Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > MOTORHOME FORUMS > Class A Motorhome Discussions
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 01-07-2014, 03:42 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Lincolnboy2's Avatar
 
Texas Boomers Club
Fleetwood Owners Club
Solo Rvers Club
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Lakin, Ks.
Posts: 3,636
WOW-Check your tire pressures!

This cold weather definitely took its toll on the tire pressures.

I was out in the coach last weekend doing a maintenance run (engine, generator, slides, etc) and checked the tpms.

All 6 tires are down about 5-6 lbs each, which translates to around 6-7% pressure loss.

They were down a lb or two a couple weeks ago, but not 5-6 lbs.

I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, but I was still shocked to see that much lower cold temp pressure.

That was Saturday afternoon before the -15 degree temps flew in here (the Polar Vortex ) Sunday.

I'm sure they are even lower now......but I don't plan to inflate them back to normal until I drive again anywhere, maybe not a good idea?

Should I go ahead and pressure them back up or wait till warmer temps?
__________________
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Kent: 2015 Fleetwood Bounder 35K
With Ferbie (ShihTzu) Lilly (Pekingese) & Daisy (Yorkie) Memoriam: Katie, Spencer, Zoey, Susie, Angie
Lincolnboy2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 01-07-2014, 03:50 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
mikebrls's Avatar
 
Evergreen Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: W palm beach ,Fl
Posts: 642
I went from Florida to Georgia last week and i have tpms and noticed going from 80 degree temp to 40 degree temp the pressure had dropped a good 5 to 6 lb also " in morning before driving " once I started driving the pressure went up with in 5 minutes .
so when the cold weather make's you loose air pressure do you add air or just run the coach for a few for the heat to build up to increase air pressure ?

I would not think truck driver's going from state to state in different temp, air fill and unfill there tire's every day ?

whats your thought

mike
__________________
Mike , Fre & daughter Kimberly , 2 dog's name Marly & Zorra , 2014 Palazzo 33.3 , Jetta TDI & Acme tow dolly ,Goodsams, Koa , Still learning
mikebrls is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2014, 04:00 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
gruelens's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,450
I personally would not try to "chase" the tire pressures while parked. If you have a tire that is severely lower and mis-shapen, air it up of course. Then when you get ready to roll, get the pressure to the correct amount with tires cold.

Lincoln Boy you get a gold star for even checking tire pressure when outside temps are cold. Remember not to put your tongue against an extremely cold tire gauge as it can stick there and you have to go to the ER to have it removed.
__________________
George R. - Fulltiming since January '03
2007 Newmar Mountain Aire 3991
2012 Chevy Malibu LT1
gruelens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2014, 04:09 PM   #4
RV Mutant #14
 
Wayne M's Avatar


 
Winnebago Owners Club
Texas Boomers Club
Freightliner Owners Club
iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 17,189
What is the recommended pressure from the manufacturer of the tires for the weight that you have on each tire? Let's say for example that the Mfg recommended 90 psi and you inflated to 100 psi for any additional weight you may add in your travels. A 5-6 pound drop would still be within the specifications of the Mfg. Remember that for every 10 degrees of temperature change there will be a 2% increase/decrease in pressure. If you were at 70 degrees and dropped to 30 degrees overnight that would be about 8%, however it is more logarithmic in that for the first 10 degrees it would drop from 100psi to 98 psi, then from 98 psi at 2% and 10 more degrees it would drop to 96.4, and another 10 degrees from 96.4 would be 94.5 approximately. So even at a 40 degree drop over time you would still be within specifications.

You could even drive with those pressures being within Mfg specs. However, if you should want to you could inflate them back up to your inflation and just remember the next time it gets warm and you want to travel to check them again and adjust accordingly.

Personally I don't like inflating and deflating every time I want to move, so I use the fudge factor of 5 to 10 pounds over the Mfg's specs. I don't have to worry about it.

I check my tire pressures before we ever move from a site.
__________________
Wayne MSGT USMC (Ret) & Earlene (CinCHouse) RVM14 (ARS: KE5QG)
Lexi - Goldendoodle
2015 Winnebago Tour 42QD - 2020 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve
It is what it is, and then it is what you make of it.
Wayne M is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2014, 04:28 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
SeeTheUSA's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,478
Here's a chart that shows how pressure changes with temperature. If you like to keep your tire pressure at a specific level, you'd have to calculate the equivalent if the temperature is above or below the base (this chart uses 65 degrees).
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	image.jpg
Views:	294
Size:	69.5 KB
ID:	53451  
__________________
Warren and Debbie, Deep in The Heart of Texas
2018 Winnebago View 24D
2014 Tiffin Breeze 32BR, 2012 Winnebago Navion 24G, 2006 Winnebago View 23H
SeeTheUSA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2014, 08:59 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
djbmsu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Polk City Florida
Posts: 1,930
Why would you run the engine if your not going to use the coach? all you are doing is creating moisture from the heat then letting it sweat and freeze and a bazillion other things that will cause problems.
__________________
Don and Nancy
[2018 Tiffin Bus 40 AP, 2022 Ford Edge ST , 9yr old sisters Sara n Kaycee, Havanese, Electric Catrike
djbmsu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2014, 10:15 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Dunner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phx, Arid~zona
Posts: 11,106
I noticed my front truck tires are bulging more. Gotta check and air them up tomorrow.



