Mastering Tire Maintenance:
Does my Tire Pressure REALLY Matter?

As someone who writes FAQ and how-to articles for a living, I can say without question that sometimes the simplest questions are the ones that require the most explanation. This is where we find ourselves today. If you're looking for a short answer: Yes, tire pressure matters a lot and you should absolutely keep your tires filled to the manufacturer's recommendations.

However, it would be remiss of us to not expand on this subject a bit more. Not only because of the importance of proper care for your tires, but because of how easy it is to take it for granted. Your tires often fall victim to the "out of sight out of mind" principle, and should be taken care of with as much diligence as the rest of your vehicle.

The Significance of Proper Tire Pressure

There are a number of reasons to take proper care of your tires, but we will boil them down simply into 3 categories:

Safety concerns
Tire longevity
General usability and fuel efficiency

1. Safety

When your tires are filled with lower than the manufacturer's recommended pressure, they make more contact with the road. That sounds great right? Wrong. With more contact with the road comes increased friction, and while the impact of friction on fuel efficiency can't be overstated (we will get to that soon), the increased friction also has the side effect of increasing the heat generated by your tires, significantly increasing the chances of blowouts, which are a danger to you and the other drivers on the road. This is particularly true if you are towing or hauling anything, as the additional weight will compress the under-inflated tire even further.

2. Longevity

I have never, in all of my years on this earth, purchased tires and thought, "Oh boy, what an appropriately priced and affordable purchase I've just made!". It is for this exact reason that I want to make my tires last. Your tires are designed to make contact with the road, and subsequently wear, in a very specific way. When your tires are under or over-inflated, they wear abnormally in a way that they were not designed to. This can cause increased pressure in the sidewalls of the tire, and can further increase the risk of blowouts and other damage to your vehicle. It is speculated that for every single psi (pound per square inch) of missing pressure in your tires, they can wear up to 10% faster. The best case scenario here is having to replace your tires earlier than expected, and that's a pretty bad "best case scenario" if you ask me.

3. We need to stop for gas again?

I mentioned the increased friction in under-inflated tires in the safety section, and while it very much fits there, it also impacts other aspects of your vehicle's regular operation. For starters, the handling of your vehicle is negatively impacted by under-inflated tires, as the front wheels have to navigate that much additional friction when attempting to make any turn, lane change, or course correction.

This shows a great example of the wear patterns of improperly inflated tires, and both are unsafe to drive on

Under-inflated tires can also reduce fuel economy by as much as 5%. While this number seems somewhat small on paper, that adds up a lot over the course of the vehicle's lifetime, and can turn an unassuming and carefree road trip into a costly endeavor very quickly. Not to mention, when you're towing, you need every bit of fuel economy you can manage on the highway.

How This Impacts Us Daily

All of these concerns are obviously very significant in the long term. The amount of money lost to fuel economy, the price of replacing unevenly worn tires, and time lost when changing a flat on the side of the road are things that can and will add up over time. However the most significant, and most concerning safety risk is much more immediate. Blowouts on the highway, or significant tire failures at a high rate of speed bring with them a much higher risk of injury, damage, or worse. Proper tire care is a small price to pay for the peace of mind afforded by driving with a well maintained set of wheels beneath you.

This is especially important with cold weather, as every ten degree drop in temperature, averages roughly a 1-2 psi dip in your tires. Meaning that if you are already close to the "danger zone", the winter will send you fully into risky territory. Which means that your odds of having a blowout at the worst possible time are actually much higher.

There are a number of options available to you and your loved ones for maintaining their tires. Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are great ways to keep track of your tire health in real time, and portable air compressors can make sure that in the event of under-inflation, you're able to bring your tires back to where they need to be for the safest ride possible.

But a new piece of technology is making this peace of mind easier to come by than ever. Let us introduce you to the Viair EVC.

Keeping your Tires Filled (Even On the Side of the Road)

Standard air compressors tend to be somewhat large, and require you to hook up to shore power or your car battery. This is great in a pinch, but on the side of the highway in the snow I don't want my loved ones outside trying to hook something up to their car battery, especially if they're unfamiliar with doing it. That having been said, anything is better than nothing, even if it can be difficult to use. But if convenience is important to you, a portable compressor like the Viair EVC is right up your alley.

The Viair EVC is portable, and not in the way that you might be imagining. This isn't a heavy thing with cheap plastic wheels bolted on so it can be called "portable." It is USB-C chargeable, fits in the palm of your hand, and finds a perfect home inside any glove compartment (as long as it's large enough to hold actual gloves that is). Not only that, but it has a number of quality-of-life features that make it much easier to use in a pinch. A digital LED display shows the status of your tires in real time as you fill them up, and auto shut-off will make sure that even if you can't see your tire pressure, you won't accidentally over-inflate them. And as a cherry on top, the EVC comes with an emergency light that can help you see better, or signal for assistance.

The EVC also has 5 different modes, so it can be configured to inflate almost anything. But the real selling point here is the portability, and the peace of mind in having such a capable device in your car right when you need it. Sure, this can sit in your garage and fill up your cars, your tools, and your toys, but that would be missing the most noteworthy aspect of this technology. Something about knowing your loved ones are safe just hits a bit different than knowing that your ATV is ready to rock opening weekend. Call me old fashioned.

The Viair EVC has a serious amount of features for such a small package

The Takeaway

(And a Few Final Thoughts)

While this article has taken a very product-specific slant, the message here is much simpler. You should always make sure that you have all of the safety measures in place to travel safely. The Viair EVC is a great piece of technology, but even if you have a different air compressor, or want to wait for the inevitable "2.0" version, make sure you and your loved ones are protected. It's too easy to be prepared to justify not doing it.

About Jacob J

To say that my path to etrailer was complicated would be an understatement. I have always had a passion for helping others, and throughout my education and career as a social worker or community liaison, I have loved writing as a hobby. When I found etrailer and was given the opportunity to turn something I enjoyed doing into a career that helped people access information and products they need to live the best life they possibly could, I was instantly interested.

I am a lover of the outdoors, have been loading and unloading trailers since I before I was old enough to drive them, and have spent my recent years working in and around the automotive industry. And I am excited to share all of the things I have learned (more often than not the hard way).

I consider myself a perpetual student, and etrailer gives me the opportunity to learn something new every day and share my findings with others. Which is something I am extremely grateful for. I look forward to continuing to help people find the answers they need to make memories for a lifetime.

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