Towing, nose weight and tyre pressure

Nose weight sits on the rear axle of the tow car. That is why some estates and SUVs print a higher rear pressure for towing. If the placard is silent, do not invent +10 psi; check the towing supplement in the handbook.

The trailer is a separate vehicle. ST or trailer tyres often live at 3.5–4.5 bar. Mixing the car placard onto a trailer is a common failure on the A303 in summer.

Check car and trailer cold, before you couple up. A loaded box on a hot afternoon is the wrong moment to discover a slow leak.

Stabiliser couplings and TPMS on the car do not monitor the trailer. Buy a second gauge.

After you unhitch, you may return to the unladen car figure if that is what the sticker says. Leaving towing pressures on an empty boot wears the centre rib.