Which tire pressure?

[antlerz]

Hi, just my 2 cents worth, we just had 8 Michelin XPS RIBS installed on our 32 ft HR MH

at Big O tire co. while we were there the Michelin tire rep was there, and this question came up on correct tire pressures, he said keep them to the max sidewall rating for proper wear and better fuel economy.

He also told us that the XPS Rib tires were retreadable, I never knew that. That came from the REP. himself

so we keep ours to the max rated on the sidewall which is 85 psi cold

hope that helps

[Tom N]

Good grief!!! That Michelin rep should read the Michelin RV Tire Guide at:

http://www.michelinrvtires.com/miche...TIREGUIDE1.pdf

[Gary RVRoamer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by wynedge:
I just picked up my mo-ho from the dealer ... and they filled them to the maximum stated on the sidewall.
Also, on a trip earlier this year I blew a tire and the service that changed it,( thanks Good Sams) said I should keep the pressure at the max. My tires were at 75 and he filled them to 85.
I assume fuller is better? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, fuller is no automatically better. However, it is better than even a tiny amount of under-inflation.

Use of the max pressure eliminates hte possibility of underinflation but may result in excess tire wear at the center of the tread, poor traction and an excessively harsh ride.

The tire manufacturers publish inflation guides for a reason - the best inflation is that which carries the weight while maintaining the tires designed shape (profile). The shape is important because that is what keeps the tread in proper contact with the road. When a tire is over-inflated, the amount of road contact is reduced, reducing tire traction, and it tends to be mostly at the center of the tread, causing wear at that point. The tire also has less flexibility to cushion bumps. The upside is that it will run a bit cooler in most cases.

Tire shop guys inflate to max either out of ignorance or to avoid any liability for underinflation. Always chack your pressures after a visit to a tire shop or even an oil cnage. It is likely that somebody did you a favor and checked your tire pressures for you, probably adjusting them to some number that is totally erroneous.

[Rob R]

I see your topic title is "Which Tire Pressure". A good question but I and most wouldn't automatically inflate to the pressure indicated on the tire side wall. Your first move should be to weigh your rig at every tire position. If that is not possible then weigh it for each axel. Based on the 'weigh the axel' option your second step is to divide each axel weight by the number of tires on that axel. Third step is to consult your tire manufacturer's TIRE GUIDE. It will tell you what air pressure you need for any tire model/position (dual, steer, tag) based on the ACTUAL weight you are carrying on that particular axel. Please note that it is best to weigh at every tire position but this is far less an option when compared to your opportunity to get a weight at local truck shops, weigh scales and Flying Js. So grab a chance to weigh your coach by axel if you get an opportunity. In my experience it is difficult to find the WEIGH-WE-GO folks or finding a scale that will let you weigh one side then somehow reverse and come back to weigh the other side. IMHO just get-r-done by weighing it by each axel. As a last note you should also be aware that wheels have a maximun allowable weight and this is usually stamped on the inside.