__________________
2004 32' National Sea Breeze 1311 Class A on a F-53 Chassis, CHF, TST TPMS, 5Star Tune.
If Dunner (RVM23) can't fix it, it ain't broke!
Cheap Handling Fix Poll. Click Here to vote?
Dunner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2014, 12:39 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Tomtall's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: S.W., Michigan
Posts: 686
So I'm reading this thread

And I'm thinking to myself why not use nitrogen instead of air? So I do a search on the net and come across this article by "Tire Rack" one of the largest seller of tires and was surprised at their report on this cure all toted by a lot of tire shops. Note what they say half way thru the report about ambiant temperature change and nitrogen.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...jsp?techid=191
__________________
2003 Winnebago WFG33V Adventurer - 8.1 Gas, Workhorse Chassis - Medium Titanium Metalic

"For GOD'S sake, be human"
Tomtall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2014, 01:01 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
336muffin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 2,569
I have over 5million miles in a big rig, no we don't deflate and reflate the tires with temperature change! Nor do you change the tire pressure from sea level to mountain passes. It all works out by itself. Never drove a truck with tpms or knew any others that had it. I'm sure some have it now.
__________________
American Tradition 42R-Cadillac SRX Blue Ox Koni 5050XL MCD Scangauge D Samsung rf197
Fulltime since 2012
336muffin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2014, 07:43 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,965
Rule of thumb has always been that a 5* F drop in temperature (from the temperature the tire was filled at) will cause a 1 lb. drop in tire pressure. The opposite is that for every 5*F increase in temperature (from the temperature the tire was filled at) will increase the tire pressure 1 lb.

It looks like SeeTheUSA's chart confirms it.
__________________
Hikerdogs
2013 Adventurer 32H
Hikerdogs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2014, 08:09 AM   #11
RV Mutant #14
 
Wayne M's Avatar


 
Winnebago Owners Club
Texas Boomers Club
Freightliner Owners Club
iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 17,189
I think it is best to consult with the experts, which are the tire manufacturers of a specific brand, but I do have my personal opinion.

In the meantime, here is a link to Roger Marble's RV Tire Safety blog. There is a lot of good information in his links regarding proper tire inflation.

Roger is a retired Engineer that worked in the tire business for many years.

Happy trails.

Roger uses TIREMAN9 on this forum and he will answer questions for you.

Kent, in regards to you original question, my personal feelings are that if your inflation after loosing the 5-6 pounds is still at a setting that will support the load per the tire manufacturer's recommendation then you do not need to add air. Engineers state that if a tire is 20% or more low on air than it is "running flat" and should be inspected. I'm not sure how that would equate to standing still but I'm betting it would have some effect on the tire. If adding 5-6 pounds to bring it back up to where it was gives you piece of mind, go for it.
__________________
Wayne MSGT USMC (Ret) & Earlene (CinCHouse) RVM14 (ARS: KE5QG)
Lexi - Goldendoodle
2015 Winnebago Tour 42QD - 2020 Lincoln Nautilus Reserve
It is what it is, and then it is what you make of it.
Wayne M is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2014, 08:22 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Cooperhawk's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: 5 miles south of Lakeville, Mn
Posts: 3,046
When I was younger I drove semis for my Father for about eight years. Early in the AM we checked the oil and fired the engine. Then we thumped the tires with a hammer while the engine warmed up. Then we hit the road.

In other words we did not check tire pressure! In eight years I never had a problem.

Now I have the TPMS 507SG and I can monitor my tires anytime I want. I think we have become anal about tire pressure. Our coach now has nitrogen filled tires. It was not my doing but has been explained to me that nitrogen molecules are larger than air and therefore do not leak out as quickly. Ho hum.

Yes, the cold lowers your tire pressure. Here in Minnesota it is very apparent. I only air up a tire if it is out of balance with the others. Otherwise the pressure will come up as the tire warms up from use.

Te each his own.
__________________
Jim and Carol Cooper with Oreo the Kitty
FAA ATC ret, VFW, AL, VVA, NRA
US Army Aviation, MACV Vietnam 65-66
2012 Journey 36M, Cummings 360hp
Cooperhawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2014, 08:34 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
jauguston's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Bellingham,WA
Posts: 973
Tomtall,

A 78% Nitrogen mix works well for most of us.
__________________
2005 Sportscoach Elite 40' C-7 350 Cat w/MP-8
Suzuki Samurai toad w/VW 1.6 turbo diesel
800w solar system
jauguston is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-08-2014, 08:41 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Lowell, Arkansas
Posts: 7,297
COMMON SENSE What ever happened to it?????? Long before TPMS became available nobody tried to chase tire pressures as they drove from cold to hot climates. The problem we seem to have is this. We have more information available and now we want to correct something that does not need corrected.

Sorry to react this way but please use some common sense. I'm not saying be careless or oblivious to TP changes just be reasonable.

Just yesterday this story ran in our local paper. It seems that the 6 road graders that they use for plowing the roads here in AR wouldn't start because of the gelled diesel fuel. DAH !!!! It is beyond me and the DW that these individuals didn't know about diesel fuel and cold, or they just didn't do anything about it. COMMON SENSE again isn't part of the gene pool these days.

Cooperhawk I just read your post (#12) X2.

TeJay
__________________
TeJay Auto Instructor/4-yrs USAF/ Liz: RN/ WBGO 2014 Vista 30T/ F-53/CHF/5-Star/Koni * Bella & Izzy * Golden /Cocker mix/ Louie The Cat* All Retired
TeJay is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
tire pressure



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Sprinter tire carrier / Continental Kit AKBradley Class B Motorhome Discussions 3 04-12-2014 10:20 PM
Accurate tire pressure gauge? WineLuvrs iRV2.com General Discussion 49 01-16-2014 07:35 AM
Weird tire date Old Sarge Class A Motorhome Discussions 7 01-06-2014 06:58 PM
Tire age, when to change. trode Class A Motorhome Discussions 23 10-31-2013 04:42 AM
FMCA Michelin Advantage tire purchase datrbone8 Class A Motorhome Discussions 14 08-09-2013 12:36 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:56 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.