50 psi in a load range E tire??

[DBinSD]

I will be running 66psi on my 4 - 16” Michelin LTX (load E) this Summer. Based on much input it should be soft on trailer and tough enough for proper wear IMO.

[Johnnyooo]

Go with Michelin Defender LTX ...50 lbs air pressure...Airstream now puts them on some models...

[DBinSD]

Johnnyooo,
Where did you get the 50psi from?
I was pretty sure AirStream did not recommend that low for the LTX on the Tommy line?

[A W Warn]

50 psi in a load range E tire??

Originally Posted by Bill M.

snip>> Are they going to run hot if inflated to 50 or so PSI? <<snip

I've been doing that, running E rated on my Safari, since 2009. I tried 50, 55, and 60 psi, with no issues at all. I think the lower pressure is best for the trailer, but the higher pressure is best for the tire.
Unless you are in the southwest during summer, I doubt heat buildup will be a problem at 50 psi

add edit:
Goodyear publishes a load/inflation chart for their tires. Find it at their website and use their suggested numbers as a minimum.

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by r carl

Yea, ST tires don't like to flex, But LT tires love to flex.

Yep flexing causes heat....and it weakens the sidewall......heat is not good....neither are weak sidewall’s.......they go boom

[switz]

We use 72/73 psi in our Michelin LT225/75R16/E LTX M/S2 tires. That is a load rating of about 2,500 pounds per the Michelin tire chart. The Dill 1506-453 reports the tire temps stay in the normal area. Our scale numbers

……1200……——1200

2034……2042—4076

1921…….2062—3983

Total weight——9259

[DBinSD]

Switz,
Your close to the 80max.

How would you say your shake, rattle and roll is for the inside components of the trailer?

[Phoenix]

For those of you planning to run significantly less than 65 psi in your Airstream's tires this summer (or the maximum pressure printed on the tire sidewall), here are the links to polls for ST and Non-ST tires where you can share your tire-failure data and story, this fall:

* Tire Failure Poll (mostly ST tires): http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...oll-76867.html

* NON-ST Tire Poll: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...ll-157690.html

[GM Airstream]

Personally, I'd rather run at a psi that allows one tire to fail and the survivors to not have stress from the loss. Without looking at any given table, this is likely a higher psi than what the table shows for the trailer's weight presuming all tires are holding their own


I have to chuckle at some of these responses... as being similar to 'what we heard from a friend kinda thing...'
When you say... that one tire blows... because you made the pressure so high it became a bomb... and then want the next one to carry the load of the WHOLE trailer... wos... that has to be some great stuff in you smoker...

A purdent safe person would stop and repair the trailer... not contenu on down the road at 65 mph... come on... be realistic...

Look... the E rated tires are made to flex... otherwise they would be unsafe... true.. if they are low in pressure they will flex more than regular at pressure FOR THE LOAD... but, when each tire at 45-50 lbs of air pressure can handle 3200 lbs... TWO OF THE REMAINING 3 if one goes south... means that at 45-50 lbs air pressure they can handle 9,600 lbs... and your trailer weighs HOW MUCH... (5500 lbs) ...really you expect anyone to think you need to blow 'em up to max...
But,...
Lets say you do take them to max pressure 80 lbs... what damage are you doing to the tire when it heats up... and exceeds the 80 lb limit... oh ya that right you want them to be at max pressure so they can handle the weight... TWO of them at that pressure can support 6,400 lbs... so your little 25 foot AS comes in at a little over 5,500... sort of over kill.. isn't it... because you have a third one also (rem you blew on away)
Then again...
your putting all the shock loading of the pot hole road...through the rock hard tire...and expecting the trailer axle to absorb it.. which it doesn't and now transfers it to the frame and trailer body... yikes.. what are all them cheap pop rivets heads doing on the floor... and the things in the cabnets all changed places...

Hey good going their .... you know all about tire loading... and what the manufacture says their tire will do at the empty weight of the trailer... at the design tire pressure it should have... oh no... you know better.. lets just pump the tires up to max and hope for the best...

Chances are you will cause the tire to blow out due to overpressure and heat bouncing down the road... because you have them at max pressure... and that is why some of them really let go... not because they flex... rather they are abused by too much pressure.... then again.. what about the trailer and its mechanical design.

Indeed I get a smile on my face when I read about how the owner pumps 'em up to max and thinks they are safe...

