Elite 1 Tire Pressures, POLL FOR CURRENT MODEL ELITE 1 ONLY WITH LT TIRES

[MAX Burner]

On 10/9/2022 at 9:56 AM, ScubaRx said:

Michelin RIB

I love these tires!  Ran thru two sets on the AS back in the day...

[MAX Burner]

On 10/20/2022 at 11:41 AM, ScubaRx said:

Yep, the only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Amen to that!

[jd1923]

Sorry, tire pressure is not a matter of opinion! ☺️

Every truck, trailer and RV owner should measure the weight of each axle on a scale, then review the tire manufacture's load chart for your specific tire. Over-inflating is not being safer. It causes poor handling which is a safety issue, and internal damage (trailer construction issues, etc.) from excessive vibration. Under-inflating is certainly an issue as FMC learned 20 years ago over their Explorer fiasco. 

I weighed our EII during a camping trip and it came to right at 6K LBS. According to Michelin, I can run the tire minimum of 40 PSI (BTW @John E Daviesrecommends 42 PSI). The GVWR of the OTT EII is of course 7000 LBS and we should likely plan on running at load. Notice that at 50 PSI in the table, the dual rating is 3530 LBS, times 2 equals 7060 LBS. We are not running dually's, But tandem trailer wheels are very close (4 times the single rating comes to 1940 x 4 = 7760 LBS. OTT EII trailers should be run between 40 and 50 PSI, not higher as OTT and other RV manufacturers recommend (purely for liability reasons). I've been running mine at 48 PSI, and I will likely go lower to 45 next time out.

The OTT Elite I has a GVWR of 5000 LBS on a single axle. I do not know the full specs, but let's assume the tires are the same Michelin model and size. The table shows that 70 (4880 LBS) is required (given these assumptions). The full 5000 LBS GVWR comes in right at 72.5 PSI. If you are pulling an Elite I empty, at 3700 LBS dry weight, 48 PSI would do! Say your EI weighs 4400 LBS, then 60 PSI is correct. If the EI has these same tires, pressures should run from 48 PSI empty to 72 PSI at full GVWR. BTW, this is MORE important in single-axle trailers and even more so for your tow vehicle. I'll take a blowout in my trailer (even with the resulting damage) over a blowout in the TV any day! 

Weigh your OTT and TV, check the load tables and run at correct pressure for your load, not what the sticker says. Agilis® CrossClimate® | Michelin Truck (michelinrvtires.com) Can we now end the tire pressure threads?

Edited December 21, 2023 by jd1923
Added pic

[topgun2]

44 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

Can we now end the tire pressure threads?

Unfortunately - probably not.😉

[Coddiwomple]

We have a 2023 Elite 1 with Goodyear Endurance ST225/75R15 tires.  We were told to inflate to 65psi.  I just found the load chart and it indicates that we should be inflating to about 45psi if I am reading it correctly.  I am assuming the weight listed in the chart is per tire (so half the total weight).  On the scale, the trailer weighs just under 4,000 lbs loaded.  I uploaded a snippet of the load chart.  Can someone confirm this?

[ScubaRx]

@Coddiwomple From the way I'm understanding this chart (I may be off whack), that particular size ST at 45psi would support 2020 pounds for a total trailer weight of 4040 pounds. A fully loaded Elite ready to camp, I suspect would weigh close to 4500+ pounds. I believe, if that is your true weight, it would be better to go up to 55psi. To carry your GVWR, you do need to be at 65psi.

[Coddiwomple]

I think you are right on this Steve. I am going to go with 55psi. 

[SeaDawg]

Our Elite weighs in , ready to camp, at 3960 pounds. About 400 on the tongue.

We've had three sets of st tires,all of which we've replaced as "timed out"  Duros,maxxis, which we loved, now, a regional brand, recommended by our local tire guy. We run 55 to 60 cold. Could run lower, but we have no issues with earthquake shaking the interior,,and a little higher pressure than necessary eliminates, in our minds,,some tire  roll. We buy high speed rated st tires, as we don't love the slow lane, if we MUST drive the interstate, 

[GeoffChapman]

On 12/21/2023 at 2:50 PM, jd1923 said:

Can we now end the tire pressure threads?

Well I for one am glad the thread was updated!

I'm new to towing, with my new-to-me low-milage 2021 LE l, and just inflated my OEM tires to the sticker pressure (80lbs). After some short trips (4K miles of towing), I got a Tireminder and noticed my tires going up about 10% in pressure while towing. Seemed high to me, so I decided to double check and ran into this and a couple other threads.

I'm now running them at 60lbs. It feels much smoother! 

Thanks for bumping the thread forward!

Geoff

[ScubaRx]

Tire pressures will go up as the tires heat up, be it from ambient temperatures or just from running down the road. Ten percent would be a reasonable expectation. I do think you’re on a correct track lowering the pressure. Depending on several variables, 50-60psi should be your range for a late model LE. The vintage early LE’s were somewhat lighter than the ones coming off the line today. Weighing the trailer when it’s full of fresh water and all camp supplies that would normally be on board is a good way the get an accurate weight to base your tire pressures on. 

[jd1923]

On 12/22/2023 at 3:08 PM, Coddiwomple said:

We have a 2023 Elite 1 with Goodyear Endurance ST225/75R15 tires.  We were told to inflate to 65psi.  I just found the load chart and it indicates that we should be inflating to about 45psi if I am reading it correctly.  I am assuming the weight listed in the chart is per tire (so half the total weight).  On the scale, the trailer weighs just under 4,000 lbs loaded.  I uploaded a snippet of the load chart.  Can someone confirm this?

Confirmed! You worked this out in one day, a question many fear, deliberate over for years! Like both @ScubaRx and I mentioned, weigh your trailer to be sure where you fit on the table. Yes, these numbers are for each tire. The 65 PSI you were told will handle the Elite I, on these tires, at full GVWR of 5000 LBS.

Water weighs 8.33 LB/Gal, a 30-gallon tank comes to 250 LBS. A packed fridge, closets, pantry and other cabinets can hold a bit of weight too. I weighed ours coming back from a short camping trip, before we unpacked. I added 250 LBS for fresh water used (we had drained Black and Gray tanks) and 100 LBS for food and drinking water consumed. Mine came to 6000 LBS total on an Elite II, so we can run at 45 PSI. However, there is more weight/tire on the Elite I.