Quote:
Under inflated?
Sorry if this sounds really dumb . . .
So, hubby went out and looked at the tires. It says max tire pressure is 50 psi cold. The right tire was 22 and the left was 26 cold. Would that have been under inflated? It says nothing about what is too low.
What is a good tire pressure to have them inflated to if max is 50? Should they be at 50? 40? What is the proper pressure?
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The correct pressure depends on what tire size you have. The best answer would be to know exactly what your trailer weighs on each side of the
axle. Then you'd look up the load capacity for that tire and pick the pressure that carries the load. Any tire store I'm sure would look up the needed inflation for you.
Different people travel with different amounts of stuff packed in their trailer so your needed pressure may be different. Certainly it's a good starting point but on balance, and until you someday learn what your trailer weighs, it would probably be best to inflate to 50 psi when the tire is at ambient temperature.
Another approach would be that if you know what the
axle rating of your trailer is (there should be a GVWR label fastened to the frame somewhere) you could use that
weight number to look up the tire pressure. These labels don't always last so yours may not be still there.
Yet another approach would be to call the factory. They should know what the
axle rating was for your trailer and could suggest a pressure. However, manufacturers tend to underestimate the weights of trailers so I return to my first recommendation to inflate to 50 psi if you have the original tire size on the trailer.
Lastly, tires don't heal. If your tires were in the mid-twenties when you were towing then I'm pretty sure you were under inflated. (So much depends on what tire size you have.) Even after upping the inflation, keep an eye on them through your trips. I'm not suggesting you become obsessed with them, but just take a quick walk around when you stop for gas or lunch. And check the pressure in your spare at home before you start off. You may not have done any lasting damage but eye-ballin' the tires once in awhile is a good idea anytime.