The sidewall of the tire was designed by some engineer.. who spent many hours in school... and testing... to come up with the safe load at pressure for their tires... but, hey some people know more that the manufacture does... and who you going to believe...

I doubt that most of the ones posting here HAVEn't a clue as to what really is going on.. but, they will try and sway you into believing them and not following the manufactures design ratings (that is why the engineers make up the chart folks...)

AS also post the tire pressure on the data plate... now why do you think that ? Again some dumb engineer just thought it was going to be something to laugh over ? Going to the E rated tires gives you a 100% over rating... for just using two of the new tires... you really think that you need all four?...

take the stress of over pressure away from them and you have returned the tires back to the manufactures org'nl design...

Ya I know you overload the trailer frame with all the goodies you pack with you...(and no one really checks each tire and wheel loading weight out at the weight scales anymore... most don't even know what one is talking about when I say that... no one has ever talked to them about it in siminars and owners info)

but, that shows up as wear and tear on the rest of the trailer frame and body... (and they blame the tire instead... of loading the trailer correctly..) so should you put tires on it that can handle the load when the rest of the trailer can't or was not designed for ?

So you know best... good... maybe when someone else... who is following your advise ends up have mechanical problem with their trailer... comes back and say ..you said... max tire pressure... and it ruin'ed their trailer you might want to get your check book out and pay for your experiance... because you caused them to exceed the limits set forth by the design engineer...

think about it...

I have promoted that EVERY A/S owner load the trailer and the TV ... take it to a weight scale and do each wheel... you be surprised at how much one wheel can be loaded more heavy than the other... they all do not share the same weight...

Again its amazing that the owners say after getting weighed.. wow... no wonder that wheel keeps blowing out... its overloaded... (each wheel is independent of the other when it comes to trailer loading).... yet by simply shifting some of the 'cargo' weight inside the trailer you can get a better more even balance and also save the overloaded wheel from pending disaster blowing out on the road...

Instead of blaming the tire... check your loading... is rule one...

The adventure contenues

[Johnnyooo]

Sorry if I wasn't clear ....I have a 16' Bambi that I changed the wheels to 15" and put Michelin Defender LTX Which have a maximum inflation of 50 lbs which is stamped on the tire sidewall...

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by GM Airstream

Personally, I'd rather run at a psi that allows one tire to fail and the survivors to not have stress from the loss. Without looking at any given table, this is likely a higher psi than what the table shows for the trailer's weight presuming all tires are holding their own


I have to chuckle at some of these responses... as being similar to 'what we heard from a friend kinda thing...'
When you say... that one tire blows... because you made the pressure so high it became a bomb... and then want the next one to carry the load of the WHOLE trailer... wos... that has to be some great stuff in you smoker...

A purdent safe person would stop and repair the trailer... not contenu on down the road at 65 mph... come on... be realistic...

Look... the E rated tires are made to flex... otherwise they would be unsafe... true.. if they are low in pressure they will flex more than regular at pressure FOR THE LOAD... but, when each tire at 45-50 lbs of air pressure can handle 3200 lbs... TWO OF THE REMAINING 3 if one goes south... means that at 45-50 lbs air pressure they can handle 9,600 lbs... and your trailer weighs HOW MUCH... (5500 lbs) ...really you expect anyone to think you need to blow 'em up to max...
But,...
Lets say you do take them to max pressure 80 lbs... what damage are you doing to the tire when it heats up... and exceeds the 80 lb limit... oh ya that right you want them to be at max pressure so they can handle the weight... TWO of them at that pressure can support 6,400 lbs... so your little 25 foot AS comes in at a little over 5,500... sort of over kill.. isn't it... because you have a third one also (rem you blew on away)
Then again...
your putting all the shock loading of the pot hole road...through the rock hard tire...and expecting the trailer axle to absorb it.. which it doesn't and now transfers it to the frame and trailer body... yikes.. what are all them cheap pop rivets heads doing on the floor... and the things in the cabnets all changed places...

Hey good going their .... you know all about tire loading... and what the manufacture says their tire will do at the empty weight of the trailer... at the design tire pressure it should have... oh no... you know better.. lets just pump the tires up to max and hope for the best...

Chances are you will cause the tire to blow out due to overpressure and heat bouncing down the road... because you have them at max pressure... and that is why some of them really let go... not because they flex... rather they are abused by too much pressure.... then again.. what about the trailer and its mechanical design.

Indeed I get a smile on my face when I read about how the owner pumps 'em up to max and thinks they are safe...

