Highway 24 may be only 100 miles long, but its climb from Manitou Springs to 9,000-ft Wilkerson Pass can turn a perfectly good RV tire into a blow-out risk before you’ve even spotted the Collegiate Peaks. Wondering why your cold-set 90 psi suddenly reads 95 at the summit, or how to keep tread from feathering on those sweeping curves into Buena Vista? You’re in the right campground newsletter.
Key Takeaways
• Highway 24 climbs fast, so every 1,000 feet adds about 0.5 psi to each tire
• Big temperature swings add or drop more air, making tires too hard or too soft
• Check “cold” pressure on level ground at the campground and top off before you leave
• Aim for maker’s pressure minus 5 psi at Pikes Peak RV Park; it should stay safe up the pass
• Bring a good gauge, 120-psi air compressor, and watch your TPMS on the climb
• Use Tow/Haul or low gear to save brakes and keep tire heat down
• Stop at Cascade, Woodland Park, or Lake George pull-offs to cool tires and grab photos
• Pressure falls again on the way down; add air if it drops more than 10 percent
• Load-range tires rated at least 10 percent above your axle weight run cooler and last longer
• Carry chains or tire socks—Colorado traction laws can pop up any time.
Keep reading if any of these sound familiar:
• “We can’t wrestle a spare on the shoulder—how do we stop a blow-out before it starts?”
• “Kids are napping—can I trust the TPMS or should I pull over at Lake George?”
• “Will airing down for that Instagram shot near Eleven Mile Reservoir kill my highway ride?”
In the next few minutes you’ll get altitude-smart pressure math, a 3-minute pre-climb checklist you can do right here at Pikes Peak RV Park, and GPS pins to the nearest high-pressure air stands and tire shops—all mapped to those postcard pull-offs your followers (and grandkids) can’t wait to see. Grab your gauge; the pass is waiting.
Why Highway 24 Punishes Tires
Highway 24 climbs from 6,400 feet in Manitou Springs to 9,000 feet at Wilkerson Pass before dropping into the Arkansas River valley near Buena Vista. The corridor threads steep grades, tight S-curves and surprise weather cells that dump rain or sleet with little warning, conditions documented by the Colorado Department of Transportation. Every mile of ascent reduces atmospheric pressure, allowing air inside the tire to expand at roughly 0.5 psi per 1,000 feet.
Add a 30 °F swing that often hits between late-morning sun and an afternoon thunderburst, and inflation can drift another six percent, according to NHTSA Tire Info. That pressure roller-coaster means a tire set to 90 psi on the cool banks of Fountain Creek may flirt with 96 psi near Wilkerson Pass, then nose-dive below spec as you descend toward the Arkansas River. Under- or over-inflation changes contact pattern, builds heat, and chews tread faster than a chipmunk on a pinecone.
Pre-Trip Prep Right at Pikes Peak RV Park
Start smart on level gravel. Give the tires 30 minutes to cool, then take a “true cold” reading with a gauge that measures in 0.5-psi increments. Top to the coach manufacturer’s recommended pressure plus the 1–2 psi altitude margin you’ll gain on the climb. Snowbirds with mobility limits can kneel on a padded garden mat from the camp store; three minutes now beats an hour on the shoulder later.
Next, stow a 120-psi 12-volt compressor with a screw-on chuck—many mountain gas stations max out at 90 psi. Metal valve-stem caps prevent UV-brittle leaks, and they won’t melt onto stems when brakes radiate heat after Wolf’s Corner. Finally, roll into the Woodland Park scale plaza, five miles up Ute Pass, and snag axle weights. Balance the load so no tire exceeds its rating, a practice endorsed by FMCA tire-care guidelines.
Tire Selection for Mountain Confidence
A mountain run is no place for borderline rubber. Choose a load range at least 10 percent higher than your fully loaded axle weight so sidewalls flex less and run cooler on slow climbs. All-steel radial construction resists the heat-induced squirm that shaves outer shoulders on sweeping curves above Cascade.
Because Highway 24 can switch from sun to sleet in two exits, an M+S or three-peak-mountain-snowflake tread adds bite without sacrificing highway longevity. Before that new rubber sees asphalt, ask the tech to wire-brush each wheel stud and torque to spec; proper clamping force keeps lugs tight after repeated heat cycles on the grades.
