Air-down trailer as well?

[old_man]

I have air bags that I air down for washboard roads, and sometimes if it is really bad, I do the tires as well. Offroad, since the trailer is light, has shocks and air bags, I rarely air down the tires.

Shocks are well worth the money on a trailer if you don't want it bouncing around and beating itself to death.

 

[ArkansasDon]

No I do not air down my trailer tires, on my Dinoot M Series adventure trailer I installed shocks (1st 2 pic's) I run 45lbs in General Grabber AT 2 215x75Rx15" , or my current new built Runaway Range Runner I just finished the suspension & install shocks also to this square drop trailer today (last 2 pic's) I run 45lbs in General Grabber ATX 235x75Rx15. I see no need to "for me" this will help to manage the axle spring movement & providing a smoother ride on those dirt roads & trails.
I carry a portable on-board compressor for deflate & inflate for my truck tire 265x75Rx16 Cooper AT Discorvery 2's

 

[Rick&Dog]

Thanks folks. Good to know. I took the beast for a quick ride this morning and drove the road with full air in the trailer tires. When I opened the trailer it looked like it had been pick upside down and shaken like a martini. We then air them down to 25lbs and drove back the road we came in on. What a difference in the tow feel. Much smoother, and when we stopped to air back up the trailer was hardly shaken at all. I guess the answer is pretty clear. if I want to make smoothies in the frig while going over bumpy roads, don't air down. Otherwise, its smart and effective to air down the trailer too. And it took less than 5 minutes to air back up including getting out the Viair and hooking it up, and putting it away too !!

 

[ProtonDecay]

Can there be a third life to this thread? Hoping so. My first question is, air down the trailer in sand, or not? Second question is, how about steeps, like >14 degrees?

Our rig is a 6k lb single Timbren running on 265/70R17 KO2s. Huge benefit to airing down on rocks, washboard and gravel, but unsure on sand and steep grades.

Is the increased rolling resistance from airing down in sand offset by the additional float? My experience is mixed, and I'm leaning toward no, that drive tires benefit, but trailer tires drag more easily when aired down. Thoughts?

On steeps we lose traction on USFS roads at around 14 degrees without airing down. Going up the road to Kavanaugh Ridge we had a tougher than usual time after airing down from 77lbs to 50lbs psi, and I am thinking the increased rolling resistance was the reason. Thoughts?

Is there any objective data on this, or are we mainly going by personal experience and asking on forums like this?

 

[Alanymarce]

Reasons I air-down my trailer:

1) Protects the tires from puncture on trails.

2) Reduces bounce. (I've had my Turtleback on one wheel a couple times... not a good feeling.)

3) Increases "float" for sand and mud terrains.

Most of the answers discuss airing down for uneven surfaces/rocky trails. Point 3 here is also important - if you're in deep soft sand then there's no point in airing down your tow vehicle if you don't air down the trailer, otherwise you're towing a plough.

 

[David_561cfd]

When you are taking a trailer off-road do you guys air down your trailer tires as well?

I've heard this can be detrimental as it will add to trailer sway back and forth.

I've got heavier duty trailer tires on my trailer so they have a nice stiff sidewall to prevent the side to side movement.

I go down some pretty rough roads and trails with my 2 quads and camping gear on my trailer. In the first part of my trail I'm going pretty fast in 4Hi... then I'm into 4Lo and crawling over rocks and stuff. It's not as bad as it sounds... for someone that is used to doing a bit of wheeling it's pretty straightforward stuff with no risk of body damage other than minor small brush scrapes.

What is everyone's thoughts?

(I've added a poll)

DEPENDS ON TERRIAN