RE: [A/S] Yet another tire question

["Perry Joe Scudder" <perryjoe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I did not see an answer to the "Load Range" part of the question, so
here is my two cents worth on that issue. I have a 1998 34' Limited that
had load range "C" Good Years on it when I purchased it 3 years ago. I
up graded them to load range "D" when I was getting the trailer ready
for going on the Alaskan Caravan with WBCCI. I also installed the "Smart
Tire" monitoring system at the same time. I inflated the tires to the
rated pressure for Max load, 65 PSIG, I think. I set Smart Tire system
up to close to the start pressure not knowing how close they would
monitor . The only problem I have had in the 20,000+ miles sense that
setup is "low pressure warning lights" early in the morning when the
weather is below 60 degrees. This goes away as soon as the tires worm up
which takes less than 2 miles. The read out tells you the actual
pressure while the alarm is lit. I did have my alarm point set 5 PSIG
below the max pressure, and I would get an alarm at 59 PSIG. I have
sense set the alarm pressure down to 55 PSIG to stop getting the early
morning alarms. I think you would have to get a blow out from a road
hazard of some type that was an instant "hit the road hazard" and then
"be flat in 10 seconds" in order to get trailer damage from a
disintegrating tire from running a tire with low pressure with this
setup. I figured I had about $50,000 riding back there, plus potential
accident problems if I lost a tire. This told me the difference between
the load range "C" and "D" was peanuts for the extra insurance. My tires
still look like new after the 20,000+ thousand miles including the
summer in Alaska.
Of interest to some maybe, I set the tires on the 2000 GMC Sierra 2500
up the same way (Max pressure stamped on the side wall) , and found I
was wearing away the center of the tread. I reduced the pressure on the
front down to 50 PSIG instead of the 85 PSIG they were, and that seems
to have stopped the problem of center tread ware. The tires on the truck
are Firestones in an "E" Load Range. They still look good after 33,000
miles except for the damage I did with over inflation, but they will be
replaced with Michelins when the time comes. 

Joe Scudder
WBCCI 8624