The sidewall of the tire was designed by some engineer.. who spent many hours in school... and testing... to come up with the safe load at pressure for their tires... but, hey some people know more that the manufacture does... and who you going to believe...

I doubt that most of the ones posting here HAVEn't a clue as to what really is going on.. but, they will try and sway you into believing them and not following the manufactures design ratings (that is why the engineers make up the chart folks...)

AS also post the tire pressure on the data plate... now why do you think that ? Again some dumb engineer just thought it was going to be something to laugh over ? Going to the E rated tires gives you a 100% over rating... for just using two of the new tires... you really think that you need all four?...

take the stress of over pressure away from them and you have returned the tires back to the manufactures org'nl design...

Ya I know you overload the trailer frame with all the goodies you pack with you...(and no one really checks each tire and wheel loading weight out at the weight scales anymore... most don't even know what one is talking about when I say that... no one has ever talked to them about it in siminars and owners info)

but, that shows up as wear and tear on the rest of the trailer frame and body... (and they blame the tire instead... of loading the trailer correctly..) so should you put tires on it that can handle the load when the rest of the trailer can't or was not designed for ?

So you know best... good... maybe when someone else... who is following your advise ends up have mechanical problem with their trailer... comes back and say ..you said... max tire pressure... and it ruin'ed their trailer you might want to get your check book out and pay for your experiance... because you caused them to exceed the limits set forth by the design engineer...

think about it...

I have promoted that EVERY A/S owner load the trailer and the TV ... take it to a weight scale and do each wheel... you be surprised at how much one wheel can be loaded more heavy than the other... they all do not share the same weight...

Again its amazing that the owners say after getting weighed.. wow... no wonder that wheel keeps blowing out... its overloaded... (each wheel is independent of the other when it comes to trailer loading).... yet by simply shifting some of the 'cargo' weight inside the trailer you can get a better more even balance and also save the overloaded wheel from pending disaster blowing out on the road...

Instead of blaming the tire... check your loading... is rule one...

The adventure contenues

Cold pressure set at the max from sidewall will not blowout.!!!

[Bill M.]

Well, I did look at the load/inflation table for the Goodyear ST tires. That is why I asked the question.

My axle is rated at 3200 lbs. That is 1600/tire nominal load.
With the 235-15 load range E tire the chart pressure for 1600 lbs load is 30 psi.
With a decent margin, say 2020 lbs load per tire, the chart inflation pressure is 45 psi.
I think one of the tire guys said the chart is set up so that the actual flex of the tire is the same at all load/pressure points on the chart. I know from experience the P235 carries the load fine and runs as cool as cucumber.

So it comes back to, if I believe the load/infation chart, am I better off with the 4 ply rated P-235 XL tire at 50 psi or the 10 ply rated Load Range E Endurance at 50 psi, both with about the same load capacity at that pressure?

Will the E Goodyear with the 10 ply rating and the thin tread have more or less puncture resistance?

[HowieE]

I have not read the complete tread but to address your question of inflation of E rated tires in post #1.

I have had several sets of Michelin E rated tires on my tri axle. The inflation chart for those tires with my load call for 35 lbs, I generally run 40 Lbs. The trailer has over 250,000 miles to date.

Use the chart for the specific tire size in question that is what it was designed for.

[switz]

Stuff stays where we left it most of the time. There are some roads in AZ that are so rough 20 mph is too fast. Doing the posted 45 will restack the dishes..... regardless of tire pressures

[DBinSD]

Good to know, thanks!

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by Bill M.

Well, I did look at the load/inflation table for the Goodyear ST tires. That is why I asked the question.

My axle is rated at 3200 lbs. That is 1600/tire nominal load.
With the 235-15 load range E tire the chart pressure for 1600 lbs load is 30 psi.
With a decent margin, say 2020 lbs load per tire, the chart inflation pressure is 45 psi.
I think one of the tire guys said the chart is set up so that the actual flex of the tire is the same at all load/pressure points on the chart. I know from experience the P235 carries the load fine and runs as cool as cucumber.

So it comes back to, if I believe the load/infation chart, am I better off with the 4 ply rated P-235 XL tire at 50 psi or the 10 ply rated Load Range E Endurance at 50 psi, both with about the same load capacity at that pressure?

Will the E Goodyear with the 10 ply rating and the thin tread have more or less puncture resistance?

