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Old 01-29-2019, 12:43 AM   #1
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Do you stop to adjust tire pressure?

In all the reading that I've done of the forum, the one subject that is still not clear to me, do you stop during the day to adjust tire pressure? For example, we stayed at Grand Canyon, checked tire pressure prior to leaving, temperature was 34 degrees and of course we were at a high altitude. In that day we drove down the mountain, crossed into Arizona, hit the Nevada desert, etc. Obviously the outside temperature and the altitude affected tire pressure. What is the right thing to do? Is there a guide somewhere that discusses when it is prudent to stop, how long to let tires cool, etc. We’ve owned our TT for 2 years, driven over 8,000 miles, and tires show virtually no wear.
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Old 01-29-2019, 05:42 AM   #2
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Interesting question. Will watch for some more experienced people however I set my pressure pre start and adjust at that time. Adjusting when hot could result in under inflation later in the day.

For example let's say the temp is 40 in the morning and you have 85 psi. Driving during sunlight the tires get to 70' f. And psi raises to 95. You then lower to 85. Then as the sun goes down the road and tires cool and now you are rolling at 75 psi. You could get into a wild swing of high and low daily.

I check pre trip and make sure I have the minimum psi for the load weight. I then watch through the drive as the psi increases sometimes as much as 20 psi.

I expect that tire manufacturers set the max psi as a pre trip psi and realize that the tire pressure will increase by some percentage throughout the driving day.
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Old 01-29-2019, 05:48 AM   #3
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I check and set my cold pressures at the recommended psi for the truck and max sidewall for the trailer cold. I monitor the temps and pressure on the road and do not adjust them on the trip.

That said, I do drive in temps that swing widely but not from altitude. As long as the tires don't exceed the temp parameters I have in the TPMS which is -10 to +20 psi, I leave them alone.
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Old 01-29-2019, 06:36 AM   #4
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Can google to see how long to wait for the tires to cool back down but I've read to wait a couple hours at least. Depending on your location, etc., could take longer or less time.

I start at the max psi for my rig (65 psi) and keep an eye on the TPMS monitor while we're rolling. As long as the psi and temps are "close" to each other, I keep rolling. Just towed ours back from FL panhandle, temps were ~40* when we left at daylight, high for the day was low 50's, tire temps stayed pretty close to air temp, psi stayed around 70 +/-. Went from sea level to E TN region.
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Old 01-29-2019, 08:50 AM   #5
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The tires rated max psi cold is where you should start. It takes into consideration that the psi will increase during travel but will stay in a safe range for the tire. It does not take into consideration significant changes in altitude. Starting from 5 or 6k ft altitude will result in an over psi in the cold tire when you drop down. I experienced this on a trip to the rockies in a passenger car. Left home in the Midwest with psi set to max rating but the morning after arriving at our destination about 3k up in the mountains the cold psi was 12psi over the max rating. I lowered it to the desired rating and it was fine for the rest of the week. The first morning after leaving for home, I checked the cold psi in the tires and they were 8-9 psi below max at lexx than 1k feet above sealevel. I was not towing but the same thing will effect trailer tires.

Check them cold anytime you drive thru a significant change in altitude.
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Old 01-29-2019, 09:11 AM   #6
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Short answer - no, only check them in the morning when the tires are cold. If you check them during the day you will likely get false readings because even though the tire tread may be cold to the touch, the wheel and the interior of the tire will not be cold. I also suggest that you don't necessarily inflate the tires to the maximum inflation pressure on the sidewall. I know a lot of people on this board recommend that. However, tire manufacturers will ALWAYS recommend that you inflate tires to the load they are carrying.
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Old 01-29-2019, 09:45 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelingjw View Post
In all the reading that I've done of the forum, the one subject that is still not clear to me, do you stop during the day to adjust tire pressure?
...Snip
No. Everything I've ever read from tire manufacturers said to set the tire pressure before beginning to drive and haven't said anything about changing it as you drive that day. Also, I've never seen an exception from tire manufacturers for adjusting tire pressures during the day due to changes in altitude or changes in temperature.

