TV Tire Pressure

[tslanier]

I would like some advice on TV tire pressure while towing. I have Michelin 265 70 R17 tires on my Dodge Cummins 3500. The dealer recommends 45 lbs when not towing. I have a 98 34' Excella Classic. What pressure should I run in the tires when towing?

[easyride]

I really don`t think you will have enough tongue weight to make a difference on a 1 ton truck,now if you are going to load down truck ,don`t exceed tires max.weight.The stiffer the backend the more beating your trailer will take. Dave

[BillTex]

You can look on your door jamb and follow factory specs, I run a little under as I am not at max payload;

50 psi front-65 psi rear

not towing I run 45/45

Bill

[sander17]

I agree with Bill. Use the label on the door jamb. Not just the opinion of some guy at the dealer. My 2500 recommends 60psi on the front all the time due to the heavy weight of the cummins engine. At the rear, it will be different for mine since it has only single tires, not duallys.

[COLORADO_CAMPER]

tslanier,

The sticker on the door jam will only give you normal operating pressure. For proper towing pressure look at the sidewall of your tire and see what the max load weight per tire is and the recommended max pressure. Estimate your total combined vehicle weight (truck + trailer + people, gear etc...) and divide that total by 4. This number should be less than the max load of a single tire. You can now estimate your tire psi based upon how close you are to max load. Sounds complicated but it isn't rocket science. If your normal operating pressure is 45 psi, I can bet that your max pressure is about 55 psi which means your proper towing pressure is somewhere in between.

Hope that helps.

-Kevin

[jimmickle]

Put the loaded rig on a scale and get axle by axle weight. You can get a load vs pressure chart on the tire manufacturers web site. Set your pressures based on the actual load on the tires and the load/pressure chart. A few extra pounds won't hurt, but don't over inflate.

[xrvr]

Owners manual? zz

[Gael79]

For whatever its worth,

When I tow, I put the max rated pressure in, 65 psi for me, front and rear. When I am not towing, I used to back them down to around 55, but was told this is not a great idea. Now I leave them at 65 (Max Rated) all the time, towing or not, and seems the tires are O.K.

I would just read what is on you tires, and run the max rated, at least when towing.

Regards,

Scott

[jcanavera]

Read your door sticker carefully. In my case the door sticker on my van shows the recommended tire pressure at max load capacities. Putting additional air in the tires above that level (even though the tire may allow for it) provides no benefit and in some cases could adversly affect handling. This is a clear case where more is not always better.

Jack

[COLORADO_CAMPER]

Unless you bought the vehicle new and have always kept the same make/model tires on it, you can't assume that the door sticker is correct at all. The door sticker is applicable only to the tires that orginally shipped with the vehicle. Look at your tires and see what it says on the sidewall. It should say something like "max load 2380 lbs at max 55 psi" or similar. That is the number to go by. If your gross vehicle weight divided by 4 (4 tires) is equal to the max load rating on the tire then inflate to the max pressure. If it is less then interpolate how much less and adjust pressures accordingly. If you are overweight then you need to go to a tire that has a heavier load rating.

Also, a correction to my previous post about combined vehicle weight: the only weight you need to consider with regard to tow vehicle tire load is the weight of the truck, added tongue weight of trailer plus any gear and passengers you are hauling - not the total combined vehicle weight which would include the full weight of the trailer.

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by COLORADO_CAMPER

Unless you bought the vehicle new and have always kept the same make/model tires on it, you can't assume that the door sticker is correct at all. The door sticker is applicable only to the tires that orginally shipped with the vehicle. Look at your tires and see what it says on the sidewall. It should say something like "max load 2380 lbs at max 55 psi" or similar. That is the number to go by.

That may be true if the tires are different. I have E rated tires on my van and if I replace them, it will be with new E's which unless I'm wrong pretty much have the same weight ratings correct? I've seen various inflation charts for ST tires and D rated tires have the same inflation/load carrying capacity from all the various manufacturers I've seen.

What you don't get if you follow the fill 'em up to max mentality is the variances in tire pressure that some manufacturer's specify on some vehicles. Based on my max load capacity in my GMC van, my E rated tires should be a 80 psi on the rear, 55 on the front axle. That difference is important based on axle placement, and how the vehicle carries it's load. That's where handling comes into play. Many vehicles do have the same inflation requirement for all 4 wheels. It's important you check that door sticker to see if you are in that boat or like me in a different one.

Jack

[COLORADO_CAMPER]

Just to be clear - I am not suggesting that you just inflate your tires to the max pressure and go on your merry way without regard for the load you are putting on them. I am suggesting that if you are at or near the max load per tire that you run them at or near the max pressure specified by the tire manufacturer. I honestly don't know if all "E" rated tires have the same pressure specifications but I would venture a guess that they do not because they are not identical in composition, size, etc... I don't think an "E" rated tire designed for a 15" wheel is going to have the same pressure specifications as an "E" rated tire designed for a 22" wheel, but perhaps I am wrong. But I do know that the sticker on your door does not necessarily apply to the tires currently on your vehicle nor does it always provide recommended pressures for anything other than "normal" use and load. My '08 F150 has a door sticker that recommends 40 psi tire pressures both front and rear but the tire sidewall indicates that in order to achieve max load capacity they need to be inflated to 55 psi. That's what I go by.

[Poprivet]

This subject is pretty important and there are several variables. Tongue weight, kind of hitch, manufacturer of tires. I recommend you load up, hook up, and go to your truck dealer and your tire dealer and ask them. The responses should be fairly close. If there is discrepancies, Call Airstream and Chrysler Technical support. I'm not suggesting the response here is not correct, I'm simply suggesting there are other sources of information and they all should be close or you need to investigate further

[Mikethefixit]

I think U need to READ the sidewall of the tire. It gives the load rating at like 85 lbs psi. I have a 1 ton single wheel with Load range E 16 inch Firestones that is 3415 lbs per wheel. When in doubt ,go to the dealer that handles that brand tire and ASK.
THE ONLY STUPID QUESTIONS are THE ONE'S U DON'T ASK

[ScottW]

Look at it this way...inflate to the max recommended on the tire. It won't hurt, and you WILL get better gas mileage with max pressure, towing or not. Many drivers who deliver vehicles/trailers overinflate to save gas and therefore put more money in their pockets.

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by tslanier

I would like some advice on TV tire pressure while towing. I have Michelin 265 70 R17 tires on my Dodge Cummins 3500. The dealer recommends 45 lbs when not towing. I have a 98 34' Excella Classic. What pressure should I run in the tires when towing?

if not in the owners manual the towing guide that may have come with your truck. If you don't have one you may be able to down load it from dodge.
I have a seperate towing guide. 70/70 on the Ford F-250 80/80 when towing. The max for the tires.