'98 Continental Tire Pressure

[wolfe10]

Brian,

Actually the inflation recommendation on your GVWR plaque says something very different than recommended PSI.

What is says is correct inflation PSI IF, REPEAT IF EACH AXLE IS LOADED TO ITS GAWR and you are on the OE size/weight rating tires.

Safari's are well known to be light on the front axle. Over-inflation on the front axle leads to rough ride and "darty" handling.

Best answer is still (and always has been) to weight your coach axles when loaded as you travel. Individual wheel position weights are best then use the heavier wheel position on each axle to go to your inflation table. Axle weights are easy to get-- at most truck stops but ASSUME that you have perfect left/right weight distribution.

Then use your tire manufacturer's Inflation table to determine the correct minimum PSI. Add a little cushion to that minimum

[TDJohn]

Brian,

Thanks for the photo.

Members need to be aware that the placard is a maximum weight scenario suggestion for the manufacturer can cover their butts. That said, the manufacturer does not make tires, so they don't know or understand much about them, especially the smaller companies. It is crucial for owners to understand that they need to weight their coach when in travel mode with full tanks, as they would normally be traveling, and then using the manufacturers tire load inflation charts, inflate the tires according to the loads. This protects the tire and the rig and the owner, and it not that hard to do. Proper inflation also provides ideal ride and handling.

Another important example to note, like in the case of the OP. Someone upgraded his tire to a larger size that can hold a lot more weight. If one would follow the numbers on the placard, you would have a potentially bad situation, because the tires would likely be severely over inflated for the load being carried. BTW, in the early SMC days, I have seen some placards with 60 psi suggestions for inflation. Those numbers were dangerously low for the weight of some of those coaches, and the skinny tires they put on them. So the bottom line is, one needs to take these numbers with a grain of salt and do their due diligence and have their coaches weighed and adjust the inflation according to the charts and the size tire they have.