To allow your travel trailer to operate smoothly, those tires need to be inflated to the correct levels. So, what should travel trailer tire pressure be like?
For most travel trailers the tire pressure should be somewhere between 40 and 65 PSI, with a maximum of 85 PSI. However, this is the average range, and it does depend on a number of factors.
Let’s take a closer look at how to find the recommended PSI for your trailer.
What PSI Should Travel Trailer Tires Be?
Realistically, the PSI of your travel trailer tires should be exactly what they are rated to be. This is not a one size fits all kind of thing. the owner’s manual for your travel trailer is going to tell you exactly what that tire pressure should be.
It should provide you with both the minimum and the maximum allotted pounds per square inch of inflation for your tires. As mentioned above, this is usually going to be somewhere between 40 to 65 PSI or pounds per square inch.
Although in some cases, it could be up to 85 PSI. Just keep in mind that the maximum weight carrying capacity of the travel trailer is going to be based on the specified PSI for the tires.
How To Find The Recommended PSI For Your Trailer Tires
So, you can properly inflate the tires, you first need to know what the PSI for your specific travel trailer tires has to be.
This of course means that you have to be able to find the PSI recommendation for your specific tires. There should be a few different ways for you to find the specific pressure ratings for your tires.
- Assuming that you still have the same tires as the travel trailer came with, you should be able to find the pound per square inch inflation rating in the owner’s manual for that travel trailer. We don’t know exactly what page it’s going to be on, but it’s going to be in there somewhere.
- If you don’t have the owner’s manual anymore, the next place you should check is on the tires themselves. The sidewalls of the tires should have an inflation recommendation on them. somewhere between the rims and the outer edge of the tire you should see a recommended PSI, usually both a minimum and a maximum.
- If those recommendations have been rubbed off of the tires, well, you might want to consider replacing those tires. That said, if the tires are otherwise still in good condition, you may have to contact the manufacturer to see what they tell you. Try contacting the tire manufacturer or the retailer of the travel trailer you have. They may be able to provide you with more information.
- If all else fails, you might be able to Google your specific travel trailer, or your specific tires, to see what you can find.
Should Trailer Tires Be Inflated To Max PSI?
The simple answer to this question is yes, your travel trailer tires should always be inflated to the maximum PSI as recommended in either the owner’s manual or on the side of the tires. The reason for this has to do with the weight-bearing capacity of the tires and of the trailer as a whole.
For instance, if your travel trailer and those tires are able to hold 15,000 pounds, if you don’t have your tires inflated to the maximum PSI, that weight capacity is going to be lower.
The indicated weight capacity in the owner’s manual of your travel trailer is directly dependent on those tires being filled to the ideal pressure level.
A few pounds per square inch of pressure less in your tires could make a huge difference in terms of the overall carrying capacity of your travel trailer. If you underinflate your tires, your travel trailer just won’t be able to hold as much weight as it should be able to.
Now, do keep in mind that overinflating the tires is also not a good idea, rather a bad idea in fact. For one, if you overinflate those tires, and they have to bear a heavy load, they might pop. Tire disintegration and popping due to overinflation is a fairly common occurrence.
On that note, if you overinflate your travel trailer tires, the tread pattern on the exterior is going to spread out. Simply put, this means that if you overinflate your tires, they won’t be able to get as much traction.
This can of course be quite dangerous when driving, and it certainly doesn’t help in terms of fuel economy either.
How To Check The Pressure Of Your Trailer Tires?
There are a few easy ways to check the pressure of your travel trailer tires. First of all, you can get a simple little tire pressure gauge at your local gas station for under $10. All you have to do is unscrew the cap on the air valve on the tires, attached the pressure gauge, and look at the reading.
If you don’t want to spend money on a portable tire pressure gauge, you can always use the equipment that your local gas station has. Your local gas station or auto shop will be able to check the pressure.
If you are somebody who uses your travel trailer on a constant basis, and also has a fairly modern one, it may actually come complete with its own readings.
In other words, it might contain electronic sensors that can inform you of the tire pressure, and will keep you updated on a dedicated display or phone app. However, do keep in mind that these can of course be a bit expensive.
Helpful Travel Trailer Tire Pressure Tips
Here are a few important tips about inflating your travel trailer tires.
- You should check the tires on your travel trailer at least once per year. You need to make sure that they are in perfect condition and don’t have any cracks in the sidewalls. Keep in mind that your average tires, with average use, are going to last somewhere between four to five years. You don’t want the tire to blow out in the middle of driving because that will cost you money and it’s very dangerous too.
- We recommend having your tires rotated and having them professionally inspected at least once per year to ensure that they are in good condition. If you aren’t a mechanic or an expert, telling whether or not the tires are still in good condition can be challenging.
- Just like you don’t want to over inflate the tires, you also don’t want to overload them. This means that even with your tires at the maximum PSI, you don’t want to put more weight on them than is recommended in your owner’s manual. Overloading your travel trailer can be extremely dangerous and lead to tire blowouts.
- When you aren’t using your travel trailer, especially for the winter season, you need to ensure that the tires are well protected. For one, you do want to put tire covers on them. You also want to keep them above ground so that there is no load on them. If there is pressure on them for several months during the winter, this can wear them down. You don’t want moisture or UV light getting on those tires whatsoever as well.
- When you do have to replace your tires, you absolutely need to get tires that are of the same size and are rated for the same load capacity. You generally want to go for tires that have the exact same pound per square inch rating as your original tires, as well as tires that have the exact same load capacity as the original tires. If you don’t know what to get, there are always travel trailer or RV specialists that can help.
Conclusion
Keep those tires inflated to their maximum PSI, check the pressure regularly, and inspect the tires regularly for damage too. You should now know more or less everything there is to know about inflating the tires on your travel trailer.
Through this blog, I want to share all of my hints and tips, along with reviews of the best RVing accessories. I hope this blog will help others with their RV trips, and make traveling easier for you.
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