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Tire pressure when towing

9K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  colby.fairbairn 
#1 ·
Getting ready to do my first travel trailer tow tires are at 50 lb. max on tire is 80 lb. thanking 65 or 70 lb should be good , travel trainer is a 25 ft. max out at 7000 lb. what do you all thank .

John
 
#2 ·
Just my preferences - other guys think differently:

- I have always followed Ram's recommendations and they work fine for me. Some guys want a lot more pressure, but I prefer the front wheels to be less twitchy when pulling a load. When the front's aired up higher than 55psi, it tends to steer too easily, much easier to end up straying into other lanes, etc.

- The back end of the truck is lighter than the front. With a 1/2 ton load in the bed, it doesn't even tend to compress the tires much at the recommended 50psi. Most trailers should put less weight on the tongue (back), so I have even less reason to want to air it up more. Plus the back tires tend to leave the pavement easily with road bumps and potholes. Higher pressure tires get harder, just making that even more likely, which is really bad when towing, especially on curves.

- Airing up your tires makes them harder, and less tire is touches the road. I like more rubber in contact with the road, especially when braking. But there are other reasons, too. Trailer tire failure can result in situations where you'd really want a lot more rubber on the road to stabilize the truck.

- Normally there is no difference at all for the front tires. Trailers load up the rear tires by tongue weight, which is behind the rear axle unless you're 5th-wheeling. You do get some front tire loading in hard braking, but if you're braking that hard, your bigger concern is going to be skidding. And again, more rubber = reduced chance of skidding.

There are always guys that will tell you you need more tire pressure. But these are E-rated truck tires, not passenger tires. They're already designed for heavier loads and have stiffer sidewalls than the tires Ram puts on a lot of the other 1500s.
 
#4 ·
Just my preferences - other guys think differently:


- Airing up your tires makes them harder, and less tire is touches the road. I like more rubber in contact with the road, especially when braking. But there are other reasons, too. Trailer tire failure can result in situations where you'd really want a lot more rubber on the road to stabilize the truck.
Exactly what I was going to say. Could be very dangerous over inflating your tires. Even though your tires say max80 psi, that doesn't mean you should inflate them that hi. Tires are made for a range of different vehicles. We drive half ton pick ups. There is no need for them to be inflated higher than what is on the door jam sticker. When you over inflate your tires, your braking distance increases which is scary when towing a trailer. Also, you will accelerate uneven wear on the tread surface.
 
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#7 ·
Trailer brake controllers have evolved to become one of the most widely used automotive accessories. Precisely, they are useful in towing vehicles since the towing vehicle and the trailer needs to stop proportionately. That said, you should make sure your towing vehicle has a fully functional trailer brake controller. The device will ensure safe braking of both components without any peril of accident occurrence.
 
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