I live at ~3,600ft and my TT and TV tires are inflated to 80psi, the maximum shown on the sidewall, before leaving home. I visually check my tires and 'thump' them at least daily when traveling, but don't use a pressure gauge unless I see something or they don't sound right when 'thumped'.
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Old 01-29-2019, 10:27 AM   #8
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The only time I check is just before I'm ready to leave. I'm usually only driving 300 ~ 400 miles max and never stopping long enough to allow the tires to cool down. I'll look at them at every stop but wouldn't check pressure unless I saw something that didn't look right. I'm on the relatively flat east cost so maximum altitude change in a day is maybe 2K ~ 3K feet if that. Based on what I've read the tire pressure change from sea level to 5,000 feet is 2 ~ 3 lbs so I don't see it as much of a concern.
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Old 01-29-2019, 11:00 AM   #9
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Set them cold and then monitor with the TPMS, no adjusting once warmed up.
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Old 01-29-2019, 11:10 AM   #10
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Do you check your trucks tires all the time? I don't. I've never checked my 5er tires while on a trip. Mine don't lose air. Been doing it this way for 9 years. I check before each trip if it's been a while. But I never check every day. If you're tires are low after each trip then you have leaking issues.
My 5er tires sit from Nov 1st to about April ? and only drop a few psi.
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Old 01-29-2019, 12:40 PM   #11
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I check them in the morning before we leave. I make sure the tires are not in the sun when I check, otherwise the numbers will be off. In some cases the sun is unavoidable so I'll compensate for that.

On our last trip I checked the tires while it was 40 degrees outside. The high for the day was to be 65. Because of that temp differential I set the tires to 78 psi. The pressure inside the tire will go up approx 1 psi for every 10 degrees outside temperature change. Of course, this is not taking into account altitude but I was only 400 feet above sea level.

I don't own a TPMS (yet) but our trips are relatively short so far. Checking the PSI on the road is problematic because they won't all be the same due to the different loads on each tire. Always check them cold.
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Old 01-29-2019, 11:21 PM   #12
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Check and adjust in the morning on cold tires. That's worked for me for sixty years. And for almost twenty years we lived at nine thousand feet elevation, so we might leave home in 30 degree temps and in a few hours be at four thousand feet and 75 or 80 degrees. That's pretty extreme. I don't believe you have anything to be concerned about.

We used to joke on Friday as we headed down out of the mountains to join our RV groups camping in southern Colorado about how we were passing dozens of campers leaving the hot lower elevations heading up to our country. I often questioned our good sense!
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Old 01-30-2019, 01:39 AM   #13
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Thanks to all of you who responded to this question. This forum is an awesome addition to our RV life.
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Old 02-05-2019, 03:07 PM   #14
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I check them when cold at the start of the trip. I have never adjusted my pressures during the day. That being said, when we stop for anything I will go around the TT and touch the face of the tires and the wheel hubs - I am just looking for anything that is hot! Warm is good, hot not so good!. In twenty years I have yet to blow a tire on the road or loss a wheel bearing. This last comment will start a fight - I don't lube my bearings every year! Its not a boat trailer that's in the water!
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Old 02-09-2019, 01:03 PM   #15
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I never stop during day to adjust tire pressures. I check in morning and inflate to proper cold pressure. That is all the tire OEM’s recommend.
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Old 02-09-2019, 03:53 PM   #16
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Agree - short answer, check them in the morning before beginning travel, and, if the pressure is correct, leave them alone. I recommend weighing the RV at a truck stop and setting the TP to the level recommended by the tire manufacturer (Michelin, etc) for the actual weight on each axle. If your coach is not overloaded, the recommended TP will likely be somewhat less than the max listed on the tire. In the meantime, use the TPs recommended by your TT/coach manufacturer. I check my tires 1-2 times weekly when traveling. Unless I am going to remain at a significantly higher altitude for an extended period, I do not worry about these TP changes. If you have a diesel pusher, you probably have a built in compressor with which to inflate the tires. If you have a TT or gas coach, I recommend purchasing an air compressor that provides a max PSI of 150. You can get one at Camping World for about $50. Most gas station air pumps do not go above 50 psi (no matter what the sign says). Truck stop ones are much better, but you have drive to one, which heats the tires. Hope this is helpful. - Rob
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Old 02-09-2019, 04:23 PM   #17
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Tire pressure

Always set pressure before hooking up.
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Old 02-09-2019, 06:45 PM   #18
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Always check tire pressure first thing in the morning, before the sun hits the tires. Once the sun hits the tires the internal temperature will rise. So, set the correct pressure first thing, and don’t check them again till the next morning.
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Old 02-09-2019, 06:47 PM   #19
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And get yourself a really good air compressor. ViAir makes the best. Available on Amazon.
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Old 02-10-2019, 02:48 AM   #20
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I had too many tire problems so I installed a tire monitoring system which reports tire pressure and temperature. The sensors just screw on the valve stems. My system monitors up to 8 channels so I have sensors on the two spare tires I carry. This give me peace of mind while travelling from Oregon to Arizona.
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