Air Compressors- Tire Inflation

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X-Roughneck

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Hello board.  Just a quick dumb question.  I have a Winnebago Aspect 30 J.  Tire Inflation on the door calls  for 65 PSI in front and 80 PSI in both dual tires in rear.  My question is if I buy a air compressor at Lowes or Home Depot that has a small storage tank capacity (6 gallon) can I hope to inflate the tires without any issues fairly quickly?  I realize the compressor will probably inflate the tank to 100 PSI, but as far as tank volume and tires am I expecting too much from this compressor (6 gallon) to be able to inflate tires to recommended pressure values without taking all day to do it?  Want to have a compressor on board if it is worth it.
 
One of those small pancake type rigs will do it but it won't be fast. I have a slightly bigger one that would run up the tires on my Ram 3500, but again, it wasn't quick. But heck, as everyone on here says, RV life is supposed to be slower paced. Been thinking of what to get next myself, hopefully one of the pros will chime in.
 
Thanks M.  Maybe we can be graced by the Wizard and the old Pros chiming in on topic.
 
A small 6 gal would work for your application.  Max pressure capability should be 100psi or greater. Set the regulator to your desired tire pressure.
 
Get one of these puppies:
https://www.amazon.com/STANLEY-J5C09-Power-Station-Starter/dp/B002X6VXL4?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B002X6VXL4

No waiting to charge the tank.
Just need to keep the battery on the thing charged up.

plug it in to 120v for a couple of hours each month and it will hold a charge. It pumps up a tire in under a minute.

I love mine.
 
The SCFM (Standard Cubic Feet Per Minute) rating of the compressor is more important than the tank size.

This 2.0 SCFM @ 90 PSI compressor puts out more than 3 times as much air volume than this similar looking one rated at 0.6 SCFM @90 PSI

The first has a real compressor on it, the second has a little 120 volt version of those 12 volt buzzboxes.
 
Keep in mind that you will rarely if ever need to fully inflate a tire, instead you will likely just need to top them off adding 5 or so psi.  On the road I use one of these compressors, which works fine for topping off on my coach, https://smile.amazon.com/Slime-40026-Heavy-Direct-Inflator/dp/B005Z8HAUK/ I bought it about 7 or 8 years ago, hauled it around in my F250, now in my motorhome, still running, though it has a few dents and dings.  Overall great deal for the price, Long enough to reach from either my starting battery on the drivers side or my house batteries under the entry steps to any of my tires with hose/cord to spare.
 
Just want to emphasize the piece John said:  Your door sticker is inflation for max weight... weigh your rig at least axles (four corners better) and look up your tires? manufacturer?s inflation tables. Our rig was inflated to 110 lbs all around and was a white knuckle, sweat filled driving experience. After adjusting for actual weight, (95 front, 105 rears), driving is a genuine pleasure that I look forward to.
Might be overkill (pretty sure it?ll outlast me), but we?re real happy with this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Craftsman-Gallon-135psi-Portable-Compressor/dp/B00LON12K4
 
Six gallon is plenty, even for a much larger tire.  Even one of the smaller 3 gallon models would do nicely.  Besides, you would almost never inflate from zero - most always you are just adding 2-4 lbs. 10 lbs would be a lot to add.  If it needed that much, it's most likely you need to go to a tire shop or a repair anyway.

I have a 6 gallon Porter Cable pancake compressor at home and have inflated the 100 psi tires on our former coach many times. Had it since 2006 and very pleased with it.
 
Tank size is relatively unimportant and so is max psi once it is "enough". The key factor is air flow, standard cubic-feet-per-minute (SCFM) but that spec can be hard to find on consumer-grade compressors.  A hand bicycle pump can deliver 100+ psi, but it will take you all day to add a couple lbs to even a car tire.

The max regulated pressure needs to be higher than the pressure you need in the tire, at least 10 psi more and preferably 20+. Once that point is achieved, more psi doesn't help all that much. 125 psi is usually sufficient for all up to about 110 psi, which handles just about all RV tire needs.

SCFM varies inversely with the pressure, so you actually need a couple values for it to know what you are getting.  In my opinion you want at least 1 cfm at the tire pressure you will be using, so 1-2 scfm @ 100 psi is a reasonable target.  A higher SCFM means the tire can be inflated faster, but more SCFM requires more/better hardware and the price of the compressor jumps up quickly. Often the manufacturer quotes CFM at some low pressure, e.g. 40 psi. That's useful for car tires and air-driven hand tools, but not for large tires.

Tank size affects how often the compressor runs. A bigger tank helps deliver air without the compressor cycling on, so a little less noisy. Actually, less constant noise. 3-6 gallons is usually sufficiently convenient.

The popular 6 gallon Porter-Cable unit has a 150 psi max, 125 psi working pressure, and 2.6 SCFM  @ 90 psi. It does a good job, but any another unit with similar specs would do as well.
 
Our Class B+ Chinook motorhome has an onboard compressor and small air tank that is used to keep air pressure in our slide out bladder. I do not know the compressor SCFM, PSI, etc. nor the tank size. I realize it would be more helpful if I could provide that information. The tank is small, but less than two gallons. The air compressor shut off is 90 PSI and that pressure is maintained in the air tank. The tires on our Chinook are 225/R7516 with 80 PSI. The air compressor and air tank will easily add air to our tires to top off from 75 PSI to 80 PSI in a couple of minutes. 
 
Look at the Harbor Freight Fortress compressors. The 2 gallon one is 135 PSI 2.1 CFM. Really fast recovery due to the dual pistons. Also, probably the lowest sound level of the small units. You won't disturb the neighbors. About the same weight and size as the pancake compressors. I added the direct to tank coupler on the side to bypass the regulator.



 

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Went with De Walt 165 psi, 6 gal pancake from Home Depot. Priced at $169. Plus hose and assy.
 
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