New 2014 Raptor 300MP tires at 60psi - dealer

[raineman]

Hi,

Back again. I checked my tires today and all are set at 60 psi from the dealer. That seems low considering max on the tire is 80 psi. Any suggestions on where I should be on psi on the 300MP. Thank you

[RichR]

You should go with what the label says on the outside of the trailer. It states the axle loads, tire size, and inflation level, etc. The only thing that could differ from that would be if the tires are not the same as listed there, like a different load range.

[raineman]

Thank you. Where can I find that label?

[PARAPTOR]

Roadside of Raptor up front near LP storage

ST235/80R16E 80PSI

[raineman]

Thank you. It is amazing the things my dealer missed or did a poor job with. Should I run 80psi even when it is 100+ degrees in AZ? It is and will be stored covered in complete shade.

Since the dealer seemed to have botched so many things with delivering a brand new unit, is there anything else I should be looking at that should have been done for delivery of a brand new toy hauler?

So far the dealer only seemed to put a battery in and test the water pump and generator.

[DMK]

Keep in mind that those specs are based on cold tire pressure.

[chuckster57]

Cold tire pressure means the tire hasn't been in use for a number of hours, not ambient air temp.

Search for "PDI checklist" and print it out for a list of things the dealer should have inspected.

[PARAPTOR]

X2 on getting a copy of the PDI list from this forum. Not sure I understand if you did or did have a walk through. IF I recall you still had an issue with the HWT and were taking it to the Dealer. Since the dealer is your link to keystone regarding your current warranty, I would try working with them such as possibly requesting a complete walk through during your visit at which time you can use this list to ensure you have covered everything. Hopefully the dealer will want to make this right. If not you will have to use the list and learn on your own, anything you feel is not working based on your knowledge will need to go back to the dealer. This could be a long dragged out process. Much easier if you can work with the dealer. Good Luck

[raineman]

They supposedly did 2 walkthroughs. Both less than 30 mins with the "tech" only answering questions that were asked. We even had a sales person trainee along for the first one and she openly complained to management on our behalf on how bad our walk through was. We actually left the trailer there after the first walk through as nothing was to my satisfaction, including being dirty on the outside, cobwebs on the rims and many many other issues.

I called and let my salesperson know how disappointed I was in the delivery. So they scheduled another walk through the following day....with the same tech. Just as with the first walkthru, he could have cared less and only answered what was asked. Both times the tech made it clear he had other things to do other than make sure all was setup and delivered correctly. The 2nd time, the coach was still filthy and only a couple items had been taken care of. I decided to take it with me so I could go through everything and find all the issues as they failed to do so. I paid a guy to wash and wax it because the dealer just does not have the same standards of clean that I do. The guy I hired, owns a RV repair / wash service, said he had never seen a new rig delivered that dirty. Even though brand new, he said the roof had an inch of dirt on it. I almost didn't recognize the trailer when he was finished. It finally looked like a brand new trailer.

Now I am waiting for a 3rd walkthru after going around my salesman and going directly to management. After hearing what I had been through, they admitted that their "tech" had dropped the ball very badly. They are offering compensation, but still waiting for that to happen. The new walkthru will be rescheduled with a real tech once a new glass sliding door comes in. Supposedly this week. The sliding glass door in the unit is flawed. The moulding around the glass is pushed into the seams when the glass got installed exposing the edges of the glass.

They were supposed to call me today with an update. So far, notta.

[gman1966347]

Not to disrespect any of the good folks here, but I have to disagree . #1. On your tow vehicle do exactly what the placard on the vehicle recommends for air pressure. I learned that from Nitto directly. I was burning out the center of my front tires because I did what the side wall said. So I set all of my tires to what my factory placard recommended. Then on my fifthwheel, through the california desert 100 degrees on hwy 395 i had my tires set @ 80psi cold. I had 3 tires seperate. When I checked those tire's pressures they were over 115 psi!!! When I limped into town and bought 4 new tires, the tire guy said..."I'm going to set all of your tires at 65 psi". He also said," they will get to 80psi with the road heat, especially in the summer". He was RIGHT!! They made to 80 psi!! Winter, run em' @ 70 psi. He also recommended getting a "tire minder", which I did. I can see my running pressures and my tire temperatures. I love it!! Good luck buddy, I would highly recommend lowering those pressures. Have a good one.

[Festus2]

Originally Posted by gman1966347

Not to disrespect any of the good folks here, but I have to disagree . #1. On your tow vehicle do exactly what the placard on the vehicle recommends for air pressure. I learned that from Nitto directly. .

Some of us, including myself, have swapped out our OE tires (Load Range D 65 psi on sidewall and placard) for Maxxis (Load Range E 80 psi). The advice I received from 4 different tire distributors/installers was that it is not necessary "to do exactly what the placard on the vehicle recommends for air pressure" since the original tires have been "upgraded".

What they recommended was to ensure that the psi was at least 65 and not greater than 80 psi. It was suggested that I now have the "luxury" of playing around with the pressure in order to give the best ride for the 5th wheel. If kept at 80psi, the 5th wheel will ride stiffer and may feel like it is "bouncing".

