Travel trailer newbie!

[AH64ID]

Lots of good info in here. 

 

Don't be afraid of 65 mph. I have never had any issues towing a TT at 65 (maybe 70...) as long as there is proper air in the tires, but that's my own experience over the last 8 years dragging TT's around. I've never had a trailer flat on paved roads and never from speed. Proper loading and air are key thou. 

 

In terms of leveling I always recommend erring on the side of having the head of your bed a little high, not much but better to be a hair high at your head than at your feet... the headache will let you know when your feet are high and it's not an easy one to ditch. 

 

Be sure to use a load leveling hitch. The truck is more than capable of the tongue weight but they tow SO much better with a load leveling hitch. Both your back and your stuff in the trailer will appreciate a good W/D hitch. 

 

Tongue weight, tongue weight, tongue weight. Too much is better than too little in terms of trailer stability. 15% is the max recommended but don't feel bad if you hold 15%. 

Edited July 11, 2016 by AH64ID

[Mopar1973Man]

15 minutes ago, AH64ID said:

Don't be afraid of 65 mph. I have never had any issues towing a TT at 65 as long as there is proper air in the tires, but that's my own experience over the last 8 years dragging TT's around. 

 

I can see doing this with high quality trailer tires and possibly load range higher that what is required (ex: load range D's upgrade to Load range E's), then you can safely get away with it. If you are unsure, it's better to run a tad slower speed than to have a tire blow out rip the RV apart. RV forums are full of RV trailer blow out pictures. Some claim "China Bombs" are the cause of failure, some just don't know any better either too heavy, tires don't have the capacity, etc. Still in all, tire blow outs are typically caused from exceeding the limitations either weight, speed, or incorrect air pressure.

 

 

Edited July 11, 2016 by Mopar1973Man

[AH64ID]

You said it yourself... incorrect air pressure. 

 

Run tires properly and issues don't generally happen. I never had a single issue with my tires related to speed or weight, and the only flats I had were punctures on nasty forest service roads. 

 

Load and inflate them properly and they will work as advertised, in my experience. 

 

The only ST tires I have ever ran are OE ones, so no upgrading here. 

Edited July 11, 2016 by AH64ID

[Mopar1973Man]

I agree... Just got to watch for those people that foolishly suggest inflating to the max on the side wall of the tire. In some cases you might have to if the RV  or trailer was outfitted with a marginal load range from the get go. Like my Jayco (8,500 GVWR) was OEM with Load Range D's and gave very little margin just like 250 pound over GVWR. My BigTex (7,000 GVWR) is outfitted with Load Range C's and has even less room for margin like 150 pounds. The RV I've upgraded to load range E's keep nearly the same inflation pressure but heavier carcase on the tire. The BigTex when those get old enough to replace I'll upgrade to E's as well. Again there is more factors involved here like I would never suggest towing my BigTex at 7,000 GVWR at 65 MPH at max inflation 50 PSI I know that is a recipe for a tire blow out for sure. All it takes at that point is a pothole or object to break the belt in the tire and she'll start to shred instantly tires are just too margin for that kind of use. The inflation pressure needs to be enough to carry the weight properly but also soft enough that if it strikes a object or pothole it doesn't do damage to the tire. The tire should be capable of deflecting to some degree to prevent damage.

 

I'm not saying it can't be done just for folks that are unsure or in the OP case renting the RV not to push their luck that's all.

 

[notlimah]

I appreciate the advice guys! If this were my trailer I'd likely use a combination of both of yours advice! I don't mind towing a little faster (65-70mph) but since this ISN'T my trailer, I'll air on the side of caution. I do agree with you both though. I think the trailers GVWR is 5500 so what tire pressure should I somewhat expect? Or do I need tire specs before I can get all that info?

[IBMobile]

Don't for get about insurance on the rig.  Since it's not yours, if it get damaged in any way, who pays for it?  My auto policy covers any thing I tow, do you have that clause in coverage.  What if you forget to secure something in the trailer and it get broken (see JAG1 above)? 

