How to avoid Tire Valve Stem failures

 I received a question:

"I pull a 27 foot travel trailer with dual axles and carry two spare tires and I needed both of them. One is on the bumper and the other is on an under-mount. I do not use a TPMS because we had one and had issues with valve stem leakage.'

I have responded to similar questions and provided links to one or more of the dozen posts I have made in this blog on the topic of "Tire Valves".

I guess that some folks did not check these resources, so here is what I hope is a comprehensive reply to the issue of tire valve failure when TPM sensors are attached to standard rubber stems.

If you had problems with valve stem leaking, then it is most likely that you were using the "low-cost" rubber stems intended for passenger car tires, like a TR413 as seen here:

TPMS external sensors screw on the end of the stems, and while they are not very heavy, that extra bit of weight does result in vibration, which can result in the fatigue failure of the rubber stem as seen here.

Here is an example of the movement of a rubber stem with an external:flow-thru" TPMS.

 

There are some rubber valves called "Hi-Press" as they are "rated" for 80 psi.
Here is a short video showing a FAILED TR800HP valve stem.

[video width="406" height="720" mp4="https://www.rvtravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/3-HP-rubber-valve-fail-due-to-TPM-sensor.mp4"][/video]

Here is a comparison of a few different stems.

From the left, we see a TR800HP that some call "Hi Press", next a TR413, then TR416 and TR435, which are both "bolt-in" stems and will not vibrate and fail due to flexing. Note: I placed pennies under 3 of the stems to raise the shoulders for them all to the same level for the picture. I wanted the comparison to be as if the valves were at the same level in the wheel.

Auto Zone has TR416 bolt-in stem Part # 20128 SKU #582043 at $6.99 for 2.

O'Reilly stores carry Part # 15-4559-2   1" chrome Tire Valves" - Fits Rim Hole Diameters of 0.438" and 0.625 Inch. The list price is $7.49 for 2.

Many other auto parts stores carry similar "bolt-in" stems

Some Aluminum wheels have a deep recess for the valve, as seen in this picture.

I understand that some Airstream RVs and some Ford vehicles have this type of bolt-in valve. It is a  "Dill-VS-902-W" and can be found with a quick Internet search for $2.50 to $6.50. I have read reports that some "Discount Tire" stores have or can get these Dill stems.

NOTE: There are 2 different hole diameters in the wheels. Most ST tires and LT tires will come on wheels with the smaller 0.375" dia hole.  The larger 0.625 gasket will not fit in the smaller hole. Both parts listed above show both sizes of rubber grommets. Select the appropriate size for your wheels.

This shows the two different grommets, so its pretty hard to get the wrong one. It is a light press fit or even "slide-in' fit into the hole in the wheel.

Special Caution. All of these "Bolt-In" valve stems need to be tightened to 25 - 45 INCH- POUNDS, so don't over-do it.

I believe that if you switch to "Bolt-In" stems, you will avoid the vibration failure of the stems. I always use "bolt-in stems" in my race cars and on my RVs and trailers and have never had a stem failure.

Basic question. "What tires do I need?"

 There seems to be some confusion on tire selection for RV applications. As a Tire Design Engineer with over 45 years of experience. I would like to offer some basic advice as not everyone has worked with tires or RVs.
First, you need to confirm the original Type, Size, and Load capacity as provided by the RV company. A Certification Label with GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating), Tire Type, Size, Load Range, and Inflation, along with the VIN and some other info, was applied according to Federal Law to all vehicles sold. Since about 2004 Class-As have had the label near the driver's Left Elbow. It may be on the floor or the interior wall of the motorhome. Class B and Class C would have the label on the "B" pillar, AKA Door Jam. Towables had the label applied to the Outside, Driver side front 1/4 of the RV length.
Tire Type (identified by letter before the numbers in the tire size) could be "LT", such as LT235/80R16, or "ST", such as ST205/70R15, or "P", such as P235/75R15 or have no letters in front of the numbers, such as 345/80R22.5.
Tire Size is ALL the numbers such as 235/75R15 or 295/80R22.5 or 195/75R15
Load Range is a letter such as "C", "D", or "E" on Class-C RV. letters "C" & "D" are most likely found on Class B or Van type motorhomes. ST type tires on trailers will most likely have the letters C, D or E. Class-A Motorhomes probably have the letters starting with E, F or G and can go on up to H or J. Some smaller trailers may have "P" type tires with the inflation number on the tire in the 30's and up to 50 psi if they also have "XL" as part of the tire size nomenclature.

An important bit of information you need to have is a truck scale reading when the RV is fully loaded (all the water, food, clothes, toys, fuel, and other "stuff" etc, you expect to carry.) The scale reading should NEVER exceed the GAWR found on your Certification label. That weight should also be below 95% of the "Max Load" shown on the tire sidewall or found on the Certification Label.
Example if GAWR is 4,400# which is the max on that axle then the scale reading for the 2 tires on that axle should be no greater than .95X4,400 or 4,180# for the 2 tires or 2,090# for each tire. Hopefully, the tire "Max Load" number molded on the tire sidewall is greater than 2,090#. Actual load should ALWAYS be lower than the GAWR and ALWAYS be lower than MAX Load specified on the tire when fully inflated.

TPMS or Tire Pressure Monitor System. Good ones run $300 and up, depending on the number os tires you should monitor. Some folks say, "I check inflation at every fuel or rest stop. That's good to do, but I bet you drive a lot more miles down the road than you do while in a fuel stop or rest area and clearly you are more likely to get a puncture while driving than while you are stopped.

If you ask people who have had a tire failure because of a puncture, ask them what the total cost was in time and money for them to replace the punctured tire.