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Trailer and caravan tire pressure guide

# Trailer and caravan tire pressure guide

## What tire pressure should a trailer or caravan use?

There is no safe universal pressure for a trailer or caravan type. Use the trailer placard or handbook and the exact tire maker’s load-and-inflation data for the load, size, service description and operating conditions. Measure cold before towing, stay within trailer, axle, wheel and tire limits, and investigate damage or repeated pressure loss. The tire sidewall maximum is not automatically the recommended operating pressure.

## Reviewed sources

These official sources support manufacturer-specified pressure, load and pre-towing checks. They do not provide one pressure or legal rule for every trailer worldwide.

- [DVSA trailer and caravan safety checks (Great Britain)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tow-a-trailer-with-a-car-safety-checks)
- [NHTSA TireWise tire-safety guidance](https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/tires)

Checked: 2026-08-21

## Where the correct pressure comes from

Start with the trailer or caravan placard and handbook. If the specified tire has changed, obtain the exact tire maker’s load-and-inflation data and confirm the replacement with the trailer maker or a qualified tire professional. Gross trailer weight alone, tire size alone and a generic table cannot determine one safe pressure.

## Pressure and load workflow

| Step | Verify | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Identify the assembly** | Exact trailer, axle, wheel, tire size, load index, speed symbol and single/dual use. | Similar-looking tires and valves can have different requirements. |
| **Confirm the loaded condition** | Actual loaded mass, axle distribution, nose weight and every plated limit. | An acceptable total mass can still hide an overloaded axle or tire. |
| **Find the specified cold pressure** | Trailer placard/handbook first; exact tire-maker data when the fitment differs or the specification is unclear. | The sidewall maximum and tow-car door label are not substitutes for the trailer specification. |
| **Measure before towing** | Use a suitable gauge while the tires are cold and check every road wheel plus the spare. | Do not bleed a warm tire down to the cold target; recheck when cold. |
| **Respond to a discrepancy** | Repeated loss, bulge, cut, cracking, heat damage, impact, overloaded history or an uncertain valve/wheel rating. | Do not solve an unexplained condition by adding pressure. Inspect the assembly before normal towing. |

## Do not infer pressure from these shortcuts

- the pressure used by another trailer, caravan or tire size;
- the tow vehicle’s normal door-label value unless its towing section explicitly changes it;
- the tire sidewall maximum by itself;
- gross trailer weight divided by the number of tires without the exact load table and axle distribution;
- a universal rule to use full-laden pressure at every load state.

## Age and condition

Read the complete date code and follow the trailer, tire and wheel makers’ inspection and replacement policy. Storage, sunlight, standing load, pressure history, damage and maintenance all matter. Do not publish or apply one five-, seven- or ten-year replacement rule to every trailer tire; age is not a visual safety clearance either.

## Tow-vehicle pressure

Use the tow vehicle handbook or towing placard for the exact vehicle, tire and load. Some vehicles specify a towing or full-load value and others do not. A generic pressure increase can underinflate or overinflate a different vehicle.

## Trailer TPMS

A compatible system can warn about pressure or temperature change, but sensor range, valve compatibility, pressure limits, warning settings and reception depend on the exact product and trailer. TPMS does not set the correct pressure, detect every failure or replace cold checks and inspections.

## Before every towing trip

- Confirm the current load is within the trailer, axle, tow-vehicle, hitch, wheel and tire limits.
- Measure every trailer and tow-vehicle tire cold against its own manufacturer specification.
- Inspect tread and both visible sidewalls for cuts, bulges, cracking, objects or deformation.
- Check wheel fixings to the specified procedure and verify the spare, valve caps and required equipment.
- After long storage, an impact or repeated pressure loss, arrange inspection before normal towing.
- Check the rules that apply to the countries and trailer category being used; the cited DVSA checklist is specific to Great Britain.

## Limits of this guide

This page explains a verification workflow, not a pressure lookup, legal opinion or vehicle approval. The exact trailer, tow vehicle, load, axle distribution, tire, wheel, valve, speed, manufacturer documentation and jurisdiction control the result.

Related checks: [cold tire pressure](https://tirefitlab.com/learn/cold-tyre-pressure/), [tire age](https://tirefitlab.com/learn/tire-age/), [TPMS](https://tirefitlab.com/learn/tpms/), [tire inspection checklist](https://tirefitlab.com/learn/tyre-inspection-checklist/).

[Last reviewed: 2026-08-21](https://tirefitlab.com/methodology/)

Seasonal check

## Planning a long summer drive?

Use the budget and running-cost tools before a trip, especially if the current tires are worn or the replacement size changes diameter.

[Estimate tire budget](https://tirefitlab.com/tire-budget-calculator/)

## More in this topic: Ownership and maintenance

Pressure, age, wear, cost and service decisions after the tires are fitted.

- [**Tire age & DOT date code guide** How to find and decode the DOT date code on your tire sidewall to determine its manufacturing week and year, and when to replace old tires.](https://tirefitlab.com/learn/tire-age/)
- [**Tire pressure guide** What PSI should your tires be? How to find the correct pressure, what the TPMS light means, effects of over- and under-inflation, and how temperature changes pressure.](https://tirefitlab.com/learn/tire-pressure/)
- [**Cold tire pressure guide** How cold tire pressure works: the 1 PSI per 10°F (0.1 bar per 8°C) temperature rule, when to check pressure (cold only), morning vs driven-tyre readings, altitude effects, and seasonal adjustment.](https://tirefitlab.com/learn/cold-tyre-pressure/)
- [**Tire pressure for heavy loads and towing** When and how to increase tire pressure for heavy loads: XL (Extra Load) tire pressure requirements, laden vs unladen recommended pressure, adjusting rear axle pressure when towing, front vs rear axle pressure differences, and what happens when you tow on under-inflated tires.](https://tirefitlab.com/learn/tyre-pressure-load/)