Air compressor?

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Rollie

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May 31, 2005
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What do you think ... will this air compressor do the job for motorhome tires?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BM8RT8/ref=wl_it_dp/102-5492062-0017701?ie=UTF8&coliid=IIWC2UP4N6D7U&colid=231F1P4EYI5K2

I have been looking for a compressor that I can carry on the road.
 
Carl  My thinking exactly.  I do have an AC in the MH that is 125 PSI and it reallly isn't adequate.  tTakes too long to recover with those small tanks.
 
Walmart has a pancake compressor for $50 i think.  You'd need to power up the generator to run it on the road, but i bet it'd do better than any 12V compressor you'll see AND it has a tank so you can store some air pressure before you depart.
 
Shayne said:
Carl? My thinking exactly.? ?I do have an AC in the MH that is 125 PSI and it reallly isn't adequate.? tTakes too long to recover with those small tanks.
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I have a small 4wd 12vdc unit that will handle 31x10.50x15 RLTs on a Bronco, but it cost a bit more than $300.  In your case, I might go for a small tank 120vac unit.  A motorhome should have the storage and on-board generator.
 
What are the minimum specs (psi, tank size, SCFM) for an air compressor that'd be adequate to haul around in the basement of a 5th wheel?  The 5th wheel I have my eye on has 16" tires and the tow vehicle (truck) has 17-18" tires.  I was planning to just pick up an air compressor at Sears, but want to make sure I get an adequate size.  I don't mind waiting a few extra seconds (or even minutes) for the air to recover, as long as it's adequate, since I'm just starting out as a part-time Rver.  If I need a bigger/better model later on, then I'll get one then.

By the way, can I just plug the air compressor into an exterior outlet on the trailer (assuming it has one)?

Thanks
Gary
 
Damned if I know Gary.  My unit is tankless and I arrived at it by trial and error.  NO doubt someone with good knowledge will weigh in here.

I suspect you do not want to put a compressor load directly on the 120vac convenience plugs of a trailer.  You probably could get away with it but I would prefer to use house or campground power for the purpose.  The vast number of uses you will have for a compressor will be in the CG or at home before starting out to bring cold tires up to pressure.  Why take a chance on your trailer wiring?
 
All these low-priced, small compressors, especially the 12V models, produce high pressures (that's technically easy) but are short on air volume. That means they can quickly inflate a bike tire or top up a car tire in a few minutes but they fail miserably when trying to fill a big tire or even add some air to a high pressure tire.  And they draw huge amounts of 12V current when working that hard, sometimes shutting down from overheat or actually melting the power wires or blowing a fuse. I'd steer away from the one in the Amazon link and all like it.  I have a Sears tankless 120VAC, 120 psi model and even it begins to struggle when attempting to add air at 100 psi. If you need 120 psi in anything bigger than a bike tire, get a real compressor. That means one like this if you need a 12V model: MaxAir Compressor  but it ain't cheap. And plan on having a high-amp circuit to power it.

Otherwise, look at a pancake or side (saddle) tank 120VAC compressor and check the air flow rates at high pressures, e.g. 90psi or above. Higher SCFM is better. Harbor Freight has some inexpensive ones ((around $90-$100)that would probably do and some models aren't too large either. Walmart & KMart carry some too. Lowes & Home Depot have some in the $125 range.

 
If you need 120 psi in anything bigger than a bike tire, get a real compressor. That means one like this if you need a 12V model: MaxAir Compressor  but it ain't cheap. And plan on having a high-amp circuit to power it.
Click to expand...

Yew betcha.  The compressor I said that I use is the MaxAir 4.0 and I was not kidding about $300+.  It works fine hooked to the truck battery with the truck's engine running.  It also works fine hooked to the trailer's two 12v house batteries.    The thing was designed to air up 4wd tires which had been aired down to run on the soft and sandy. 
 
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