the tyres on my abi adventurer are Hankook 175r/13c . it says on tyre wall 65psi does anyone know if this is correct, the previous owner had written in handbook that pressures were 32 psi
I'm not entirely sure - and someone with greater knowledge will be along probably, but isn't the figure on the tyre the maximum that the tyre should be inflated rather than the required pressure for your vehicle. Given that those tyres could be used on many different types of vehicle the correct pressure would be as advised by the manufacturer of the vehicle???
Quote: Originally posted by arc systems on 04/6/2011
As said, the maximum pressure is to carry the tyres maximum load, in your case 730kg per tyre or 1460kg per pair.
So unless your van weighs 1460kg then the pressure will be less, at 32psi your van should weigh more or less 820kg?
my van is only a tiny 3 berth max load 850kg unladen weight 650kg
The 'formula' gives 38psi for 850kg which it what I'd expect as it becomes more and more inaccurate the further from the tyre maximums you get.
As it is, these tyres are way over the top for such a light van and because of that, the pressure chart I have does not go low enough! However I used the lowest two stated, (912kg at 36psi), figures to arrive at 32psi and the 6psi difference shows how 'out' the formula can be?
The saving grace of the formula though, which still makes it useful in the absence of more accurate data, is it is always inaccurate on the high side so relatively safe to use, albeit giving the van a harder ride than necessary
BTW, formula is total load 2 or 4 tyres can carry, divided by a single tyre pressure, times actual weight of van. (all tyres must be the same)
The easy way to find out whether your caravan tyres sit flat on the road is simply to get yourself a piece of chalk and make a chalk mark across the tyre tread. If you then roll the van along for a bit, you can see whether the chalk wears off in the middle first or at the outside edges. If it wears evenly across the tyre, the pressure isn't so far off. If it wears off first on the outside then the tyres are underinflated.
Once you have an initial figure, using the chalk test, then tow the caravan, ideally for an hour at motorway speeds. Stop at a motorway service area and immediately check the tyre pressures. If the increase from cold is more than 4psi then your tyres are running too hot and you need to put more air in. If it is less, then you can let a bit out.
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