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DeltaRon · 06-18-2015, 04:55 PM

At Mothership upgrading my 2015 FC 28. Sidewall says PSI rating is 80. Is this the pressure I should be using? TV is 2015 Chevy 2500HD Duramax, ProPride 1400 lb bars.

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paiceman · 06-18-2015, 05:00 PM

I've experimented on two 30' with the 16" Michelins and have found that everything seems to ride better at just about 65 pounds. Good move in my opinion.

switz · 06-18-2015, 05:35 PM

We installed the SenDel T03-66655T 16" wheels and the Michelin LT225/75R16/E LTX M/S2 tires with the Centramatic 300-356 (all "A" plates) wheel balancers and Dill 1503-356 TPMS.

We use 75 psi when "cold" on a 31' Classic that weighs 9,200 camping ready. The axles are supporting around 8,000 pounds when not connected and perhaps 8,400 with the ProPride in operational mode.

We see 81 to 84 psi and temps between 120 and 125 being reported by the Dill TPMS when underway.

FishinHatteras · 06-18-2015, 05:55 PM

I run my Michelin's @ 70 PSI, and I do keep a good eye on the pressure & tread wear. IMHO, my 28 isn't heavy enough to warrant the full 80 PSI. I should probably bump mine up to 75, but they look & ride just fine @ 70 PSI. I am getting consistently even tread wear across the tire @ this inflation.
I always like to see the smile on the MM's face tho. He's a good man!

BoldAdventure · 06-18-2015, 06:42 PM

Per the load tables, I run 72psi and saw a steady 75psi towing from VA to NY after underway for a few hours.

hhendrix · 06-19-2015, 10:47 AM

Which wheels did you get?

gecko · 06-19-2015, 10:49 AM

We did same upgrade and have been traveling for two weeks. We have kept inflation around 78psi cold. At this high pressure, we have had cabinets bounce open, drawers dislodged (and dishes broken) while not exceeding 55 mph. We have gone over some sections of rough road as marked, but we've gone over much rougher roads with other tires at the recommended 65psi (and up to 70 psi) without this problem.

This has been a subject of debate on other forums. Search for Phoenix who has done much research on the subject. We have spoken directly with AS whose official position is that 16's and Michelins are not necessary, but EddieBauer insisted for their models. When pushed, they recommended using tire manufacturer's specs. My personal attempts to contact Michelin were unsuccessful.

We are debating between 80 psi for max tire integrity, particularly from scuffing during parking maneuvers, and punishing our coach with a rougher ride. I think we'll next try dropping 5 psi to 73 for our 28' 2009 International--6980 fully loaded/tongue weight approx 1200 lbs (about to lower that with lithiums)/Equalizr 4 pt/Sprinter 3500.

lsbrodsky · 06-19-2015, 11:21 AM

There are a bezillion threads on this and after reading ALL of them, I concluded that it makes the most sense to run at the rated pressure of 80. I do not remember why, but that is what some members with professional tire background indicated.
Larry

Al and Missy · 06-19-2015, 11:53 AM

I run 75 because that provides the same load carrying capacity as the original 15" wheels and tires at their 65 psi. It is way overkill for my load (6300# - 800# on the tongue) but since Airstream put 15" tires at 65 psi on as original equipment I thought it best to stick with the same load capacity.

Al

rocco52 · 06-19-2015, 03:21 PM

Hello,
I am new to travel trailers but have towed 26' and longer boats for years. I have seen the 16" Michelins mentioned many times. What are the advantages? I have even read some threads where they are buying them in order to not have to carry a spare tire. Are they run flats or puncture proof? Just wondering. Thanks

2dabeach · 06-19-2015, 08:58 PM

When we first switched to our 16” Michelins we set the pressure at 80 psi. We noticed a lot of the cushions were all over the place after driving at that pressure. I reduced the pressure fro 80 psi to 75 psi and it made a big difference. All of the cushions stay where they are suppose to be. I was surprised that a 5 psi difference could affect the ride in the trailer.

bauere · 06-19-2015, 11:45 PM

We had our trailer refitted at JC Servie Center then drove 1600 miles to Farmington, Nm. We decided to try out the 80 #s they used there to start with out 30 Classic (10k) pretty loaded as we are on the road a lot. Nothing moving around in side at all. Very stable on the road, wants to roll right up to 70 but we kept the speed right at 60 or a couple down.

Well satisfied so far. Our next move is to weigh the trailer when we get a chance and then check out the Michelin tables.

switz · 06-20-2015, 08:24 AM

We are running our 16" Michelins at 75 psi. The trailer weighs about 9,200 pounds loaded with the axles supporting roughly 8,100 pounds per my scales. I see the pressures rise to 81-83 underway with the temps rising to 122- 125. I will try 72 psi starting out Tuesday and see what happens (will be close to 110 here).

My scales showed:

------ 1197

2048 ------- 2060

1910 ------- 2050

The left rear weight is down because we have an instant on water heater and lost the 50 pounds associated with the 6 gallon water heater which was just behind that tire.

The Michelin LT225/75R16/E LTX M/S2 tire pressure table:

80psi 2,680 (E)
75psi 2,560
70psi 2,440
65psi 2,335 (D)
60psi 2,190
55psi 2,060
50psi 1,940 (C)
45psi 1,790

Many of the paved roads out here (both interstate and secondary highways) are filled with abrupt undulations that are rough on both vehicles.

dkottum · 06-20-2015, 08:47 AM

We travel far from home regularly and have the 16" Michelins for their exceptional reliability, especially compared to the original GYM.

Reading the gazillion opinions on tire pressure for these tires I have settled on 65-70 psi range. When backing the trailer I try to avoid sharp turns and prefer gravel or soft ground rather than concrete/asphalt so as not to put undue stress on the tire belts skidding them sideways.

kry226 · 06-21-2015, 12:09 AM

Ours stay at 75 psi cold.

switz · 06-21-2015, 07:14 AM

Cold is relative.... The air temp yesterday was 41 Celsius or 115 here in the Phoenix area. So the tires are pre-warmed for the road?

polarlyse · 06-21-2015, 07:44 AM

Hi Rocco. Flat's are still gonna happen. I carry a spare and have never used it. The only flat I had was a screw in a tire and I was able to plug it and move on. The 16" wheels with a LT tire seem to give better service with fewer tire failures due to tread separation which seem to plague the ST rated tires. You can read yourself to sleep during a tornado with what's available on the forum so go to it. In the end the decision is yours. There are many ST tires out there that have performed well however I changed over to 16" LT's for my trailer.

kry226 · 06-21-2015, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by switz

Cold is relative.... The air temp yesterday was 41 Celsius or 115 here in the Phoenix area. So the tires are pre-warmed for the road?

Maybe the new specification should be "Ambient".

Tireman9 · 06-21-2015, 01:55 PM

I suggest you read and follow the information of inflation pressure on THIS post.

Tireman9 · 06-22-2015, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polarlyse

Hi Rocco. Flat's are still gonna happen. I carry a spare and have never used it. The only flat I had was a screw in a tire and I was able to plug it and move on. The 16" wheels with a LT tire seem to give better service with fewer tire failures due to tread separation which seem to plague the ST rated tires. You can read yourself to sleep during a tornado with what's available on the forum so go to it. In the end the decision is yours. There are many ST tires out there that have performed well however I changed over to 16" LT's for my trailer.

Please don't forget a plug only is a temporary repair and you may have internal damage from the object or internal damage from running low. Only type repair approved by DOT or the tire companies is a combination plug & patch.

With only a short screw you may not have damage from the scrwew but still might have damage from running low on air as seen in this tire with many cracks.