Tire PSI? 12" Loadstars

[hiker74]

My 2006 Quicksilver 10.0 has 12" Loadstar High Speed tires. The PSI isn't shown other than it states that "Maximum Load Capacity is 1250 lbs at 108PSI". I know im not supposed to put in 108PSI. I know car tires are around 29-35psi and bicycle tires are around 45-60psi, but the owners manual really doesn't saw anything definitive about psi on the tires.

I have between 32-40psi in them right now and they seem fine. What is correct?

[tinkeringtechie]

Trailer tires are usually higher pressure than car tires because comfort isn't a factor and you want to reduce deflection as much as possible since that can overheat the tire. There should be a sticker somewhere on the trailer that lists the tire pressure for the OEM tires.

[hogtyd]

I run my "ST" tires at or very near the maximum PSI.  A good summary of trailer tire PSI is at https://www.etrailer.com/faq-trailer-tire-frequently-asked-questions.aspx although I'm sure there's no shortage of other opinions on the topic as well.

Graham

[spot1]

I have LoadStar trailer tires on three trailers. One has ST145/R12 radial max cold pressure @ 65PSI and another has 5.30/12 bias ply max cold pressure @ 80PSI, indicated on the sidewalls.

[hdrehder]

[quote source="/post/10131/thread" timestamp="1430319122" author="@tinkeringtechie"]There should be a sticker somewhere on the trailer that lists the tire pressure for the OEM tires.[/quote]My trailer sticker lists 13" tires and I actually have the offroad 14".  So I use the pressure stated on the tire itself instead.  I would assume that LL should have changed that sticker since it was a factory install of the beefier wheel.

[fasteddieb]

The pressure on the tire is the MAXIMUM rated pressure, not the correct pressure for any given installation, which will usually be lower.

[hiker74]

[quote source="/post/10145/thread" timestamp="1430359851" author="@fasteddieb"]The pressure on the tire is the MAXIMUM rated pressure, not the correct pressure for any given installation, which will usually be lower.[/quote]I agree with you, but still wondering what I should be running in them. There is no tire pressure sticker on the camper. The vin sticker (not sure why they use an el cheapo sticker vs a tag!) is faded and almost gone as well so it may have fallen off. Probably a similar issue like the quality of the camp stove they include in the campers package...(Ozark Trail stove...hmmm). I'm glad I already had a Coleman stove. I may call Livin'Lite today to get what the psi should be or ask Prossers who I have been getting some price quotes from. At 40 psi there is absolutely no sag on the tires so I think i'm ok with that for our short trip this weekend, but for an out of state trip I really want to do the right thing

[hogtyd]

[quote source="/post/10150/thread" timestamp="1430398488" author="@hiker74"][quote source="/post/10145/thread" author="@fasteddieb" timestamp="1430359851"]The pressure on the tire is the MAXIMUM rated pressure, not the correct pressure for any given installation, which will usually be lower.[/quote]I agree with you, but still wondering what I should be running in them. There is no tire pressure sticker on the camper. The vin sticker (not sure why they use an el cheapo sticker vs a tag!) is faded and almost gone as well so it may have fallen off. Probably a similar issue like the quality of the camp stove they include in the campers package...(Ozark Trail stove...hmmm). I'm glad I already had a Coleman stove. I may call Livin'Lite today to get what the psi should be or ask Prossers who I have been getting some price quotes from. At 40 psi there is absolutely no sag on the tires so I think i'm ok with that for our short trip this weekend, but for an out of state trip I really want to do the right thing[/quote]
Are these "ST" tires?  If so, running them at 40psi is asking for trouble.  

[spot1]

Started buying trailer tires from e-trailer and here's part of their trailer tire pressure recommendation link:

"Trailer tires should also be inflated to their maximum pressure that is stamped on the sidewall. At the maximum air pressure, the tires will perform and wear best, and get the best gas mileage".

https://www.etrailer.com/question-77099.html

In the original post 108 PSI is mentioned, I would contact the manufacturer for that tire to understand the max PSI.

Kenda (LoadStar) website:

http://www.kendatire.com/en/specialty/trailer/

[spot1]

Here's another link about trailer tire pressures:

http://fifthwheelst.com/step5.html

[hiker74]

What I heard back from Prosser RV is the following

"The amount of tire pressure you need in your  tires depends on the load range of the tire.

