Correct Tire Pressure

[OurNewEra]

Not sure I want to jump into this but I will offer my current experience because I just did my wheel and tire check for our trip to our next park tomorrow.

When we left Florida my 'E' rated tires were at 80 psi. Check tonight in cooler Georgia they were at 76 psi. I topped them off to 80 psi. I will check and adjust accordingly for our trip home to warmer Florida.

While on the road north my tire pressures were running 85 to 86 psi.

[Keebler]

I earlier posted a link to the entire article written by an expert. If anyone has information (from someone with credentials) that contradicts this article; please share the link.

To make it easier, I am going to cut and paste the more salient points made in the article that was referenced:

The "Max Inflation" statement on your tire sidewall really is the inflation associated with the Maximum Load capacity. If you actually read your tire sidewall you will see that is what it says. So the number of PSI is really the minimum needed to support the stated load. It is important to understand that we are always talking about the "cold" inflation and not the inflation of a tire that is running down the highway or has been in direct sunlight or driven on in the prior couple of hours. "Cold" inflation does not mean the tire needs to be refrigerated but it means the tire is at the prevailing Ambient temperature.

With the introduction of aftermarket TPMS that report both tire pressure and the temperature of the sensor, people are now being exposed to numbers, they have no experience with. They see tire pressure rising as they drive down the highway. Some may see a 10% rise in pressure from the pressure they set their tires to just a half-hour earlier. Others may see a 20% or even a 25% increase in pressure and for some, this increase was a cause for concern. Not because they had any working knowledge of tire operating temperature or pressure but simply because the pressure was higher than they expected. A few people have decided that they need to bleed down the high pressure because they thought the pressure number of the tire sidewall was the max it should ever see. Of course, the action of bleeding down the hot pressure was exactly the wrong thing to do as that meant that the tire would no longer be operating at the pressures expected by the tire engineer when they originally designed and tested the tire specification.

The BOTTOM LINE is Please do not bleed down your hot inflation pressure. You should ONLY set and adjust inflation when the tire is cool and at Ambient temperature. Doing otherwise MAY result in you having a failure days or weeks later because you were running lower pressure than what was needed for the tire load you were applying.

Again, not my opinions or some anecdotal story; this is advice from an expert.

[Schiefswret]

I earlier posted a link to the entire article written by an expert. If anyone has information (from someone with credentials) that contradicts this article; please share the link.

To make it easier, I am going to cut and paste the more salient points made in the article that was referenced:

The "Max Inflation" statement on your tire sidewall really is the inflation associated with the Maximum Load capacity. If you actually read your tire sidewall you will see that is what it says. So the number of PSI is really the minimum needed to support the stated load. It is important to understand that we are always talking about the "cold" inflation and not the inflation of a tire that is running down the highway or has been in direct sunlight or driven on in the prior couple of hours. "Cold" inflation does not mean the tire needs to be refrigerated but it means the tire is at the prevailing Ambient temperature.

With the introduction of aftermarket TPMS that report both tire pressure and the temperature of the sensor, people are now being exposed to numbers, they have no experience with. They see tire pressure rising as they drive down the highway. Some may see a 10% rise in pressure from the pressure they set their tires to just a half-hour earlier. Others may see a 20% or even a 25% increase in pressure and for some, this increase was a cause for concern. Not because they had any working knowledge of tire operating temperature or pressure but simply because the pressure was higher than they expected. A few people have decided that they need to bleed down the high pressure because they thought the pressure number of the tire sidewall was the max it should ever see. Of course, the action of bleeding down the hot pressure was exactly the wrong thing to do as that meant that the tire would no longer be operating at the pressures expected by the tire engineer when they originally designed and tested the tire specification.

The BOTTOM LINE is Please do not bleed down your hot inflation pressure. You should ONLY set and adjust inflation when the tire is cool and at Ambient temperature. Doing otherwise MAY result in you having a failure days or weeks later because you were running lower pressure than what was needed for the tire load you were applying.

Again, not my opinions or some anecdotal story; this is advice from an expert.

Couldn’t agree more. Thanks.

[Canyonlight]

Couldn’t agree more. Thanks.

X2- you @Keebler may recall a tire industry veteran of 40 years or so RickTulsa who educated many on this forum on a myriad of tire questions. Those who wish to learn from a valued factual source can go to Rick's page and read through the many threads and posts.

https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/sear...archid=1860564

Dan

[Schiefswret]

X2- you @Keebler may recall a tire industry veteran of 40 years or so RickTulsa who educated many on this forum on a myriad of tire questions. Those who wish to learn from a valued factual source can go to Rick's page and read through the many threads and posts.

https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/sear...archid=1860564

Dan

It may be operator error on my part but I’ve tried several times and can’t get the link to work. Maybe someone else who has tried it can chime in.

[Canyonlight]

It may be operator error on my part but I’ve tried several times and can’t get the link to work. Maybe someone else who has tried it can chime in.

Not operator error but maybe a system thing. I can open the link but I seem to recall this not working in the past for others. Marcy @WhittleBurner - any ideas ?

Not a big deal as you can go to the "Community" tab and select the "R" tab and page to Ricks name.

Dan

[WhittleBurner]

Not operator error but maybe a system thing. I can open the link but I seem to recall this not working in the past for others. Marcy @WhittleBurner - any ideas ?

Not a big deal as you can go to the "Community" tab and select the "R" tab and page to Ricks name.

Dan

I don't know what to say Dan, the link doesn't work for me either. If I search all that comes up is 4 posts out of 200+ that the list says he made. Rick hasn't visited the forum since late 2017

[iproff1]

Car and Driver

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.car...1420676891878/

Do not inflate your tires to the pressure listed on the tire itself. That number is the maximum pressure the tire can hold, not the recommended pressure for the vehicle. Tricky, huh?



https://www.goodyear.com/en-US/tire-...%20fuel%20door.


Recommended Tire Air Pressure

Goodyear recommends that tires be inflated to the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations as found on the Vehicle Tire Information Door Placard or the Vehicle's owner's manual. The placard can be located on the door edge, doorpost, glove box, or fuel door. The recommended PSI should not be confused with the maximum cold inflation pressure that the tire is rated to hold, which is found on the sidewall.

Proper Tire Pressure

Proper inflation pressure is necessary for optimum tire performance, safety, and fuel economy. To maintain proper inflation, check your tire pressure when they are cool, with an accurate tire pressure gauge monthly.
To avoid injury, never attempt to reinflate a tire that has been run on while severely underinflated. Progressive air loss may result from punctures, cuts, curbing, impacts, or partial bead unseating. These components should be replaced when problems are detected and whenever tires are replaced.

[Skiddy]

Having read thru this very informative post, I am in the 1% to 5% it would appear! My trailer sticker says 65psi, my Westlakes tires say 65psi, there does not appear to be much mystery what to cold inflate to.

Interestingly, the 15” D rated Westlakes indicate a maximum single load of 2150#s. The GVWR of the trailer is about 6700#, the tires can carry almost 2000#s, 500# per tire, more than the rig could safely weigh, and we have not accounted for the tongue weight.

Maybe the reason I have never heard of a Westlakes tire issue on a small Imagine is related to an over engineered tire. The XLS series might be different as they use 14” tires I believe.

[iproff1]

I see two distinctive lines of thinking. Those that inflate their tires to the max that is embossed on the sidewall of the tire and those that inflate their tires to the pressure stated on the decal Grand Design put on their trailer.

And I don't see the two sides agreeing any time soon.

Ken