If kept at 65psi, it may feel "squishy".

They suggested I experiment until I felt that the 5th wheel "felt right" and that 70 psi would be a good place to start. All of them indicated that tires rated at 65 or 80 psi are meant to withstand normal/usual heat build up and an increase of 10-15 psi is not major cause for concern.

So in my case, I am not "doing exactly what it says on the placard" since the original tires have been replaced with a higher psi and axle weight rating.

[abc40kids]

If your referring to the psi on your toy hauler run the MAX pressure listed on your tire. Check it cold and do the same year round. Yes your tire will build up pressure but the tire was built to run max pressure regardless of the outside temps.

As far as your TV air pressure run what u think is right, above says run what your door sticker says. If you are running stock width tires u can run the max on the side wall and the wear should be fine. Oversized tires may wear the middle pre-mature if maxed out. I run on my tv a little wider than stock and a little more than the door says on the front and Max when towing in the rear. I have Nitti Dura Grapplers.

Most with trailer tire issues run or just don't check how low the tires are and fly down the road, heat builds up and there they go!

[PARAPTOR]

raineman; Good to hear you are in communication with the dealer. Very unfortunate that you had to go through this two times with that same tech. Definitely would not do it the third with him. You mentioned they were ordering a new garage sliding door, to avoid other delays does you dealer know your concerns of other equipment not working such as that HWT? Still think trying to do this on your own is going to be tough and then you have to deal with fixing equipment under warranty.

Good Luck

[socalhd]

Interesting you mentioned the tire pressure at 60 PSI. When I did the walk thru on my unit, the tech went over this issue and said it is important to keep tire pressure at 80 as it states on the tag. I asked if the tires had been checked and verified before taking it. I checked tire pressures and found them all at 60 psi.
Which dealer in AZ did you deal with?

[raineman]

I am holding out on naming the dealer here until they have resolved all issues. If I call them out here, it may impact their attitude. They did call this evening and made a very good offer to make things right.

It will take another 10 days or so for the door to come in. Then it goes in for the HWH and and a few other things and then we get to do a real walk through. Yes they are aware of all issues to date and have ordered all needed parts that they know of so far.

I appreciate all the responses. It seems there are varying opinions on psi. Anyone else have issues with tires at 80psi reacting badly to extremely hot weather? I know here in AZ I don't adjust my TV tire psi to account for extreme heat so I want to understand better why the trailer would be any different.

[gman1966347]

Originally Posted by Festus2

Some of us, including myself, have swapped out our OE tires (Load Range D 65 psi on sidewall and placard) for Maxxis (Load Range E 80 psi). The advice I received from 4 different tire distributors/installers was that it is not necessary "to do exactly what the placard on the vehicle recommends for air pressure" since the original tires have been "upgraded".

What they recommended was to ensure that the psi was at least 65 and not greater than 80 psi. It was suggested that I now have the "luxury" of playing around with the pressure in order to give the best ride for the 5th wheel. If kept at 80psi, the 5th wheel will ride stiffer and may feel like it is "bouncing".

If kept at 65psi, it may feel "squishy".

They suggested I experiment until I felt that the 5th wheel "felt right" and that 70 psi would be a good place to start. All of them indicated that tires rated at 65 or 80 psi are meant to withstand normal/usual heat build up and an increase of 10-15 psi is not major cause for concern.

So in my case, I am not "doing exactly what it says on the placard" since the original tires have been replaced with a higher psi and axle weight rating.

I hear ya buddy, I am not running factory OE tires. I have the Nitto Dura Grapplers "E" (10 ply) my 3rd set. 2nd of the Dura Grapplers. First were Terra grapplers. Nitto had recommended the "placard" pressure. Tires have worn beautifully nice and even with decent temperatures. I cycle all of my tires at 3 years, regardless of what they look like. Both my fifthwheel and truck, just because of the severe duty that they encounter. Watching trailer tire pressures is a big deal for me with the tire minder. I know how hot they are and where the temperature is at, and watch how they wear. Knock on wood, so far so good.

[bsmith0404]

Traveling from an area where cold temps are 40 in the morning and then by mid afternoon I'm south with ambient temps in the 70s I have learned that cold pressures are a guide, but you still need to monitor the pressure while traveling. I will start with my pressures maxed according to sidewall (80 psi). I then monitor them throughout the day while traveling. I do not let them build beyond 20% over cold (96 psi). If the temp differences cause them to build beyond 20%, I let some air out. Is it a pain? Kind of, but a lot easier than changing a tire. With a TPMS, I can monitor on the fly.

