Lowering tire pressure for rough roads?

[Jakieboy]

Just slow down and take it easy on rough roads. Reducing tire pressure to "soften" the ride will only cause a greater risk of tire damage from excessive side-wall flexing, and also increases the risk of wheel rim damage.

[Delco Bobby]

Originally Posted by GardenMom

We heard that when you've a distance to travel on rough, wash boardy dirt roads, you can reduce your tire pressure by as much as 1/2 to reduce the bouncing. Still would need to go slow to limit the side to side sway. Then would re-pressurize the tires when you got to pavement. (DH was watching a you tube) Does this make sense to do? Would it be damaging to the tires?

Residents of Pennsylvania would never have the correct tire pressure if they followed this advice due rough wash boardy roads.

As others have said, don’t do it.

[MtBiker]

When we are in Baja in pickup trucks we will air down to 20lbs when off road.
We air back up to run on the highway.

[Jeanguypataterubberboot]

Originally Posted by GardenMom

We heard that when you've a distance to travel on rough, wash boardy dirt roads, you can reduce your tire pressure by as much as 1/2 to reduce the bouncing. Still would need to go slow to limit the side to side sway. Then would re-pressurize the tires when you got to pavement. (DH was watching a you tube) Does this make sense to do? Would it be damaging to the tires?

Never do that. Your tires could overheat and blowout. Tires with too low pressure have a lot of friction and they get very hot and fail.

[dannko]

sure, depending on the speed you plan on driving. Example in off roading with Jeeps on rough trails tires are aired down to around 15psi. Then aired back up for the highway. Keep in mind when aired down the Jeeps are usually going slow like 1-5mph, but still get up to 30 or more on flat parts of the trails.

I wouldn't see a problem with going down to 50-60 instead of 110 like recommended on the Isata 5, and most run 80-90 anyway. The only issue with the Isata 5 tires size is there is not a lot of sidewall which could hurt the sidewalls since most Jeeps are running 17's with tall sidewalls allowing some flex.

[Lazurus]

Originally Posted by GardenMom

We heard that when you've a distance to travel on rough, wash boardy dirt roads, you can reduce your tire pressure by as much as 1/2 to reduce the bouncing. Still would need to go slow to limit the side to side sway. Then would re-pressurize the tires when you got to pavement. (DH was watching a you tube) Does this make sense to do? Would it be damaging to the tires?

I have been doing the tire air down thing for years on my H1 Hummer when I go to Silver Lake Michigan. But that is in the sand dunes. Usually only have about 15 pounds in each tire.

When on the road , the tires have 55 to 60 psi in them. I do not think I would ever air down my tires on my Forest River TT though. That would be asking for trouble I think.

Yes, My H1 Hummer is my TV also. I get a lot of looks when i pull into a campground.

[BjceyzF]

Originally Posted by woo10-210

I wouldn't do it just to make the ride smoother but, on the left coast, there are areas where beach camping is popular such as Pismo beach. Lowering your tire pressure to widen the surface contact area is necessary to keep from sinking in the sand. Of course, in these conditions you're never going more than 5 or 10 mph.

I think lowering the tire pressure actually lengthens the surface contact area (front to back), and not so much width (side to side).

Also, the weight capacity tables showing lower capacity for lower pressures assumes same maximum highway speeds. If the speed is much lower (say on sand dunes) less heat will be generated ... I think?

[Tireman9]

Jeeps normally have about 30% reserve load. Race jeeps get new tires every few hundred miles Motorhomes have maybe 10% to 15% reserve load.

RV trailers have at best 10% when the tires are fully inflated. A majority of the RVs that have been measured on individual tire position scales and many start out with Negative reserve load as a. RV Trailers also are running about 20% more load than a comparable LT tire based on scientific load formula. This is the main reason Cars and Motorhomes can expect upwards of 7 years life while RV trailers are doing good if they get 4 or 5.

But hey go ahead and lower your pressure. Just don't complain when months or a year later you have a tire failure.

[dcheatwood]

It's done in rough trail rides. Slow speeds in Jeep's and other all terrain vehicles. Rocks and roots are less likely to puncture a soft, giving tire. That's why atvs run at such low (5psi) such low PSI.

[BjceyzF]

Originally Posted by Tireman9

Jeeps normally have about 30% reserve load. Race jeeps get new tires every few hundred miles Motorhomes have maybe 10% to 15% reserve load.

