How often do you check your tire pressure?

[purman]

Originally Posted by SteveH

I have a PressurePro. Didn't work well, ever. Now it doesn't work at all. Is there a better brand?

I'm using ( tire minder ). Week and a half and 1500 miles and it works great. Will monitor up to 24 tires, so you can do multiple trailers. Monitors just screw on the valve stems so there is no need to go to a tire shop. They even come with a lock so people can't steal them. Got mine online from camping world on sale.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I check and set the pressure on all of my tires [trailer and tow vehicle] just before each trip. I also check lug nut torque on all eight wheels before each trip. Whether I'm gone for the week end or gone to Alaska and back, [50 days and over 10,000 miles] I only do a visual check of my tires and hitch at every rest stop, every gas stop, and every camp ground stay. I believe that too much tinkering with the valve stem causes more problems than necessary. If I get a flat, I get a flat. I run Goodyear Marathons and never had a flat or blow out, although I did replace two of them for sidewall bubbles at about three years and replaced the other two for signs of separation at about seven years. I don't need or want something else to monitor or watch while I driving. No TPMS!

[ZoominC6]

Every morning cold, every so often when running via Pressure Pros which I've had for six years and love. Torque the wheels before each trip. Do visual inspections at each fuel stop. I also use Centramatic automatic wheel balancers that balance the wheels while running.

[Protagonist]

I also check tire pressure just before each trip. Then, at every stop, I make the rounds and place my hand flat against the tires' sidewalls. Tires that are flexing badly and risking a blowout get HOT. So far, every time I've checked this summer, the tires have been cooler to the touch than the pavement they're running on.

[Zigidachs]

We check the pressure with a TMS every morning, and during the day while on a trip. We keep a close eye on the temp of the tires.

We run Michelins and rotate the tires every 5K miles to check for uneven wear, balance, etc. We store the unit with max press. in the tires then adjust before a trip.

Zigi

[cooperhawk]

I purchased the TPMS when it first came on the market and have used it ever since. I set the alarms for both pressure and temperature and drive merrily along.

My only complaint has been the battery life of of the sensors. I have usually had to replace tow or three a year, but now they have sensors that let you actually change the battery yourself. They are only available for the newer models however.

I also found out that they will now rebuild the old sensors for less than half the cost of new ones. I had a bunch of old ones with the depleted batteries which I sent in and they sent me rebuilt ones to replace them.

I purchased the booster antennae and mounted it in the rear of the coach, and now I also have sensors on the tow dolly.

I pretty much rely on TPMS and check all my pressures in the morning prior to hitting the road from the drivers seat.

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by purman

I'm using ( tire minder ). Week and a half and 1500 miles and it works great. Will monitor up to 24 tires, so you can do multiple trailers. Monitors just screw on the valve stems so there is no need to go to a tire shop. They even come with a lock so people can't steal them. Got mine online from camping world on sale.

I am wondering what the connection is between tire minder and HawksHead.
They seem to be physically and functionally identical, but the LCD display face looks slight different.

Ken

[Crusty]

While en-route quick checks of tire temperatures will generally keep you safe. Feel the sidewall of each tire with the palm of your hand and any tires that feel warmer than the rest should be investigated. Hot tire temperatures will also alert you to an approaching problem when the air temp is hot, the trailer is heavily laden and you're driving too fast, since it's heat that makes tires fail without road damage. Stopping occasionally to feel the tires doesn't take much time or impact your overall drive time a lot. I always stop 10 minutes after starting out to feel the tires and then once an hour after I'm satisfied that they're all doing OK.

[Phoenix]

Harbor Freight has a "non-contact infrared thermometer" on sale right now for $29.99 (it's discounted a couple of times a year). This "gun" is useful for quickly checking heat buildup in tires during stops and will also reveal when wheel bearings, brakes, etc. are overheated. If you monitor temperatures regularly, it's easy to tell when one or more are running hotter than the others and a failure is your near future.

