What's proper tire pressure on trailer?

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I just bought and assembled a cheap folding trailer from a H****R F*****T store.



The trailer itself weighs something like 350 pounds and the maximum cargo capacity is about 1150 pounds.



It has 12" tires, and it says on the side wall that the maximum load is 785 pounds and the maximum pressure is 62psi.



Am I supposed to inflate to 62psi to get the 1150 pounds of cargo capacity or do I need some less pressure?



I am asking the question, because on a car, just because the tire says maximum pressure of 45psi doesn’t mean I should inflate it to 45psi. Rather I should follow the car manufacturer’s recommendation, which is anywhere from 28psi to 32 psi.



The owners manual seems to imply I should inflate to 62psi to get the maximum cargo capacity, but there is no specific mention of tire pressure.



I went to get some plywood for the trailer deck, and I had about 35psi. It still bounced around a lot when empty, but it rode O.K., with 3 sheets of 3/4" plywood.



Any comment?

2

Does the trailer have any shocks? I would put 50 psi in the tires for “everyday” service. Pump them up to 60 for maximum loads…Trailers have crude suspensions, if any suspension at all…So yes, they bounce around a lot…

3

You have it about right. Since the gross weight and the maximum load per tire X 2 is about the same. Empty trailer can go with 35 PSI and weight is usually guesswork, but with more weight you should keep enough pressure in the tires to keep them from coming off the wheel. So guess on the high pressure side. Caddyman just about covered it all.

I guess you already have your own air compressor.

4

Unlike passenger cars, trailers tend to be mininally adequate tirewise. So the norm is to need to use the maximum inflation pressure to carry the full payload.

In passenger cars - where ride quality is important - tires tend to be oversized a bit and use less than the rated inflation pressure of 35 psi. What is written on the sidewall of passenger car tires may (or may not) include a provision for high speed operation - so it may be different than the rated 35 psi norm for passenger car tires.