Questions from a Newb!

[DryCreek]

Originally Posted by wingnuts

Because he said. ...All maintenance done regularly and all the "supporting" equipment is either brand new or in good working condition.

Plus that wasn't the question. ..

Yup, they were round, had lotsa tread and didn't look flat when I walked around the unit. That's what I hear from many folks who feel that their tires are in "good working condition". That's why I thought that I'd mention it. There are a lot of people I've run into who can't decipher the DOT date codes on their tires.


Plus that wasn't the question - sorry, but my poor reading skills somehow interpreted the request as something along the lines of "what can I do to make sure that this trip goes smoothly?". I'll try to do better next time.

[wingnuts]

Originally Posted by DryCreek

Yup, they were round, had lotsa tread and didn't look flat when I walked around the unit. That's what I hear from many folks who feel that their tires are in "good working condition". That's why I thought that I'd mention it. There are a lot of people I've run into who can't decipher the DOT date codes on their tires.


Plus that wasn't the question - sorry, but my poor reading skills somehow interpreted the request as something along the lines of "what can I do to make sure that this trip goes smoothly?". I'll try to do better next time.

Your right Sorry, didn't mean to come across as a jerk. .

[Nikkidaddy]

Originally Posted by DryCreek

Yup, they were round, had lotsa tread and didn't look flat when I walked around the unit. That's what I hear from many folks who feel that their tires are in "good working condition". That's why I thought that I'd mention it. There are a lot of people I've run into who can't decipher the DOT date codes on their tires.


Plus that wasn't the question - sorry, but my poor reading skills somehow interpreted the request as something along the lines of "what can I do to make sure that this trip goes smoothly?". I'll try to do better next time.

Thank you for your input! You are absolutely correct in that I am soliciting ANY/ALL advice that will enable me to give my family an awesome vacation! I fear the "Remember when Mom and Dad had this STELLAR idea to take us all on a 4000 mile roadtrip, and all we e ended up doing was breaking down 150 miles from everywhere?" So again, thank you for something, that yes I would have overlooked due to the tires only being a year old!.

Safe travels!

N.

[DryCreek]

Originally Posted by Nikkidaddy

Thank you for your input! You are absolutely correct in that I am soliciting ANY/ALL advice that will enable me to give my family an awesome vacation! I fear the "Remember when Mom and Dad had this STELLAR idea to take us all on a 4000 mile roadtrip, and all we e ended up doing was breaking down 150 miles from everywhere?" So again, thank you for something, that yes I would have overlooked due to the tires only being a year old!.

Safe travels!

N.

Enjoy our trip! We drove in 100 degree heat today. I kept an eye on tire temperatures with our TPMS. It's quite surprising how hot they get on the side the sun is shining on!

[followingsea]

Originally Posted by Nikkidaddy

I ask these questions because living in the Pacific Northwest, we rarely have to worry about fulltime A/C & genset usage. Though we do have extensive travel time with our coach, this is the first travel to the Southwest in the dead of summer, and the last thing I/We need, is to lose a unit along the road to Bryce/Zion or Four Corners.

N.

We spend summers in the PNW and part of our winters parked next to our son's house near Las Vegas.

Bryce/Zion or Four Corners are at a higher elevation and beautiful. I also recommend Mesa Verde.

However, I would avoid Las Vegas in the summer in a RV. Miserable and no redeeming qualities. You may want to consider Ely, Reno, Lake Tahoe route if you want go California.

[brokenrule]

We get into the 100’s and run the AC from sun up to down. Don’t have the same gender but ran ours all day no problems. We put reflectix on all the windows to help keep it cool. Put a table outside the fridge vent and used a table top fan to help the fridge stay cooler. Also use heat/sound insulation under the doghouse. When we arrive I use a good size fan just behind the passenger front tire to help blow the engine heat away so it doesn’t radiate into the motorhome.

[brokenrule]

[Nikkidaddy]

Originally Posted by DryCreek

Enjoy our trip! We drove in 100 degree heat today. I kept an eye on tire temperatures with our TPMS. It's quite surprising how hot they get on the side the sun is shining on!

