Forum Discussion

cjunken's avatar
cjunken
Explorer
Jul 24, 2017

Tow Vehicle Tire Pressure

So to make a long story short we had a flat on our first outing with our TT this past weekend. It appears that it was a puncture to one of the tow vehicles tires, but during the ordeal our roadside assistance gentlemen made a statement that concerned me. He was commented how my tires were really just light duty tires and likely not adequately inflated to be pulling what I have. So now the question becomes who should I turn to for help assessing what tires and pressure would be ideal? I've been reading conflicting information on the web and want to make sure I'm not putting myself in danger. I will consult my local tire shop for advise, but does anyone here have general guidelines they use such as inflating to max psi listed on the tire sidewall etc.
Thx
  • downtheroad's avatar
    downtheroad
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2017
    Welcome to the Forum...
    What trailer, what tow vehicle and what tires? Provide more info and you will get lots of experienced help.
  • Ron3rd's avatar
    Ron3rd
    Explorer III
    Jul 24, 2017
    Inflate to the max on the sidewall. Simple as that
  • cjunken's avatar
    cjunken
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2017
    I don't have the exact tire, but I have a 2013 Explorer running Goodyear (not sure style) 255/50/20 pulling a Coachmen Apex Nano 193bhs. Sidewall max psi is listed a 44psi.
  • K_Charles's avatar
    K_Charles
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2017
    Find out how much weight is on each axle. Read on the side of the tire how much weight the tire can hold. You are either good or you're not.
  • APT's avatar
    APT
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2017
    Vehicle manufacturers specify the weight ratings of the vehicle and the tire size/pressure to meet those weight ratings. So as long as you stay within the ratings of the vehicle, you don't need higher pressure or load rating tires. You may see some improvements to the ride/handling of if you do, however.
  • coolbreeze01's avatar
    coolbreeze01
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2017
    Max psi allows the tire to carry its max rated load. Low psi causes heat buildup in tires and heat kills tires.
  • bguy's avatar
    bguy
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2017
    coolbreeze01 wrote:
    Max psi allows the tire to carry its max rated load. Low psi causes heat buildup in tires and heat kills tires.


    Your tire is rated to carry somewhere around 2600lb @44PSI cold. Less
    PSI = less capacity.
  • cjunken's avatar
    cjunken
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2017
    So truly the only safe bet would be to load up and get it all weighed to really verify how everything sorts out. I have a pic of my tag and looks like front axle rating is 3100 and rear axle is 3300. Cold pressure is listed at 35 but sidewall max says 44. So I'm thinking that I'd like to bump that up to about 42 at least. It didn't ride horribly on the interstate but I'm hoping that a 20% increase in pressure may stiffen up the ride a bit.
  • coolbreeze01's avatar
    coolbreeze01
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2017
    cjunken wrote:
    So truly the only safe bet would be to load up and get it all weighed to really verify how everything sorts out. I have a pic of my tag and looks like front axle rating is 3100 and rear axle is 3300. Cold pressure is listed at 35 but sidewall max says 44. So I'm thinking that I'd like to bump that up to about 42 at least. It didn't ride horribly on the interstate but I'm hoping that a 20% increase in pressure may stiffen up the ride a bit.


    I'd put in 44lbs.
  • TurnThePage's avatar
    TurnThePage
    Explorer
    Jul 24, 2017
    Ditto. There is no danger in maxing out the pressure. Go for 44 PSI. With P rated tires, every bit helps. It also adds significant stability when towing.

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