Tire presure and question on battery

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noel
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Joined: July 6th, 2016, 11:43 am

Tire presure and question on battery

Post by noel »

Newbie with 2002 Destiny on 2001 Chevy 1 ton express van body. Just weighed front (3.860) and rear (7,220) axles. Full, gas, propane and water. Empty holding tanks. Need advice on tire pressure front and rear.
Drove 50 miles yesterday. Battery read 12.70. Today battery reads 12.55. Do I have a battery drain? Thanks for any suggestions?
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kdarling
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Location: Northern NJ

Re: Tire presure and question on battery

Post by kdarling »

Hello and welcome!

After you parked from your trip, was everything turned off? There will still be a drain because of things like the CO detector. That's what the solar panel is supposed to help counteract.

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As for tire pressure, see this previous post:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=35&p=130&hilit=tir ... chart#p130

What kind of tires? There is likely a similar chart from the manufacturer.

Kev
1994 Concourse dinette, Ford 7.5L (460 V8)
noel
Posts: 21
Joined: July 6th, 2016, 11:43 am

Re: Tire presure and question on battery

Post by noel »

Thanks for your response. Battery this morning read 12.52. I don't consciously have anything on for battery drain. Have manual disconnect if necessary.
Michelin. The previous owner used 50/55 while towing. I don't plan to tow but was thinking 60/65 after coach is fully loaded for camping. Is that too much? Thanks again
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Blue~Go
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Re: Tire presure and question on battery

Post by Blue~Go »

As mentioned in other post(s), tire pressure is all about the actual weight on them (axles) and the inflation chart provided by the manufacturer (although I think that all tires of the same size/load range. basically have the same recommendation). I think the link kdarling provided will show the Michelin chart.

Just to note: The maximum pressure shown on the sidewalls is just that, the maximum pressure. You would only want to inflate to that amount if you had the tires maxed out (which you likely won't). And the door sticker is just a "thought," based on what Chinook thought your weight might be (which it very well may not be).

So, the way to set the pressure is to weigh your rig, then divide the total of each axle's weight by the number of tires on that axle. Put that number into the chart and inflate to that level. Or vary to your taste but at least you know what it "should" be.

Scale weights are very good to have for other reasons as well.
1999 Concourse
A Rooney
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Re: Tire presure and question on battery

Post by A Rooney »

The funny thing about electrical/ battery questions here and elsewhere is that frequently,one frequently gets part of a story,and can only guess as to what's going on.NOt knowing I can only comment..I believe many people buy there rigs find that the batteries may have been improperly cared for,And hold a charge accordingly.Batteries tend to hold a surface charge after charging say by alternator,solar...that surface voltage disguises the true state of your batteries charge,to remove that surface charge,you can apply a brief high load,(thus load testers)or let the battery sit for a day without charging.My belief is that stock chinook electrical systems are not optimal to maintain a healthy battery,therefore I believe that people who rely solely on those systems may find over time their batteries performance deteriorates faster then specified by the battery manufacturer.Though there may be a real issue with your rig other than this,I cannot comment....Rooney
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Blue~Go
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Re: Tire presure and question on battery

Post by Blue~Go »

A Rooney wrote:My belief is that stock chinook electrical systems are not optimal to maintain a healthy battery,therefore I believe that people who rely solely on those systems may find over time their batteries performance deteriorates faster then specified by the battery manufacturer.
I heartily agree. Not that Chinook was any kind of slouch, but (like many RVs) they designed for driving from hookup to hookup, and plus with the technology of the day (and the RV day is often a bit behind, say, the boating day). Expecting those systems to work well now - especially on AGM or even lithium batteries, boondocking, etc. - well.... it can work for awhile, but I think that's just with batteries living on borrowed time. And then... "gee, these batteries just don't last!"

It takes some amount of money and effort to implement a system that is designed with current-day knowledge and for one's particular use (maybe you do go hookup to hookup, maybe you boondock some, or maybe you boondock exclusively). But a well-thought-out modern system tailored to one's use (or uses) is the way to go, IMO. Of course the more narrow your range of use types, the easier this is; but even an "all around" system can be improved upon. Then learn to take care of the batteries and keep track of what's happening with your system/balance.

The opposite way can work too: Buy cheap, flooded batteries and expect to replace them every year or so. That wouldn't work for my use case, but could be the way to go for some, and especially if knowing that's your choice, vs. just having the batteries mysteriously die when you aren't expecting them to, and then being disappointed.
1999 Concourse
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