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View Poll Results: how often do you check your tire pressure?
Monthly, and before every trip towing 21 67.74%
Monthly 1 3.23%
Before towing, or when I get the oil changed 8 25.81%
It's been a while... 1 3.23%
Voters: 31. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 03-31-2004, 10:47 AM   #1
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Question Tow Vehicle Tire Pressure

How often do you check the tire pressure on you tow vehicle? It is recommended to check at least monthly, I wonder how many actually do it?
Do you check pressure before towing?
Once again, enquiring minds want to know.
Terry
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Old 03-31-2004, 10:58 AM   #2
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Tow Vehicle Tire Pressure

Greetings Terry!

Ever since I had a wheel/tire/spring failure (it was never determined which happened first, but the result was a 180 degree spin in the middle of a busy secondary highway) on my Brand X travel trailer in 1982, I have been very cautious about my tires and wheels on both trailer and tow vehicle. I carry a samll 120 Volt AC compressor as well as 12-volt compressor so that I can check the tire pressure in each of the tires on my coach as well as tow vehicle as part of my pre-departure ritual each day. I find that additional air needs to be added about every third day when traveling in the mountains, but less frequently when traveling in the plains.

Kevin
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Old 03-31-2004, 11:21 AM   #3
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On the MH I go by the 7 day rule. Before a long drive or if it has not moved for 7 days I check the tires. Otherwise I do it monthly on all the cars and the MH.

I also check all fluids, etc before we leave on any trip of 50 miles oir more.
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Old 03-31-2004, 03:53 PM   #4
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I too check the tire pressure monthly....sometimes every other fillup when the weather fluctuates since outdoor temps do play with the pressures pretty good. In winter, 44psi might be 48 or 49 when it finally hits 50 degrees out. Other issue when it's warm and then it gets cold out, the pressure is usually too low. One last thing is that somewhere here on this fourm, is a thread talking about how and when to check your pressure. I believe that it talked about not simply checking before you leave..but also checking when on the road for an hour or two as the tire heats the pressure increases or something like that. I personally found on the car, that it says that at 44 psi the tire can handle 1800 some odd lbs. Well, after being on the road the 44 psi shot up to about 49 psi. I took a few lbs out. Only issue is that until they get warm again, they are about 5 lbs under the 44lbs recommended.

I also check all fluids before a trip and torque the lugs.

Eric
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Old 03-31-2004, 04:01 PM   #5
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Always check tire pressure cold. Do not remove air from a tire that has driven a few miles! The heat from sidewall flex will always cause the pressure to rise... but that is factored into the cold pressure recommendation. See Article
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Old 03-31-2004, 04:04 PM   #6
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Just a word of caution ...

You should always check your tire pressures when they are cold (tire stationary overnight), never when they are warm. Inflation guidlines in your tow vehicle owner's manual will state this specifically.

If you make a habit of always checking your tire pressures each time you couple your trailer you can rest assured that they will be on the mark, at least while you are towing. I have a checklist that I made up and keep in the tow vehicle for coupling/uncoupling the trailer. Tire pressure check is on that list. Keeps me from doing stupid things like trying to drive away from a campsite with the rear stabilizer jacks still deployed (which I nearly did last summer - disaster averted thanks to the watchful eye of a fellow camper)
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Old 03-31-2004, 04:11 PM   #7
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Then that is good news. I can only check once...and if it's at 44 for the car and 65 for the coach, even if I drive for 2 hours and the pressures are 49 and 70, that is ok? If so that really save me some extra steps while on the road!
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Old 03-31-2004, 04:23 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie
Then that is good news. I can only check once...and if it's at 44 for the car and 65 for the coach, even if I drive for 2 hours and the pressures are 49 and 70, that is ok? If so that really save me some extra steps while on the road!
That is correct, Eric. Cold tire pressure is defined as stationary overnight, and not having been driven over 1 mile. I would check before moving it, anyway. Kind of like checking the oil in the morning, before starting your car. If you run the engine for a few minutes, some of the oil is up in the engine, and it will read low on the dipstick, even though there is a proper amount in it.
Terry
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Old 03-31-2004, 04:28 PM   #9
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Good to know! Thanks all for setting me strait. I was checking all the time when towing. Before going, an hour in, a few more hours in...etc. What a PITA that was!
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Old 03-31-2004, 04:48 PM   #10
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I always add air in the rear tires of my 2500 hd to bring them up from 55 psi to 70-72 psi for towing. I checked the air in the trailer tires this past Friday before pulling out Saturday morning and found each to be in the 45-50 psi range so brought them up to 62 psi for the trip.
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Old 03-31-2004, 07:15 PM   #11
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This is cheap (as in free) insurance. In my case, I check the trailer tire pressure before every trip. If the trip is extended, I check every few days (no telling when you will pick up a nail). I have to pump up the tow vehicle quite a bit to tow, so I check it every trip.
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Old 03-31-2004, 08:51 PM   #12
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I'm very diligent about checking the COLD tire pressures of both my tow vehicle & A/S. I carry a small A.C. compressor in the pick-up while we are on-the-road for morning 'top-offs'!!
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Old 03-31-2004, 09:16 PM   #13
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Tire pressure

I am with Ed I always check both before I leave and take an air pump with me to top off any low tires. It makes tires last a long time.
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Old 04-01-2004, 06:24 AM   #14
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Safety checks

After finding all four sidewalls cracked while towing the Behemoth, and being caught up in the Firestone Steeltex recall, I have become much more tire-conscious. I check them regularly.