It's also useful for checking to see if you generator is cool enough to store (instead of burning your finger sticking it in the exhaust pipe), whether the campfire is all the way out, if the nearby stream really is freezing, the temperature of your significant other's coffee and for making a general nuisance of yourself around the campsite and at home.

[purman]

I checked my tires before this trip I'm on. Three tires where 2 psi down after sitting all winter. I have never check pressure on a trip before but with my monitoring system. It does all the monitoring for me. So I don't worry about it at all. And can just push a button and see what the psi is on any tire.

I

[SilverRanger]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Harbor Freight has a "non-contact infrared thermometer" on sale right now for $29.99 (it's discounted a couple of times a year). This "gun" is useful for quickly checking heat buildup in tires during stops and will also reveal when wheel bearings, brakes, etc. are overheated. If you monitor temperatures regularly, it's easy to tell when one or more are running hotter than the others and a failure is your near future.

It's also useful for checking to see if you generator is cool enough to store (instead of burning your finger sticking it in the exhaust pipe), whether the campfire is all the way out, if the nearby stream really is freezing, the temperature of your significant other's coffee and for making a general nuisance of yourself around the campsite and at home.

I have used mine for all the above, and my nuisance factor is kicked up a notch by the built in laser pointer.

[Florida 55]

When our Airstream is stored I check tire pressure every 3-4 weeks with a pressure gauge.

On the road I check every morning with gauge when cold before travel. My wife checks periodically with Pressure Pro system during the day while traveling. At stops I check visually and periodically use infrared thermometer to check temperature of tires and hubs.

GYM's on the trailer when I purchased it would lose 2 pounds per day on the road. Since switching to 16" rims and Michelin LTX MS tires several months ago I have not added air.

[purman]

Originally Posted by Florida 55

When our Airstream is stored I check tire pressure every 3-4 weeks with a pressure gauge.

On the road I check every morning with gauge when cold before travel. My wife checks periodically with Pressure Pro system during the day while traveling. At stops I check visually and periodically use infrared thermometer to check temperature of tires and hubs.

GYM's on the trailer when I purchased it would lose 2 pounds per day on the road. Since switching to 16" rims and Michelin LTX MS tires several months ago I have not added air.

Wow that is pretty vigilant. Some would say paranoid, but I just say vigilant

[Florida 55]

Originally Posted by purman

Wow that is pretty vigilant. Some would say paranoid, but I just say vigilant

Perhaps over cautious, but hopefully safe!

[Zigidachs]

A word of caution: I used to check my psi's every morning with a gauge, then one day I had three (3) valve stems fail on the same morning. I replaced the stems and had no further problem, but I felt that the valve stem failures were because I checked pressures sol often. Then I bought the TMS. ....ahhhh ...piece of mind. Zigi

[slowmover]

10% low is to be taken seriously. A 44-lb tire is low at just 39.5 lbs. Visual inspection won't catch this.

I check them whenever the trailer is about to be moved. Takes what, three-minutes? . . that's the attitude that works. A TPMS is just insurance to run down the road afterwards.

As above, also, the highest quality tires are the least problematic when spec'd with the proper 12-15% load reserve (TT loaded and WD applied; numbers via individual postion scale weights to see front/rear and port/starboard load imbalances).

Tires at the limit (no reserve) and just 10% underinflated are probably the key to many/most, well, a whole ton of trailer tire failures. Drag it over a curb unknowingly, hit a pothole with the brakes on, etc.

That first walkaround and pressure check covers what needs to be known before departure. Then the IR gun and checks at stops are easy . . the TPMS has kept things covered in the meantime.

.

[Ag&Au]

I just ran across this web page, and found it informative.

Comparison Tests on Tire Pressure Gauges

Ken

[Denis4x4]

I have three vehicles with OE TMS and none of them are real accurate. I made this tire gauge about 25 years ago when I was into hard core four wheeling. About $40 worth of parts and pieces. Easy to read analog dial and you don't have to squint to read the pressure. Also allows you to add or bleed air without constantly removing the chuck.