RV trailers have at best 10% when the tires are fully inflated. A majority of the RVs that have been measured on individual tire position scales and many start out with Negative reserve load as a. RV Trailers also are running about 20% more load than a comparable LT tire based on scientific load formula. This is the main reason Cars and Motorhomes can expect upwards of 7 years life while RV trailers are doing good if they get 4 or 5.

But hey go ahead and lower your pressure. Just don't complain when months or a year later you have a tire failure.

Very good points about reserve load.

Not sure if I'm doing this right, but for my single axle TT we have:

GAWR = 3500 lbs (from TT driver side sticker)
Each factory installed Westlake tire (from sidewall) is rated 2340 lbs @ 50 PSI

3500 / (2 x 2340) = 75%

Thus, does this mean we have 25% reserve load?

[Villagerjjm]

When on pavement, the tires will have a lot of flexing on the sidewalls and tread. This will cause an increase in heat. The heat will wear out the tires and cause them to fail. You could get separation in the tread, sidewalls or the plys. If you take a cold tire inflated to 35psi and reduce the pressure to 20psi then drive it for 10 miles, stop and take a pressure measurement again. You may be surprised. That is why manufacturers and dealers recommend that you inflate your tires to the proper psi before driving for any distance greater than 5 miles.

[OldSoldier]

Lowering vehicle tire pressure, FOR SHORT PERIODS, off road is method of increasing traction in soft, sandy or muddy conditions. It IS NOT RECOMMENDED for long periods or on firm surfaces under any conditions, especially under high loads, as side walls will not be properly positioned for load carrying.

[BjceyzF]

Originally Posted by OldSoldier

Lowering vehicle tire pressure, FOR SHORT PERIODS, off road is method of increasing traction in soft, sandy or muddy conditions. It IS NOT RECOMMENDED for long periods or on firm surfaces under any conditions, especially under high loads, as side walls will not be properly positioned for load carrying.

See video by BF Goodrich spokesman, Andrew St Pierre White, talking about airing down for offload driving. Discussion on tire pressure and heat starts around 10:20 in ...

https://youtu.be/cnPltcQ6Bts?t=619

[SlowrideHD]

Never would do that.

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by Wilco

Lowering the pressure also lowers the load capacity of the tires. Offroad vehicles usually have excess load capacity due to the size of their tires, so this does not matter. Lowering the pressure also increases the risk of a bent rim or blowout if you hit a pothole too hard.

I would guess that the biggest risk to running with under-spec tire pressure is tire overheating and fatigue from excessive side-wall flexing. Just slowing down is probably the safest bet.

[RV Randy]

Guys, read the OP's original question: They are asking about lowering tire pressure on a large motor home, not about Jeeps or other off-road vehicles. Unless you take the MH off the pavement and get stuck, lowering the air pressure for more than the time it takes you to get un-stuck (if that even works) is not a good idea.

[dcheatwood]

Originally Posted by RV Randy

Guys, read the OP's original question: They are asking about lowering tire pressure on a large motor home, not about Jeeps or other off-road vehicles. Unless you take the MH off the pavement and get stuck, lowering the air pressure for more than the time it takes you to get un-stuck (if that even works) is not a good idea.

I've read it several times and fail to see any mention of a motorhome. But I guess it can be assumed since that's what op has listed in her profile. [emoji12]

"We heard that when you've a distance to travel on rough, wash boardy dirt roads, you can reduce your tire pressure by as much as 1/2 to reduce the bouncing. Still would need to go slow to limit the side to side sway. Then would re-pressurize the tires when you got to pavement. (DH was watching a you tube) Does this make sense to do? Would it be damaging to the tires?"

[myredracer]

Internet says OP's Isata is this. Seems way too nice to be taking on rough roads...

[Jakieboy]

We've been camping with a variety of RV's since the early 1970's. We started with a little Surfer Van with a 4-inch foam pad in the back for a bed, complete with wall-to-ceiling shag carpeting!! We stowed our trail bikes in back until we reached camp - somewhere in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We never lowered the tire pressures on rough roads, we just slowed down.

We now "camp" with a luxurious Fifth-Wheel Cardinal, and we still tow it to fairly remote mountain campgrounds. We never lower the tire pressures on TV or 5-er to "soften" the ride. We simply drive very slowly and carefully. Tire damage to all tires at full pressure has never been an issue.