Motorhome Tyre Pressures: Manufacturer vs Dealer Advice
Hello to all fellow travellers – from weekend motorhome/caravan enthusiasts to seasoned Schengen shufflers. Recently, I came across an interesting discussion on another forum regarding the recommended tyre pressures for motorhomes. The manufacturer had suggested a pressure of 43 psi, yet the dealer recommended a significantly higher range of 65-70 psi. This notable discrepancy prompted a question to all readers:
So, what do people do – follow the manufacturer or dealer?
To my surprise, many respondents indicated that they followed neither recommendation. Instead, they tended to adjust their motorhome tyre pressures based on what suited them best at the time or according to the circumstances. Adjustments were made for a softer or firmer ride, for what seemed appropriate for the motorhome’s weight at the time, to potentially extend tyre life, or even to eke out a little extra fuel economy.
Frankly, I was astonished – or to put it more bluntly, gobsmacked – by these responses. After all, motorhomes are not just standard cars if there is such a thing. They are often heavy, sizeable vehicles, sometimes travelling at speeds of 60 mph or more and covering substantial distances. Such variations in tyre pressure could, in my view, significantly increase the risk of an accident, with the potential for injury or worse.
Perhaps I am old-fashioned, but I have always believed – and have passed this advice on to my two daughters, both of whom are members of this club and tow twin-axle caravans – that there are only two things that stop your vehicle: ‘tyres and brakes’. Ignoring the manufacturer’s recommended pressures, in my opinion, places an unnecessary demand on the vehicle tyres, which again simply in my ‘opinion’ could be dangerous. Or is this simply an outdated way to think about tyres or respective pressures?
I would be very interested to hear the views of other fellow motorhome and caravan owners alike on this simple, but what I consider an important question:
So, what do people do – follow the manufacturer or dealer tyre pressures?
On a footnote - Over the past five years, my wife and I have been fortunate and privileged to reside and work in Germany. This opportunity not only enriched our lives culturally but also influenced our lifestyle choices, particularly our transition from caravanning to motorhoming, which began some four years plus ago.
Drawing from my experience, I can state with some confidence that a significant proportion of serious autobahn accidents involving motorhomes—regardless of their weight or construction—are subject to thorough examination. Whether or not the conditions or tyres are deemed a contributing factor, each aspect is reviewed carefully when determining responsibility.
Anyone familiar with the German judicial system will recognise that The German Road Traffic Act (Straßenverkehrsgesetz, or stVG) is particularly stringent in defining the rights and obligations of all road users, ensuring that responsibility is meticulously established in the event of an incident.
So, what do people do – follow the manufacturer or dealer tyre pressures?
Comments
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From following this debate over the years on different forums I suspect the decision is not helped by the two main makers of motorhome tyres, Michelin and Continental seemingly offering different advice. Michelin seem to suggest going for the maximum recommended pressures on the rear axle but Continental seem more flexible by following weight guidelines as a way of deciding what pressues. I agree that you shoud go with the recommedations assuming there is no alternative advice.
David
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I would establish the weight of the loaded van and axle weights and follow the tyre manufacturer's recommendation.
Dealers often don't know the right way of anything. Manufacturer - which, the base vehicle manufacturer or the MH converter? Neither will know the exact circumstances of your use.
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The manufacturer should always be better qualified to give advice than the dealer. That said, there can be some justification in increasing tyre pressures above the manufacturer’s recommendation because it can reduce fuel consumption slightly if the tyres are inflated more, but on the other hand it can also result in uneven tyre wear. However, one should never reduce the tyre pressure below the manufacturer’s recommendation.
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In the event of a random check, or an accident, I would expect the tyre pressures listed in the motor home or caravan manufacturers handbook to be the definitive statement in any apportion of blame. Not the dealer, or the chassis manufacturer, or even the tyre manufacturer. The motorhome/caravan maker and the chassis maker and possibly the tyre maker (via load/speed charts) should have got together to produce a recommended pressure based on the intended use as envisaged by the motorhome/caravan maker. The 'correct' tyres will have a load and speed rating, that can be duplicated when changing the tyres for a different make, and the original handbook pressures would be considered correct. Some tyre recommendations will have a C rating, for commercial, and that would need to be followed for replacements. Those tyres generally have a higher pressure than the same size car tyre. @peedee, agree, but this is exactly what the manufacturer should have done for the handbook.
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