000 lbs. tongue weight using reese dual cam weight distribution hitch.I realize more weight goes to the front tires.Door placard says 60lbs. front and 80 rear max.Truck is 3500 chevy single rear wheel.I was going to use 65 front 70 rear?

I've always adhered to psi posted on door label
Never had a problem

Just don't exceed psi rating posted on your tires

Safe travels and fun camping!!!

I tend towards the "max" end when filling tires. I think it helps with fuel economy and tire wear. I would try the 80psi first and see how the rig tows...if it tows well, keep it there! When not towing or hauling, certainly try reducing the rear tire pressure.

I use the standard 70 lbs front and 65 lbs rear on my Chevy 3500 dually. The GM recommended pressure for your tires should work just fine assuming you are using truck tires.

The tire placard on your door column also shows the carrying capacity of your vehicle. The air pressure that is listed is specified by the vehicle manufacturer and is based upon many factors which include:

1. Carrying capacity
2. Ride characteristics and comfort
3. Mileage
4. Braking capability
5. Tire wear

You will not hurt anything by inflating the tires higher than the placard as long as you don't exceed the rated pressure for the tire and/or wheel combination while the tires are cold. But, it is not necessary to adjust the tires to an amount higher than specified by the placard just because you're adding weight. That is already calculated in your carrying capacity. And adding pressure does NOT increase your carrying capacity. There are other limiting factors such as brakes, suspension and drive train that come into play.

When I was in the tire business, most truck owners would ask me to inflate the tires to the maximum cold pressure that the tires/wheels would allow. I will tell you that doing so will not necessarily give you better tire longevity, and in fact may actually hurt it by causing the center of the tire to wear faster. Also, pressures that are significantly over the manufacturer's recommendation may impede traction and braking on surfaces with a low coefficient of friction such as dirt, ice and snow.

A potential benefit of increasing pressure is that if you do develop a slow leak, the increased pressure may actually give you more time to react vs. a tire that is right at the manufacturer's rating.

I have run 10-15 psi over Max sidewall rating on my truck tires for hundreds of thousands of miles. As long as the tires wear even no damage done. Stiffer side wall means less sway, tires last longer and better fuel economy, just have to deal with the stiffer ride.

Buy a good quality tire and you'll be surprised what they can withstand.

#1 cause of tire failure is low pressure.

moose308 wrote:
I am towing a trailer with 1000 lbs. tongue weight using reese dual cam weight distribution hitch.I realize more weight goes to the front tires.Door placard says 60lbs. front and 80 rear max.Truck is 3500 chevy single rear wheel.I was going to use 65 front 70 rear?

To my idea, weight distibution hitch only equalizes R/L weight and not even totally, but dont equalize front/rear.
So the tongue weight of 1000 lbs gives more then 1000lbs extra on the rear axle , and lifts up the front axle, for bumper pul, but mayby your tonge is somewhat in front of the rear axle.

Your probable 80 psi "maximum pressure" sugest you have LT tires and this maximum you think is in fact the pressure needed for the maximum load, wich you are allowed to go over even, but probably dont need to go over. TRA allows for LT 10 psi wich is 12.5% of 80 psi , so what chevor does with his 10 to 15 is totally save.
In Europe even for LT more psi is going over the maxloadpressure.

Its all about the weight on the axles, or better seperate wheels, that determine the needed pressure.

If you have not weighed, you have to do with the gross axle weight ratings ( GAWR) front and back. Also you need maximum load and that pressure needed for it ( your 80 most likely).

So search for it and give it here , and I will put it in my motorhome- tire pressure calculator.
Also give where the tongue is placed on the car.

Moose, my trailer is very similar to yours, Pull with 3/4 ton single wheel. I use, when towing, 60 in the front, 70 in the rear. When not towing, I go to 70 on the front, 50 on the rear. Towing, some of the weight is taken off the front axle and it seems to steer better. Unloaded, the ride is better but the footprint of the tire is very close to the same.