I found my tires to be self-destructing on a walk-around of the truck and trailer. I do it every time I stop, just to make sure that we're not dragging something that shouldn't drag (like the bumper... ).

I heartily recommend that routine to anyone who tows. It's a good safety habit to check the hitch, chains, tires, and give the entire rig a visual check all the way around every time you stop. I've found a number of minor problems (including a falling belly pan on the Bambi) that way before they became disasters.

Roger
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Old 04-30-2004, 08:29 AM   #15
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Thumbs up Added active monitoring

Over the past year, I have been involved in beta testing an active tire pressure monitoring system that is simple to install , very accurate and is now commercially available. The sensors simply replace your existing valve stem covers. Each sensor weights about 1/2oz so it does not effect tire balance in most cases. The sensors are a cylindrical design about 1" tall X 1" in diameter. The system will monitor 6 tires on the trailer and 10 tires on the tow vehicle. The pressure set point is established when you screw the sensor onto the valve stem (ie the existing pressure becomes the setpoint for alarming, but the sensor ALWAYS sends the ACTUAL pressure). If you realize that a tire is low once you have attached the sensor, simple air up the tire and reattach the sensor which will set the new pressure as the setpoint. Each sensor sends a digitally encoded FM signal (better reception and range) to the monitor every 5 minutes if things are normal as well as each time the tires have been sitting for more than 15 minutes and then start rolling. You can also manually trigger a reading by holding a magnet near the sensor for a few seconds. If a tire's pressure drops 12.5% below the setpoint, the sensor sends a reading and the monitor warns you with a simple beep, the actual pressure and a flashing indicator at the tire location in question. If the pressure drops 25%, again the sensor send a reading and the system goes into alarm mode, which is a constant beeping, the actual pressure and the same flashing location indicator. At any time, you can press a button and cycle thru the current tire pressures. The manufacturer (www.advantagepressurepro.com) states that the reception range is in the 100' catagory, so even with a crewcab 1ton pickup or a Burb/Excursion and a 34', the A/S tires would still well within range.

My Bambi tires run a recommended 65PSI cold and at highway speeds have increased to about 72-73PSI. My LT truck tires run 50PSI (when I tow) and increase into the mid 50s. Even with diligent checking before we leaving and at rest stops, there is always the potential for leaks as we travel and catching that situation in time has always been a matter of luck. With active monitoring, checking the pressure on all the tires is a simple matter of pressing a button.

david
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Old 04-30-2004, 09:36 AM   #16
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I always check pressures before and during a trip. I check tire pressures at each fill up. My last trip I caught a slow leak. my trailer tires were @ 69psi hot, but one was @55 psi. I was able to simply fill that tire to 69psi (since it was hot) and keep motoring down the road. I checked the tires the next morning after they had cooled and found that the low tire was within 1-2psi of the others.

Cheap insurance, take the time to check pressure at gas fill ups. BTW- I run my front truck tires @ 65 and my rears @ 75 towing as I carry a lot in the bed of the truck too. My trailer tires are set at 65.

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Old 04-30-2004, 12:52 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by argosy20
That is correct, Eric. Cold tire pressure is defined as stationary overnight, and not having been driven over 1 mile. I would check before moving it, anyway.Terry
Here is a routine I use if I don't feel like using my 12 volt air pump at home or on the road.

First I check each tire cold in the morning. I note the pressure for each tire and the amount necessary to bring the tire up to recommended inflation. Then I drive to the gas station remeasure the pressure but fill the number of pounds necessary as found in the first measurement.

For example cold at the house the pressure is 30 lbs. Recommended pressure is 35. I drive to the gas station. I check again and now the tire is 32 lbs. I fill the tire to 37 lbs. since I originally was 5 pounds low when cold.

That pretty much accounts for the heat build up and when the tire cools down, it should be pretty close to recommended cold inflation pressure.

Jack
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Old 04-30-2004, 11:43 PM   #18
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In addition to the tire pressure ... don't forget to check the torque on your trailer wheels.

We're out fulltiming ... so we have a small 3 gallon Husky compressor and a torque wrench in the truck.
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