RE: [VAL] Tires

["Forrest McClure" <forrest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dave,  

I know the discussion may have made you and others nervous about tires, but 
load range E is overkill because you should not trailer with 95 lbs. of air 
in them. The owner's manual for your single axle 1960 Airstream likely 
recommends 45 lbs. pressure and that is the pressure you should stay close 
to. Just because you use a tire capable of pressurizing to 95 does not mean 
that you should. The tire will not track properly as without the load to 
flatten out the tread on the road surface an overpressurized tire will have 
a much reduced foot print and will tend to skate around. This could result 
in a jack knife should you encounter any slick surface, such as oil on the 
roadway. You can use load range E, but stay very close to the owner's manual 
recommended tire pressure. I've used E rated tires on my tow vehicle and 
found that even a slight amount of over-pressurization reduces traction and 
increases wander. Also, if the tires on your trailer are over-pressurized it 
will be rough on the trailer as none of the road shock will be absorbed by 
the tires due to the fact that there will be no flex at all in the side 
walls. That in itself can also lead to increased tire failure if the tires 
come into contact with sharp objects such as jagged rocks.  

Forrest