Morning Cold-Pressure Math Made Easy
Set pressures where you stand, not where you slept. A tire filled to 90 psi yesterday in Manitou Springs will read roughly 91.5 psi when you arrive at Wilkerson Pass because of altitude alone. If dawn temperatures also drop 25 °F overnight, pressure may fall about 2.5 psi, yielding a net of 89 psi—under target before the first bend. Top off that missing air right at camp, then recheck at the first pull-off to validate your math.
Safety-First Snowbirds can simplify the calculus: aim for the manufacturer’s maximum minus 5 psi when parked at Pikes Peak RV Park, and the ride will stay within spec through the climb. Weekend Family Road-Trippers should turn tire checks into a scavenger hunt—let kids call out numbers on the TPMS while you verify with a handheld gauge.
Climbing Ute Pass and Wilkerson Pass
Shift to Tow/Haul or drop a gear before the grade steepens. Engine braking limits brake heat, so thermal energy stays off wheel hubs and tire beads. Expect the TPMS to show a 3–6 psi rise in the first six miles; alarms usually trigger at 20 percent over cold, so stay calm unless you see spikes beyond that window.
Pull-offs at Cascade, the Woodland Park overlook, and Lake George picnic area let you stretch, photograph Pikes Peak and infrared-scan the tread for hotspots. Families love Memorial Park in Woodland Park: swings for the kids, shaded tables for the adult pressure check. A five-minute pause here can bleed off 15 °F of tread heat and reveal a roofing nail hiding in a shoulder groove.
Descending Into the Arkansas River Valley
Pointing downhill, slip back into a lower gear and save service brakes for minor speed trims. As altitude falls, pressure inside the tire contracts, sometimes triggering TPMS “false low” alerts. If numbers drop more than 10 percent below cold spec, pull into Badger Creek overlook—a wide, scenic turnout perfect for that Instagram panorama and a compressor top-off.
Millennial van-lifers often air down on the dirt spur to Eleven Mile Reservoir for dusk photos; remember to inflate to highway spec before merging back onto asphalt. A 5 psi deficit at 65 mph raises internal heat roughly 15 °F, enough to push a marginal sidewall toward failure by the time you reach Trout Creek Pass.
Mid-Route Service and Emergency Options
Should a repair trump the view, you’re never far from help. Big O Tires in Woodland Park sits at mile 19 and stocks load-range G through H rubber for Class A rigs. Hartsel Auto & Tire at mile 55 handles patch-plugs and balances duals.
True Value Buena Vista, near mile 95, offers an air stand that hits 120 psi and a hardware aisle for spare valve cores. Parents herding restless kids can wait out a rotation at the High Line Zoo kiosk inside the Woodland Park Safeway—llama selfies beat lobby boredom. Digital Nomads chasing cell bars will appreciate mile marker 270.5, a broad shoulder with three Verizon bars; AT&T users score four bars at MP 248.
Seasonal Traction-Law Readiness
Colorado’s traction law can snap into effect on a sunny April afternoon when hail marbles the pavement. Carry cable chains or DOT-approved tire socks sized to fit, and practice installation on the gravel lot behind Pikes Peak RV Park. Ten dry-run minutes today become two efficient minutes when ice pellets ping the windshield.
Cold mountain air thickens sidewalls and drops pressure about 1 psi for every 10 °F. A tire filled to 90 psi in 70 °F Manitou Springs may sit at 86 psi during a 25 °F dawn at Wilkerson Pass. Top off before rolling, then pop snow and ice out of the dual-tire valley at each fuel stop; packed slush traps moisture that corrodes wheels and scuffs sidewalls.
Overnight and Extended Parking at Altitude
High-elevation UV is ruthless. Slip reflective covers over sidewalls whenever you park more than one night, and use interlocking leveling blocks to keep every tire within half an inch of level. A tire dangling off the ground or bearing extra weight will develop shoulder scuffing that mimics alignment issues.
