Any specific preference on model? Specific options that are important?
One better than another?
I think I need 12 sensors, 4 for the toad and 8 for the bus.
Seem to be about $500+
Dave
TIKVAH
(Dave Rush)
MCI 102A3 6V92
Full Time On The Road - I couldn't fix my brakes, so I made my horn louder
Not sure about the sensors Dave, but I'm wondering how the horn is holding up ;D
Using Pressure Pro, had a lot f trouble at first, (leaking) after installing all new stems, purchasing the seal kit, tahey have worked fine over a year. My largest issue was the factory promptly informed me that I must be too stupid to screw them on, not a good feeling since, but after the above they work fine. So have to say there is very poor support from the factory.
Dave M
Lot of different systems out there now if you take the FMCA rag several different models at a good price with replaceable batteries.
I went with the Pressure/Pro system because you can monitor through the Silver Leaf but with the repeater,valve stem stabilizers for the rear tires and lock nuts the system was over 900 bucks for 12 tires.
I like the replaceable battery I don't care much for paying 50 bucks for a sensor when the battery dies on the Pressure/Pro. I would have bought the TireTracker if not for the Silver Leaf, TireTracker and Tire Safeguard seems to have their act together now
I have PressurePro that works, but if you want to check the tire pressure manually, you have to unscrew the sensor. Look for tire stem sensors that have pass through capability and a locking nut. Then you can manually check the tires once a week without unscrewing the sensor off the valve stem. Good Luck, TomC
Thought - why would you check the tires manually if you have a pressure monitor that you paid $500 - $900 for? It seems to me my manual checking days will be over (visual inspection - yes, but manual?)
Yes, the horn has been a great life saver, sure a lot cheaper than a full brake job :)
TIKVAH
(Dave Rush)
MCI 102A3 6V92
Full Time On The Road - I couldn't fix my brakes, so I made my horn louder
I don't know what brand mine is, but boy do I love having it! It's reassuring being able to view the pressures on the road. Lots of times the road will have a strange vibration or something like that and I used to always wonder if I had a tire going down. It helps with the worry and eases the stress of driving.
Dave,
I have a Doran TPMS system. I bought it used from a friend for 100$ but had to buy all new sensors at 30$ each because the batteries were dead in the ones that came with it.
It works but very simple. No temp readings...just air. It monitors all wheels on the bus and toad. It takes about 5 minutes to detect all the sensors once the bus is turned on.
You can select the sensor (by number printed on it) and tell the monitoring system which tire it is assigned to and what pressure it should be at and that's it.
The system automatically alerts you at certain percentages based on the psi you set.
I'd get something different if I bought again but its been super valuable and has already saved me a time or two.
-Sean
Wandering the country in a 1984 Eagle 10S.
www.herdofturtles.org (http://www.herdofturtles.org)
Some info here:
http://www.wheelingit.us/2014/06/02/monitoring-our-ride-review-of-the-tire-safeguard-tpms/ (http://www.wheelingit.us/2014/06/02/monitoring-our-ride-review-of-the-tire-safeguard-tpms/)
http://nacfe.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/TPS-Detailed-Confidence-Report1.pdf (http://nacfe.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/TPS-Detailed-Confidence-Report1.pdf)
http://www.thetpmsforum.com/forum.php (http://www.thetpmsforum.com/forum.php)
Wireless tire pressure monitors are for monitoring the tires going down the road. Detecting a low pressure on a tire (probably 90% of tire failures) can save a tire. I guess I'm old fashioned-in that I still like to see for myself that the tires are up to pressure before my trip-then checking them once a week. When I was driving cross country truck, my tire checking day was Sunday. Good Luck, TomC
I also have the pressure pro tire pressure monitor. I bought it in late summer 2008. I bought 12 sensors - 8 for the bus and 4 for the toad. I purchased the tire pressure monitor after loosing a toad tire on a back highway in Idaho. Since I have had the pressure pro I have not needed it! Go figure. Anyway, I am still on the original batteries in the sensors.
Like Dave, I struggled with getting the sensors to not leak on the valve stems. Once I learned they had a seal retrofit kit available I bought it. Now that I have had the retrofitted seals on the sensors I have not had any problems at all with the system. It does its job nicely and I absolutely love being able to check my tire pressures easily from the driver's seat anytime I want to know the tire pressure.