Edited July 11, 2016 by IBMobile

[notlimah]

So part of the paperwork the rental company had me fill out was a paper stating, from my insurance, that I was covered from bumper to bumper trailer included. Thanks for bringing that up though because if it weren't for that, I never would've thought to check, would've just assumed it was covered. Especially after how much they charge me a month!! 

[JAG1]

Good discussion about insurance and tires. For awhile there were some very bad trailer tires being posted/talked about on the rv forums. They were a brand made in China called CARLILE or CARLISLE. I was shocked when 150 miles from home I noticed they were on the trailer I was towing.  On the side walls it said,' do not exceed 55 M.P.H. I was amazed.

 

I slowed down and made it home just fine.

[Mopar1973Man]

9 hours ago, notlimah said:

I think the trailers GVWR is 5500 so what tire pressure should I somewhat expect? Or do I need tire specs before I can get all that info?

 

Need to know the number of axles, tire weight capacity and max pressure then we can do the math on it.

 

9 hours ago, notlimah said:

I don't mind towing a little faster (65-70mph) but since this ISN'T my trailer,

 

Like my own trailer I've been known to tow at 65 MPH. First let me state I'm 31 feet long in trailer and roughly 8,000 pound of trailer weight. Next thing is I always trailer with water on board and my 50 gallon water tank is to the very rear of the trailer. Being water weighs 8.345404 per gallon that 417 pound more at the rear bumper that can slosh left to right. Now all that said I can tow at 65 MPH without much problem but since the water tank is at the very back of the trailer all it takes is one wind gust  or sudden jerk of the steering wheel to avoid an object or animal and the trailer can start a swaying action with is more pronounced as the water tank is now at 1/2 when water can really slosh around so just because you can do it doesn't make it the safe choice. Remember most all water tanks in RV's are not baffled and all waste holding tanks are not baffled at all.

 

Now my kitchen gray water tank is still rearward of the axles as well. The bathroom gray tank and black tank are barely forward of the axles. So now consider half used water means split up water water weight some still rear of the axles and some now moved forward. Still unbaffled and still capable of sloshing.

 

Now all trailers are not made equal so depending on design and weight of water and where its placed can make or break how well it tows at speed. Now if you travel dry like @dripley does then high speeds can be done rather easily less weight on the RV and less water slosh issues. Being the @dripley typically is at a full hookup RV park 99% of the time he only need enough water for travel time. So consider water movement into your safety factor and speed of tow.

 

Edited July 11, 2016 by Mopar1973Man

[dripley]

I do travel dry except for a few gallons in the gray and black tanks. Some slosh in there will help keep them clean. I do carry about 15 gallons of fresh water for emergencies. I did make the mistake along time ago of leaving all the tanks open while parked. Was not much fun dealing with the poo pile. I myself would not purposely travel with the holding tanks full. But if you are dry camping there is not much choice. A good while back you could still find some places that let you dump your gray right on the ground. Have not seen that in long time though.

 

@Mopar1973Man I have slowed down a little over the years. Not as much as you though. I try and keep it 65 and below.

[AH64ID]

I almost always dump my grey on the ground but I do position my trailer to do so and dig a hole. 

 

It's no different, IMHO, than having a jug on a table for washing hands when tent camping. 

 

I'm not sure if it's legal or not but I have never been questioned about it. 

 

I prefer to travel with tanks full or empty. Partially full tanks are very hard on the mounts and straps as they are not baffled. Not much I can do about the black tank but the grey and fresh are easier to fill/empty.

[Mopar1973Man]

14 minutes ago, AH64ID said:

I almost always dump my grey on the ground but I do position my trailer to do so and dig a hole. 

 

It's no different, IMHO, than having a jug on a table for washing hands when tent camping. 

 

I agree... I'm typically the type to dump on the ground for gray water when I can do out of sight of the public. I do agree it no different that washing your hand at the outside shower as it is washing your hand in the inside sink. But... It is illegal if caught dumping your waste water either black or gray on the ground.