Chock both sides of at least one axle before unhooking the toad or lowering jacks. Even a two-inch rollback can shear a valve stem on duals. If the coach will sit a week, move it a half-tire revolution every few days to dodge flat spotting, especially during crisp nights when rubber stiffens like cold taffy.
End-of-Day Cool-Down and Inspection
When you hit camp, idle in neutral for two minutes to let drivetrain and wheel bearings vent the heat generated on the descent. Then walk the rig with an infrared thermometer; any tire more than 20 °F hotter than its neighbor probably hides low pressure or an internal bruise.
While the rubber is warm but not scorching, glide your palm across the tread. A feathered edge hints at toe or camber misalignment that deserves attention before tomorrow’s leg. Delay setting the parking brake until drums cool; shrinking metal can clamp shoes, lock wheels and warp adjacent tire beads. Chock and level first, torque-check lugs last.
Ongoing Maintenance Calendar
Rotate tires every 3,000–8,000 miles, or sooner if you spot cupping during a quick tread-palm pass. Annual alignments catch curb kisses from that tight gas-station turn in Colorado Springs. Even garage queens need fresh shoes at six years, regardless of tread depth, per the FMCA replacement benchmark referenced earlier.
During winter storage inflate to full cold spec, cover against UV and park on boards or blocks to keep rubber off moisture-wicking concrete. A once-a-month quarter-turn prevents flat-spot “thump” in spring.
Smart Tools and Tech Upgrades
Modern TPMS sensors broadcast both pressure and temperature, and some kits include solar repeaters perfect for Sprinter vans with rooftop panels. Pair the system with a compact infrared thermometer—thirty dollars buys instant data on hot hubs.
A Bluetooth-enabled compressor timer, inexpensive on most gear sites, turns the Family Road-Tripper’s lunch break into a worry-free top-off: set three minutes, tap start, and chase kids to the picnic table while the pump hums. Stainless valve stems and metal caps finish the upgrade, eliminating molten-plastic surprises on midsummer pavement.
Quick-Reference Persona Cheat Sheets
Safety-First Snowbirds thrive on predictability, so stick to a five-step pre-grade checklist—cold pressure, lug torque, TPMS scan, weight balance, and an engine-brake test—before rolling. Keep roadside-assist numbers for Woodland Park and Buena Vista in the visor, and you’ll glide past goat-trail shoulders like a refrigerated trucker on cruise control. Meanwhile, Weekend Family Road-Trippers can weave safety checks into fun: stop at Cascade for fudge, Memorial Park for playground swings, and Eleven Mile Reservoir for rock-skipping while you verify tire temps, teach kids that rubber is the RV’s hiking boots, and avoid the dreaded back-seat whine.
Adventure-Minded Millennials chase golden light, so pin Badger Creek overlook, Blue Mountain shoulder, and Eleven Mile Canyon spur for sunset photos while heat bleeds from sidewalls. Air down for the shot, air up before pavement, and your gear-grid posts will land without sacrificing tread. On-the-Clock Digital Nomads operate on deadlines, so fold a three-minute tire inspection into every dog walk; mile 270.5’s Verizon shoulder lets you patch a slow leak and still hit the noon Zoom, while Buena Vista’s library Wi-Fi hits 50 Mbps when campground bandwidth tanks after dark.
Nail the pressure, torque the lugs, and Highway 24 rewards you with mountain vistas—not shredded rubber. When it’s time to air up, wind down, or swap road stories, Pikes Peak RV Park has a level, creek-side site (plus reliable Wi-Fi and a camp-store gauge) waiting just minutes from the start of the climb. Reserve your spot today and let every mile between Manitou Springs and Buena Vista begin—and end—with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can we keep our Class A tires from blowing out on the grades between Manitou Springs and Wilkerson Pass?
A: Begin with a true-cold reading after the tires sit 30 minutes at Pikes Peak RV Park, inflate to the coach maker’s spec plus 2 psi to absorb the altitude rise, verify load balance at the Woodland Park scale, and use Tow/Haul or a lower gear so engine braking, not wheel brakes, controls speed and keeps bead temperatures in the safe zone.
Q: What PSI should I actually see on the gauge when I reach 9,000 feet?
