Your RV is a valuable investment; however it can be very costly to repair if not properly maintained.  Each month we'll be showcasing helpful tips to make your RVing adventure a fun - and safe- one.

Where the Rubber Meets The Road
Checking RV Tire Pressure 

The life of your tires is extremely important when you live on wheels.  Tires are the most vulnerable part of your RV and the most likely to fail.  That's why it's important to maintain proper tire inflation pressure in your RV's tires.  Having the proper tire pressure in your motorhome is vital to safe driving and getting good mileage.  Here are some helpful tips :

HOW

  • Use an accurate air pressure gauge. We recommend a quality truck tire gauge with a dual-angled head
  • Check inside duals as well as outside tires to ensure even load distribution
  • Do NOT bleed air from hot tires.
  • Inflation pressure should be adjusted to the tire carrying the heaviest load, and all tires on the axle should have the same inflation pressure.
  • Use proper sealing metal valve caps or quality flow through valve caps.
  • Tires which have lost more than 20% of their recommended inflation pressure should be considered flat.

WHEN 

  • You should always check your tire pressure at least once a month while storing your RV, as well as before and after any road trips.  This will help you catch any potential problems before they are able to rear their heads.  
  • Remember to let your RV tires cool before taking a tire pressure reading.  Even slight fluctuations in temperature can have an impact on the reading you get.  
  • A common mistake is to check or add air while the tires are hot:  You should always check and inflate tires while they are cold and before departing any location.  This means that the tire pressure should ideally be checked in the morning before the tire has been run, before driving more than one mile, before the tire is exposed to direct sunlight and during before ambient temperature rises during the day.
  • Again, tires that have lost more than 20% of their recommended inflation pressure should be considered flat - and be removed from service and inspected.  

HOW MUCH

  • The recommended inflation pressures for your tires are indicated by either your RV manufacturer or the tire manufacturer.  
  • Because RVs can be loaded with different configurations the load on each tire may vary.  For this reason you should always refer to your owners manual on the load/inflation information for each individual tire. 
  • Be sure to ask both your RV manufacturer and the tire manufacturer about the proper inflation for your tire size and the weight of your loaded RV.  It could be 90 PSI in the front and 105 PSI in the back.

You can install also go an extra step by installing a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)  in your RV to help electronically monitor the air pressure inside your tires.  They are able to help identify a slow leak and allow you to take actions to prevent any potential problems.  However, whether your coach has  TPMS installed, or not, it is still vital to the health of your tires to manually check your tires inflation pressure at least once a month.