Newbie seeking tire fill help--Where to go?

[Lexington 283]

Where is best place to properly air up tires? Dealer? Tire store? Ford dealer? Self? And can they do it if tires are "hot" ? It seems inside rear of our motor home might be difficult to check and air up properly.

What kind of tire pressure gauge should I buy?

Thanks--We just bought FR Lexington 283 (29') motor home and are very tire pressure conscious with Ford Escape and Yamaha motorcycle.

Jerry

[itat]

Tires pressure should always be checked and filled when cold. I recommend you buy a Viair 12V compressor (I have their 400P model) and keep it on board. It will fill your MH’s tires no problem and be relatively quiet while doing so. I always check mine in the morning before moving the trailer.

[spicercars]

You can also get extensions for the value stems so that the inside tire is easier to check. any tire shop that does truck tires have them. And yes check them cold. You can buy a good gauge at any home improvement or auto parts store.

[BehindBars]

The best answer from the choices given is “self”. Buy an air compressor. It’s far more convenient to do tire fills at home than going somewhere. As mentioned above, tire pressures are to be checked cold, so if you drive somewhere to get air, the tires aren’t cold.

My preference is a small 110 volt compressor that’s used to fill a 10 gallon portable air tank up to 125 PSI. Then I can just carry the portable tank around to the car/van/truck/trailer/motorhome/bicycle/motorcycle/lawn mower/tractor tires and air them up. Then there’s no need to have a power source to run the compressor at the tire location.

I carry small 12 volt compressors in vehicles, but only for emergency needs.

For airing up the rear duals on your motorhome, you’ll probably want a long stem air chuck with two angled heads meant for dually wheels.

A good digital pressure gauge is a must. Most of the inexpensive ones available today are quite accurate. There is a dual head, long stem version of the digital gauge that works well for dually tires.

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Moni...970329&sr=8-16

[Chuck_S]

Tire pressure is done the same way as your automobiles.

Tire pressure should be done when the tires are cold. By strange coincidence it's called "cold tire pressure" on the data plate and tire sidewall.

Unless you're parked at the Dealer, Tire store, or Ford dealer overnight the tires won't be cold. Use your own compressor. There should be long valve stems for the inside wheels in a dual wheel setup -- yours lack them?

-- Chuck

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

Tire pressure is done the same way as your automobiles.

Tire pressure should be done when the tires are cold. By strange coincidence it's called "cold tire pressure" on the data plate and tire sidewall.

Unless you're parked at the Dealer, Tire store, or Ford dealer overnight the tires won't be cold. Use your own compressor. There should be long valve stems for the inside wheels in a dual wheel setup -- yours lack them?

-- Chuck

In reality tires are considered "cold" as long as they haven't been driven "recently". It only takes an hour or so for tires to reach ambient temp which is considered "Cold". Exception of course would be if one side is baking in the sun and the other in the shade. That can also happen while parked overnight after the sun comes up. This heat will increase pressure an average of 1 Psi per 10 degrees of increased temp depending on tire size.

As others have said though, best time to check and adjust tire pressure is before you hit the road. If your tires are inflated to recommended pressure at that time they will only increase as you drive. You are trying to avoid under inflation as it is far more damaging than the higher pressure created by the heat created from driving.

[itat]

TitanMike makes a good point about the blazing sun heating up the tires. In the heat of mid-summer, if I know its going to be sunny in the morning, I've been known to put the tire covers on my trailer tires so they don't heat up too much on the one side vs. the other.

Anyone have a recommendation for a good tire gauge for the OP? I use this Moroso Tire Pressure Gauge but it doesn't go high enough for a MH.

[AlaskaErik]

I've actually seen the two tires in the sun register two psi higher than the shade side tires, so do air up before the sun rises, if any of your tires are exposed to the sun. As for me, I've had an air compressor in my garage for over 30 years now. It's much easier and faster to air up with a standard air compressor vs a small portable unit, especially when you have a wall-mounted hose reel.

[wecoopers]

Cold/ambient air temperature.

Use as ny good pressure gauge.
I always add 1psi for better mpg's.
Running tires heat and expand as much as 4 or 5psi or more...so, stay under max psi.
A small air compressor is wise.
Regards

[Walholler]

I air my own tires up at home using my old(20 yrs.) Sears 110V air compressor and two 50 ft. lengths of air hose. Much easier to drag a hose around than carry a heavy air tank that you must fill with air. My 100 ft. hose will reach the carport(two vehicles) and out to the shed where the boat and RV is stored. Always check the tire pressure when tires are cold. I do not carry a compressor with me on trips.

[bobneal69]

I have always found it hard to check my rear dually tires on my truck. It got harder as I got older. I have a couple of garages in town that I use for repairs and to buy tires from when I need them. Before trips and when needed, I will call one of them up and tell them I'd like an appointment to get my tires checked and aired up. They almost always say just bring it in anytime. When I arrive I tell them to check the tires for nails or other problems and to check the pressure. I tell them the pressure I want in the front tires and the rear duallys. It usually takes them about ten minutes. When they bring my keys back I ask what I owe them and they say nothing. I say thanks and give the cashier $10 and say buy donuts for the group on me. The only time this has varied is when they have found a tire problem and I was happy they found it and fixed it. I know this would not happen everywhere but it's nice to have businesses that I use and know. Even if they charged me to check and air the tires it would be worth it to me.

