NOTE!: Ideally, you should weigh your RV and consult your tire manufacturers load / PSI charts for proper inflation. Or even better yet, do position weighing where you weigh each axle or even each tire and use that as a guide. When we talk about using max tire pressure in this video, we are speaking to the majority who are running at, or close to GVWR on stock (or rated same as stock) tires. If you have upgraded, for instance, from E to G rated tires, you might be able to use lower pressure than the max PSI. Every situation is different, so please do your own research on what pressure to use. As always, feel free to ask us questions in the comments below.
We live in a home on wheels. Our entire home and everything we own literally rides on those wheels, so we take caring for them very seriously. What’s involved in taking care of them? Mostly paying attention to them. We inspect our wheels, tires, and everything connecting them to our rig ALL THE TIME! Before every trip, after every trip, and at every rest stop during a trip, we get eyeballs on:
Inspection Items
- The tires: Tread, sidewalls, wheel lugs, pressure, temperature. The most important tool to have for tire safety is a TPMS, which will monitor both pressure and temperature. A TPMS will give you advance warning in the event a tire starts losing pressure or gets too hot from being a little low. Or maybe you ran over a screw at that last rest area and air had been leaking out.
In this video we review the TST TPMS and were very impressed with the unit as well as the quality of support and information from our new favorite reseller of RV tech, TechnoRV. If you don’t have a TPMS, GET A TPMS! You’re running blind! We also look for anything obvious. Any scuffs on the side walls? Wear pattern on the tread look ok? - Lug nuts: Any lugs appear to be backing out?
- Axles: We look at the axles themselves. Are they warping or bending at all?
- We look at the leaf springs. Nice and arched, or are they flattening out? Axles still in the middle of the springs (no slipping)?
- Shackles and mounting areas. Anything look bent or out of place? If we had weight off the wheels when camped (and jacked up), are the shackles inverted?
Preventative Maintenance
- UV Protectant: Every couple of weeks, we apply UV protectant.
- Once a month, I back of and re-torque every lug using a Torque Wrench. Here's a good reference for torque values.
Driving Style
Besides inspecting and maintaining the tires, wheels and axles, the next best thing you can do is take it easy on them. That’s a LOT of weight riding on those wheels over some very rough roads. There’s no point in exacerbating the wear on them by driving fast, cornering fast, etc. Our MAX speed is 65mph. And that gets adjusted DOWN based on road conditions and weather. Surface irregularities like pot holes and patches are not good for tires, and their effects are amplified by speed. If you’re in a hurry, nothing good can come from it. Slow down and take your time.
TST TPMS and TechnoRV
TST Sent us their TPMS to try out after talking to them at the Grand Design RV Owners Rally in Indiana. We’ve had the EEZ TPMS since we started RVing so it was good to have something to compare. Overall, we're very pleased with the TST unit and there are a few things in particular we like about it over the EEZ:
- Color display: Very easy to read in bright light and honestly, it just looks way cool! ?
- USB Rechargeable: The EEZ had a proprietary charge port so it was always a pain to charge it up. With the USB port, we can charge this with any of the plethora of cables we have for charging all of our camera gear.
- Repeater Included: This is a huge bonus as a repeater is definitely a must. Had to buy it separately with the EEZ
- Dash mount included: Both units have a very similar suction cup window mount, but the TST also comes with a rubber dashboard mount. We still use the suction cup mount, but this option is a nice addition.
Programming of the TST TPMS is very simple and TechnoRV has some great videos that go tin great detail about that.
TechnoRV's mottos is “Learn Here, Buy Here, Get Support Here”. When you purchase from them, you immediately get a “Learning Series” email crafted for each item you purchase. THIS is a really great idea. It's like they took the manual and translated it into human speak. Very easy to read and get up and running. We used that email exclusively to program the TST-507 and never had to look at the manual and it's tiny print! ?
Products in this Video
- TST 507 Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) : changinglanesrv.com…
- Vantrue N2 Pro Dual Dash Cam: amzn.to/2NPMNeQ…
- Vantrue GPS Receiver Car Suction Cup Mount: amzn.to/2QiOQEW…
- Furrion Digital Wireless Observation System (without mount): amzn.to/2xOLz9U…
- VIAIR Automatic Portable Compressor Kit (450P-RV): amzn.to/2RcsEO4…
Summary
Don't be complacent when it comes to something so important. Take care of your tires and wheels and they will take care of you.
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