Should Trailer Tires be Filled to psi on Sidewall When Cold or Hot

Question:

I blew four tires on a recent trip. Had various people tell me to inflate tires to max. Well when I checked pressure later the pressure was 85 pi. From 80 cold.before I had them inflated at 70 which was probably too low. The tires were only 2 years old. Then i got. Some cheap tire delivered to me.. So the best miles I got were at 75psi which after warming up turned out to be 80 psi hot. So now I think Im going with some new good tires at 75 psi does that sound right? 235/80R/16 St I was also told to check out LT Ttires When you leave calf. The speed limits for trailers increases to 75 in different states and since I didnt know if my tires were rated for the higher speeds I drove 55 to 60. What tires are they using in the higher speed states cause they blow by me 75 or 80 mph. What tires would you recommend for 37 ft 5th wheel weighting in at 12400 lbs Any help is greatly appreciated

asked by: Chuck

Helpful Expert Reply:

When you inflate a trailer tire it needs to be up to the psi rating on the sidewall of the tire when cold. For example, the Provider ST235/80R16 Radial Trailer Tire, Item # TTWTRTM2358016E, has a load range or E. Which is 3,520 lbs at 80 psi cold. The psi will naturally rise when the tire heats up this is what the psi rating should be when the tire is cold. You should always keep your tires at this level.

Since this tire has the 3,520 lb weight rating so 4 of them would be able to safely transport 12,800 lbs of weight. This tire also has a speed rating of 81 mph so you will be able to safely travel highway speeds of 70 or 75 without blowing the tires. Please note that if you are towing at higher speeds your trailer will be much more prone to sway.

Trailer tires are what should be used for your 5th wheel trailer. Some LT (Light Truck) tires are made for trailers but the majority of them out there are for passenger vehicles and they don't have as strong of a sidewall as trailer tires do. Since the # TTWTRTM2358016E tires meet all of your needs I recommend going with them and making sure you have them inflated to 80 psi when they are cold.

Attached is a review video and a link to an FAQ article for trailer tires.

expert reply by: Jon G