If it is a load range B, it will need to be at 65 psi

If it is a load range C, it will need to be at 90 psi  

The trailer tire should state what load range it is on the side wall. Trailer tires should be inflated to their max psi rating listed on the tire sidewall for best performance and longevity."

[hiker74]

[quote timestamp="1430401681" author="@exploringcarolina" source="/post/10156/thread"]Here's another link about trailer tire pressures:

http://fifthwheelst.com/step5.html[/quote]Great link. I guess i'm just in a paradigm mindset seeing that much psi and not being comfortable with it

[charliem]

[font size="3"]The tire specification and pressure combination on the OEM sticker is one combination the trailer was designed for that will allow the trailer to meet its specified GVWR.  However, there are other possible combinations. Tires should be selected to carry the expected weight at or near the tire manufactures recommended maximum inflation. Both over and under inflation ask for wear and safety issues. Here's an example: My 21RBS stickers read GVWR = 7000# with ST205/75D14 tires at 50 psi. Looking at Kendra tires on Etrailer.com yields an ST205/75D14 bias tire in load range C rated at 1760# when inflated to 50 psi. With four tires the combined load rating would be 4 X 1760 = 7040 which is 40# more than the 7000# GVWR. All is good.

However the OEM off road package came with BF Goodrich LT195/75R14 load range D tires. Each tire is rated at 1710# when inflated to 65 psi. Note that four of these would be rated at only 6840#, 160# less than the 7000# GVWR. Technically the trailer GVWR would then be 6840#. This is not a real concern because I don't plan to load my CL to its GVWR maximum and LT tires, because they can carry passengers, must be de-rated by 10%. I'll stick with the LTs because they are generally of better quality than ST/China tires, they provide some additional side slip performance due to tread design, and I just like the looks.  8-)

So for those changing tires the important considerations are physical fit and load carrying capacity. Larger tires will almost always carry more weight if properly inflated. Running at  the manufacturer's rated max psi will ensure proper load capacity and side wall performance. And for hiker74, I wouldn't want to be in the same county when you inflate those tires to 108 psi.  :-[  Never heard of that in a trailer tire. [/font]

[charliem]

[quote timestamp="1430402483" author="@hiker74" source="/post/10159/thread"]What I heard back from Prosser RV is the following

"The amount of tire pressure you need in your  tires depends on the load range of the tire.

If it is a load range B, it will need to be at 65 psi

If it is a load range C, it will need to be at 90 psi  

The trailer tire should state what load range it is on the side wall. Trailer tires should be inflated to their max psi rating listed on the tire sidewall for best performance and longevity."
[/quote][font size="3"]This seems a bit strange. Normally LR B is at 35 psi, LR C is at 50 psi, LR D is at 65 psi, and LR E is around 80 psi. The absolute rule is go by the tire manufacturer's load rating and never exceed the max inflation on the tire sidewall.
[/font]

[hiker74]

[quote timestamp="1430405645" source="/post/10164/thread" author="@charliem"][quote source="/post/10159/thread" author="@hiker74" timestamp="1430402483"]What I heard back from Prosser RV is the following

"The amount of tire pressure you need in your  tires depends on the load range of the tire.

If it is a load range B, it will need to be at 65 psi

If it is a load range C, it will need to be at 90 psi  

The trailer tire should state what load range it is on the side wall. Trailer tires should be inflated to their max psi rating listed on the tire sidewall for best performance and longevity."
[/quote][font size="3"]This seems a bit strange. Normally LR B is at 35 psi, LR C is at 50 psi, LR D is at 65 psi, and LR E is around 80 psi. The absolute rule is go by the tire manufacturer's load rating and never exceed the max inflation on the tire sidewall.

Thanks Charlie. I found out my tires are load rating D Loadstar tires. All Load Rating-D tires are showing 65 psi, so that's what I put in there. The Loadstar tires do indeed say 108PSI maximum on the sidewall for carrying 1250lbs, but i'm with you I don't want to send my Quicksilver to Mars on a space mission. I think 65PSI will be fine. It's super odd that there are so many websites with forums saying "always inflate to the maximum pressure on the sidewall" and then in the same breath two sentences down they have the load rating A,B,C, D, E PSI...I guess i'm not that smart because I think this is confusing? My neighbor who jockeyed semi trailers at a distribution center for 20+ years for a living and hauls trailers all the time said he would never put 108psi in those tires. He did say that trailer tires are indeed higher than car tires because you aren't worrying about comfort of the smooth ride and want the tires for rolling resistance and carrying loads, but 65psi should be more than enough.[/font][/quote]