Most suitable tire pressure?!

[GSED]

Hi Everyone,
Newbie here, just joined… I’ll get better with searching I’m sure, my first attempt did not provide me with answers, so here I am with my trivial question.

Picking up a 2025 16 Bambi and it’s mid-winter up in Canada. I mean even summertime, I noticed that experienced airstreamers run trailer tire pressure lower than the default 80psi I believe. This is useful for smoother ride, less impact to the rv and on a longer run reducing unnecessary maintenance…

What tire pressure do you run and how did you come to finding the sweet spot?
My challenge takes this even further, as I’ll pick up the Bambi from Edmonton and there’s snow, ice and generally speaking less grip on the road… lower pressure will definitely improve grip. For those of you that travelled during winter, do you have winters?! What pressure do you run?!

Most probably there is an older thread I did not find. Appreciate pointing me in the right direction.
Cheers

[SlowPokePete]

There's definitely at least a couple of threads.

I run somewhere between 65-70 psi.

SPP

[sfranklin]

Take a look at this chart and based on weight, actual weight would be better if you weighed the unit full at a cat scale, but you can just go off GVWR if need be..... you then can adjust the cold pressure accordingly.

Welcome to the forums!

https://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/rv_inflation.pdf

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by sfranklin

Take a look at this chart and based on weight, actual weight would be better if you weighed the unit full at a cat scale, but you can just go off GVWR if need be..... you then can adjust the cold pressure accordingly.

Welcome to the forums!

https://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/rv_inflation.pdf

I've never made that chart work.
I see the URL is "Good Year RV tires" but the chart is for "Good Year ST Trailer tires."
The problem is "trailers" are for hauling stuff and Good Year doesn't know if today you're hauling a sofa and tomorrow, cement blocks.
RV Trailers don't vary that much, I've never seen that chart applied without the OP then adding, "And then I add 30% just to be sure"
Example, Hypothetically, my trailer weighs 7000#. That weight is distributed as 1000# on the hitch and 6000# over four tires. (or 1500# per tire.)
Thus ST225/75R15 says I need about 28 psi per tire. Show me your hands if you run 28 psi!!!
I run 60 psi. It works for me.

[GSED]

Thank you for the warm welcome and providing me with the support I needed on this matter. If everything goes well will pick the AS in about 10 days. Wife overly excited as she should be, isn’t it?

The chart is very cool and I take the weight is per tire, with Bambi 16 having only two ��. Very encouraging.

Just located an older thread - very good debate - with pressures run from 55 in 5psi increments all the way to 80. ��
Rightfully though, all the arguments have been shared and they should be always considered. Thanks to you and to all contributors for the info.

Feeling quite relaxed rn. Cheers

[waninae39]

we use 60-65 psi cold

max 75 psi hot

[DaveinPa]

should be a sticker on outside of you trailer that tellls you what psi just like a car with the sticker on drivers side door jamb

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted by GSED

Hi Everyone,
Newbie here, just joined… I’ll get better with searching I’m sure, my first attempt did not provide me with answers, so here I am with my trivial question.

Picking up a 2025 16 Bambi and it’s mid-winter up in Canada. I mean even summertime, I noticed that experienced airstreamers run trailer tire pressure lower than the default 80psi I believe. This is useful for smoother ride, less impact to the rv and on a longer run reducing unnecessary maintenance…

What tire pressure do you run and how did you come to finding the sweet spot?
My challenge takes this even further, as I’ll pick up the Bambi from Edmonton and there’s snow, ice and generally speaking less grip on the road… lower pressure will definitely improve grip. For those of you that travelled during winter, do you have winters?! What pressure do you run?!

Most probably there is an older thread I did not find. Appreciate pointing me in the right direction.
Cheers

Tire engineer here

There is a sticker on the driver's front corner of your trailer that lists the original tire size and the specified pressure for that size. Many people think that this is generally too high.

As a result, a number of ways of dealing with this. The best way is to weigh the trailer -= individual tire weights if possible - followed by a Pressure Build Up Test. I outline all this here: Barry's Tire Tech:
ST Tires

But you should wait until spring to do all this. In the meantime you should go with the sticker.

- OR -

you could use my Pressure Build Up Test gradually lowering the pressure as you get experience, until you can get the trailer weighed. Be careful as you go down in pressure.

[GSED]

Thank you - great pointers.
I wouldn’t have had concerns running the sticker if summer or with loaded AS, until having the time to find that sweet spot.

STs don’t have a lot of grip to begin with, right?, and at -20C on snow or ice, I’m afraid they won’t help much at 80 psi. Let alone locking AS brakes… would just transform it in a sled. Especially in a corner coming downhill…

Sway won’t be a concern for we’ve got the Hensley Cub, I’m just trying to compensate for the lack of braking trailer efficiency (grip) and lowering tire pressure would improve that. Going too far is the risk and I appreciate all the feedback and suggestions.

Plan is also to level at 100km/hr - 62-65mph… for a smooth quiet and enjoyable ride.

[GSED]

Folks, good news - we’ve successfully brought home our Bambi covering 3300km in 3 days. Had the AS tires running at 55PSI without any challenge throughout all weather conditions, between -22C and 6C, sun-rain-snow-slush. I’ve only seen pictures of AS with snow cones before - lol - our Rockstar full size mud flap kept it super clean, given the circumstances… Due to unforeseen circumstances we brought it on the ball (no hitch) and it was only towards the end of our trip we experienced sway once, even though steady at 100km/hr.
Worries me that after this trip I found that the indoor master power switch loose in the bench together with its two attached wires (imagine I haven’t checked these at delivery). So, either they were loose from the get go (better) or they came undone in just over 3K km (worst). Either way… I was getting excited reading another post about critical tools to have handy, but now I’m quite worried if I need to rebuild it on the road - lol

Safe trips all - thanks again for all the pointers and feedback. It’s been of great help. Spring is in the air!!

[SuperTrouper]

Congratulations! just as a point of reference, we run Michelin Agilis 16", 27'FB Weights; Steer 4280 lb Drive 4880 lb Trailer 5880 lb (1470 lb per tire). We run 60 lb cold. I know there are tire engineers on the forums, I'm not one of them. My rule of thumb is that at normal temperatures 50-80 degrees F (10-27C), no sun load (cloudy day) If the tire temp rises by more than 10% from cold to operating, you re running too low of a pressure (rubber flex on sidewall is building up too much heat).