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Old 10-20-2017, 09:48 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kkinna View Post
Thank you all for your responses. It seems that there are a couple of different thoughts on this. My door info says to inflate the tires to 35psi, and the tires say 50psi. 30psi was definitely too low. At 45 psi, the ride is better than at 50psi. It also sounds like some of you add air when towing? I will try 40psi? Then 35psi. It seems weird that the manufacturer psi would be so off from the vehicles recommendation. Thank you for explaining that reason so eloquently.
No!!! This is not the guessing game that you (and some others in this thread) are making it out to be. If your door jamb sticker says 35 psi, and your tires are the exact same specs and size as that listed on the sticker, then inflate to 35 psi and be done with it. You should not need to add any air at all for towing if your trailer is within the tow capacity and tongue weight rating of the vehicle.

The 50 psi figure on the tire is only to tell you the absolute maximum PSI for the tire, which is not the same as the pressure you should run on your vehicle. As others have said, follow the vehicle specs.

Now if you have changed tires to a different type or spec (e.g., moving from a P-rated to an LT tire), then you may need to increase pressure. If that's the case, consult with your local tire shop or do your own research and math to determine the appropriate pressure for the load capacity of the tires in conjunction with the weight of your vehicle. But if you are running the stock tire size listed on the door jamb, you don't even need to go there.
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Old 10-20-2017, 10:13 PM   #22
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Ok, 35psi it is. Thank you. I do not like the guessing game. I do appreciate your candid response and it makes sense to me.
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Old 10-20-2017, 10:29 PM   #23
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If you haven't already, do confirm that the tire size (both the size numbers as well as any P, XL, or LT designations, if applicable) shown on your tire sidewalls matches the size shown on the door jamb sticker exactly.
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Old 10-20-2017, 10:47 PM   #24
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I sure will, thanks
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Old 10-20-2017, 11:00 PM   #25
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I have had a pretty good towing experience for the past five years with my 19' Escape by inflating the tires to 40 - 42 psi.
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Old 10-21-2017, 03:11 AM   #26
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Originally Posted by canyonrider View Post
This is not the guessing game that you (and some others in this thread) are making it out to be. If your door jamb sticker says 35 psi, and your tires are the exact same specs and size as that listed on the sticker, then inflate to 35 psi and be done with it.
...
The 50 psi figure on the tire is only to tell you the absolute maximum PSI for the tire, which is not the same as the pressure you should run on your vehicle.

Well said.

And more specifically:
Quote:
Originally Posted by kkinna View Post
My door info says to inflate the tires to 35psi, and the tires say 50psi.
Your door info says to inflate the tires to 35psi for your vehicle, and the tires say 50psi maximum for any vehicle. No conflict there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by kkinna View Post
30psi was definitely too low.
Right - that's why Nissan says to use 35 psi. At 30 psi they might even be unsafe to handle the load of the fully loaded truck; I don't know, as I don't have the load-inflation table for this specific tire type and size available (but Nissan does).

Quote:
Originally Posted by kkinna View Post
At 45 psi, the ride is better than at 50psi.
Ride is generally better at lower pressures, which is one reason that vehicle manufacturers avoid excessive inflation. But there are other factors... and they have considered them all.

Quote:
Originally Posted by kkinna View Post
It also sounds like some of you add air when towing? I will try 40psi? Then 35psi.
The vehicle manufacturer's recommended pressure will be adequate for the truck at its maximum load, including towing, so no extra pressure is needed. Having said that, some people prefer higher pressure for more lateral stiffness and control - choosing a different compromise of factors than the vehicle manufacturer did - but that's a decision based on an assessment of handling, not a random pick or use of the tire's maximum inflation.
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Old 10-21-2017, 08:33 AM   #27
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Originally Posted by Dave Walter View Post
I have had a pretty good towing experience for the past five years with my 19' Escape by inflating the tires to 40 - 42 psi.
Are you saying these are the trailer numbers? I always used 50psi for the trailer and you are using 40? Any issues or overheating/
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Old 10-21-2017, 09:21 AM   #28
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No, they are for the truck tires. The trailer tires are inflated to the tire psi numbers.
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Old 10-21-2017, 09:52 AM   #29
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Originally Posted by kkinna View Post
No, they are for the truck tires. The trailer tires are inflated to the tire psi numbers.
This is how I've done it for over 35 years. But an earlier post makes the good point that trailer braking and handling might be less than optimal if the trailer tires are run at higher than trailer manufacturer rating. I'm going to ask Escape during our 11/29 orientation session, but this seems to me to be the way to go....
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Old 10-21-2017, 11:29 AM   #30
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Originally Posted by canyonrider View Post
No!!! This is not the guessing game that you (and some others in this thread) are making it out to be. If your door jamb sticker says 35 psi, and your tires are the exact same specs and size as that listed on the sticker, then inflate to 35 psi and be done with it. You should not need to add any air at all for towing if your trailer is within the tow capacity and tongue weight rating of the vehicle.

The 50 psi figure on the tire is only to tell you the absolute maximum PSI for the tire, which is not the same as the pressure you should run on your vehicle. As others have said, follow the vehicle specs.

