Solar and other power options?

[BobW9]

Note that for heavy vehicles like our RV's, a general rule of thumb is replace all tires every 6 years, even if they look new.

The rubber in tires does age and you can get a flat while driving even if they look new (they heat up as you drive and pressure gets higher, and the old rubber fails). If a tire goes flat or comes apart while driving not only can you have an accident if you lose control, but it can damage your wheel well. The previous owner of my Concourse had that happen in the right rear, and it chewed up the fiberglass around the edges (neither he nor I ever fixed it, too expensive for it to be worth it, at least to me who doesn't care about looks much).

Check the date of manufacture on each tire (including the inside rears) and if they are near or over 6 years, you should seriously consider buying 6 new tires (always change all at the same time). Also note when you buy new tires you should check the dates, because if they are not a brand that is selling well (or on sale, which often means they aren't selling well), they could already be a year or more older when you purchase them - and the 6 years limit starts when they are made, not when you buy!

If one tire is losing air, I'd say check for leaks in the valves. If the tires are at about the same pressure, then it seems to me something else is happening (what are the chances they all have the same slow leak in their valves?).

[chin_k]

I don't think the tire pressure should be 80 psi. You may want to check the expected pressure. A lot of tire shop mistakenly pressurized the dually as if they are the single tire. Dually E350 has a lower pressure for the tire in the back than the 4 wheeled singles.

[chin_k]

I checked the label by the driver side door and the pressure for the from is 65 psi, and the dually is 60 psi. This is a recommendation from the Ford. Some people adjust the pressure according to the loading by weighting the rig on a scale and use tire manufacturer's chart. I do not think it should be anywhere close to 80 psi unless you want to feel every cracks and sand on the road.

[Paul&Stefi]

Thank you I decreased the pressure to 60. Didn't see the tire label on the driver door side. I will have to check the date on the tires. It was really cold lately so I think that was part of the problem.

[daltonbourne]

To upgrade a solar RV requires a certain amount of solar energy. I use the appliance energy approach to determine my RV's solar requirements and see how much solar I need for my RV? All electrical equipment has an energy rating expressed in watts and amps. You'll want to check each device's watt-hour rating and list them down. Next, it is important to determine how many hours you plan to operate each piece of equipment. Multiply each appliance's wattage rating by the number of hours the device will be in use.