This question may be commonly asked by those who are new to towing trailers, or maybe have just purchased new tires. It is often thought that the heavier the load you are towing, the more inflated your tires must be. This is actually a true statement, as one of the main reasons you hear about tire blowouts, is because the tires very not properly inflated and they gave out due to the weight they were pulling.
While it is absolutely necessary to make sure your tires are properly inflated before towing, over-inflating is very real situation that could lead to the same dangers as under-inflating. When adjusting your trailer tire pressure, it is all about balance and how you are going to properly tow the weight of your trailer or RV.
One trailer owner says that he always inflates his truck’s tires to 75, or near the max psi. After he is done towing his trailer, he will deflate the tires to a range of 55 to 60, which is a safe and comfortable spot for when you are not hauling or towing anything. While this seems pretty inconvenient, especially in addition to everything else you need to remember before towing. But the last thing you want it to have to replace you tires, or deal with them bursting during travel.
Some people choose to inflate or deflate their tires to different pressure ranges in the front and the back. This is something you should keep under consideration, depending on how much weight you are towing, and when that weight is located. Depending on the max psi of your tires, and how much weight you are towing, some find it best to increase the rear tires to 65, and the front tires to 60.
At the end of the day, the answer of the question is yes, you should increase the pressure of your trailer tires when towing. How much you should increase them will all depend on how much weight you are towing, and the max psi of your tires. The more weight you tow, the closer to your max psi you will want to increase the pressure. However, you should always use caution and make sure your tires aren’t going to pop. Sometimes even small differences in tire pressure could be enough for them to explode all together.
Continue reading to learn if your trailer tires should be increased to max psi:
Should Trailer Tires Be Inflated To Max PSI?
When inflating your tires, you have probably noticed the max psi listed on your tires. Psi is the highest that is reccomended that you increase the tire pressure to. Anything over this is considered dangerous and could cause failure on the road. But you may be wondering if your trailer tires should be inflated to max psi all the time.
The answer to this is pretty much always, no. There are only two times you should consider inflating your tires to max psi would be when you are towing a super large amount of weight and you need that extra support so your tires can handle it. Be very careful when you are doing this, as if you go over the max in the slightest bit, you could be putting strain on your tires. Depending on the age and condition of your trailer tires, this may even be out of the question.
The other exception for inflating your tires to max psi would be when it is very cold outside. When you inflate your tires to the max you take up the full capacity of your tire as well as generate less heat in the tire, providing you with get better wear and better fuel mileage. If it is very cold outside, or you are storing your trailer in a very cold area, make sure you have your tires inflated to max psi, but no more than this.
Some people treat travel trailer tires the same as there truck or vehicle and inflate the tires to max psi. While the tires aren’t that different, keep in mind that a trailer will likely bearing a lot more weight than your truck or another vehicle. Since weight is a huge factor in deciding what your tire pressure should be, you should keep this in mind when deciding what tire pressure it should be at.
Also please remember that the max psi reccomended on your tires are NOT what they should be inflated to, but what the safest max to inflate them is. Many people confuse this recommendation as a rule, which leads to your tires popping or wearing faster than typical tires. Psi is the maximum cold tire pressure that you can inflate your tires to (meaning the max you can inflate them to when it is cold outside), so anything over this number is considered dangerous to your safety, as well as others.
Different trailer tires will have different max psi ratings. Factors such as brand and size will all determine your max psi rating. Most name-brand tires will have a sticker or indentation that will tell you your max psi, if not you should be able to find this out by contacting the company or dealer you purchased them from. Also known that the older your tires are, the less forgiving they become. Brand new tires may have a max psi rating of 65, but as they age they will not be able to deal with as much weight, and increasing the psi may make the tires give out.
While this is an opinion that changes from person to person, most tire dealers do recommend that if you are towing or pulling heavy loads you should increase your tire pressure to close or right on the max psi for your tires. If you are wondering if your tires are properly inflated in general, please do know that properly inflated tires will be cooler. One of the biggest reasons for tire failure is overheating, which is linked to under-inflation.
Check out some of these great products that you may find handy when inflating and caring for your trailer tires:
Set of 2 15″ Trailer Tires
These trailer tires would be great back-ups and replacement parts for your travel trailer or hauling trailer. These are some heavy duty tires that measure 15″, and have white circular rims. These tires are made specifically for trailer tires, and they are not suitable for any other vehicle. Check out this great set of 2 trailer tires.
Heavy Duty Tire Pressure Gauge
This tire pressure gauge is a must have to take along with you on trips, or just have around the garage. This pressure gauge will help you determine what pressure your tires are currently at, as well as what it should be. Check out this awesome heavy duty tire pressure gauge.
AVID POWER Tire Inflator Air Compressor
This mobile tire inflator is a great tool to have around the home, garage, or in the truck. When traveling or towing, you will want to have something that can inflate your tires in case of an emergency, especially if the weather gets colder while on the road. Check out this great mobile tire inflator option.
TEROMAS Tire Inflator Air Compressor
This is another great tire inflator option that would work for inflating your trailer tires. This option isn’t as mobile, however it is still small enough that you could store in your truck bed. This compressor is higher end, super heavy duty, and could be used for a large amount of things or any tire you could think of.
We hope this article helped you determine if you should increase tire pressure when towing. Sharing problems and solutions can make RV living so much easier. So if we didn’t include something that you have experienced, please leave a comment below to share with others. Until then, enjoy, be safe and have fun RVing!
Comments
Post a Comment