Tire pressure

[539Graham]

I have a 22' 1976 Terry travel trailer. How do I know we hat the tire pressure should be? Do I go with the max off the tire? Or do I find the rating elsewhere?

[timetogo]

The max on the sidewall is good. Low pressure causes heat and heat kills tires.

[FastEagle]

The correct air pressure for your trailer's tires was set by it’s manufacturer. The procedures for maintaining that air pressure is pretty standard. Although often worded differently by different sources the end result will be the same.

The correct air pressure is found on the trailers certification label found on LH fwd external area of the trailer. It’s also listed in the owner’s manual. Always insure the tires have not been used for at least three hours before airing them. That insures they are in what is considered a “cold condition”.

The correct air pressure for trailer tires of all designs is critical. For ever pound of lost air pressure there is a significant loss of the tire's load capacity. Seldom is there very much load capacity reserves in Original Equipment tires. So, there not going to last very long when the trailer is properly loaded and unbalanced or overloaded.
　
　
FastEagle

[TDI-Minnie]

Originally Posted by timetogo

The max on the sidewall is good. Low pressure causes heat and heat kills tires.

While your point about low pressure=heat is true, inflating them to max can be very hard on the trailer due to the reduction in sidewall flex over sharp bumps. It all gets tranfered to the rig!
Also, max inflation leaves you with less traction due to a reduced contact patch, which means under hard braking, it could lock up and jack-knife quicker than you realize. Any lock-up of the brakes kills tread a lot faster than anything else.

Find the certification lable and hope it's still legible.

[timetogo]

Trailer tires at max inflation has worked for me towing many trailers, over 40 years, in all kinds of road and weather conditions.

[TDI-Minnie]

Yup, ignorance IS bliss. No offence, but 40 years of wrong does not make right.

[timetogo]

You don't know what you are talking about, but carry on........

[Harley1994]

I don't want to get in the middle here is the safe practices from Carlisle Tire.

Practices for Safe Trailer Tire Use

– Select the correct tires to match the application and
capacity requirements.
– Never use passenger car or truck tires for trailer use.
– Do not overload trailer tires, maximum loads are listed on the
sidewall of the tire.
– Maintain air pressure at the maximum PSI recommended on the
tire sidewall.
– Check tire pressure when tires are cold and in the shade.
– Use a cap on valve stems to prevent contamination of the internal
rubber valve.
– Always travel with a spare and check the spare air pressure along
with the other tires.
– Perform a visual inspection of trailer tires before each trip,
inspecting for cuts, bulges, punctures or signs of anything unusual.
– Inspect trailer wheels. If rims are bent or cracked, replacement or
repair may be necessary.
– Keep trailer tires in a cool dry place and out of direct sunlight
during storage.
– Use tire covers to protect tires from the harsh effects of direct
sunlight, moisture and temperature extremes.
– During extended storage, use a thin piece of wood or other surface
barrier under tires to extend tire life. For seasonal or extreme long
term storage, elevate the trailer on blocks to take the weight off the
tires. Reduce the air pressure and cover the tires to protect them
from direct sunlight.
– Replace trailer tires every three to five years.
– If you experience a series of successive blowouts, something is

wrong with your setup, it is not a tire problem

[TDI-Minnie]

Originally Posted by timetogo

You don't know what you are talking about, but carry on........

Yes, Double down!

[timetogo]

Being polite, you don't have a clue.

[jadatis]

To make a long story short ( my story's are always to long), look at his link to topic of mine on RV forum.
RV.Net Open Roads Forum: How to compare tires for replacement and needed pressure
In my last reaction a spreadsheet to make a specific pressure/loadcapacity-list for different speeds to look back your highest and lowest tire load in.

But if you give me the needed data, I will make such a list, and present it here.

I need from Trailer: at best seperate weighed wheel(pair) loads with fully loaded trailer, second best the same but axle weighing, third best weighing of all tires together so without tow bar weight so behind car weighed.
But in lack of that we will have to do with the GVWR wich can be found on the trailer somewhere, and is what trailer is maximum allowed to weigh in total so with towbar weight .
Also the maximum speed you will not go over for even a minute with trailer behind.
From tires I need Maximum load or loadindex, Loadkind ( for instance D-load AT-pressure 65 psi) and the speedcode ( J to Q or ST( special trailer)). Can mostly all be found on sidewall of tire.

Give that and I will do the rest and give picture of my filled in spreadsheet.
Then you will see that there is not one pressure that is the correct one, but there is a range in the pressure at wich dont give damage to the tire at the speeds you use, and comfort ( for animal or screws dont tremble loose from woodwork) and gripp is acceptable.

[LDR]

All the free advice you've gotten is worth exactly what you've paid. I would error on the side of reading the inflation number on the side of the tire and use that as gospel. It was developed by tire engineers, not trailer owners with an opinion. The sad fact is that most people don't know what they don't know.....but will come up with an opinion on most everything.

[dagmandt]

Goodyear recommendation is max tire pressure on the sidewall. Has worked for me.

[jadatis]

Originally Posted by dagmandt

Goodyear recommendation is max tire pressure on the sidewall. Has worked for me.

If thats their recomandation , why do they still give a pressure/ loadcapacity-list for ST ( special trailer) tires prominent first on this page, that even goes back to 15 psi?
http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/rv_inflation.pdf

Lower pressure is no problem if the load on the tire is low enaug and calculated with the to nature perfect formula, wich they dont use in that list.
But because most trailers are delivered with tires that can barely carry the GVWR of trailer the pressure needs to be by rule pressure for the maximum load or even higher ( allowed up to 10 psi for LT and ST tires)