I bought the Pressure Pro by Doran. Finally got to use them last weekend. Proved frustrating trying to program while in a rush. Over the weekend during down time I plugged the monitor in and sat in the rocker and figured out how to program/install them. Left them in place during the ride home. 200 yards from my exit off I64 I heard a different sound. Then the monitor sounded off. I got the rig stopped approximately 100 yards from my exit off I64 in Norfolk. When the truck was stopped I still showed 20 lbs in the tire. I stood there and watched to tire go flat(Flat was on the curb side). Got out the lumber, built a ramp etc and changed the tire. I was there less than 15 minutes. Lost one NANKANG. No damage to trailer or wheel.
In my opinion the tire pressure monitor took a potentially expensive situation and turned it into a non-issue.
I also consider the monitor paid for.
One of the sensors refused to read over 51 PSI. I followed the troubleshooting procedures at the campground but to no avail. I contacted Pressure Pro on Monday, they emailed the paperwork Tuesday and I mailed the bad sensor off on Wednesday.
So far as the bad sensor, I have been in electronics (Department of Defense and Department of Transprotation) for over 30 years. Getting a bad electrical device brand new out of the box is nothing new.
Now all I have to do is figure out what type of tire to replace the bad one with.
Has anyone else seen this web page on the GoodYear web site. http://www.goodyear.com/rv/products/overview.html
Note that the tire usage is listed as Less frequent, Shorter Trips and lightly loaded.
I had my tow vehicle and trailer weighed by the Recreation Vehicle Safety Education Foundation (RVSEF) at the Florida State Rally this year. They weighed each wheel of both vehicles. The Excursion was weighed both solo and with the trailer hitched up.
I am running Firestone Steeltex R4S II Load Range E LT265/75R16
The ratings for the Excursion are:
The results were a little surprising. In no case did the recommended pressure exceed the placard on the Excursion for front and rear tire pressures. The rule is for each axle, use the highest pressure required on either tire for both tires.
As for my 78 Excella 500:
The Pressures worked out to be
50 lbs Front and 45 lbs rear. Apparently the setup has a slight down angle although everything looks level.
The idea of weighing everything is to ensure there is no overloading at any point.
Another critical point is the hitch ball. Make sure the weight rating stamped on the top of the ball exceeds the weight of your trailer.
Before I had the units weighed I went to the Firestone dealer and told them to pump the rear tires up to 80 pounds and the front to 70 pounds. They would not do it. They would only pump them up to the placarded pressure. I had to do it myself. They were afraid of having the tire explode (???). They said the maximum pressure is 80 pounds and that the tire gets hot and the pressure would exceed that. I pointed out that the 80 pounds was cold pressure and the tires were designed to be run at that pressure. Apparently one does not have to know much about tires to be employed at a dealership. The discussion got rather heated.
Anyway, I guess whether or not you run your tires at max pressure is one of personal preference. The recommended pressures are to support the weight and keep the maximum amount of tire footprint on the road for the best traction. I had run my trailer tires up at 60 pounds and got a little better mileage towing because I had less tire on the ground.
Running at max pressure will shorten the tire life because the tires will not wear evenly. The center will wear out first.
I am sure that at the higher pressures, the sidewalls are stiffer and there may be some dampening of sway. I get virtually no sway at the lower pressures and almost no side movement of the tow vehicle from semis passing me.
The most important thing is to be safe. Make sure your tire load range is up to the task at hand. Overkill means more safety margin. That's why I upgraded from 'D' to 'E'.
BTW, The Excella, loaded for travel with full water tank and LP gas was 7065 pounds and a GVW of 8500 pounds.
The Excursion with a full gas tank and loaded with all our personal stuff for an extended trip weighed 7925 pounds and a GVW of 8600 pounds.
The Excursion's GCVW (combined weight) is 17000 pounds.
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Vic Smith
WBCCI #6782
31' 78 Airstream Excella 500
2001 Ford Excursion V-10
Reese hitch and dual cam sway control
I run with 80 psi in the rear and if I have the front carrier inserted into the front receiver loaded (generator, fire wood etc) I run the fronts at 75 psi. Makes for a slightly rougher ride but keeps the friction/heat down on the tires. Although these tires came with high pressure rubber stems, for $3 each at discount tire I had them put in steel valve stems. Many of the failures I read about are due to either under inflation or the valve stems failing, especially on higher psi tires. I also had the metal stems installed on the trailer tires that I keep at 65 psi, several on this board have had stem failures on the trailer.
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"would you rather have a mansion full of money or a trailer full of love?"