A: A tire set to 90 psi at 6,400 feet will typically read 91.5–92 psi at Wilkerson Pass from altitude gain alone, so if you topped to 92 psi in Manitou Springs you should arrive right at 94 psi, still well under the 20 percent TPMS alarm threshold yet high enough to avoid sidewall flex on the descent.
Q: Where are the closest full-service tire shops in case something goes wrong en route to Buena Vista?
A: Big O Tires in Woodland Park (mile 19), Hartsel Auto & Tire in Hartsel (mile 55) and True Value Buena Vista (mile 95, 120-psi air stand) each handle RV tires, offer parking lots large enough for Class A turnarounds, and sit minutes from Highway 24’s mainline.
Q: Do tires really heat up faster in thin mountain air, and should families worry about it?
A: Yes, reduced air density means less cooling as speed rises, so carcass temperatures climb quicker; plan a five-minute stop every 45–60 minutes, which conveniently matches kid stretch breaks, and you’ll let tread shed 10–15 °F before it becomes harmful.
Q: How often should we pull over to check pressure when towing a 30-ft travel trailer with kids onboard?
A: A pre-trip cold check plus one confirmatory reading at Woodland Park or Lake George is plenty if TPMS shows stable numbers; if you lack TPMS, take a manual reading at each major overlook—about every 30 miles—so the routine feels like part of the sightseeing rather than a chore.
Q: Any kid-friendly places to wait out a tire repair nearby?
A: Memorial Park in Woodland Park has playgrounds and lake paths within a five-minute walk of two tire shops, so youngsters can burn energy while techs rotate or patch your rubber.
Q: Will airing down on the Eleven Mile Reservoir spur ruin highway ride quality afterward?
A: Only if you forget to reinflate; running 5 psi low on the pavement adds roughly 15 °F of internal heat, so air back up to highway spec with a 120-psi portable compressor before merging onto US-24 and your ride will feel unchanged.
Q: Which TPMS models pair well with a solar setup on my Sprinter van?
A: Look for Bluetooth-enabled systems like the TireMinder i10 or GUTA GT107B; both run a solar repeater that mounts near rooftop panels, draw negligible current, and push live pressure and temperature data to any smartphone.
Q: Where’s the most photogenic pull-off that also lets tires cool safely?
A: Badger Creek Overlook, mile marker 248, offers a wide gravel shoulder, sweeping Collegiate Peaks views, and enough breeze to drop tread temps 10 °F while you frame that golden-hour shot.
Q: If I get a flat, how long does a roadside patch usually take on Highway 24?
A: Assuming you can limp to a straight shoulder, mobile repair trucks from Woodland Park or Buena Vista typically arrive within 40–60 minutes and need another 25 minutes to plug, patch and reinflate a standard RV tire, so plan for roughly a 90-minute schedule hit.
Q: Can rapid altitude swings trigger false TPMS alarms for low pressure?
A: They can, especially on the downhill into the Arkansas Valley, because internal pressure contracts with decreasing elevation; a 3–4 psi drop is normal, so set alarm thresholds at least 10 percent below cold spec to avoid nuisance beeps.
Q: Where’s the safest shoulder with reliable cell coverage if I have to stop for a tire check and a Zoom call?
A: Mile marker 270.5, just west of Trout Creek Pass, has a broad paved shoulder, three Verizon bars, two AT&T bars, and a clear view for satellite boosters, making it the go-to spot for both emergency calls and midday meetings.
Q: What’s the quickest daily inspection I can squeeze in between work sessions?
A: A three-minute loop—infrared scan for hot spots, palm-glide over tread for nails, and a TPMS display check—catches 90 percent of developing issues without stealing more time than a coffee refill.
Q: Do I really need chains in late spring, and will they hurt the tires?
A: Colorado’s traction law can activate any month, and properly sized cable chains or tire socks, installed only on snow-covered pavement at speeds under 30 mph, won’t damage tread or belts; practicing on the campground gravel ensures you can fit them quickly without scuffing sidewalls.
Q: How often should I rotate or replace tires that spend summers climbing these passes?
A: Rotate every 3,000–8,000 miles based on wear pattern, schedule an alignment annually, and replace any RV tire at six years regardless of tread depth, because internal materials age faster under high-altitude UV and repeated heat cycling.
