Tire dropped to 15psi sitting at campground

Bamabox · 10-04-2021, 05:29 AM

Got ready to pull out, checked tires as always. Front right down to 15 psi. What?? Inflated to 80 with emergency air pump, rolled slowly forward with DW checking for a nail or screw…………nothing. Didn’t dare make the trip home, 200 miles on it, so put on the spare (the original 2017 Westlake). Brand new Goodyear endurance’s this spring. Been home now for several days, sprayed the crap out of the tire with dawn/water solution looking for leak. Nothing. After several days now, tire pressure only fluctuates a pound or 2 when it gets cold in my barn at night, then pressure comes back up to 80 when it gets warm. I must assume at this point the tire/valve stem/bead are all OK. I can only think of 2 possible causes. One, I use the scissor chocks between the wheels. Is it remotely possible that if I cranked them too tight it might affect the bead on the rim enough to go from 80 to 15 psi in 4 days at the campground? And number two, which I hate to even think about, someone at the campground who may have wished me ill fortune, decided to play a dirty trick. I’m at a loss.

notanlines · 10-04-2021, 05:48 AM

Bama, I don't have an actual answer, butI can tell you that the weight of your RV on the bottom of the tire is significantly greater than the pressure you put on with the scissor chocks. That would not be the answer.

skids · 10-04-2021, 05:48 AM

Check leakage through the schrader valve. Sometimes the valve core was not properly installed.

Bamabox · 10-04-2021, 05:59 AM

Sprayed the dawn juice in the valve. Nothing. Not a tiny bubble anywhere.

Bamabox · 10-04-2021, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

Bama, I don't have an actual answer, butI can tell you that the weight of your RV on the bottom of the tire is significantly greater than the pressure you put on with the scissor chocks. That would not be the answer.

If there is a tiny leak somewhere, is it more apt to leak with the weight of the trailer on it as opposed to just laying flat by itself in my barn?

Ken / Claudia · 10-04-2021, 06:07 AM

Take the wheel/tire to a tire shop. It leaked out somewhere, A person did not come by and let air out. That's kind of silly to think about. Get TPMS it may have been leaking awhile and not noticed.

notanlines · 10-04-2021, 06:38 AM

I think Ken's idea is spot on. Have them break it down for sure, reseal the bead and then check it carefully for leaks at that point. I wouldn't swap to new tires just because of this.

jasin1 · 10-04-2021, 07:10 AM

Is it possible that it was a little low and you didn’t quite have your tire gauge on properly when checking? 15 psi is almost flat. I would think you would have visually noticed as well …the xchock would have probably fell out if it was that low

Javi · 10-04-2021, 07:17 AM

I once had a tire on my dually that would intermitted leak... Took us forever to find the leak.. it was a wire about 1 inch long and .090 in diameter... the only way we found it was by breaking the tire down and running a rag around the interior of the tire... the rag caught on the wire...

You couldn't see it from the outside and the only time it leaked was when the weight of the truck was on the wire.. I had driven it 5 or 6 thousand miles before we finally found it..

**flybouy** · 10-04-2021, 08:28 AM

Take it to a tire shop. My spare would leak down after setting for 7 to 10 days. Could not find it with a spray bottle. Tire shop placed the tire in a tank of water and found it in 2 min.

**sourdough** · 10-04-2021, 11:07 AM

I agree with taking it to a tire shop but; it went from 80 psi to 15 in about 4 days at the campground. Did you check the pressure prior to leaving, once you got to the campground or ??? The reason I ask is I had a tire do that and it was the valve stem. Barely any air coming out of it but enough to drop the tire pressure substantially. Couldn't hear it found it by finding bubbles at the top of the valve stem. Some debris had gotten in the valve stem and it didn't close completely. Just wondering if you might have done something prior to checking it the last time that might have let the valve leak then when you put the compressor on it cleared the debris? Just a thought.

firestation12 · 10-04-2021, 02:50 PM

You were at a campground for 4 days. Have considered that someone may have let the air out your tire??

meaz93* · 10-04-2021, 03:12 PM

I tend to lean towards what sourdough pointed out. Probably a bad schrader valve....slow leak.

Bamabox · 10-05-2021, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firestation12

You were at a campground for 4 days. Have considered that someone may have let the air out your tire??

Due to the fact that it’s now been 5 days with the tire off the trailer, and it hasn’t lost a pound of air, staying right at 80 give or take a pound fluctuation for air temps in my barn, yes. I have. And if it’s true, I know who. But as suggested, I will take it to a shop and have it tanked. If they don’t find anything, then my suspicions will be confirmed. I don’t want to believe that anybody would do such a thing knowing the potential consequenses if it was not discovered. Blowout, crash etc. but I did have an issue with some people at the campground.

CWtheMan · 10-05-2021, 05:25 AM

Just the facts: From the USTMA.

When an installed tire is supporting the axle’s weight and found to be 20% below recommended cold inflation pressure, it is considered to be in a run flat condition and should be removed from the wheel for a close inspection of the inner-liner.

dutchmensport · 10-05-2021, 03:36 PM

If the insert in the valve stem is not tightened, it can wiggle and hold air one moment and wiggle and leak the next moment. Check the actual valve inside the valve stem. Make sure it's tight. You need one of these:

Tire valve stem tool.

Camp CA · 10-10-2021, 07:15 AM

Long shot..........do you have a tire stem extenders and/or tire pressure monitor that could have worked itself loose? I say that because I have had that happen.

jadatis · 10-10-2021, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWtheMan

Just the facts: From the USTMA.

When an installed tire is supporting the axle’s weight and found to be 20% below recommended cold inflation pressure, it is considered to be in a run flat condition and should be removed from the wheel for a close inspection of the inner-liner.

But when standing its no problem, because tirefailure is couced by overheating, and when not driving, no heat is produced.

20% below recomended can sometimes still not give tirefailure, if speed is verry low fi 20mph.
And nowadays for cars, sometimes extra high pressure is recomended for fuelsaving, so safe lowest pressure to laws of nature then already is 20% below recomended.

CWtheMan · 10-10-2021, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jadatis

But when standing its no problem, because tirefailure is couced by overheating, and when not driving, no heat is produced.

20% below recomended can sometimes still not give tirefailure, if speed is verry low fi 20mph.
And nowadays for cars, sometimes extra high pressure is recomended for fuelsaving, so safe lowest pressure to laws of nature then already is 20% below recomended.

The USTMA stands for U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association. I don't think you can speak for them?

It's a standard set by them for the whole USA tire using public. They cannot set special conditions.

In the eyes of the USTMA, vehicle manufacturer recommended cold inflation pressures set and certified by the vehicle manufacturer for OE tires are the minimum standard. They follow that vehicle no matter what future sized tire is used.

jadatis · 10-10-2021, 08:10 AM

In US often from OEM P-tire to E-load is shifted, and those need higher pressure for the same load, to laws of nature, wich always rule above laws of organisations.

So if then using the " minimum" OEM tires pressure it can give overheating. Unless they gave that extra high pressure recomendation for fuelsaving or riding quality.

In the middle ages the king said that the earth was flat, but to laws of nature stil it was a globe.

And what we want is no tire-failure, so best then is to follow the rules of nature.

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