[jimmarako]

To answer the OP I would suggest some form of portable air to carry with you. It took 4-5 trips but I finally broke down and got a cheapo Harbor Freight 3 gallon compressor to carry with me. Just enough to air the tires, blow the water lines (slowly.......) and it actually ran my finish mailer for some quick mods. This saves me from needing to lug out my old, heavy 20 gallon compressor. Whether a cheapo compressor, a 12V portable, air canister,... what ever fits your budget and space requirements is fine, in my opinion.

Now lets derail this thread as the tire guys flip out on me. Do you really check and adjust your tires every stop along the way? The check part I get. The adjust, not so much. Typical example. You start your trip and its a nice day out so you set your PSI while its 50 degrees out. You head up to the mountains and two days later when it 30 degrees you've "lost" 2psi so you air up your tires to move out. Two days later ready to head home and now because its 50 degrees out again your letting 2psi out of your tires.

This seems unnecessary to me. Your tires haven't really lost any air over those two days. I understand the PV=nRT ideal gas law so I know why the pressure has changed. For me I set the tires before I leave then I just keep an eye on the TPMS and if all the tires go up/down in unison then I don't worry about the few PSI +- that the temperature of the day caused.

Jim M.

[Glampen]

We were camping in a remote area when I noticed that the outer dually tire on our Forester was airless. Found out that the extension had broken off the valve stem. We were lucky to be able to get emergency help by holding our cell phone at arms length over our heads. Once home I replaced the soft rubber valve stems with steel ones and new braided extensions that make checking the pressures easy and convenient before each outing.

[AFDON]

The tire web sites have a lot of good info. Two miles running and they will heat up so check them before you move the rig in the morning. DO NOT worry if they are 10 or better psi higher after running for a couple of hours. The max pressure listed on the sidewall is cold ie; after setting overnight. The tire is designed to take that "overpressure" It is NOT designed to run underinflated. Yes we carry a good 12 volt air compressor. Clip it to the battery and let it get your tires to the correct pressure and go!

[Lifestylers]

I carry pancake elect compressor that can produce at least 135 PSI, anything less is crap a far as inflating anything over 100psi. I don't worry about having 12volt compressor, if my diesel runs I can also fill the tires via the air chuck on the coach. I know nothing about your unit if it has air bags or air breaks, so might not be of any use to you.

[Tundra 2014]

Check "cold" before driving.
Get a mid size Viair 12 volt compressor, the bigger the quicker the inflation rate. I have 2 that are around 8-10 years old, very durable. Also a long extension w/ battery clips. Mine have been used hard to blow-up tractor large tires. One in the $85-$120 range will work well and small enough to carry in storage.
Get a dial air gauge w/ a "bleed" valve and hose. That makes it easier to adjust to the correct pressure while filling. Stay away from the digitalis, mine always break and are cheaply made. I believe mine is a Accro or Graco off Amazon-$25. The hose makes it easier w/o standing on your head to check pressure.

[Mr Towed]

Originally Posted by AlaskaErik

I've actually seen the two tires in the sun register two psi higher than the shade side tires, so do air up before the sun rises, if any of your tires are exposed to the sun.

Because we have monitors for the Tow vehicle and trailer I'll often see higher pressures on west side tires if we're heading north and it's later in the day, for instance.

[AceCombat]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

Tire pressure is done the same way as your automobiles.

Tire pressure should be done when the tires are cold. By strange coincidence it's called "cold tire pressure" on the data plate and tire sidewall.

Unless you're parked at the Dealer, Tire store, or Ford dealer overnight the tires won't be cold. Use your own compressor. There should be long valve stems for the inside wheels in a dual wheel setup -- yours lack them?

-- Chuck

Never go by the tire makers max air pressure!!! Always always go by the what the vehicle maker says!!! Its a yellow and white sticker on your trailer.
Tire maker has no idea what the tire will be used on. I have seen many posts about people putting 80lbs in cold tires then tow for 20mins in Texas heat and complain about china bomb tires. Lol.

[dav7158]

I have been going to a Goodyear store for awhile to have my MH and toad tires checked...for free. They are very good about it.

I go in early before they get busy.

[Hamerjk]

First I would suggest looking into purchasing a TPMS system for your MH.which is a tire pressure monitoring system like eezyrv products it is not real cheap but it will pay for itself in the long run. It monitors all your tires on your MH so you will know the tire pressure at all times while driving or before you start out driving. Also invest in a good set of tire extenders to make it easy to put air in the tires also. you can do a search and find some excellent input on the the monitoring tire pressure. I will say there are a lot of Motor home owners that will recommend them. just ask in the motor home forums and they will be more than willing to help you out. I recommend it.Also WELCOME to the forum. BE safe and enjoy camping!!!!