small air compressor for airing up 115VAC

[wrench]

  That guy say he got a bunch of it, I was asking if he had 12VDC no only 115.  just passing infos along.
          wrench

[Dallas]

  That guy say he got a bunch of it, I was asking if he had 12VDC no only 115.  just passing infos along.
          wrench

Ummmmm, I feel like I've just gotten a telegram that starts out, "Page Two"!

Maybe I've missed something, but what the heck are we talking about???   

[wrench]

  No wonder you wonder, I skip the paste fonction, I did the copy do!
  here: Ebay#  220059758165                  oups,, almost forgot again!!!!
              wrench
                                           

[JerryH]

Have you guys been successful in using small compressors to bring up a coach when she's flat on 'zero'?
I bought a Campbell-Hausfeld unit for this purpose, small enough to fit in front below driver.  Saw this done by another MCI owner -- he had a (brand unknown) pancake compressor.  The Campbell unit I bought just couldn't do it.  Me thinks it overheats trying and has thermal overoad on it and shuts down.

Those who ARE successful with them, what are you using?

Jerry H.

[Dallas]

Jerry,
I have a compressor I bought from Advance Auto parts, It's 2HP, oil bath compressor with 2-2gallon tanks. I use it to run my impact wrench and other air tools.
My wife covered it with a tarp to keep the rain off one time and, unknowingly, I started it up. I quickly found out that it needs LOTS of air to keep it cool. It shut down within a minute.

I don't have an air ride suspension on my bus, but my neighbor has used it to air up his tractor/trailer with air ride all the way around, including the cab itself. It's had no problem doing that.

IHTH

Dallas

[NJT5047]

I've used a  nail-gun compressor to air up my bus.  No problem.  Airs it up as fast as the big compressor.  My bus is always at zero after a couple days.   While my old bus doesn't have any audilble leaks, it leaks.  Fixed some of the air leaks...just goes on and on.   Most of our engine air compressors are about 7 CFM @ (?) RPM.  They are small compressors too.   Anyone know at what RPM a bus compressor output CFM is measured? 
As Dallas indicates, may be a problem with airflow and heating up.  Otherwise, oughta work.   Some of these cheapo no-name Chinese units may not be suitable for any sort of use. 
JR

 

[gumpy]

I've done it with a couple small units I bought from Harbor Freight. They don't like cold, and won't start, but if they're warm, they seem to work well. I don't have one installed permanently, yet, but hope to eventually. I carry it in the bay for now.

[Dallas]

To add to my previous post,

I was going to install my compressor in the spare tire bay but have put that idea into the round file since I do have a problem with overheating if there isn't enough air flow.

On another note, I used this compressor to replace an old Porter Cable that I had brken the compressor head on. A new head was almost as much as what I paid for my new compressor. When I got my compressor home, I held it side by side to the Porter Cable, and, hmmmmm, they were the same machine with different badges.

Also, when I first got my new compressor, it would have a difficult time starting if it was cold and there was air pressure already in the tanks. It took a while to get it broken in, but now it starts easily under any conditions, and holds air for weeks, ( I found this out when I forgot to turn it off and it sat for 3 weeks without use, then came on at 3 AM next to my bedroom window! Much better than the old Porter Cable ever was!

Dallas

[Stan]

NJT5047: The common bus compressor is the Bendix Tu-Flo 600 which is 14.5 cfm @ 1250 rpm.

[jjrbus]

 I have a small "EL CHEAPO"  oil bath compressor mounted in the engine compartment.  It is a 2 HP 4.6 CFM, 4 cubic foot storage (2, 2 gallon tanks)  It will air up my bus (MCI5C) in a little over 10 mins. The bus comprssor will do it in 7 min! 
  A compressor like this could be mounted in the bus without the tanks. The bus acting as the tank of course.  I have it switched inside the bus for when I forget to shut it off and it comes on at 3AM!
  My bus is equipped with a manual air leveling system, it comes in handy for this. The compressor is connected to the bus with standard disconnects from Harbor Frieght so I can hook up an air hose to run whatever. This compressor does not seem to have the power to bring the bus tires up to full pressure..

[Hartley]

I bought a Dewalt Pancake 150 psi portable.
3.5 cu ft min @90 psi.

Almost gets the "leakmaster" up or at least closer than a dead zero startup.

But nice for airing tires with a long hose...

El-Cheapo's have a hard time getting over 120 psi. The dewalt screams right on past it no problem...

Dave....

[rwc]

How is the Dewalt as far as noise goes. Will the guy next to you get upset when you are trying to air up so you don,t sit and idle too long before leaving. After all he wants to sleep in when you get that 0'dark 30 early start to beat the traffic.  Rod

[Hartley]

The Oil-Free Pancake Dewalt will wake the dead...

However if you hide it inside a bay they aren't too bad. Just scares you when the racket starts because you forgot
to turn it off at night.

I unofficially loaned it to where I work by accident one day and they grabbed it and set it next to the laser plate
maker, it was so noisey that the next time I went by it I noticed that they had covered it with a bug cardboard
box with air holes at the top and bottom for air flow.

It took me 3 weeks to get it back. The plant's main air compressor had puked and the guys in the art department
just grabbed for anything that would get the plate maker system up and running so they could run jobs for the printing
press.

I am still amazed that they didn't burn it up. Works just fine.

[NJT5047]

For those parked next to a bus, the DeWalt air compressor is clearly more desirable, even if noisy, than listening to, and smelling,  a DD 2 cycle engine on fast idle getting aired up at "oh-dark-thirty" in the morning.   Gimmie the air compressor noise any time.  As long as the compressor feet are on something that isolates the noise, it isn't noisy outside a closed bay. 
Since I'm cheap and only have 30A service, and it comes down to the AC or the aircompressor, the AC gets the nod.  I don't carry an air compressor.  As long as the air suspension is aired up, the bus will air up in a couple of minutes.  If the airbags are flat (due to leveling of course) then it takes about 4 minutes..or thereabouts to air up.   My airbags don't leak down because they can be isolated from the rest of the air system.   The rest of the bus leaks down pretty good.   It'll go down to about 30 lbs and stay for a couple days.   
I was sorta hoping that Jack wanted to do a "Leakdown Seminar" at Arcadia....I graceously offer my bus for the air leak resolution demo.   
JR  

[JackConrad]

 was sorta hoping that Jack wanted to do a "Leakdown Seminar" at Arcadia....I graceously offer my bus for the air leak resolution demo.   

Thanks JR,
  I will put your bus on the list "Right Behind Ours"!  Seriously, our seminar schedule is filled up with a couple of the seminars questionable (depending on wether they can attend due to several factors). We may be able to do something, but no promises. 

We have the same compressor Dallas uses. We have it installed on a piece of 1/2" high density foam in the front baggage compartment. It is plugged in to an outlet controlled be a switch inside the bus. It is connected to the bus air system with a standard quick connect fitting. This allows us to remove it and use it for other uses. Only problem we have had was running it in the closed bay on a hot summer day (the thermal overload tripped). Noise level outside the bus is acceptable according to several busnuts camped next to us.  Jack