Considering a 22FB Sport. Concerns about single axle.

[KrustyKush]

We're new to RV. Have a 2020 22FB bought slightly used. The dealer folk urged me to keep the stock tires right at 80 psi, which I did for our first "long" trip of 17 days and 4k miles. Got home, and found four missing rivets.

I reduced the tire pressure to 74 psi, and also reduced the lift on my Equalizer hitch by 2 washers.

We just returned from a 12 day 2k mile trip and lost no rivets.

It is now too hot to RV, so the stock original tires, which have never uttered a peep or done anything to make me worry, will be replaced before our next trip. BTW our recent trip was up the coast highway from LA to where it becomes 101. That is a very tight and constant sharp turns road that goes on and on. The 22FB on those stock tires never made me worry in the least. My 2021 Ram 1500 pulls it perfectly.

[GetawA-S]

Make sure you tighten the Allen screws on the partition- those are known for loosening up.
80 psi does seem high. Best practice is to take the measured weight on the tire and consult the manufacturers’s chart. I am puzzled about changing 2-3 year old tires. Are they worn? 5 years is the conventional threshold.
Happy travels! I loved our 22FB ( except the noisy air and the primitive A frame storage).

[KrustyKush]

80 psi is marked in large numbers on the tire sidewall, for max load. The dealer "tech" who gave us the familiarization walk-a-round on the day we picked up the trailer, told me to keep it right at 80 psi. Checking it regularly, I would find it higher than 80 on some days, probably due to ambient temps and atmospheric pressure changes. So I let some air out to give some headroom, and because we don't load the trailer to max cargo.

I can't detect any difference in how the trailer follows after reducing the tire pressures to low 70's, as well as reducing the hitch lift by two washers. But after our recent 2k trip I have found no new missing rivets, in spite of traveling over some terrible roads.

Yes, I have had to snug up the partition set screws a few times, and have had other screws work loose, such as the hand knobs on the roof vents that fall out, as well as screws that hold the galley counter UNDER the partition. These have to be tightened regularly.

I aim to replace these tires because the trailer was previously owned, so I don't know their history. All these reports of blown tires on Airstreams makes me want to be sure. They may have been operated at way too-high pressure, for too long, in high heat, over terrible roads. Judging from the amount of rock ding damage to the front end, they must have done a lot of gravel roads. I'm accustomed to motorcycles where there is no room for error when it comes to tires. Seems to me a single axle RV has certain similarities to a motorcycle.

[GetawA-S]

It’s nice to see a fellow camper who takes safety seriously. Perhaps you could volunteer your services to Car and Driver, before they undertake their third “fluff” article on travels with an Airstream.
Do you have a TPMS? They offer much peace of mind, and can spare you the damage from an unnoticed tire failure.
Happy travels!

[KrustyKush]

Yes, have been thinking about TPMS the past few days. I will install it at the time I replace these tires. I'll spend the summer figuring out the best way to go. Thanks.

[SilverHouseDreams]

I’d suggest consulting the tire load charts, 80psi is only needed if you need 2800# load capacity per tire.

[KrustyKush]

The Airstream dealer where we bought our trailer wasn't interested in giving us useful information. The shop tech there botched more than one thing, including screwing up the set-up of our new E-Z-Lift hitch, which of course we paid mighty high $ for. We washed our hands of this awful dealership and will never go back there for anything. I now know that the Airstream is no different from any other automotive type device: if I want anything done right, or done at all, I have to do it myself.

Thanks to all who have good information and are willing to share it with a newbie.

[waninae39]

IMHO use 65-70 PSI cold

get a TPMS and watch the temp as you drive

i have seen the temp go up by +20F when the summer is very hot

IMHO, if you keep 80 psi cold, it might rise to 95+ psi hot and you may get a blow out

best to get a TPMS so that you can know what is happening when
our unit allows us to to set a per tire low/high alarm.

that is key as the pressure and temp in the TV is much different than the AS

[casarodante]

Originally Posted by jimstream

Our 1968 Safari came with "skid" attached to the axle inboard of the tire so in the event of a flot the trailer settles on the skid holding it level. JBH

I wish Airstream still did that. My parents 1957 had them. We took it to Alaska in '64. Had nine flat tires between the two vehicles but no damage. Alas, you cannot see the skid in this picture.

Update: I think you can see the skids in the second photo.

[KrustyKush]

Originally Posted by casarodante

We took it to Alaska in '64. Had nine flat tires between the two vehicles but no damage.

Woah! Nine flats? Tires certainly have improved since 1964!

Better tires are probably a main reason hardly any new cars carry spares anymore.