Re: Storage tire pressure?
This is being made out to be much more difficult than it really is. So I'll do my best to make it even MORE confusing...<br /><br />Everyone go back and reread the first question. Zmoz talks about putting blocks under the tires. Why? I have no idea...I suppose maybe he parks on muddy ground and wants to prevent the trailer from sinking and getting stuck, which is good. Then AIK recommends putting the blocks under the axle instead of under the tires, so the tires hover, presumably to prevent flat-spots/rot, which is also a fine plan, except for the major flaw that JackL points out...very unsafe because blocks can suddenly crumble at any given moment under the weight and kill small children or crush your skull. So he appropriately recommends jack stands and scratch protection, ALSO good.<br /><br />So what should be done, if anything? What JackL says. Put REAL jackstands (NEVER concrete blocks) under the frame, or under the axle. Doesn't really matter which as long as it's securely supported near the wheels to keep weight distribution and balance similar to normal. Scratch protection is a nice addition if you care about your pretty rig. There's nothing to be afraid of, won't hurt a thing either way...the frame AND the axle are more than capable of carrying this load. And if you find they're not, you needed a new trailer anyway. <br /><br />Alternative # 2....leave the durn thing on the ground. Tens of thousands of boat trailer tires support their weight all year long, and are doing just fine. It would be wise to keep an eye on pressure, and an occasional roll-around certainly is not a bad plan.<br /><br />As for the original question, if the tires are supporting the full weight of the boat, they need to remain properly inflated to support their rated load. And if they're raised completely off the ground, it really doesn't matter if pressure is kept at 50 or 5 (I'd certainly avoid zero for fear of the beads unseating). But it seems rather senseless to me to waste time letting air out. Just ignore them when you raise them, but be sure bring them back up to 50 (or whatever they're supposed to be) before dropping the weight back down on the tires in spring.<br /><br />And I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned at all yet, the most destructive thing to tires is UV rays from the sun. So raised, lowered, flat, or pressurized won't make a hill of beans if you let the sun beat on them all winter. So the best protection you can offer your tires in the off season is to keep them out of the sun...garaged, indoors, or covered.<br /><br />Hope my essay helps clear things up a bit. And now is the designated time for others to chime in here and disagree what I've said....
Thanks for any suggestions or help.<br /><br />Matt
