<span class="highlight">Tyre</span> <span class="highlight">pressures</span> for camper trailer

Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 12:17
ThreadID: 40791 Views:7499 Replies:5 FollowUps:4
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Hi all,
Ive just hired an Outback offroad camper trailer and am looking for advise on tyre pressures hot and cold. It has Adventuro A/T 275/70R16 (made in china) tyres on it and 30psi unloaded at the moment. The drive to Quobba Station is usually a long and hot one.
Cheers
Glenn
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Reply By: Member - Andy Q (VIC) - Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 13:05

Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 13:05
G'day Glenn,
Depending on the surface you are driving on, sand, rock, gravel or tar, you can be assured there'll be different pressures suggested.
When I tow my camper on the road and gravel I usually set the pressure around 35-36psi/loaded(remember to test pressures unladen) but that is just my prefernce. I let them down to about 20psi for prolonged sand use.
I am sure you will get many differing opinions on this subject.

good luck

andy
AnswerID: 212849

Reply By: Chris & Jody (Golden Bay) - Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 14:55

Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 14:55
Glenn,

We tow an offroad Jayco Eagle with the tyre pressure at about 35psi and have had no trouble.

We went to Quobba Station a month or so ago. The limestone road in from the Blowholes will give just about any suspension a real workout. I suggest dropping the pressure a little and reinflating when back on the tarmack. In our 4 week travel up to Exmouth and back down through Ningalloo Station and along the coast, the road into Quobba Station was the worst we came upon. Make sure all is packed tight in the camper.

For all the negatives is a positive and the beach at Quobba station is something else, especially at sunset with a Bourbon or two and a good woman. It was hard to hide from the kids for a bit of peace and quite.

Have a great one mate. Watch out for the Cyclone that is predicted soon.

We are heading south for a few days.

Cheerss,

Chris

!MPG:15!
AnswerID: 212859

Follow Up By: Glenn WA - Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 18:32

Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 18:32
Thanks for the valuable info Chris,
I'm just packing the camper now and after what you have said, will pack the trailer a bit better. Just heard the cyclone report and hopefully it wont come down that low, at least it will be cooler than the last few weeks Did you do any fihing up at Quobba?. A Beam and coke is definately on the menu for sunset.
Cheers
Glenn.
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Reply By: Member - Karl - Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 15:53

Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 15:53
Glenn,

I was taught in the Army to run our trailer tyres at the same pressure we run the rear tyres of your vehicle and I still follow that principle for anything I tow.

At the moment I run the tyres on my Downunder Campertrailer at 40 PSI - the same as my rear tyres on my 80 Series. If I let down the rear tyres when off road - Ilet the trailer tyres down to the same level.

Hope this helps.

Karl
AnswerID: 212864

Follow Up By: Richard Kovac - Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 22:49

Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 22:49
Karl

That sounds like good advice (to me anyway) cheers
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FollowupID: 473135

Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 16:27

Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 16:27
Glenn,

In my experience, the tyre pressures for the Camper trailer are not all that critical,
excepting to ensure you lower them for soft sand, etc. This is as much to protect the soft surface of the track as anything.
Trailer tyres do not provide steering or drive. They merely follow the vehicle that is doing the towing.

My camper has an unladen weight of 1150kgs and I carry virtually all of our camping gear in it. I run the pressure at 34psi for 245/70R16 AT tyre sizes.

You could go to the effort of applying the 4psi rule but if you run the pressures at around 34 psi, you should have no problem with excessive tyre wear. Try that pressure cold and after an hour or so travelling, measure them again. If they are higher than say 38psi, they are running too hot so add a couple of psi and try again. I don't think you will experience the other extreme, unless you forget to reinflate after running low pressures on sand. (about 18psi)

Bill


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AnswerID: 212868

Follow Up By: Glenn WA - Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 18:41

Tuesday, Jan 02, 2007 at 18:41
Thanks Sandman,
I'll try 34psi, but you said to add a couple of psi when hot. Is that correct ? I thought I should lower the pressure if it is increasing, is that right ?.
Cheers,
Glenn
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Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Wednesday, Jan 03, 2007 at 09:47

Wednesday, Jan 03, 2007 at 09:47
If the tyres are getting too hot, the pressure increases due to the load on underinflated tyres. Increase the pressure.

If the tyres are not about 4psi greater than the cold pressures it indicates they may be overinflated and not getting hot enough to run at optimal efficiency. Therefore, decrease the pressure.
Bill


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Reply By: Member - Duncs - Wednesday, Jan 03, 2007 at 15:59

Wednesday, Jan 03, 2007 at 15:59
I use what I believe to be a simple principal for determining tyre pressures on the trailer.

Fully loaded my cmaper is about 1100kg. The car is about double that. The trailer runs on 2 tyres the car on 4, therefore each tyre is carrying about the same load.

As a result of this thought process I run the same pressures on the trailer as I do on the car. But only when the trailer is full. If the trailer is 10% lighter then I put 10% less air in the tyres 20% less weight, 20% less air etc.

If I drop pressures in the car to suit road or track conditions then I drop the trailer tyres to match.

Duncs
AnswerID: 213038

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