Now if you have changed tires to a different type or spec (e.g., moving from a P-rated to an LT tire), then you may need to increase pressure. If that's the case, consult with your local tire shop or do your own research and math to determine the appropriate pressure for the load capacity of the tires in conjunction with the weight of your vehicle. But if you are running the stock tire size listed on the door jamb, you don't even need to go there.
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Old 10-21-2017, 01:13 PM   #31
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Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Are you saying these are the trailer numbers? I always used 50psi for the trailer and you are using 40? Any issues or overheating/
After 5 yrs I have had no flats, no signs of overheating, and very uniform wear on all four trailer tires without rotating them. 40 - 42 psi seems to be fine.
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Old 10-21-2017, 04:50 PM   #32
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Dae,
You maybe the only owner here to have use something other than the 50 psi on the tire for max pressure. Softer may appeal to some owners, particularly the ones with the new 3500# axles that seem to ride a bit harsher than the older 2500# axles.
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Old 10-21-2017, 05:24 PM   #33
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Dual axle Escapes can very safely run less than 50# of pressure if that is what the owner decides to do. Even at 30# the 205/75 - 15 tires each have a 1360# rating. I run ours at or near the 50# max, but other may want to try for a smoother ride for their trailer. But awareness of capacities is essential.

Trailer Tire Load/Inflation Chart | Maxxis Tires USA
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Old 10-21-2017, 06:33 PM   #34
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Has anyone tried kicking a tire inflated to 30 psi, and another to 50 psi? If you did, you would have found very little difference. Either one will break your toe if you kick hard enough. The amount of cushion difference to the ride is negligible. The torsion axle on Escape trailers is what takes care of that.

With how trailer tires are constructed, the higher the pressure, the more stability they have, especially with the sidewall. A stiffer sidewall is less prone to lateral movement and wear on the tires. Keeping the sidewalls stiff is paramount to their performance, thus it is essential to keep them fully pressured up at higher weights. At lower weights the tires will perform okay at the minimum pressure, but will do equally as well, and I believe even better, inflated to maximum pressure.

Tread wear will differ very little between lower and higher pressure too.

My thought, and that of my tire shop manager, is that why not run them at their design pressure? For 30 years of trailer ownership, I have always maintained my tires at maximum pressure.
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Old 10-21-2017, 06:59 PM   #35
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50 psi works well on my 21 @ 4200 loaded for travel. I set my TPMS alarm at 40 psi and often head out at 45 psi or so as the pressure will go up a bit. Temperature increase is only a few degrees when running down the road on a hot day.

BUT I also carry a compressor should I need to bump it up a bit.
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Old 10-21-2017, 08:08 PM   #36
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I use a tire pressure gauge, rather than my toe - I find it more accurate. On the other hand, I have seen big rig drivers thumping tires with a bar as a quick check of pressure; they don't have a problem distinguishing an underinflated tire from one which is at a reasonable pressure, and this does work to some extent.

I think most people would find anything that comes out of an engine oil container is slippery, so I suppose it makes sense that we should all pour random oil in our engines, rather than oil of the correct viscosity, right?

Anyone who rides a bike should realize that 30 PSI versus 50 PSI makes a huge difference in ride... and a noticeable difference in rolling drag.

People with motorsport experience know that tire pressure substantially changes the behaviour of the tire. Most of the motion in a vehicle's suspension is accommodated by the springs, but the tires are a crucial element, particularly to higher-frequency disturbances. In familiar terms, tires affect "harshness" more than "bumps".

Trailer tires are fundamentally constructed no differently from other tires. All tires are affected similarly by pressure changes, and all tires need to do the same job... but of course this topic was originally only about the tow vehicle's tires.

Quote:
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My thought, and that of my tire shop manager, is that why not run them at their design pressure?
I absolutely agree. Tires are designed to run at a pressure which is dependent on the load which they are carrying, not to be inflated to their absolute allowed maximum regardless of load.

Hey Jim, for what tire company or vehicle manufacturer does your tire store manager do design engineering? Does he inflate all customers' tires to the sidewall maximum, on all vehicles? If not, I guess he agrees that the maximum pressure marked on a tires is not the design pressure for all loads.
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Old 10-22-2017, 06:32 AM   #37
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We have Carlisles on the trailer. Carlisle says to keep the psi on the sidewall in their trailer tires due to their construction, and that the sidewall number is what is needed. They say not to reduce below that and that there is no advantage to do so. They also say that they do not warranty tires that are not run at the sidewall number. Only when in storage do they recommend lowering that number. Other companies may differ. 50 psi is on ours so that is what we use.
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Old 10-22-2017, 08:42 AM   #38
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We have Carlisles on the trailer. Carlisle says to keep the psi on the sidewall in their trailer tires due to their construction, and that the sidewall number is what is needed. They say not to reduce below that and that there is no advantage to do so. They also say that they do not warranty tires that are not run at the sidewall number. Only when in storage do they recommend lowering that number. Other companies may differ. 50 psi is on ours so that is what we use.
Interesting. I've had Goodyear and Carlisle tires and have not seen any written statement like that from Carlisle. Can you provide us with a link to that?

Trailer tire correct pressure debates go on forever on various forums all over the internet, and they go nowhere ultimately.
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Old 10-22-2017, 09:07 AM   #39
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I don't have a link. Not sure what you are wondering about. We had Marathons before also but I don't know what they said. Different companies may have different requirements.
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Old 10-22-2017, 09:19 AM   #40
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I don't have a link. Not sure what you are wondering about. We had Marathons before also but I don't know what they said. Different companies may have different requirements.
Just curiosity.

When I bought Carlisles I did some reading on their website and never saw that statement about denying warranty if not inflated to maximum pressure. I was then wondering how they would ever be able to determine exactly what pressure someone was running in their tire so that they could then deny warranty coverage.
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