Community Forums

John Stott · 03-03-2012, 07:40 PM

I have a 34 ft 2005 National Seabreeze on a F53 that runs very firm - we feel all of the bumps real hard. I was wondering if it is ok to drop the tire pressure by say 10 pounds or so to smooth out the ride - Is this wise or fool hardy?

Thanks in advance.

kenandterry · 03-03-2012, 07:59 PM

This is NEVER the way to soften a ride, no matter what kind of vehicle..........but most certainly an RV, given the loads they carry! Check the tire pressure suggested by the manufacturer, and stick with it. If you think the ride is that firm, I suggest you investigate other forms of suspension modification. (IMHO)

Mr_D · 03-03-2012, 08:10 PM

The ONLY way to set you tire pressures is to weigh all four "corners", take the highest weight on an axle and use that weight to set the pressures across an axle.
The pressures given on the weight sticker are used ONLY if you've never weighed the rig OR you're carrying the maximum weight the rig can carry (if using the OEM tires or equiv).

scenic route · 03-03-2012, 08:20 PM

Hey John, The best way to determine proper air pressure is to weigh(4 corner weighing is best) your coach and then go to your tire's manufacturer's tire pressure/weight tables(on line) for the correct pressures. By doing this, we found that we were carrying 15 psi too much...it made a difference. Under inflation results in heat buildup so you can see that knowing the weight of your coach is very important. Bob

Edit: Mr_D beat me to it.

WeatherTodd · 03-03-2012, 08:27 PM

check your shocks. Not expensive to replace them with some bilsteins or even monroes. Definitely wouldnt drop the tire pressure unless you have accurate weights and the rest of your suspension is up to spec.

buki · 03-03-2012, 08:59 PM

believe me...a few bumps in the road are far better than an underinflated tire carcass in a wheelwell. one may be minimally disconcerting. the latter is a $2,000 minimum repair bill when the only cause was too little FREE air. be as stupid as you want. your ers supplier will love you.

Mr_D · 03-03-2012, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scenic route

Edit: Mr_D beat me to it.

Hey, I need all the help I can get!!

John Stott · 03-04-2012, 02:06 AM

Thanks for the feedback guys - Still being a new RV'er - Can yo please tell me what is the best way to weigh all 4 corners? Do you simply go to a truck weigh station on the road or what? BTW - If you arent aftaid to ask stupid questions you never get to learn the easy way.....

**CLIFFTALL** · 03-04-2012, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Stott

Thanks for the feedback guys - Still being a new RV'er - Can yo please tell me what is the best way to weigh all 4 corners? Do you simply go to a truck weigh station on the road or what? BTW - If you arent aftaid to ask stupid questions you never get to learn the easy way.....

Here is a link to a company that does 4 corner weighing and a good explanation. RVSEF RV Weighing .

If you can't get to a facility that can to this, just go to any truck stop or other facility that can weigh each axle. It's a good start and usually suffices when the other method is unavailable.If it turns out that you were overinflated, then you will most likely get a smoother ride and protect you tires.

asw211rf · 03-04-2012, 05:18 AM

John, I recently had my coach weighed at a Freightliner Service Center. This was at Gaffney, SC but there are many available. RF

Steve N Sal · 03-04-2012, 05:49 AM

As mentioned weighing all four corners are the most important to ride on proper tire inflation. We also enhanced our ride with Monroe Shocks. We put 24K miles on them and they still road great.

JimM68 · 03-04-2012, 05:49 AM

The other thing you'll find is that air pressure is a trade-off.

Using the minimum pressure to support the actual weight (after weighing the coach) will probably give you a softer ride than you have now.

But it will also give you more sway, and a lot more movememnt from passing trucks, and a lot more "tail wagging the dog."

When I had an F53, I was much happier with the performance when running a higher air pressure. And yes, it rode like a UPS truck, but at least it would stay in it's own lane most of the time.

jrd48 · 03-04-2012, 07:17 AM

Well the Koni fanboys will probably chime in but I replaced the factory Bilsteins on my F53 with Monroes for a much better ride. It was an economical solution for me.

Gary RVRoamer · 03-04-2012, 08:10 AM

If you can't get a 4 corner weight, just run it through a truck stop weigh station, e.g. a 'CAT' scale, and get the axle weights. Then divide by 2 (front axle) or 4 (rear axle) to get an average tire weight. Add a fudge factor because RVs are often more heavily loaded on one side than the other. I usually figure an extra 10% to allow for that. That will get you close enough to figure the required tire pressure.

At the truck stop scale, tell them you don't need a certified weight and it should be about $10. The scale is usually segmented so it can usually get all the weights at one time. Makes it real easy.