I do manually check tire pressures once per year in the spring. I have found most of the sensors read exactly the same as my manual readings. One sensor reads 2 psi lower than the manual reading.
I wish the sensors allowed for user replaceable batteries. I haven't decided if I will replace the entire system when the batteries run our or just replace the sensors.
I looked at the Continental system while I was at SEMA. I was very pleased with it. It's an inside the tire mount, The batteries are good for 7 years. A coach will use 2 antennas. $700 for 8 sensors.
Mine also have the temps. I like having that too as it could help identify a problem long before I would have noticed otherwise.
I have the Pressure Pro also. I found it on a very good sale on the web, which was just above half of retail. It has worked well and, contrary to the experience mentioned above, I have found their support to be fine. They claim that people have a tendency to over tighten the sensors which crushed the o-ring and causes leaks. I have not had the leak problem yet though. They have a lock nut arrangement that they claim is really just an anti theft setup-- that the sensors will not fall off on there own. Although I have found that mostly to be the case, we did lose two sensors on one side of the Jeep on a trip last year. To be fair, they were lost when driving the Jeep fast on rough dirt roads for long distances, not when being pulled by the bus. Pressure Pro did give me a bit of a discount on new sensors when I explained what happened, but they still were over $30. each.
I probably would not use a pass through system to check tire pressure since that monitor gives the reading, but having a pass through to be able to add air without removing the sensor could be useful. Having a replaceable battery would also be nice.
Don't even ask me my opinion on the ones I bought!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks for all the input. This is a helpful thread. The blog post about the Tire Safeguard was helpful also. He pointed out some nice features, like the small green/red LED and the long distance signal.
I hope to make a purchase before we make the long drive to Arcadia
TIKVAH
(Dave Rush)
MCI 102A3 6V92
Full Time On The Road - I couldn't fix my brakes, so I made my horn louder
In 40 years of driving buses, I can count the number of blow-outs, flats, on half the fingers of one hand. They are very rare if you run good tires, and if you check the pressures before every trip, and check temperatures with your hand or IR gun several times a day. That leaves bad luck, like running over something bad on the road. And don't run over curbs. But it is still rare. So for me, $800 for something that has to be babied with potential problems, is just another distracting gizmo that I don't need or want.
JC
JC, you are right, and I typically have the same view. However, I'm mostly concerned about my Toad. One flat, for whatever reason, could cost more than the monitor. If a bus tire goes flat I'll probably notice something amiss, but I could drag my toad on its frame for a hundred miles and never know.
Also, as someone stated above, we all get those unexplainable noises or vibrations from time to time. Is it a change in the road surface? Did I run over something? Is something wrong with my toad? .... The peace of mind (peace of the wife's mind) is worth the investment.
TIKVAH
(Dave Rush)
MCI 102A3 6V92
Full Time On The Road - I couldn't fix my brakes, so I made my horn louder
I understand how good a tire pressure monitoring system is, and how it can help. But my feelings about them is the same as with back up cameras: I have done quite well without so far. I don't need to complicate my life with more electronic gadgets. I have newer vehicles with TPMS and back up cameras, and neither is very useful. The TPMS because how often do you have a flat? And when you do, you can feel it. And the camera lenses are dirty most of the time so you can't see anyway. We live and drive on dirt roads. The damage caused by a blown tire would be covered by insurance, so the TPMS paying for itself is not a good reason to get one, for the towed, or the bus. Actually, I don't have collision or comprehensive insurance on the bus, just liability, I am willing to take the risk of a blown tire tearing the side of the bus apart.
TPMS that comes in newer vehicles now by law, is for the majority of people who never check their tire pressures, would not know how, and wouldn't know what a tire pressure gauge looks like.
I am just an old nut that checks his tires five times a day on a road trip, manually.
JC
The first trip I installed a tire pressure monitor I had two flats on the trailer. They were both sidewall punctures and I never would have noticed the issue until it was too late without TPMS. If the trailer is loaded heavy the other tire can be damaged when it takes the entire load. (I know from experience.)
I probably didn't save enough money on the TPMS to pay for itself on those two tires because a complete failure of the tire probably wouldn't have damaged the trailer other than damaging another tire.