14
Tire Safety Information
Tire Safety Information
1. T
IRE
S
AFETY
I
NFORMATION
This portion of the
User’s Manual contains tire safety information as required by 49 CFR 575.6.
Section 2.1 contains
“Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
- Trailer
”
.
Section 2.2 contains
“Steps for Determining Correct Load Li
mit
–
Tow Vehicle
”
.
Section 2.3 contains a Glossary of Tire Terminology
, including “cold inflation pressure”, “maximum inflation
pressure”, “recommended inflation pressure”, and other non
-technical terms.
Section 2.4 contains information from the NHTSA brochure entitled
“
Tire Safety
–
Everything Rides On It
”
.
This brochure This brochure, as well as the preceding subsections, describes the following items;
Tire labeling, including a description and explanation of each marking on the tires, and information
about the DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN).
Recommended tire inflation pressure, including a description and explanation of:
A.
Cold inflation pressure.
B.
Vehicle Placard and location on the vehicle.
C.
Adverse safety consequences of under inflation (including tire failure).
D.
Measuring and adjusting air pressure for proper inflation.
Tire Care, including maintenance and safety practices.
Vehicle load limits, including a description and explanation of the following items:
A.
Locating and understanding the load limit information, total load capacity, and cargo capacity.
B.
Calculating total and cargo capacities with varying seating configurations including quantitative examples
showing / illustrating how the vehicles cargo and luggage capacity decreases as combined number and size
of occupants’ increases. This item is also discussed in Section 3.
C.
Determining compatibility of tire and vehicle load capabilities.
D.
Adverse safety consequences of overloading on handling and stopping on tires.
1.1. S
TEPS FOR
D
ETERMINING
C
ORRECT
L
OAD
L
IMIT
–
T
RAILER
Determining the load limits of a trailer includes more than understanding the load limits of the tires alone. On all trailers
there is a Federal certification/VIN label that is located on the forward half of the left (road) side of the unit. This
certification/VIN label will indicate the trailer’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). This is the most weight the fully
loaded trailer can weigh. It will also provide the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). This is the most a particular axle
can weigh. If there are multiple axles, the GAWR of each axle will be provided.
If your trailer has a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less, there is a vehicle placard located in the same location as the
certification label described above. This placard provides tire and loading information. In addition, this placard will show
a statement regarding maximum cargo capacity. Cargo can be added to the trailer, up to the maximum weight specified on
the placard. The combined weight of the cargo is provided as a single number. In any case, remember: the total weight of
a fully loaded trailer can not exceed the stated GVWR.
For trailers with living quarters installed, the weight of water and propane also need to be considered. The weight of fully
filled propane containers is considered part of the weight of the trailer before it is loaded with cargo, and is not considered
part of the disposable cargo load. Water however, is a disposable cargo weight and is treated as such. If there is a fresh
water storage tank of 100 gallons, this tank when filled would weigh about 800 pounds. If more cargo is being
transported, water can be off-loaded to keep the total amount of cargo added to the vehicle within the limits of the GVWR
so as not to overload the vehicle. Understanding this flexibility will allow you, the owner, to make choices that fit your
travel needs.
When loading your cargo, be sure it is distributed evenly to prevent overloading front to back and side to side. Heavy
items should be placed low and as close to the axle positions as reasonable. Too many items on one side may overload a
tire. The best way to know the actual weight of the vehicle is to weigh it at a public scale. Talk to your dealer to discuss
the weighing methods needed to capture the various weights related to the trailer. This would include the weight empty or
unloaded, weights per axle, wheel, hitch or king-pin, and total weight.