If you read the tire sidewall I think you will learn that LR-C, LR-D and LR-E tires all have one ply (layer) of Polyester in the sidewall and 1 Poly + 2 Steel in the tread. Tread might be 1 Poly + 2 Steel + 1 Nylon.

Increased LR does not always mean more steel under the tread. There are a number of engineering tests used to establish if a tire has enough "strength" to hold the pressure and load specs. None of the regulations will make a tire more or less puncture resistant.

RE running less than sidewallinflation. Load capacity is a function of air pressure not the tire "Ply rating". I have many posts on my RV Tire Safety blog specifically on inflation and load on tires in trailer application. You can review my profile and then decide if you want to believe a tire desigh engineer w/ 40 years experience.

If you have a multi-axle trailer I suggest you Google "Interply Shear tires" and look for the RV tire link. You can learn something.

[GM Airstream]

Originally Posted by switz

Stuff stays where we left it most of the time. There are some roads in AZ that are so rough 20 mph is too fast. Doing the posted 45 will restack the dishes..... regardless of tire pressures

What do you mean SOME OF THE ROADS When I went through their my thoughts were... dang don't you guy have any highway engineers that know how to put down asphalt ?... People complain about the roads in Ca... yikes they need to take a trip on I40. Arizona needs to invest in the highway system before you have to go back to gravel roads. I am sure Trump will give you money for the interstate system paving... now that obama is gone...grin

Indeed I lowered the tire pressure on mine to help absorb the shock of the mini grand canyons found on the right lane of the highway... ouch... good thing they have restrant type of seat belts in the PU...

Indeed the previous poster is right the table of tire pressure to tire load is in fact equal sidewall flexing. Good going.. you get the doll...for doing your homework and answer.

As to the gent that thinks that his axel is rated for only 1600 lbs a wheel... I assume you have dual axles... for 6400 lbs total... but you are right the tire is well over rated for it... so the tire is not the weakest link... by the way 10 ply E tires will stand up to less puncture as it would take more pressure to force a object through it. 10 ply also stand up to resist squirm'n at the tread.

Again... the mitch LTX tires are so much better than the old goodyears.

and...

I highly recommend that you take your fully loaded trailer and tow vehicle to one of the seminars that groups like the escap'ers hold... and get each wheel on the trailer weighed. I think most of you will be surprised to find out that some wheels are at rated.. while others are light.

Only by shifting the load around can you try and get equal loading on each wheel. But, without doing the weight thing you will never know.

I am surprised the the A/S groups don't hold such a event so that newbies and others are aware of the inequality with pending problems if they continue on.

If you can't find a event that holds a RV wheel weigh'n siminar for yours then you can provide your own by using the weight scale... but it takes more time.

I also recommend that you look up the traveling scale people.. as other groups hire services that will come to their event and provide the service for a minor fee... Most have 4 scales that you drive up on at once.. and record the weight quickly. While you wait in the TV. If you have to re-orginazie' inside to get the weight evened out... they normally will allow a re-weight as you enter the rear of the line. Yep when we did it we had over 30 RVs out of the 18 A/S that attended... some of the others were just participating from word of mouth in the campground. Saddly one A/S was 30% overloaded with one wheel. They were full time'rs... and even though they re-arranged things inside... still were over the trailers weight... as the add said.. just too much stuff...
They never knew that they were overloaded until that weigh in.

So best to C if U can find one before hitting the road this spring.

The Adventure contenues

G.M>

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

For those of you planning to run significantly less than 65 psi in your Airstream's tires this summer (or the maximum pressure printed on the tire sidewall), here are the links to polls for ST and Non-ST tires where you can share your tire-failure data and story, this fall:

* Tire Failure Poll (mostly ST tires): http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...oll-76867.html

* NON-ST Tire Poll: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...ll-157690.html

Phoenix,

I can't tell from the data summary, but when was the last entry into the ST part of the poll?

The last entry on the thread was 2016. Does that mean there weren't any 2017 failures reported? If so, does that mean that ST tires are NOW doing what they were supposed to from the beginning - as in their performance is now upgraded?

[Bill M.]

Many thanks to all who posted and particularly to the "tire guys" for taking the trouble to give a detailed answer to this one of the many tire threads going on the Airforums now.

I did read the suggested post on inter ply shear and I had not done so before.

I think I have the information I need now to decide what I am going to do.

[DBinSD]

For what it’s worth.

AS manual states ANY tire run at 20% or more pressure reduction from Max should be pulled of wheels and inspection done by tire professional.