How to Determine Optimal RV Tire Pressure

Proper tire inflation is one of the biggest mysteries when it comes to RV tires. I do a lot of seminars around the country and when I ask owners what is the proper tire inflation? Where do you find that information? Mostly everybody says, "The markings on the sidewall of the tire or inside on the data plate." Now, what's marked on the side is down here, it gives you the size of the tire, it gives you the weight rating of that tire and it gives you the maximum pressure at that weight rating for inflation of your tire, that's not proper inflation. If your vehicle is not loaded to the maximum weight or what's called GVWR then you have improper inflation and that's a critical component in driving an RV. The only way you can find proper tire inflation is to weigh the vehicle, put this on a CAT scale and if you can get it to individual scale that would be the best because they do weigh a little different side to side sometimes but weigh the tire, go to rvsafety.com the website for the RV Safety Education Foundation and find the Tire Chart. By knowing what weights on this, you go to the chart, you find if it's a dual or a single application and then you find your tire size and that'll tell you the proper inflation. Now, this one happens to say 110 PSI at maximum weight and I know this vehicle isn't loaded to maximum so we would probably would back this down, according to the chart it would be about 105. And what that does is when I have proper tire inflation, I have the flattest surface, the most tread on the ground, if I have too much inflation, that pulls them up and I have just the center, if I have low inflation, it's going to wear the outside's out so that will affect my drive, it'll affect my steering, it will affect my stopping ability. So, find your proper tire inflation by weighing the coach and looking at the chart.