What Tyre Pressure Should Caravans Run? (Complete Guide for Safe Towing)

Getting caravan tyre pressure right is one of the biggest safety factors in towing, and one of the most misunderstood. Too much and the van rides hard, grips less and wears the centre of the tread. Too little and the sidewalls flex, heat builds, and that's how tyres fail.

So, what tyre pressure should caravans run?

It depends on the van's weight, the tyres fitted, their load rating and the roads you're on. This guide covers the typical ranges, how load changes things, how to check properly, and how to keep an eye on your tyres once you're moving.

Calculate your caravan tyre pressure

Typical caravan tyre pressure ranges

Most modern caravans run between 45 and 65 PSI, with the exact figure coming down to the tyre fitted and the weight it's carrying. Heavier vans on high load-rated tyres may sit closer to 70 PSI. Smaller camper trailers often run lower.

The safest starting point is always the tyre manufacturer's recommendation or the pressure on the caravan's compliance plate. Everything else is an adjustment from there.

Common caravan tyre pressure ranges

• Light camper trailers40 to 50 PSI
• Mid-size caravans50 to 60 PSI
• Heavy touring caravans60 to 70 PSI

Why correct tyre pressure matters when towing

Tyre pressure changes how the van behaves behind you. Get it wrong and you'll see it in handling, tyre wear and, worst of all, heat.

Underinflation is the dangerous one. When pressure drops, the sidewall flexes more with every rotation. That flex creates heat inside the tyre, and heat is what breaks tyres down. Keep going and you're looking at a blowout on the highway with two and a half tonnes behind you.

Overinflation is less dramatic but still costs you. A smaller contact patch means less grip, more vibration through the suspension and a van that skips around on rough surfaces.

Get the pressure right and you get:

• Longer tyre life
• A more stable, predictable tow
• Better fuel economy
• Tyres that stay cool under load
• A far lower chance of a failure on the road

For what happens when it goes wrong, read How to prevent caravan tyre blowouts.

How load affects caravan tyre pressure

Weight is the biggest input. As the load goes up, the pressure needs to go up with it, because the tyre has to hold its shape while carrying more. Too little pressure under a heavy van piles heat and stress onto the tyre carcass.

That's why how you pack matters. Full water tanks, extra batteries, the second fridge, the kids' bikes and two weeks of food all add up quickly, and a lot of vans leave home well over the weight they were set up for.

Before a long trip, put the van over a weighbridge. Knowing your real loaded weight is the single best thing you can do to get pressures right. Then use our caravan tyre pressure calculator to turn that number into a cold starting pressure.

Why tyre pressure changes while driving

Tyres warm up as they roll, and warm air takes up more space. A rise of a few PSI over the first hour is completely normal. It's also why you always set pressures cold, before you drive. A hot reading isn't your baseline.

What's not normal is one tyre behaving differently to the rest. A tyre that's losing pressure while the others are climbing has a slow leak. A tyre that's running much hotter than its mate on the same axle is under strain, or the brake is dragging. You can't see either of those from the driver's seat.

That's the reason so many caravan owners now run a TPMS. It's the only way to know what your tyres are doing while you're towing.

How to check caravan tyre pressure properly

It's simple, but it has to be done right:

• Check when the tyres are cold, before you've driven that day
• Use a gauge you trust, not the one on a servo air hose
• Start from the manufacturer's recommendation
• Adjust for the weight you're actually carrying
• Look over each tyre for cuts, cracking, uneven wear and anything stuck in the tread

A manual check is essential before every trip. Just remember it's a snapshot. It tells you where the tyres were in the driveway, not what's happening 300 km down the road.

For a proper comparison, read TPMS vs manual tyre pressure checks.

Monitoring caravan tyre pressure while driving

A tyre pressure monitoring system gives you live pressure and temperature for every tyre on the car and the van, all day. If one starts dropping or heating up, you know straight away, not when you feel the van start to sway.

SAVR does this without adding another screen to your dash. The sensors screw onto the valves, and the readings come through the app on your phone or straight onto Apple CarPlay. If a tyre goes outside its limits, SAVR tells you out loud through the car stereo. You keep your eyes on the road.

Final thoughts

Correct tyre pressure is one of the simplest things you can get right on a caravan, and one of the most important. Know your real weight, set the pressures cold, and check them before every trip.

Then, once you're moving, keep watching. That's the bit a gauge can't do for you.