[KATOOM]

I think there's some incorrect advice about tires in this thread.....  First off, just to point out in case some dont know, ST tires are not the same as LT tires.  They're built completely different as they're designed to hold weight more laterally.  Trailer tires dont like side loads placed on them and over flexing sidewalls only strains those load supporting areas.  ST tires also have no weight capacity reserve built in their ratings because they're not engineered to hold passengers.  And they're not designed to run at high speeds either.

 

So that said, there is one thing that tears up tires and thats HEAT.  Under inflated tires will run hot.  Out of balance tires will run hot.  Overloaded tires will run hot.  Over-speeding tires will run hot.  Damaged casings will run hot.  Separated tread will run hot.  Out of alignment running gear will cause tires to run hot.  Steel rims will transmit more road heat into the tire than aluminum will causing them to run hotter.  Worn axle bearings will cause a tire to run hot.  So besides blatant defects within the tire, heat is always the main variable.

 

Unlike some, I always run my ST tires at their maximum pressure capacity.  Why.....?  Because I dont want them to have ANY reason to run hotter than they could.  If someone wants to run their RV trailer tires at some measured amount based on the weight their trailer is carrying then thats up to them.  Its just not something I care to do since again, I want my tires running as cold as possible (relative speaking), and I'm not going to measure my trailers weight every time and adjust the tires air pressure accordingly.  Heck, I hardly have time getting everything loaded in it before we leave.  I'm so particular about my tires condition while towing that I use a TPMS just to keep an eye on them.  Running them at a lower pressure just to trying and soften the ride in my trailer would only give me more reason for concern as I know they'd run hotter as the stiff load holding sidewall is being forced to move excessively.

 

I think whats best to do is just get the right tire capacity for the gross weight of the trailer.  If your trailer is an 8000 lb tandem axle TT with 225/75R15 ST tires then you could get C's but they'd be fully maxed out and wouldn't be smart as everyone always adds at least another 1000 lbs of extras.  D's would be far better giving a couple thousand pounds for extra camp goodies, whereby E's would give you so much reserve that you'd never overload them.  Well as long as the rims were rated for the added pressure.

 

As for allowing the tires to flex.....  This makes zero sense and goes against the principles that tires are not there to soak up more road bumps than the tires are designed to move.  All tires will have some cushioning factor built in them but you aren't supposed to run tires at some lower pressure figure just to give your vehicle more "suspension".  Doing so will not only cause the tires to run hotter but it will also potentially give reason for the tires to be damaged, wear terrible, and run hot.  Yes, over inflation is also bad but maximum air pressure is not over inflated for an ST tire.  And what I mean is you can damage a tire by allowing the sidewall to flex too much if the road bump or pot hole is too rough.  So in reality tires that are run too low of air pressure are more likely to be damaged by road obstacles and sidewall flex whereas tires run at maximum air pressure are way less likely to be damaged and run at more optimal temperatures.

 

Lastly, if a class 8 tire casing is damaged during its service then its deemed no good for recapping.  And how a casing is damaged is by over flexing them, like running over curbs or hitting deep potholes.

 

I guess this is all overboard too as the OP is merely renting and hopefully the RV rental company keeps their tires maintained. 

 

Edited July 12, 2016 by KATOOM

[AH64ID]

Stating that all ST tires are not over inflated at sidewall pressure is a false blanket statement. I know that you are aware, based on our previous conversations, that some ST manufactures want you running pressure based on load. That means max air pressure at 50% load is over inflated. 

 

Proper pressure, not sidewall max, isn't about "suspension" it's about proper tire  dynamics. A properly inflated tire has better handling, lateral traction, and braking. The tire also wears better and is less prone to road hazards, such as carcass damage from potholes and punctures. Overinflated is certainly harder on tires than proper pressure. 

 

Yes heat kills tired but a properly inflated tire doesn't run hot. 

 

Trailer brakes already lock up too easily when road conditions change and over inflating them just makes it worse. 

 

Class 8 tires have steel sidewalls and those are very different than ST or even LT tires. I cannot run my 19.5's less than 70 psi for that reason but at slow speeds my LT's can be severely under inflated and no damage will occur...very slow speeds. 

