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Checking Tire Air Pressure Before Every Haul

This as well! It’s such a habit I don’t even think about it. Walk around and look at all the tires. Is the tread separating? Any bubbles in the sidewalls?

Touch the tires/wheels/hub (if you can, it may have a decorative cover.). If any of that is blazing hot, you’ve got some kind of problem.

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I did find this one on eTrailer that says it can do it. Looks like it uses the truck battery directly.

https://www.etrailer.com/p-BDW41000.html 2

I have a similar one to this and it is a royal pain in the butt. First of all, if the truck is hitched to the trailer, the compressor hose doesn’t actually reach the trailer tires, so you have to unhitch and turn the truck around so the nose faces the tires. Secondly you have to open the hood of the truck and reach the battery- a pain if you are short or have short arms like me. Third, at least on mine, the tire pressure gauge on the thing doesn’t work very well so you have to keep pulling the chuck off the valve and checking the pressure and then re-hooking it back up. Mine is the Viair and it wasn’t cheap but I just hate using it.

The only good part is it’s very powerful and can inflate truck or trailer tires quite rapidly. I’m super interested to see if this works: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081GBXWYT/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_3?smid=A1RQXVS65O6MAA&psc=1

I already have the batteries and if it works then it would be super easy.

I’ll check for the brand tonight. I believe it came from Harbor Freight Tools - intended for trucks - extra long power cord and higher PSI.

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I have a ViAir pump that’s worked well for me and I also bought what’s basically an extension cord for the 12V power connection to the truck that allows me to reach the trailer tires while I’m hitched. The most important thing is to overbuy the compressor rating - if your trailer tires take 65 PSI, don’t buy a model with a 65 PSI max, buy higher so you aren’t stressing the compressor.

Since I check pressure regularly (although not every haul), I’ve never had to had more than 3-5 PSI to a tire, and that’s usually after the first hard cold snap of the year.

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I have a ViAir 88p that attaches to your truck battery. I have a 2H BP trailer and it has plenty of power for my trailer and truck tires. They make more powerful models as well. I’ve had it for 4 years and it seems pretty reliable. However it does have two issues that another user mentioned, which is that the air hose is not really long enough and that the pressure gauge on the compressor itself is not accurate while the compressor is running (although it’s fine when the compressor is turned off). I always check/fill my tires before I hook up - so I park head in to my trailer and fill the tires if needed, then turn around and hook up. I’ve also pretty much figured out how long the compressor needs to run to add a few psi so I have a lot less turning it on/off to check the pressure.

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one can use an Infrared temperature gun to take readings also

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I use a Dewalt 20v inflator. Uses the same batteries as my Dewalt tools, easily portable, with a built-in air pressure digital gauge and auto shut off. I just walk it to each tire and air up. No worry about long fragile cords.

https://www.dewalt.com/product/dcc020ib/20v-max-cordedcordless-air-inflator

I also keep a torque wrench in the tack room and, after removing a wheel, check my lug nuts at 50 miles, 200 miles, and periodically thereafter.

greys

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Thank you everyone for your recommendations and cautions about air compressors for trailer tires, greatly appreciated!!

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And thanks everyone for all the thoughts and posts. I’m so glad I started this thread and love this shared community.

AND, what about checking lug nuts? Just last night at dinner w horse friend who is an overnight motel for horse travelers she was talking about various visitors and their stories of tires COMING OFF while driving! I’ve never checked my lug nuts.

And for whoever asked? This thread is open to all rabbit holes. Any related topic any question sounds good to me.

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That problem can be caused by the studs snapping, too. Just checking the lug nuts doesn’t make that aspect bullet proof.

Tight turns with trailers stress the axles and the studs, so it’s possible.

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What are studs?

Use a torque wrench to check your lug nuts, and tighten to the specific number required by your trailer/wheel manufacturer. Using a long high-leverage breaker bar to really tighten down on the nuts can exceed the required torque and stress/snap those studs. (Studs are the threaded bolts that the lug nuts screw on to.)

As I mentioned above, I keep a torque wrench in my trailer’s tack room as part of its regular traveling kit. They’re not terribly expensive and well worth the peace of mind.

greys

The bolts that stick out that you hang the tire on, then tighten the lug nuts to…

Probably a habit I should get into. Mine is brand new and barely used but going forward I definitely will if it hasn’t been used for a few weeks! There’s a big compressor in the shed I can use.

I do carry a tire pressure gauge in the truck (not sure if it goes to trailer tyre pressures though), and I also have a portable compressor that hooks up to the truck battery. That’s put the truck tires from beach pressures back to highway pressures in a couple minutes each so I expect would do trailer tyres too. Part of the reason I bought it was so I didn’t get stuck for something so simple as tire pressure!

I do check the truck tires every few weeks, and definitely if I’m going to be hauling alot over a weekend.

Dumb question … but I’m assuming a gas station compressor would also work to fill trailer tires? (Although I can already anticipate having nightmares over pulling into a gas station with trailer in tow then trying not to get myself stuck or impede traffic somehow…)

I just picked up a RYOBI ONE+ 18V Lithium-Ion Cordless Power Inflator Kit with 1.5 Ah Battery and 18V Charger as I am new trailer owner, and this thing is worth every cent. We are hauling a short distance to a new barn on Thursday, and I was able to check my tires yesterday. A couple needed just a couple PSI to get back to the recommended inflation and it was quick and easy!

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Yes, the gas station ones do work/are powerful enough to get to 80psi - assuming you can get next to it. The only reason I know this is because I had to take my trainer’s 4 horse - head to head to pick up my horse at the University since he couldn’t get on my step up trailer with his leg wrapped from above the hock down. The small air compressor at the barn crapped out on tire number 4 and there was one gas station a few miles from the barn that I knew I could get in and out of with that giant rig! That was a fun way to spend a whole weekend.

@PonyApocalypse19 this has not been my experience, at least not for the ones around here. They max out around 45-50psi.

This place had actual semi truck diesel pumps - so it was more truck stop like. Not a super huge place. So that probably played a role. I wonder if truck stop ones are higher rated to cater to everyone?

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Good point, the ones I’ve seen are at non-truck stop stations. The smaller ones can’t even get my truck tires to pressure!