Hi there,

Fleetwood recommends running 80 psi cold on the fronts and rear duals for the weight class my coach is in. Currently, i have them aired up to that, is there advice regarding psi? Everyone I've spoken with, suggests looking at the "load" I will have, but make no recommendations on lower or higher psi. Bottom line... do I stick with 80 psi cold or...?

Thanks

N.

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[DryCreek]

Originally Posted by Nikkidaddy

Hi there,

Fleetwood recommends running 80 psi cold on the fronts and rear duals for the weight class my coach is in. Currently, i have them aired up to that, is there advice regarding psi? Everyone I've spoken with, suggests looking at the "load" I will have, but make no recommendations on lower or higher psi. Bottom line... do I stick with 80 psi cold or...?

Thanks

Here is what you will be told by most responding to your question: "have your rig weighed". Four corner weights will give you the best results, but axle weights (front/rear) can go a long way to helping you find the proper inflation pressure. As a rule though, you should probably never go lower than the recommended tire pressure. There is a lengthy discussion on this already ongoing. Lots of good ideas being presented, as well as opinions. If you don't have access to a scale to weight your rig, then the next best option is to "chalk test" your tires and verify contact area. Once you've gotten a solid contact patch across the entire tread width, then you will probably be OK for the load you currently have in the unit.

[Nikkidaddy]

Originally Posted by DryCreek

Here is what you will be told by most responding to your question: "have your rig weighed". Four corner weights will give you the best results, but axle weights (front/rear) can go a long way to helping you find the proper inflation pressure. As a rule though, you should probably never go lower than the recommended tire pressure. There is a lengthy discussion on this already ongoing. Lots of good ideas being presented, as well as opinions. If you don't have access to a scale to weight your rig, then the next best option is to "chalk test" your tires and verify contact area. Once you've gotten a solid contact patch across the entire tread width, then you will probably be OK for the load you currently have in the unit.

Thank you for the info, yet again! Its greatly appreciated! I did manage to get sucked into the thread that I believe your referring to last night. Of course, it was after I had asked the question. That said, your answer here has been simplified enough to understand. As I believe I stated last night, I'm aired up to 80 psi all the way around. I will however, try your suggestion this weekend to see how much adjustment I will need.

Thanks again,

N.

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[Bloodyhell]

Originally Posted by Nikkidaddy

Thank you for your input! You are absolutely correct in that I am soliciting ANY/ALL advice that will enable me to give my family an awesome vacation! I fear the "Remember when Mom and Dad had this STELLAR idea to take us all on a 4000 mile roadtrip, and all we e ended up doing was breaking down 150 miles from everywhere?" So again, thank you for something, that yes I would have overlooked due to the tires only being a year old!.

Safe travels!

N.

The family vacations we remember the best are the ones that included some adversity. The way the kids behaved in the restaurant while we were passing time waiting for the water pump to be replaced, or the time I installed air shocks in the campground. You never hope for it, but it adds an important texture to life.

[Crasher]

Just a couple of points to clarify. If you are new to the class A and until you learn for yourself the correct way to care for tires, there is only one tire expert on this forum. Tireman9 has several articles to read that will get you on the right track and have a good understanding of tire care. TPMS are a good thing to have for tire Pressure, but are mostly useless for tire Temperature. They aren't even close to the actual tire temperature as they are tempered by the OAT. To get a more accurate reading get an infrared gauge and aim it at the tire for temp. I've had a TPS give a 95* temp while the infrared will read 145*.

[Nikkidaddy]

Originally Posted by Crasher

Just a couple of points to clarify. If you are new to the class A and until you learn for yourself the correct way to care for tires, there is only one tire expert on this forum. Tireman9 has several articles to read that will get you on the right track and have a good understanding of tire care. TPMS are a good thing to have for tire Pressure, but are mostly useless for tire Temperature. They aren't even close to the actual tire temperature as they are tempered by the OAT. To get a more accurate reading get an infrared gauge and aim it at the tire for temp. I've had a TPS give a 95* temp while the infrared will read 145*.

Hi Crasher,

I actually followed his link last night and apprised myself of his recommended steps. Thank you, also, for start your thread on tire inflation. Great knowledge to have as an RV owner!


Thanks again, safe travels!

N.

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