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Motorhome & Trailer Tires Pressue & Safety - Tire Loading Tech
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Firestone's How to Weigh Your... Firestone's How to Weigh Your Travel Trailer or RV brochure is available at Firestone's MasterCare Tire Centers and at www.trucktires.com. It has worksheets for weighing many dual and multiple-axle towing setups. Age In addition to improper air pressure, tire age can also lead to failure. To learn when a tire was made, consumers can decode the DOT manufacturing stamp on the sidewall: a two-digit number for the week of the year followed by the two-digit year. European automakers recommend replacing any tire that's more than 6 years old; domestic tiremakers don't concur, explaining that new tires can sit in warehouses for two or more years prior to sale. Age generally isn't a concern on commuter vehicles-the tread usually wears out before it separates and fails. Age is more of an issue on infrequently used tires: RVs, collector cars, and spares. The tread might pass the penny test, but the tire could be rotting from the inside out. Stems and caps also deserve attention. Rubber stems aren't rated for higher inflation. All-steel, clamp-in stems are worth considering-especially if you have dualie extension hoses. Also, make sure that dualie valve stems are clocked 180 degrees apart to make pressure-checks easier. For caps, consider sealed metal models to keep out dirt and water. Two old standbys-wheel alignment and tire rotation-extend rubber life. Uneven wear and improper tracking indicate a problem. Assuming that tire pressure is correct, take a trip to a tire store or repair facility that knows RVs. Also, any tire that's discovered to be 20 percent underinflated should be professionally inspected. This involves unmounting the tire to check for internal damage. The underlying message: Don't devote all your tire attention to your trail rig. Your tow vehicle's tires are important too. The keys to safe towing with an RV include not overloading the rig, evenly distributing the cargo, matching the tires to the tow vehicle, and maintaining the tires by checking pressure and wear. The sources here have detailed information for specific vehicle configurations and scenarios, such as mixing radial and bias-ply tires, load ranges/ply ratings, and more.  Hoses for filling inboard...  Hoses for filling inboard tires can become brittle and leak. They should be secured to the wheel and attached to steel stems. (Rubber stems aren't rated for more than 80 psi.)  Not all passenger-vehicle...  Not all passenger-vehicle tire stores are experts on high-load RV applications, which cross over into the medium-duty/commercial realm. Firestone Complete Auto Care is one that is.  The tread on old, dry, cracked,...  The tread on old, dry, cracked, or underinflated tires can come apart. At highway speed, fenderwell damage could be the least of your problems.  Ron Watkins professionally...  Ron Watkins professionally mounted and balanced the Bridgestone R187 tires on the existing wheels. Proper balance is critical for maximizing fuel economy and minimizing chassis-component wear.  We filled up/loaded up our...  We filled up/loaded up our Apollo motorhome and weighed each axle, side, and corner at a certified scale. The results: Front axle 4,580; rear axle 10,340; left front 2,680; right front 2,420; left rear 5,480; right rear 5,580. Three out of four corners were overloaded. Some gear (or passengers) need to be left behind, and the remaining weight needs to be redistributed.  Retaining the wheels, we upgraded...  Retaining the wheels, we upgraded our Apollos to 8R19.5L Bridgestone R187s (33.6-inch diameter), which have a high-heat-resistant compound and sidewall protector ribs. The R187 has load limits of 3,525 pounds at 110 psi (single) or 3,305 pounds at 110 psi (dual): a 20,270-pound total capacity for a 14,500-GVWR motorhome. According to the manufacturer's load and inflation table, running the fronts at 70 psi yields 2,540 pounds per corner; at 75 psi, the rears have a 2,570-pound-capacity per tire.
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Bridgestone Commercial Truck Tires
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Recreational Vehicle Safety Education Foundation
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Family Motor Coach Association
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TireRack.com
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NHTSA Consumer Safety
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Mud Tire Test
We're doing all we can to test some new treads with all these mud tires!...
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