Tires are unsafe if they are under-inflated. It seems counter-intuitive, but you are more likely to have an under-inflated tire blow-out because the sides of your tire are more flexible at a lower pressure. This flexion produces heat; the heat destroys the rubber.
Running down the list rapidly, the under-inflated tires can not carry as much weight as they are classified. They ‘re much more likely to cause a rollover during fast cornering. Poorly filled tires also reduce fuel efficiency.
All under-inflated tires and over-inflated tires will degrade unevenly, which ensures that you will get less grip and bill for new tires faster. Because full-time travelers rely very much on their cars, it is critical to be able to maintain the tire pressure controlled.
Whether you are an RV owner, tow a travel trailer, live the van life, or just camping over the weekend. An off road air compressor should also be considered through the winter and longer. Wintering with air will save you time, since buying vast amounts of anti-freeze can be costly. The use of compressed air is also a quicker and more comfortable alternative.
Tire Stress
In the very least, you should test your tire pressure in least once a month, and you can also do so before you leave on a long drive.
Tire pressure is measured as PSI (pounds per square inch) and as bar in metric applications.
Tire pressure levels are optimized for cold tires, and you can also test the morning before driving somewhere. Driving and sunlight heat up the tires, which raises the friction inside the tire – much like having a water container to rest in the sun allows it stretch.
That’s why going to a gas station to fill the tires isn’t a pleasant idea. You can spray a very small tire this way, but you won’t get the most precise calculation.
Manufacturers take moving and heating up into consideration when determining tire quality. If you adjust your tires to 36 PSI in the morning, then drive on the highway and test it again at your next stop, you may see 42 PSI. It’s usual and it’s always accounted for. You’re not allowed to let air out of your tires in this situation!
Passenger vehicles in the United States have been required to have a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) since 2007. But not all RVs have this feature, and most of them do not have 5th wheels or travel trailers. Tire pressure monitoring systems are excellent for safety warnings when driving, especially big rigs where it’s tougher to see what’s going on with all the tires.
With TPMS, you still need to check the tire pressure regularly, because most of these devices are accurate enough to tell you when the pressure is extremely low.
How to test the pressure of your tire
Personally, we prefer the tried and tested low-cost tire pressure gauge. Too many times we have been disturbed by the failure of batteries in digital gauges; but there is no doubt that digital gauges make it easier to get accurate reading.
Test the tire pressure before driving in the morning. Replace the stem cap and line the gage with the stem. Firmly and rapidly press down-you’ll hear a short “pst” of air when it’s sitting, but you shouldn’t hear a persistent hiss of air. Digital gages allow you to hold down for a second or two seconds.
If you have a lot of wheels like some Class A motorhomes, you can get an estimation of under-inflated tires using an infrared temperature scope.
Tires that are underinflated will heat up faster than the ones around them while traveling. Of course, this approach is only a short calculation, and it only works a little after driving. When you find an issue with the tire, you should inflate it to what the other tires are lying on.
How much tires are meant to be inflated?
If in question, use the sticker inside the vehicle’s door jam. The cold PSI level should be on the 5th wheel placard inside the driver’s door or by the entrance door.
This tire ranking takes into account the pressure on your tires, operation, handling and trip comfort.
You should not inflate to the full PSI on your tire sidewall by default; this is tougher on your tires, creates irregular wear on your treads, and decreases friction.
If you want to be more detailed, look at the inflation table for your specific tire brand and size. In order to do this, you will need to weigh your rig at a truck scale and use the weight to check the optimum range for that tire set out in this table.
A final tip: since the consequences of low inflation are more severe, it is best to be on the side of overinflation while holding your tires.
12 Volt compressor
If you’re going to get a new tool, you might as well get one that’s going to do the job best. 12 volt compressors are powerful, lightweight and reliable. Alternatives to the 12V pump for camping are:
- Using the standard household / garage AC compressor. They can be plugged into an inverter or a campground for electricity. They ‘re normally much larger to lug around and a little less effective, but if you’ve already got one and the space to store it, free is the best price to pay for!
- Using the floor pump manually. It’s easy to fill car tires with a decent high-volume pump, but dang is a workout and you’ll need a second snack to make up for the calorie deficit.
- Only focus on gas stations and garages. It is not always easy, and sometimes you can’t fill your tires properly (we’ll discuss that soon).
Heavy vehicles like 5th wheels and RV trailers are more vulnerable to blowouts, so it’s much more important to keep their tires fully inflated.
How to power a portable air compressors
Any of the smallest compressors on the market come with a cigarette lighter socket. Because these sockets can normally only supply 5A, larger compressor engines can not be safely powered.
That is why the bigger compressors come with two clamps that are connected directly to the terminals of your RV motor. They ‘re free to load with 25A or more! The only possible drawback is that you need to use your battery compartment or your spare batteries to use it.
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