Tire inflation question

[Steven@147]

I used the Escapee SmartWeigh program that gives you weight at each wheel. I then used the Goodyear Tire Inflation Chart to set my PSI for heaviest spot.

“Are you overweight? The Escapees SmartWeigh program is an RV educational program created by the Escapees RV Club for the exclusive purpose of enhancing safety, enjoyment, and the overall success of the RV lifestyle. SmartWeigh provides critical RV weight safety and load management information in a highly accurate and usable format. The individual wheel weights determined and provided to RVers under the auspices of this program will be highly accurate as a result of using very high-quality scales, which are annually tested, only suitable weighing sites, and highly trained personnel.”

Non-member $80
Member $70

We used the Escapee's "Smart Weigh" back in 2020 at Livingston, and then went fulltime. Weight by tire and axle if you can get it really opens your eyes as to what your carrying and where and just how close to the ratings you're running. It's well worth the money even if you only do it once! I dissected the numbers about every way one can. We can really see just how much more weight going full time puts on the rig. Now in 2023 we are about the same weight as back in 2020, haven't added or removed any significant weight since then.

Still run the RV tires starting out at 105* each and they will "grow" up to about 120-125* depending on time of year and region of the US we are driving in. When we hit Texas in fall/winter we have to reduce tire pressures rather than up north in the cold time of the year. In the summer heat, driving in the south we have to reduce tire pressures as well.

I attached a pdf of my excel file. OOPS, I forgot we did add a water softener to the port side of the rig in the storage compartment at the nautilus panel, that added @ 40* to the rig.

[jadatis]

The GD sticker on the trailer says 80 psi for the GYE 235/80R16 tires

The sticker on the a axle says Dexter 5200 lbs.

So, the max weight on any one tire should be no more that 2600 lbs. a bit more perhaps a f weight is uneven.

The Good Year inflation / load table shows 3140 lbs. for 70 psi.

So, does anyone know why GD put 80 psi. On the sticker? Kind of confusing as to what one should actually do in r real life.

When I calculate, lowering the maxload by 6 loadindex steps, to give tire a deflection an LT would need for 99mph, and using 90% of the loadcapacity for the pressure, wich gives maxium reserve with still no screws trembling lose, it comes to a bit higher then 80 psi, so in this case keep the 80 psi.

The ST 235/80R16 i found in goodyear list loadindex 123/ maxload 3417 lbs AT 80psi upto max speed of 65mph, ( wich you wont go over for even a minute)
Lowered it to loadindex 117/ maxload 2833 lbs. using 90% of that is 2550 lbs x2= 5100lbs. GAWR is 5200lbs. So in this case the 80 psi is needed to my standards.

That is not the reason why they give 80psi as recomended pressure.
History has learned that ST often blow because of to poor reserves used.
And counterreaction is then to recomend maximum of tire. All for comerce done that poor reserve, so smaller and cheaper wheels can be used, so TT maker makes more monney.

[huntindog]

My Momentum placard states 125 PSI. It is a tripple axle GVWR 21,000#.
I don't get too excited if they are a little low. So long as the TPMS is happy, so am I

[Scott'n'Wendy]

I will install the never fail bushings at some point.

Can't just throw that out there without a little explanation...never fail? I'd buy those.

[huntindog]

Can't just throw that out there without a little explanation...never fail? I'd buy those.

That is their name. They are mode out of a grey nylon type of material ( I forget what it's called) They have tested them to 100,000 miles and still were in good shape. Waranteed for life. I put them on my 2010 Sabre, for at least 50,000 miles... No greasing needed! in fact grease will cause them to fail.
Also do not use a grease bolt with them.
I have installed the greasable bushings on two of my TTs, and find them just marginally better than the stock plastic ones.

[Summit1]

The "sticker" (per the engineers at Goodyear) is intended as Maximum Cold Inflation Pressure. Their inflation chart should be used to determine the correct inflation based upon measured weight when loaded by the individual user.

[Calbar]

The "sticker" (per the engineers at Goodyear) is intended as Maximum Cold Inflation Pressure. Their inflation chart should be used to determine the correct inflation based upon measured weight when loaded by the individual user.

This is fine if you have measured individual tire weights when fully loaded. You can't just take each axle weight and dived by 2 or total axle weights and divide by 4. There are many that have had each tire weighed individually and found that there is always 1 or 2 that carry a lot more than the others. This is why you should always inflate to maximum cold tire pressure on all 4 tires unless you have actual measured individual tire weights. Otherwise you will have at least one overloaded tire.

Rob

[huntindog]

This is fine if you have measured individual tire weights when fully loaded. You can't just take each axle weight and dived by 2 or total axle weights and divide by 4. There are many that have had each tire weighed individually and found that there is always 1 or 2 that carry a lot more than the others. This is why you should always inflate to maximum cold tire pressure on all 4 tires unless you have actual measured individual tire weights. Otherwise you will have at least one overloaded tire.

Rob

Another reason is that RVs are different than other trailers in that weights can move around a lot in the course of an outing. FW is used and ends up in the waste tanks, Propane gets used and disappears, food/beverages get consumed and end up in the waste tanks, and many other things can move around. Everyones usage is different so everyones resulting weight distribution change will be as well.

[HaywireRandy]

This is probably the wrong spot to ask this question, sorry if so.I have a 320g tire inflation is 120 psi, if I go to any service station their compressors don’t pump up high enough. What do you guys take with you to do your thing when adjusting pressures Vivair ? Something that is portable that will get the job done. Thanks

[Hoopy Frood]

I use quite a few Dewalt cordless tools at home so I purchased the Dewalt cordless inflator. It's small, not too noisy, screw on the inflator hose, and you set the pressure. It shuts itself off when the desired pressure is reached. The main downside is it's slow to inflate, but that usually is a pretty small downside. I've had other compressors, but this is my favorite so far for travel usage.