[JAG1]

10 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

 

I agree... I'm typically the type to dump on the ground for gray water when I can do out of sight of the public. I do agree it no different that washing your hand at the outside shower as it is washing your hand in the inside sink. But... It is illegal if caught dumping your waste water either black or gray on the ground.

This false  as Mike does not have 'grey' water he has 'grease' water when he dumps.  Not the kitchen grease... engine grease

Edited July 12, 2016 by JAG1

[Mopar1973Man]

I agree with AH64ID on this on. Inflating to MAX is not a good idea. As for figuring out pressure I figure to the trailers GVWR not scaled weight. This prevents the constant need to scale to remath for every load. So like my RV I need a minimum of 57 PSI for 8500 pound RV. I tend to run 65 PSI because it takes up just a bit more side wall flex on hard cornering, still wears a flat pattern on the tread face that is equal from left, center to right. If I ran the tires at max pressure it would carry nearly 12,000 pounds. Actual scaled eight is roughly 8,000 and max GVWR is 8,500.

 

Here is the math. (8,500 trailer GVWR / 4 tires) = 2,125 pounds per tire / 2,980 pound tire capacity = 0.71 x 80 PSI = 57.04 PSI

 

So my current 60-65 PSI is very safe for LR E's ST tires.

 

So why would I max inflate my trailer tires so they wear out the center quicker? Why would force the tire to carry all the weight on a narrow band in the center creating excessive heat? ST tires are no different that your truck tires you don't run 80 PSI in the truck tires do you?

Edited July 12, 2016 by Mopar1973Man

[Buzzinhalfdozen]

Just to stir the pot a bit...

My car hauler has a 10,000 pound gvwr. The LRD tires it came with  have a 2,540 pound rating which gives me a tire capacity of 10,160 pounds. 

So basically I have to keep them at the max psi on the sidewall (65psi).  Tires have higher miles by trailer standards. Trailer is typically loaded at or near the GVWR. 65+ mph for hours at a time. No flats that weren't self induced. 

Not trying to tell anyone how to run their equipment just sharing my experience. 

 

[AH64ID]

Don't forget the tongue weight of 10-15% which puts the trailer axle load at 8500-9000 lbs (2125-2250/tire assuming equal loading)  which doesn't have the tires quite at their max.

 

Your car trailer is probably a great example of overinflated tires and traction. At 65 psi and 10K lbs the trailer probably has good brakes that don't lock easily but at 65 psi and only the base trailer weight the brakes are probably touchy and need finesse.

 

Car haulers and dump trailers are unique as one simply cannot adjust the pressure each load but they are great for demonstrating the effects of overinflation.

 

 

[Mopar1973Man]

47 minutes ago, Buzzinhalfdozen said:

Just to stir the pot a bit...

My car hauler has a 10,000 pound gvwr. The LRD tires it came with  have a 2,540 pound rating which gives me a tire capacity of 10,160 pounds. 

So basically I have to keep them at the max psi on the sidewall (65psi).  Tires have higher miles by trailer standards. Trailer is typically loaded at or near the GVWR. 65+ mph for hours at a time. No flats that weren't self induced. 

Not trying to tell anyone how to run their equipment just sharing my experience. 

 

 

Like my BigTex has Load Range C's 1,820 pounds at 50 PSI. GVWR of 7,000 pounds.

 

(7000 / 4) 1750 / 1820 = .96 x 50 = 48 PSI. In this case I run 40-45 PSI even though most of the time I'm right near my GVWR of the trailer. This is so the tire can still deflect some what road debris or potholes. My BigTex is typically ran in offroad conditions more than highway so debris, rocks, potholes, washboard, etc. I've never inflated to max pressure still.

 

 

Edited July 12, 2016 by Mopar1973Man

[TFaoro]

With the 25ft tandem dual gooseneck we have the tires stay at max pressure full time. It's got a 20 or 25K max load, but  it usually doesn't have over 10K on the deck. I've yet to see the tires wear funny or try to lock up. Just turn the brake controller down when there's no weight on it... We've had a couple blow up but that's more due to age than anything else.