Camper Trailer tyre pressures

[Grant052]

Unsure if this belongs in the 'Camper Trailer' section but the fact that it relates to a 'towed unit' I thought I'd ask here. The tyres on my camper would be lucky to have travelled 20,000 km but they've worn on the inside, badly! (BTW, I'm running them around the 35 - 36 psi, on-road and a little less off-road). Chatting to a camper /caravan repairer t'other day, he suggested pumping them up to somewhere near maximum pressure, 60 - 70 psi, even off-road. I know the wheels are simply rolling over the surface i.e. not driving, but the pressure suggested seems way too high for me. What do you blokes run, higher, similar, lower?

[jon3950]

Trailer tyres should run at a similar pressure to the tow vehicle, relative to the load they are carrying.

If the tyres are only wearing on the inside edge it's an alignment issue, not a pressure issue - most likely a toe out problem. What sort of suspension does the trailer have? Is something bent?

Cheers,
Jon

[discotwinturbo]

I agree with John....alignment issue for sure. Higher pressure will make it worse.

Brett....

[RobA]

Certainly sounds like wheel alignment

In regard to tyre pressures a few things to consider. Generally the axle(s) weights are considerably less than your tow vehicle, a run over a weigh bridge fully loaded will give you exact data. From there you can easily calculate the correct pressures. Otherwise very difficult to provide anything but general advice. For example we have an Ultimate and have towed it all over Australia including all the standard 4WD locations as well as the Hay River track etc. As it only weighs around 1200kg fully loaded we run the tyres (AT or LT) at no more than 34 psi as the axle load is only 600kg per tyre so nothing special. Pumping pressures up to the load rating only works for trucks where the tyres are designed to be operated like that. I can assure you that the higher the pressure the greater the wear and tear on the suspension, bushes, tow hitch and everything else in between.

Rob

[p38arover]

I believe that high pressures will make the tyres bounce over bumps. Tyres along with the springs have to absorb the bumps, not transmit them to the trailer. (Shock absorbers are not there to absorb shocks, they are needed to dampen spring oscillation hence there more correct British term, dampers.)

I agree with the others, it sounds like an alignment issue. If it's a solid axle, I'd suspect the axle is bent and the wheels have negative camber.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/02/932.jpg

Is the wear the same on both wheels?

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2015/02/933.jpg

[Redback]

Trailer suspension arms face front to back, not side to side like control arms on a car, so won't have toe in or out.

Could be worn bushes in the arms or a bent stub axle(if indy Susp)

If solid, I'll go with a bent axle, if both tyres are worn on one side.

BTW Grant, did the new hitch do the trick??

Baz.

[Rick1970]

On my reasonably light camper (500kg???) running 185R14LT tyres, using the 4psi rule, I settled on 18psi. Seems to work ok for me.


For whats its worth, we have press bent solid caravan axles at work for a local aligner when his customers have had issues with abnormal tyre wear. Mostly new, or near new vans.

[C00P]

Wheel alignment maybe? Your trailer will certainly get a hard ride with those pressures! Tyre pressures help to absorb some of the roughness of unsealed roads and tracks, but at those pressures the tyres won't "give" much. I certainly wouldn't do it.
There has to be a reason for the uneven wear....

Coop

[Redback]

Having looked at Grants camper in person, 34psi to 36psi is fine, given it weighs about 1600kg to 1800kgs, I run 34psi in our camper(1400kg to 1500kg) and never had a issue in 11yrs, it doesn't bounce or skip or sway around, just sits behind the car perfect.

Baz.