Nitrogen For Tires (34-6)

Using nitrogen saves money, extends tire life and enhances safety on the road.

Nitrogen is a gas commonly used to inflate tires of airplanes, off-road trucks, military vehicles and race cars. Addressing inflation problems, it’s also advantageous for RVs.
Deflate Inflation Hassles
You can determine the inflation pressure of your RV by weighing each wheel to find out how much of a load each carries. Because slideouts are popular, some wheels often carry heavier loads than others. If this is the case, try inflating both tires on the same axle, to the pressure required to carry the load on the heavier side. Provincial weigh scales at highway truck inspection stations will do the trick. Truck stops, gravel pits and county dumps are also good bets.

Under-inflated tires make handling sluggish and they contribute to poor fuel economy. In Canada, this results in 640 million litres of wasted fuel annually. Goodyear maintains that a 15 percent under-inflation results in a 2.5 percent decrease in fuel economy and eight percent lower tread mileage.

Most major tire manufacturers encourage the use of nitrogen for tire inflation. Michelin supports the use of this gas, based on its superb ability to retain pressure over time. Nitrogen tends to stay in the tire, reducing the risk of under-inflation. Bridgestone/Firestone reports that tires inflated with regular, compressed air can lose 2.7 PSI per month while tires inflated with nitrogen drop only 0.7 PSI during the same period.

The most significant benefit of using nitrogen for tires is improved safety. Because nitrogen doesn’t support combustion, tire fires are avoided. Another bonus. Nitrogen is less reactive – it doesn’t corrode steel or aluminum rims.

Tire$aver to the Rescue
Manufactured by Parker Hannifin, the Tire$aver Nitrogen Generator is designed to be installed in tire shops, fleet and vehicle maintenance facilities and on mobile service trucks. Increasingly, tire retailers offer the nitrogen tire refilling service. Parker’s Canadian distributor, Drexan Corporation, supplies the system to garages and truck centres.