Tire Pressure Recommendations ??

[Bridgewater]

Hello......I have a Coleman 2000 PU and have question on recommended tire pressure. Used 3 times last year and had the tires inflated to max pressure as listed on tire which is 50psi. My neighbor who also has a PU never inflates his tires to the max...........believe he keeps at around 35psi?  Any recommendations  Thanks................

[wynot]

Hello......I have a Coleman 2000 PU and have question on recommended tire pressure. Used 3 times last year and had the tires inflated to max pressure as listed on tire which is 50psi. My neighbor who also has a PU never inflates his tires to the max...........believe he keeps at around 35psi? Any recommendations Thanks................

Stay off the road if your neighbor is towing.
 
If you have a Coleman with 13 inch rims, and 185/80 (profile) tires like my 2001, it's 65 psi COLD.  Whatever the manual says, along with what your tires say, is correct.  If you somehow have a tire that is max pressure of 50 psi, and the manual says 65, you go with the max of 50.  If you have a tire that says 100 psi, and the manual says 65, then you go with the manual.
 
These bias ply and bias belted tires get really hot, and low pressures make the sideways flex even more and generate more heat.

[abbear]

WYNOT is correct.  Max air pressure is what the tire manufacturer recommends for a reason.  Pump it up!

[edwardr132]

What about the TV?  When towing say with a Minivan, should you increase the tire pressure to around max to help reduce the slight sag in the back?  Right now on my van, I keep my tire pressure at 35PSI on all four tires.  I am not sure offhand what the max tire pressure is on my Minivan tires.  Should the Minivan have equal tire pressure on all four tires?  Does increasing tire pressure increase the stopping distance?

[wynot]

What about the TV? When towing say with a Minivan, should you increase the tire pressure to around max to help reduce the slight sag in the back? Right now on my van, I keep my tire pressure at 35PSI on all four tires. I am not sure offhand what the max tire pressure is on my Minivan tires. Should the Minivan have equal tire pressure on all four tires? Does increasing tire pressure increase the stopping distance?

I inflated my rear tires to max when I towed with the minivan, that reduces the chance of sway, plus prevents overloading compared to weight capacity at a lower pressure.  It won't do a thing for sag, that is a function of the springs, not tires.
 
I installed air bags in my minivans, and it not only eliminated the sag, but improved the handling tremendously.  Some folks use adjustable shocks, but I personally don't want to be pounded down the road with stiff shocks.  Airbags assistance is dependent on the air pressure and really only comes into play when loaded.  The tires on the minivan were rated at a max of 44 psi on both of my minivans.
 
I personally increased the front tires slightly (40 psi) when towing from the recommended 35 psi.  Although the vast majority of the weight of the camper is going to be on the rear axle, there must be some additional weight borne by having a loaded minivan.
 
No, it doesn't increase your stopping distance UNLESS you go overboard and really overinflate your tires.  In fact, it may shorten your stopping distance because it opens up the tread and grooves for wet weather, compared to having an underinflated tire, which cups the tread somewhat.

[wavery]

The max air pressure of each tire is written right on the tire.

It is important to understand that TV tires are different than trailer tires when inflating. On the trailer, you inflate to max pressure cold. The TV you inflate to max pressure (or whatever you decide) hot.

[wynot]

The max air pressure of each tire is written right on the tire.
 
It is important to understand that TV tires are different than trailer tires when inflating. On the trailer, you inflate to max pressure cold. The TV you inflate to max pressure (or whatever you decide) hot.

No - not correct. All tires are rated at max pressure cold.  IF you put your tires at the pressure (whatever pressure) when hot, you WILL have underinflated tires when cold.  Pressure either increases or drops by approx. 1 psi per 10 deg F.  That's why the owners' manuals always stress checking the tires when the car has been sitting overnight or at least some time period, so that the pressures aren't artificially correct (from the tire heating up when driving).
 
Max pressure factors in friction and temperature increasing the tire pressure beyond what the user airs up the tire to and is decided by the tire manufacturer.
 
If you run a tire at a lower pressure than it should be, it can potentially get much hotter than the same tire run at the correct pressure.  There is also NO way to get a consistent tire pressure when checking a hot tire, because it can increase 10 or more degrees over the cold pressure dependent on load, speed, temperature, and usage.

[tlhdoc]

The TV you inflate to max pressure (or whatever you decide) hot.

I have never heard of that.  I have always heard to inflate the tires when they are cold and not to let air out of them when they are hot.