[byrdr1]

dont have a toy hauler and have 4 tires on the 5er.
I have replaced all 4 trailer with maxxis 16 inch with in one year of buying camper.
The dealer that installed them told me to run them at 75 psi. he said they would air up to 80 psi as I towed and all would be well.
I also bought set of Michelins from him for my TV. he set the PSI and I never checked them until my next trip they were 70psi not loaded with camper so I aired them up to 80psi. My gosh I was all over the road fell like my tires were on ice. My behind was drawn up the whole trip. Got home and took it back to him.. Told him my new tires were awful.
He was like, let us look at them. New thread and full psi. he lowered the back to 75 psi and the front to 70psi. Told me the new thread depth was allowing the tire to float at the max psi, plus heat build up puts more pressure in the tire. keep it here where we set them and he did a front end alignment too. next trip everything was fine. difference was like night and day. So now I keep my camper at 75psi and my truck at 75psi rear and 70psi front.
This winter I have lowered my truck tires to 65psi all around for all this crappy weather have been getting because as a manager I am expected to be at work whether anyone else shows up or not. This has worked out well during our ice, cold, snow days.
Once the weather breaks and it warms up some and I know no crappy road conditions I will air all tires back to dealer recommended pressures.
Again this is just my situation.
Good Luck,
randy

[JRTJH]

Here's what Goodyear has to say about adjusting/checking tire pressure. It seems there is some confusion about "bleeding excess pressure" from hot tires. Note their "take" on doing that.... Michelin also has the same procedure, worded a bit differently. Michelin also goes on to explain that tires generate heat from flexing. At "operating pressure" they generate(gain) 4 Degrees F and they lose 3 Degrees F. As the operating pressure increases, the flexing decreases and as the tire is attains its maximum operating pressure (caused by the generation of heat) the heat gain is reduced to 3F which matches the heat loss and the tire temperature remains "balanced" without gaining more heat than it is dissipating. That (I think) is why you wouldn't want to "bleed air off" when the tire is at operating (hot) temperatures, because the reduced pressure would "unbalance" the "heat gain/loss" and cause the tire to operate at a higher temperature where it would "eventually" attain that "balance of heat gain/loss" and stabilize temps again.

Adjusting Tire Inflation Pressure http://www.campingworld.com/tips/rv-tire-care/45

How To Check And Adjust Your RV Or Trailer Tire Pressure
•Use an accurate air pressure gauge.
•Inflation should be checked when tires are cold.
•Check inside duals as well as outside tires.
•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.
•Flat tires should be professionally inspected and repaired by a Goodyear Retailer.

It’s important to know that air temperature and atmospheric pressure have an effect on tire inflation. If the temperature increases 10° F, tire inflation increases 2%. If the temperature outside drops 10° F, the inflation pressure in your tires will decrease 2%. When it comes to atmospheric pressure, the psi increases .48 psi for every 1,000 feet increase in altitude. And conversely, the psi decreases .48 psi for every 1,000 foot decrease in altitude. If there are temperature and altitude changes when you’re taking your RV on a trip, it’s important to check your tire inflation more frequently.

How Tire Inflation Pressure Affects Treadwear

Your RV’s Goodyear tires should wear in a smooth, even pattern. If tires are not at proper inflation levels, it can have a drastic effect on treadwear. Underinflation and overinflation can cause tires to wear unevenly, and ultimately, reduce the tire’s overall life. That’s why it’s important to inflate your RV tires to the proper pressure so the wear rate is at its best.

Bridgestone has the following advice on their website: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...86475890,d.aWw

Keep it “COLD”! Always check inflation when the tires are cold. “Cold” means when they’re at the same temperature as the outdoor air. The way to make sure your tires are cold is to either park the vehicle and wait at least 3 hours before checking pressures, or to let the vehicle sit parked overnight, then check the pressures before you’ve driven it a mile. A short, low-speed drive to the gas station is OK, but not a long, 65-mph freeway jaunt. Never let air out of a hot tire, no matter how high the pressure seems to be. You’ll just end up with an underinflated tire when it cools down


Michelin's comments: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...86475890,d.aWw

WHEN TO CHECK RV TIRE PRESSURE The RV owners need to know the correct pressure per axle for their RV, and they need to know when and how often to check the MICHELIN® RV tires. Here are a few recommendations for the RV owners: 1) Check at least once a month and before any major trips. 2) On long trips, check every morning before driving. 3) Check before and after storage. 4) On short trips of a day or less driving each way, check before you leave and before you return home. Always try to check tires when they’re “cold” and have not been driven for more than one mile. The stated load capacity for a given cold inflation pressure is based on ambient outside temperatures. The pressure in a “hot” tire may be as much as 10-15 psi higher than the “cold” tire pressure. If the RV owners must check the tires when they’re warm, be sure to allow for an increase in pressure, and make sure the pressure of the tires on both sides of the axle are within a couple of pounds of each other. Never let gas out of a hot tire

[socalhd]

I hear what you are saying Raineman. I do a lot of traveling to the desert Ocotillo, Yuma, ButterCup etc. I was out there last week with the high temps into the 90s. I have a Fuzion 342 2 axle Toyhauler 5er. I added the TireMinder TPMS as well. Tires were at 80 PSI, I was full of water and Gasoline in both tanks. Set up for 4 days of Dry desert camping. 4 quads in the garage. Temps in the desert was 85 degrees when I hit Ocotillo.
I checked pressures and temps at about El Centro with TPMS. Tire temps according to the monitor never exceeded 89 degrees. Tire pressures varied on each tire with the high being 87 PSI.
The TPMS system is the best way to go.
Ive had some bad tire experiences and now have peace of mind with a tpms