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Topic: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro (Read 800 times) previous topic - next topic

Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

After bringing the coach over to my home to change out the TV, I noticed the pressure pro was blinking.  The rears showed 81 then after getting on the road for about 2 miles was up to 86.
I normally run at 90 on rear and 95 on the front.  This morning after sitting all night, the rears are at 82 and the temp outside is 63 degrees.  The front was at 90 and 87.  Knowing they are cold and that is when they say ck the pressure// Should I bring these tires up the running pressure, knowing they will go up about 6 to 8 degrees hotter when on the road.  DAN
Dan & Shirley Stansel
2002 U295 4020 AGDS Build#6054
Towing Buick Enclave & M &  G Braking
Emerald Bay, Lake Palestine, Texas
MC# 16650

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #1 –
In a word, YES.

Tire manufacturers inflation charts are for before driving at what ever ambient temperature is.  They have taken into consideration the PSI increase due to driving and warmer day time temperatures when they formulated the charts.

Brett
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #2 –
I've always heard, and read, air the tires to the proper pressure when cold. Period.
Audrey & Harvey Nelson
2000 U-320, 40' towing 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
nelsonah@ieee.org

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #3 –
Tks Guys:  I will bring them up to running pressure cold.  I know I had to add air to my car as well during the cold weather.  DAN
Dan & Shirley Stansel
2002 U295 4020 AGDS Build#6054
Towing Buick Enclave & M &  G Braking
Emerald Bay, Lake Palestine, Texas
MC# 16650

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Harvey Nelson –
I've always heard, and read, air the tires to the proper pressure when cold. Period.

I adjust mine to the listed pressure on the tire sidewall regardless of how cold it is.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #5 –
Pierce,

That would be the correct pressure (per the tire manufacturer) IF, repeat IF the tire is carrying the maximum load it was designed to carry.

But, hopefully you have some carrying capacity reserve and therefore the pressure designed for maximum weight is too high.

Brett
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #6 –
Quote from: wolfe10 –
Pierce,

That would be the correct pressure (per the tire manufacturer) IF, repeat IF the tire is carrying the maximum load it was designed to carry.

But, hopefully you have some carrying capacity reserve and therefore the pressure designed for maximum weight is too high.

Brett

Brett,

The previous owner weighed it for the state registration and the GVW was not much higher. Since I don't really have an accurate way of keeping track of the weight and even less for the amount of pressure vs. weight, I keep it at max for the tire. Have always done this and have never had any problems. I feel the tires stops, handles and lasts the longest at that pressure.

All bus companies that I know of keep their tires at max listed pressure whether loaded, partially loaded or empty. An example can be found at Tegas Coach Company at: Tejas Coach Works Tire Information Data Page  Bus companies have a high liability exposure and operating where incorrect tire pressure could contribute to unsafe operation would be counter productive. As stated in the article, they keep their tires at max. listed pressure for the tire.

For those not wanting to go to the link, here is an excerpt from the tire section of their site.

Quote:
 
"We basically get what we pay for in life and tires are no exception. The best way I have found to check the quality of a tire is to see what the inflation table indicates on the sidewall. The best quality tires will recommend a pressure of 110 to 120 psi. The worst will have inflation rates as low as 80 to 90 psi. The highest priced tire on the market may not be the best quality tire out there. I have found that a more reasonable priced tire, XXXXXX has a non-steer position tire, the SP 156 had a rating of 120 psi, Load Range "H". It would carry a weight of 7030 lbs single or 6170 lbs dual. Although they were not listed as a Steer Axle tire, I found them acquiring over 100,000 miles on all positions of the Eagle Buses I operated when I kept them at the highest recommended air pressure. I also found that 50% of this brand of tire did not require wheel weights when mounted as per prescribed by the manufacturer. The most weight I had to have on one was 6 ounces. I have had some tires made in countries I could not pronounce (the name of the tire was just as difficult) some times had to have over 38 ounces and still bounced all over the road."

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #7 –
Informative tire comparison chart between most major brands can be found at: Omni United Truck Tire Comparison & Application CHart  Excellent if you want to see what other tires compare to the tires you have.

P
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart –
..... I have found that a more reasonable priced tire, XXXXXX has a non-steer position tire, the SP 156 had a rating of 120 psi.....

Interesting article... and table following. Makes me wonder just what brand the XXXXXX refers to.

Craig
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #9 –
Craig,

From the chart, I think the tire "SP156" matches up with the Dunlops in the chart. Never thought they were high mileage tires, at least in cars but times may have changed.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #10 –
Pressure Pro monitor can alarm on a cold early morning due to tire pressure dropping below sensor SET POINT.

Pressure Pros sensor SET POINT resets to tire's current PSI when sensor is off the tire for about 30 seconds.

If alarm goes off in the middle of a cold night, in the morning, I go out and remove each sensor going around the motorhome and tow car. Then go back to starting point and put each sensor back on tire.

