Community Forums

SloPoke · 02-04-2015, 12:40 AM

Played Hooky from work today. First I adjusted the air pressure in the two front tires to read the same 108 lbs. Then the wife and I took a ride down a newly repaved interstate. The wandering around the lane was mostly gone. So I am going to attribute it to the groves in the truck lane and cross winds on I5. I also stopped at a T/A truck stop with a CAT scale and weighed the coach. The Front end had a weight of 11,560 lbs. According to the Toyo tire chart, I could lower the pressure to 85 lbs which the chart indicates could handle that amount of weight…. but I am NOT going to. I am going to leave it at 108 lbs. Thank You all for your help and suggestions. Now, on to fixing the shower.

Enjoy the Ride
Scott

Mich F · 02-04-2015, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SloPoke

Played Hooky from work today. First I adjusted the air pressure in the two front tires to read the same 108 lbs. Then the wife and I took a ride down a newly repaved interstate. The wandering around the lane was mostly gone. So I am going to attribute it to the groves in the truck lane and cross winds on I5. I also stopped at a T/A truck stop with a CAT scale and weighed the coach. The Front end had a weight of 11,560 lbs. According to the Toyo tire chart, I could lower the pressure to 85 lbs which the chart indicates could handle that amount of weight…. but I am NOT going to. I am going to leave it at 108 lbs. Thank You all for your help and suggestions. Now, on to fixing the shower.

Enjoy the Ride
Scott

Since 85 psi is sufficient, why not try going down to 90 or 95 psi ? You might find that it improves the ride. Give it a try anyway.

Smitty77 · 02-04-2015, 09:19 AM

Until you can get Four Corner Weight, I suggest you do keep your PSI at the higher level you have now. The axle with the heaviest load can vary by several hundred pounds on the front, and with larger rigs over a thousand pound on the drive.

I take the heaviest weight for Front/Drive/Tag and use that when checking the charts. If I'm toward the top of the scale on the chart, say within 20-25%, I move up to the next higher row to obtain recommended PSI. Finally, I add + 5PSI to that setting.

The extra 5 PSI is to allow fudge factor for in case I don't have a chance to keep the PSI at the set level, and to cover changes in weight from loading differences between trips. I've also traveled in heavy steady crosswinds, that really can add a load to the wind loaded side of the coach. I usually find even with my extra 5 PSI, that the tires are still 10-20 PSI below the 'CYA' higher settings on the chart inside the coach.

If you can't find a place that has the individual tire scales, you can still get close by running down the side of a CAT scale to get one side's of each Front/Drive/Tag, and then subtracting it from the total. (Tag is a real PITA! And not all scales have enough room to run down the side, so some looking for a scale may be needed. Moving companies, tash disposals or recycling companies, are places that have scales that may have enough room to run down the sides and straddle the scale to get the side weights.)

OP - Glad your lower PSI and smoother road (And anything is usually smoother then I5 now a days!) has helped on the ride!

Best to all,
Smitty

smlranger · 02-04-2015, 11:17 AM

Call your local DOT or State Police and see who runs the scales on interstates in your area. They almost always have a mobile weight truck in your area with scales that can do individual wheel weights. In my case in Virginia, one of those fellows lives 15 miles from me and agreed to meet me in a local school parking lot and do the weigh. No charge since your tax dollars are paying for the service. Sometimes you can go to the weigh station and meet the portable scales truck there.

SloPoke · 02-05-2015, 03:50 PM

Thank You MichF and Smitty77 and Smlranger for your thoughts. The coach was not fully loaded with stuff for a trip and the fuel tank was only one third full (diesel was $.40 to $.50 more per gallon along I5 than at home, so I did not fill it). I did put the air pressure down to 105 lbs when we got home. When we get to our rally in Tucson we will have all 8 tires weighed individually.

Scott