Was curious - I'm sick of watching the PSI on my trailer tires at the start and end of every trip...are there any pros or cons on running trailer tires with nitrogen in them? I don't think I've ever had to air down my trailer tires so that wouldn't be a concern...not sure if there are other would-be issues though?

Any feedback?

nitrogen does not create moisture in the tires.

some places charge for that - claim it is a benifet. might be. certainly no harm for them.

I'm courious why you are doing this!!

I check mine once every six months or so with a gauge, other than that, they get the eyeball inspection. Whats going on with your tires??

I run straight nitrogen in all of my tires they do not fluctuate as much as regular air. I check mine every trip no matter what my last tires lasted over three years before I put new tires on my trailer.

Ive had 3 blow outs over the last year (was nearing 3 yr old tires), all have been replaced but I still check to ensure tire pressure is where it should be prior to leaving for my trip and upon my return. For whatever reason the psi always fluctuates...figured nitrogen would help curb that. Many motorcycle shops offer it now for bikes because the tires dont lose pressure, it just got me thinking.

Thanks Romans9

Oh, there are plenty of benefits: (1) Cool fluorescent green valve stem caps (assuming your nitrogen vendor has any marketing savvy), which will look sharp with your spinning wheel covers. (2) Bragging rights. OK, you were behind the curve with cell phones, iPods, thong underwear, etc. Nitrogen in tires is relatively new to the mass market. Now's your chance. (3) Reduced fire danger next time you land your space shuttle or commercial aircraft, and tell me you won't sleep better knowing that.

Most tires are filled with compressed air, which when dry consists of about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent other gases by volume. Water vapor (humidity) can make up as much as 5 percent of the volume of air under worst-case conditions. Filling your tires with nitrogen mainly does two things: it eliminates moisture, and it replaces skinny oxygen molecules with fat nitrogen molecules, reducing the rate at which compressed gas diffuses through porous tire walls. That means, theoretically at least, that a tire filled with nitrogen retains optimal pressure longer, leading to more uniform tire wear and better gas mileage. The commonly quoted figure is that tires inflated to 32 psi get 3 percent better mileage than at 24 psi.

Does nitrogen make any practical difference? You couldn't prove it by me. I found no scientific tests showing that nitrogen-filled tires stayed inflated longer than average under normal conditions. A car-buff buddy was sure it worked but conceded he had only anecdotal evidence that it did.

As for moisture, changes in humidity affect tire performance two ways. First, the density of humid air fluctuates more with temperature than that of dry air, so removing humidity can keep your tire pressure more consistent, especially when the temperature climbs over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That may be a legitimate concern in Formula One racing, but it's not much of an issue if you're just tooling around town.

Humidity can also be a factor in wheel maintenance - since pure nitrogen doesn't have moisture in it, supposedly your wheels won't rust as quickly, which could lead to improved wheel performance and air sealing. The question is, how big a problem is wheel rust these days? According to a few tire and wheel shops we contacted, not very. Seriously rusted wheels are uncommon in typical steel-wheeled cars, and many high-performance cars have alloy wheels that don't rust at all. One exception is work vehicles such as dump trucks, which are exposed to a much harsher environment.

Another claim I've seen is that since nitrogen is slightly lighter than air, you'll save weight and get better performance. However, we're talking about a weight difference of less than 4 percent of the gas in the tire - in other words, a difference of less than an ounce for most vehicles. A possibly more realistic benefit is that nitrogen is largely inert chemically at low (i.e., normal) temperatures, so it won't attack the rubber in your tires like oxygen does. Oxygen attack is something both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Ford Research have studied, and can be a problem for tires used for a long time or in rough conditions.

More important, nitrogen doesn't support combustion, which is one reason aircraft and the space shuttle use nitrogen in their tires. The wisdom of this precaution was brought home by the crash of Mexicana Airlines flight 940 on March 31, 1986. Shortly after the Boeing 727 took off from Mexico City en route to Puerto Vallarta, an overheated landing-gear brake caused a tire improperly filled with air instead of nitrogen to overheat as well and explode, rupturing fuel and hydraulic lines. The ensuing fire and crash killed 167 passengers and crew. However, unless your driving habits are of the X-treme variety, the chances of your tires catching fire anytime soon are slim.

Overall, filling up with nitrogen won't hurt and may provide some minimal benefit. Is it worth it? If you go to some place like Costco that does it for free with new tires, sure, why not? Elsewhere, though, I've seen prices quoted as high as $10 per tire, which is way more than Id pay. Rather than shell out for nitrogen, you'd be better off just checking and adjusting your tire pressure regularly, something the NHTSA says less than 60 percent of U.S. motorists actually do

No matter what you put in them you still need to check them as often as possible. I check them with a gauge before and after every trip. And during gas fillups and food stops I look at them from the front or rear to see if one is buldging on the bottom more than another.

The most common reason for a blow out is lack of air pressure. And even though you left home after checking all the air, when you run tires close together like on trailers & 5'vers the front one can spit up a nail or screw and line it up just right for the next tire in sequence to recieve the puncture while you are busy driving. Now that tire starts to loose air pressure with out you even knowing. If you are able to catch it when you stop for gas or whatever you can save yourself a big head ache. I have caught 3 of them before they blew on the hwy. If you aren't checking and don't catch it then as you drive the pressure drops, the traction increases, and the temps start to rise. Then all of the sudden "BANG". Sound familiar? Now all the sudden it's a defective tire?

I can't tell you how many customers have come back into my shop holding a tire carcas ready to tear me a new one. When I take a good look at it and find a nail in the tread. Happens all the time. So "CHECK YOUR AIR PRESSURES PEOPLE!"

Lemme guess...

Carslie tires???

What kinna/size trailer? What kinna/size tires? Nitrogen aint gonna solve your problem!!!

I also check mine every trip as well usually drops a pound or 2.Only takes a minute

Dave you should check your tires before you leave your house and before you leave Glamis. who care what there are once you are home you made it there I heard Nit. is a bigger molecule so it doesn't leak out as easy. Also you will have different pressures when you check at the house then when you get to G. Once you run that tire the pressure will go up from heat. If you get them filled up and need a top off I keep my tank in the enclosed trailer for our shocks if you ever need some. If you want to do the swap out come get my tank and just refill it when you are done.