Trailer Tire Pressure

[jc1300]

Pulling a Lumina Trailer with 12" tires. Wouldn't mind some input on the tire pressure you guys are running. Not sure it matters, but torsion suspension....Trailer weighs in about 160 lbs. When I picked it up the factory had 70 lbs in those suckers......dropped that down to 50 and now to 40. Smoothing out much better, but not sure I should go lower?

Thanks gang - jc

 

[Motorcycle Mike]

I run 20 lbs in my Aluma.

I replaced them after 8 years and many, many thousands of miles simply because of their age.

They still looked new.

 

[ISP-FL]

The only thing to keep in mind with probably any tire, the lower the psi the higher heat build up inside most tires.

For example you have that thing loaded pretty heavy traveling out west this summer and it is in the 100's. If you have that really low psi in those tires and are running 70 - 75mph one might go BANG!

 

[MDO]

I would ask the trailer mfg.

What ever is on the tire sidewall is the max psi. for the max load

 

[jc1300]

I would ask the trailer mfg.

What ever is on the tire sidewall is the max psi. for the max load

But there's the rub....1050 lbs. max load @ 80 lbs. pressure Cold. Obviously I'm not gonna load 2000 lbs in the trailer. And 80 lbs. Cold or Hot has the trailer bouncing off the road. But 20 to 25 lbs seems low. Then again the results he's getting are great. Maybe I'll drop to mid 30's and see how the tread looks and the feel - Thanks all - Good stuff so far!

 

[MDF48]

Many Opinions

I have read many forum post, on a lot of forums, about this as well as just general tire pressure articles online. For the pull behind trailers like Lumina and Aluma, most all of them agree that 80 lbs is listed on the sidewall and the reason for that is "generally accepted" as being because that is what the tire needs to run at it's highest load rating. That being said, everyone agrees these pull behind bike trailers will never have anywhere near the maximum load..."normally"! Of course, some people are going to say if it says 80 PSI, you need 80 regardless of how much total weight you have....because that is what the manufacturer says to use on the tire sidewall.

All of that being said, most of the guys on different forums, whether HD or Gold Wing, say they run between 20 to 35 in their Lumina or Aluma trailers. From what I saw most said 25-30. Of course all of them were no where near 800-1000 lbs total weight. Decisions, Decisions Decisions, always having to make decisions.

 

[milemaker]

I have pulled an escapade trailer for many thousands of miles. Have packed light and heavy on different trips out west. I have always run about 28 lbs cold in my tires. If you get anywhere near the side wall max pressures you will be bouncing all the way down the highway. I have pulled 3 different trailers with several different bikes over the years ...... have never had an issue running the 28. No early wear, no popped tires. Just good traveling with no issues.

Sam

milemaker

 

[Rev Ray]

I have been pulling trailers with my scooters for over thirty years and never over 28 lbs. Try it you'll like it.Been all over the west,south,north,and Canada.And my little bride loads on the heavy side,kitchen sink also if i would let her.:laugh:

 

[jc1300]

........ My little bride loads on the heavy side,kitchen sink also if i would let her.:laugh:

Lol.....pretty much why we are on our 2nd trailer too!

Thanks - jc

 

[DK Custom Products]

This has always perplexed me too. But 70 PSI just makes the trailer bounce along down the road. I've been using 30 psi for the last 10+ years, and over 100k miles of pulling various trailers.

We've not worn out any tires pre-maturely, and we've had one flat. That flat was leaving a rally, where we ran over something that sliced the tire.

Oh, and Mary loads them pretty heavy. :laugh: I think the heaviest we've pulled is the Bunkhouse...with it fully loaded, we were easily over 500 lbs.

Kevin

 

[FuzzyWuzHe]

And my little bride loads on the heavy side,kitchen sink also if i would let her.:laugh:

There's the rub ... them dang sinks are heavy.

All funny aside, I would load the trailer ... start high ... and lower pressure until the trailer rides nice, but, I wouldn't go much less than 30# (as stated 28#). If it rides well at 40#, why not.

The work trailer I pull every day in the summer behind my jeep was bouncing really bad at the 75# it came with (Side wall says 85# max). I started lowering psi at 5# increments and when I got to 65#, the bouncing stopped. Been at 65# since and no issues. The work trailer is about 75% max load (Tools, parts and chemicals).