Advice for those traveling with comp. trailers.

I frequent an RV forum and according to them, low tire pressure is the #1 cause for failure. Apparantly the best thing you can do to make them last is keep them properly inflated and put tire covers over them to keep the sun off. My tires are rated for 65#'s and that's what I put in them AND, I check them every single time I head out.
 
All great advice above. I would add to check your lug nuts for tightness every so often as well. They can and will loosen up on you after time, which can cause lots of problems too.
 
Great advice podge!!! I check mine before every trip, also torque lug nuts frequently, especially after a change.
Recently upgraded to 14 ply all steel...110 psi and heavy sidewalks.....
 
Tire manufacturers put load ratings and max pressure ratings on tires for a reason. It covers their arse. I don't trust TPMS. A good tire gauge is cheaper and more reliable. Alot of tire shops will put lower pressure in tires because they will ride better(not as bouncy). Fuel mileage is better with properly inflated tires. A good tire knocker can give you fairly accurate readings if you learn the tire sounds. The pressure on the tire is the best bet cause the manufacturer put it there.

Just my opinions from experience. Sorry to butt in.
 
jham0077 said:
Tire manufacturers put load ratings and max pressure ratings on tires for a reason. It covers their arse. I don't trust TPMS. A good tire gauge is cheaper and more reliable. Alot of tire shops will put lower pressure in tires because they will ride better(not as bouncy). Fuel mileage is better with properly inflated tires. A good tire knocker can give you fairly accurate readings if you learn the tire sounds. The pressure on the tire is the best bet cause the manufacturer put it there.

Just my opinions from experience. Sorry to butt in.
Click to expand...

It's not butting in, you're still on topic.. That is a good point about the tire places putting in lower pressure.. I've had it happen to me.. So, we could add that to the list..
 
I am all for using the TPMS as it will help if there is a problem with sudden low pressure while doing 55-60mph.

Also, consider load leveling (weight distributing) systems for dual axle set-ups. If the trailer is not level while driving, you will be putting too much weight on the front axle/tires, or rear axle/tires.

Steering stabilizer is nice as well.

wallace(Don)
 
sdbbq1234 said:
I am all for using the TPMS as it will help if there is a problem with sudden low pressure while doing 55-60mph.

Also, consider load leveling (weight distributing) systems for dual axle set-ups. If the trailer is not level while driving, you will be putting too much weight on the front axle/tires, or rear axle/tires.

Steering stabilizer is nice as well.

wallace(Don)
Click to expand...

Load distribution is important. You should really take your trailer with a full comp load and have each wheel point weighed to make sure that one tire / wheel isn't overloaded.
 
I'm not suggesting running 60 psi if the recommended is 80 psi. Mine is at 75 psi with nitrogen. I trust my expert and what he is telling me. He had a fleet of box trucks.
 
Ha!!! Not anymore. I now get way less blow outs and way better gas mileage!!! No more of me blowing your doors off with the CSC Express coming through..

Rich Parker said:
Let me grab my waiters it is getting deep. Anybody ever driving behind you knows you don't drive 65 except maybe when the speed limit is 45.
Click to expand...
 
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Podge said:
I will add too, that it pays to be fully prepared for a quick tire change too.. You can get those tire changing ramps for tandem axle trailers. pull up one wheel and the other wheel will be off the ground to change.. unless you have leaf springs like me that let your bad tire still touch, then a small bottle jack is all you need to lift that wheel up a couple of more inches. A 4 way wrench is slow going for 8 lug nuts, when you're chaging a flat on the driver's side, and semi's are barreling down the road at 70 MPH, 3 feet from your body, and making your trailer sway... So I bought me a 20v rechargeable impact wrench that works on lug nuts.
Click to expand...


+1 for this. Podge saved us at our first comp this year with his tire changing ramp. It made changing the tire very easy. Loosened the lug nuts with a 4 way and finished the job with a drill/impact wrench.

(It was also our first comp with the toy hauler, where we had a flat tire, ran out of propane, and drained the battery)
 
Podge-

Is this the wheel ramp you have (or similar)? [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Trailer-Aid-Tandem-Tire-Changing/dp/B000I4JPZE"]Amazon.com: Trailer Aid Tandem Tire Changing Ramp: Automotive@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31AW%2BonTPgL.@@AMEPARAM@@31AW%2BonTPgL[/ame]
 
There is a lot of great advice in this thread. We had a blow out coming home from the Jack 2 years ago in the middle of nowhere Nebraska on our dual axel trailer. This is not fun when it's you and your wife on the side of an interstate in below freezing weather. We limped into the next town tire shop and the guy said we were lucky another 100 miles and it would have been a 4 tire blowout.

Speed, tire pressure and how long you have had your tires.
 
Glad this thread was posted as a good reminder. Hadn't checked my tires since spring. My comp trailer tires say 50psi cold. They all were at 30.
 
One other thing to check if you have aluminum spoke wheels.....while checking tire pressure and lug nuts I discovered one of the spokes on a wheel was cracked all the way through. These are very common wheels on trailers. Hate to think what would have happened if the wheel had come apart on a 16,000lb trailer going 65 mph down the highway.
 
As long as you're down there, a complete exam of the underside of the trailer isn't a bad idea. You'll catch things like bent axles, broken leaf springs and hanging wires with just a 30 second check.

We once had a worn axle shackle break on a trailer, allowing the entire axle to pivot back and jam the wheel. Luckily it was pulling out of the contest grounds on Sunday morning, not at highway speed on the freeway a few minutes later. That one could have been really ugly!

Now I check under the trailer at the end of every season to be sure and catch such problems before they break badly.
 
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