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DriVer · 04-06-2005, 03:35 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Scooter:
Other than a rough ride what are the objections to airing up XRV tires to the max pressure printed on the sidewall? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>if you have a light coach you could begin to axially wear the center line of the tread abnormally, that's one issue.

Another would be to make sure that you have an adequately sized foot print on wet surfaces. Without a doubt a tire inflated to it's maximum pressure will be more round than a tire that is is specifically inflated for the maximum weight on the axle.

The other side of the coin; A round tire (inflated to max pressure) may run cooler improving MPGs. I believe this is a trick that coach delivery drivers often use since they pay for their gas.

As an owner and end user "we" need to be concerned with running our tires at the recommended inflation pressures for both longevity and safety.

04-07-2005, 03:03 AM

Another potential issue with max. air pressure is that road hazards tend to do more damage.

For a long time BMX off road motorcycles have run their tires soft to avoid flat tires due to punctures or blow outs.

The same applies to a fully pressurized car or RV tires. When the tire is hard it has less ability to flex. A road hazard (like a sharp object or pot hole) can cause tire damage where a softer tire can flex more and damage can be avoided or at least minimized.

For those Northerners that come South in the cooler months, a fully pressurized tire at the start of your trip can be over pressurized once you are in warmer climates due to expansion. Of course you have to always measure tires when they are "cold" (before driving on them), but just the same, if a "cold" tire has 110 psi in PA and then you drive 10 hours to a warmer state, the next morning your "cold" tire may have 115 or 120 psi.

Another warning in the FMCA article... when in storage you still need to check your tires monthly. A tire put to rest in November that has acceptable minimum pressure, might a month later have 10 psi less due to a cold December. Now the tire is sitting in storage with the full load of the RV and it may be well under minimum pressure requirements. That can cause the steel belts to stretch, break or bend. In the spring you top up the tires thinking all is well but the tire is now a lot weaker than it used to be and a potential candidate for a failure.

This is typically when someone blames the failure on the tire since they adjusted or checked their pressures before getting under way in the spring and "everything was okay". In other words, they *think* they did their job and the tire failed.

In my storage yard I see a lot of boat and travel trailers with low tires, sometimes almost flat. Typically an owner will see that, drive the trailer 5 miles to a gas station and fill them up. No harm done right? It was only 5 miles. However the tire is an accident that is going to happen and most likely while doing 60 on the interstate on the way to Disney.

Bottom line... the same rules apply when the RV is sitting still compared to when you are driving down the road. Check your tires often.

Blue Ribbon · 04-07-2005, 07:28 AM

I finely found a place for 4 corner weighing.

A RV dealer 3 1/2 hour drive and he ONLY
wants $97 to do it!

For the time being, I'll keep searching. Not worth the fuel, time and money to know the 4 corner weights.

rogueii · 04-07-2005, 10:56 AM

This topic has been beat on many different forums, and as usual, you have all given excellent information. I am on my second RV with Michelin XRV's and I have not problem with them. But I always check the PSI on a regular basis.
I have not gotten corner weights as yet, but plan on getting them at a ralley in Tampa, FL in early May.
I use the CAT scales at the truck stops and get front and back axles weighed. I divide this by two and look up the proper PSI on the chart. I usually add 10 PSI, as the chart says 75 or 80 lbs--But I could be over on one side or the other due to loading. Best to be safe, than sorry.