Tiffin Motorhomes 2011 Phaeton, Owner'S Manual

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R O U T I N E M A I N T E N A N C E
14-14
Safety First-Basic Tire Maintenance
Properly maintained tires improve the steering, stopping, traction, and load-carrying capability of your
vehicle. Under-inflated tires and overloaded vehicles are a major cause of tire failure. Therefore, as
mentioned above, to avoid flat tires and other types of tire failure, you should maintain proper tire
pressure, observe tire and vehicle load limits, avoid road hazards, and regularly inspect your tires.
Finding Your Vehicle’s Recommended Tire Pressure and Load Limits
Tire information placards and vehicle certification labels contain information on tires and load limits.
These labels indicate the vehicle manufacturer’s information including:
•
Recommended tire size
•
Recommended tire inflation pressure
•
Vehicle capacity weight (VCW—the maximum occupant and cargo weight a vehicle is designed
to carry)
•
Front and rear gross axle weight ratings (GAWR—the maximum weight the axle systems are
designed to carry)
For motor homes: Both placards and certification labels are on a sticker that is located in the rear closet.
Understanding Tire Pressure and Load Limits
Tire inflation pressure is the level of air in the tire that provides it with load-carrying capacity and affects
the overall performance of the vehicle. The tire inflation pressure is a number that indicates the amount of
air pressure—measured in pounds per square inch (psi)—a tire requires to be properly inflated. (You will
also find this number on the vehicle information placard expressed in kilopascals (kPa), which is the
metric measure used internationally).
Vehicle manufacturers determine this number based on the vehicle’s design load limit, that is, the greatest
amount of weight a vehicle can safely carry and the vehicle’s tire size. The proper tire pressure for your
vehicle is referred to as the “recommended cold inflation pressure.” (As you will read below, it is difficult
to obtain the recommended tire pressure if your tires are not cold.)
Because tires are designed to be used on more than one type of vehicle, tire manufacturers list the
“maximum permissible inflation pressure” on the tire sidewall. This number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.
Checking Tire Pressure
It is important to check your vehicle’s tire pressure at least once a month for the following reasons:
•
Most tires may naturally lose air over time