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #11 –
Pierce, this seems to remain an interesting topic, for it reappears and I think probably due to the vital importance due to safety if not expense.  I recently bought six Michelin XZA3 275s, H, tires and have the chart of psi versus axle weights.  Why is my psi to be cold pressure of 100 front, 90 rear when I hear of some running at 110 or even 120 psi.  The dealer told me that psi will vary by brand, that a Goodyear would correctly be at a different psi than a Michelin. I noted that the Tejas site is a draft report, for whatever that is worth.  I think for now, pending more information, I will stay with the weight/psi/axle table and not air them cold to the maximum sidewall 120 psi.  Remember to try to measure each tire weight but most cannot do that.  Do though check pressure on tires when the coach is loaded.  One reference says that if psi is at 120 maximum when "cold", you may find psi over the maximum by 10 psi when tires warm and that is acceptable.  I have not verified that.  Mike
Mike
2001 U320 4010 Build 5878 (Gus)
Wrangle Unlimited Toad
Nacogdoches

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #12 –
I have to go with Pierce on the tire pressure, I know there is much written and talked about, but in the real world, you will be a happier camper running your tire pressure on the high side.  Yes there are arguments in all sorts of directions, but for me, I will go with the 723.95 kpa front and 689.48 kpa on the duals, reason, run cooler, maybe slightly more harsh, but in a Foretravel that is hard to detect, and better fuel mileage.  Yes I know there are many experts out there, but since I am a dummy, I will stick to what works for me.
Cheers

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #13 –
Dan, it appears that I am running a bit higher than you, perhaps a bit less than Dave M and even more more below sidewall max.  Herman Power put in 95 psi on the front and 100 psi on the rear when table put it 105 front.  So I will get the 95 up to 105 when get compressor going.  My concern began last summer - in Texas, as you, but never having such tires, I set pressure cold (100).  When we got to West Texas the tire was running about 155 degrees.  I worried, perhaps needlessly, that if I started cold at max sidewall, 120 psi, and then hit that road temperature, I may as easily blow a tire being over pressure as under?  Your thinking Dan would be appreciated, maybe I worry about heat effect too much?  Mike
Mike
2001 U320 4010 Build 5878 (Gus)
Wrangle Unlimited Toad
Nacogdoches

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #14 –
The Escapees park in Livingston, TX has a Smart Weigh facility which will give you individual wheel loads.  They are installing one at their park in Congress, AZ, and do weighing at all Escapades.  There is no substitute for knowing your wheel loads.
Regards,
Brett

'99 42' Foretravel Xtreme
'14 Brown Motorsports Stacker
'05 Chevy SSR
'02 BMW R1150R

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #15 –
Micheal: I too got my tires last summer at Powers in Nacogdoches.  He told me to run 95 to 100 in front and 90 on the rears.  I weighed my coach , looked at the charts and this will work.
My tires are XZE's.  Several Foretravel owners are running these.  So far so good.  This is the cold temp which is when he said to check the pressure.  Bret on this forum indicated that the heat from running etc is factored in.  Tomorrow it will be 65 here so I am going to ck them before putting the coach back in storage.  My pressure pro shows about an 8 degree increase from starting cold to running hot. So they will go to about 103 in front and 98 in rear after warming up.  DAN
Dan & Shirley Stansel
2002 U295 4020 AGDS Build#6054
Towing Buick Enclave & M &  G Braking
Emerald Bay, Lake Palestine, Texas
MC# 16650

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #16 –
Dan,

If you are going to store it, Michelin recommends max PSI on the sidewall of the tire (assuming this does not exceed rim PSI.

From the Michelin RV Tire Guide:

LONG TERM STORAGE OF RV TIRES
Unless the RV owner is a full-time RV-er, the vehicle probably spends some time in long-term storage. But what the RV owner probably didn't know is that rubber tires age when not being used. So, if the owner must store the RV, a cool, dry, sealed garage is the best bet. Also, some storage surfaces can cause tires to age faster. That's why Michelin recommends placing a barrier (cardboard, plastic or plywood) between the tire and the storage surface.

Here are some other steps the RV owner can take to help reduce the aging effects from long-term storage:
1) Thoroughly clean tires with soap and water before placing into storage.
2) Cover tires to block direct sunlight and ultraviolet rays.
3) Store out of a high ozone area.

Note: When a vehicle is stored, tires should be inflated to the inflation pressure indicated on the sidewall. Before removing the vehicle from long-term storage, thoroughly inspect each tire – this includes sidewalls, tread area, and pressure. If the tires have lost pressure, be sure to inflate them to the correct pressure before driving.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Tire pressure in colder weather & pressure pro

Reply #17 –
Also, from the Michelin RV Tire Guide: Michelin North America RV Reference Materials Page

Always try to check tires when they're "cold" and have not been driven for more than one mile. The stated load capacity for a given cold inflation pressure is based on ambient outside temperatures. The pressure in a "hot" tire may be as much as 10-15 psi higher than the "cold" tire pressure. If the RV owners must check the tires when they're warm, be sure to allow for an increase in pressure, and make sure the pressure of the tires on both sides of the axle are within a couple of pounds of each other.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020