Hi Ladies and Gents,
Just adding my two cents' worth. I had a '99 F250 Super Duty (3/4 ton) for 7 years on which I hauled my 3500# Elkhorn camper regularly. Camper off I inflated my Cooper Discoverers (load range E LTs) at 65psi, and camper on I went up to the 80psi. I had three separate tread separations on the rear axle over a couple of years, twice taking out the fender framing underneath and requiring a lotta body work. Learning experience: I was told--finally--by my tire guy that varying the psi up and down like that can lead to tread separation....I'd say he was right. I finally stayed with the 80psi.
As to the sway, I'm hoping my new setup with a 1952 AS Cruiser 25' and 2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 will go along well; I've gotta replace wheels, tires, maybe axle, coupler, and maybe add stabilizer before I let you know how it's working.
Any update on that tire inflation table referenced in the first few posts on this thread. Was reading with great interest (ignoring the post date) and found the links mentioned to all be dead. Any updated URL for that info?!?
Nick -Any update on that tire inflation table referenced in the first few posts on this thread. Was reading with great interest (ignoring the post date) and found the links mentioned to all be dead. Any updated URL for that info?!?
Axel, I've spent an hour this morning failing to find the tables, so I've e-mailed the Rubber Manufacturers Association asking where we can find them. I have a print-out in my trailer (4000 miles away), and I make great use of this important document. I feel we need a scanned copy as a "sticky" on the forum. Perhaps someone on the forum has the document and a scanner. I will post any reply from the RMA.
Nick.
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Nick Crowhurst, Excella 25 1988, Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel. England in summer, USA in winter.
"The price of freedom is eternal maintenance."
Meanwhile, here's a link for the tables for Goodyear RV tires: http://www.goodyear.com/rv/pdf/rv_inflation.pdf
On page 1 is the table for LT tires. IIRC, these are the same figures as the previous tables from the RMA. I particularly remember the figures for my truck tire size. This may be the best source of the table, and it derives from the RMA, not just from Goodyear.
Nick
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Nick Crowhurst, Excella 25 1988, Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel. England in summer, USA in winter.
"The price of freedom is eternal maintenance."
Here's a try at nailing these tables via pdf, Paint, and jpeg. Left click on a table brings it to legibility.
Nick
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Nick Crowhurst, Excella 25 1988, Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel. England in summer, USA in winter.
"The price of freedom is eternal maintenance."
Running your tires at max sidewall psi has the downsides of a bit extra center tread wear and a bit rougher ride and maybe a bit less traction in a few exceptional circumstances.
The upsides are less tire heating on the road and less maintenance effort and better handling or resistance to sway.
Since the primary cause of tire failure is heat and most RV's have tires that die of old age (5-7 years) rather than tread wear, a first approximation for tire pressure shoul be the max psi listed on the sidewall IMHO. All else is fine tuning down in the noise.
Do keep an eye on tire temperatures whenever you stop after a half hour or more on the road. If any tire is obviously warmer than the others, give it more air. Keeping an eye on tire and hub temperatures is one good reason to have an infra-red thermometer handy when traveling.
exactly correct ! I use the infrared Raytek (brand) of temp laser .What a great tool ,everyone should have one ,use for all temperature readings , whatever needs checking ,great for brake drums and hubs. kragen auto or other parts stores should have them.
Got an 'Alltrade' laser temp guage from CostCo for about $65.... GREAT TOOL!! I agree with all other thumbs up endorsements here....
Other uses, BBQ grill temp, Dryer temps, Electric motor temps, kids foreheads to "see" if they are really staying home from school....
Kidding about the last one, but the threat worked once already!
Seriously, this is one tool that is EASY to use, the data you get can prevent BIG problems, plus "no bad temps" readings help with the 'peace of mind' thing which is cheap at this price point.
Whenever I pull in for potty stops or gas, the LTG is the first thing out of the map pocket. Take readings on all TV and TT tires - 10 in my case. Have found that 'sun side' readings ( NM SUN!!!) can run 10+ degrees higher. When the whole vehicle side runs higher it is a "Hmmmm?" moment, but then it makes you think.... Always a good thing.
I actually 'shoot' the tires in the center of the tread first, then go back and do the aluminum wheel right by the hub as well as doing the 'back of the hand' test. Compulsive I guess. All is well so far.... knock wood.
Have actually found that the TV tires run quite a bit hotter than the TT tires. Can anyone give me speculation on why this would be?? TV tires are actually taller and likely ( haven't done the CAT scale deal yet) not carrying any greater load than the TT tires - or am I wrong?
Scottanlily
The page you found was the one that should have been at the address I gave. I guess they want to keep it moving(moving target hard to hit). As you can see the tires are only rated to 65 MPH. Not much of a safety margin at 55 or even 60.
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