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Old 10-09-2011, 04:02 PM   #1
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1975 Argosy 26
Normandy Park , Washington
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Minuet tire pressure

Have a 20 foot minuet and have read a lot of conflicting info re: tire pressure. I have Power King Towmax tires from Les Schwab. They say max 50 psi yet I see many posts saying to always keep them at 65 lbs....

I realize I need to consider gross weight etc but it seems most posts, regardless of these factors, recommend 65 lbs.

Any insight?

Thanks

Dan
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Old 10-09-2011, 05:00 PM   #2
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If they say 50 psi max, that is all you should put in them (cold).

What is the weight rating of the tires, it should be listed on the sidewall. Your Minuet probably weighs about 3500 to 3800# max loaded, so each tire should be rated for half of that or more. I am neglecting tongue weight in this guestimate.
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Old 10-09-2011, 05:02 PM   #3
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Minuet tire pressure

Greetings Dan S!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan S View Post
Have a 20 foot minuet and have read a lot of conflicting info re: tire pressure. I have Power King Towmax tires from Les Schwab. They say max 50 psi yet I see many posts saying to always keep them at 65 lbs....

I realize I need to consider gross weight etc but it seems most posts, regardless of these factors, recommend 65 lbs.

Any insight?

Thanks

Dan
Several things need to be considered in establishing the desired tire pressure for ST tires on your Minuet:
  • Load Range
    • Load Range C have maximum inflation pressure of 50 psi under most circumstances
    • Load Range D have a maximum inflation pressure of 65 psi under most circumstances
  • Load to be carried
    • A Load Range C tire is going to be much closer to its maximum weight rating so something close to the 50 psi maximum will be required.
    • A Load Range D tires is going to be somewhat farther from its maximum weight rating so its suggested inflation pressure is likely to be somewhat less than the maximum permissible as listed on the tire sidewall.
Most tire manufacturers will provide you with an inflation chart that will guide you in the correct inflation parameters to carry the required load. For instance, you can find the GoodYear chart in this link. I am running load range D ST tires on my Minuet 6.0 Metre and inflate them to 50 psi (which provides a cushion of about 750 pounds over the actual loaded weight of my coach) and haven't experienced any difficulties (in more than six years).

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin
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Old 10-09-2011, 05:07 PM   #4
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Tires are rated max 50 psi with a weight of 1,820.... Just about half.

I don't load it up so should I go with 50 or back it off a bit?

Thanks

Dan
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Old 10-09-2011, 05:13 PM   #5
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With that tire rating, I would stay as close to the max of 50 psi as you can. Run your trailer through a weigh station and you can see the real weight of your rig, when loaded as you travel. I would highly recommend you do that, to see if those tires are really rated high enough for your actual weight.
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Old 10-09-2011, 08:16 PM   #6
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1964 26' Overlander
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Minuet tire pressure

Greetings Dan S!

I concur, with your 6.0 Metre Minuet, an inflation pressure of 50 psi with Load Range C tires is appropriate. The dry weight of your coach from the factory (without any options or fluids) was 2,450 pounds. The GVWR for the coach is probably close to that of my '78 which carries a 3,250 pound GVWR. With the minimal payload capacity, it is easy to overload one of the 6.0 Metre Minuets and is one of the reasons that I upgraded to Load Range D tires for an additional capacity cushion. I watch my loading and weights carefully and carry many things in Rubbermaid totes in my Suburban to keep weight out of the Minuet . . . even then, it is a struggle to keep the weight below the 3,250 pound GVWR (when I had my axle replaced, I went with 500 pounds additional capacity for a little more margin of error).

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin

P.S.: I really appreciated both the better tires and upgraded axle when taking my 2008 tour of Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park with my '75 Cadillac Eldorado as tow vehicle as my loaded weight on the Minuet was slightly in excess of its GVWR as there was minimal room for packing extra necessities in the Cadillac's trunk when compared to the Suburban's capacity.
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Old 10-09-2011, 09:22 PM   #7
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50 it is.
Thanks all.

Dan
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Old 10-11-2011, 07:02 AM   #8
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My $.02:
Pack carefully and keep the weight down. We normally carry the water tank 1/2 full and plan what we want to eat 4 days in advance. I have run the tires (Load Range C) at 45 - 50 pounds cold with no problems. Feel the tires at fuel stops to see if they are overheating. When you replace the axle, have the replacement set to raise the trailer about 4 inches over stock and buy the 3500# axle. It isn't so you can carry more weight, it is easier on the trailer because the axle isn't working so hard.
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Old 10-26-2011, 12:00 PM   #9
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Mine is not a Minuet. It's a standard 26' Argosy with a GVW of 6200#. I have load range D ST tires and run them at 50#. They run cool and don't beat the trailer to death. Travelled 5000 miles this year with no problems. Note: I do not exceed 60-65 mph when towing.
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Old 04-29-2012, 06:07 AM   #10
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1979 Argosy Minuet 7.3 Metre
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Tire pressures

The manual for my 79 7.3 Minuet lists the correct tire pressure for load range C as 35 psi cold. This is the recommendation for the 6 and 6.7 Minuets also.
Paul
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Old 04-29-2012, 07:26 PM   #11
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My 1977 manual says 40 lbs but that was for the tires that were installed. I'm going off what the new ones are rated at.

FYI- I bought a nice 12 volt tire inflator at Harbor freight for about $45. It's the nicer type that plugs right to the battery. It also has a built in gauge that reads out pressure. Came with a nice carry case and is now kept in the tow vehicle.

Dan
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Old 04-29-2012, 08:33 PM   #12
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Minuet tire pressure

I don't utilze the inflation guide in my Minuet's manual because its original tires were Bias-Ply-Belted Good Year Marathon tires in load range C (I still have a brand new original tire on the spare). I now run Steel Radial Good Year Marathons in load range D, and follow the inflation recommendations published by Goodyear. I usually run my modern Marathons at 50 psi, but could go as low as 45 psi according to the inflation table published by Good Year, but feel more confident with 50 psi . . . and the tires run cool under all towing conditions.

For my Overlander, I switched to Carlisle St tires when I added alloy rims in 2009. Since my Overlander was originally equipped with bias ply tires, I do not follow the manual's instructions; rather, I utilize the tire inflation data from Carlisle and inflate my tires to 50 psi, but could go as low as 45 psi and still be within the recommendations of the inflation table for my Carlisle Tires. Again, these tires are wearing normally, and always feel cool when chacked at stops.

Kevin
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Old 04-30-2012, 08:28 AM   #13
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I run load range "D" tires on our 26' Argosy with 50-55# of air. Tires run cool, show no signs of weird wear problem.
Installed new axles recently. The last time I towed it, left the coffee pot sitting on the counter. It was still there when we arrived.
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