Please Help .. Valve Stems Unreachable

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FLFreeBird

Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2018
Posts
22
Greetings .. I have a Jayco Redhawk 25R with duallys. I bought a TPMS and when installing them found I had to reach through the dual tires to get the outer tire's monitor on. Thank goodness being a woman my arms are slim and small hands ... any larger I would have never been able to reach them.

PROBLEM: The tires need air!! There are no longer full service stations (showing my age), especially ones that service 30' motorhomes. I either need to buy my own heavy duty air compressor or I don't know what. I also need valve stem extensions?? but have no idea what to get. Even my tire pressure guage wont fit or reach. The stem for the outer tire is inside (between the 2 duallys) and is pointing towards the inner tire.

Very poor design for easy access to monitoring air pressure and filling tires with air which is critical for safe driving.

Tips??? Tricks??? Advice????

Please, leaving for a trip in 10 days and don't want to travel on flat tires
 
You need to call around to tire shops in your area.  They can put extensions and fill the tires, as needed.
 
Three thoughts:

* Can you reach the valve stems if you pop off the wheel simulator? After futzing with mine for a few years, I found that the fastest way to deal with valve stems.

* If there a Ford dealer near you? They'll check your pressure, probably for nothing.

* Go to a truck tire shop for assistance. Don't waste your time with the chain shops, find a pro.
 
You should also have your own compressor for when you need to add air from time to time. I use one of these https://smile.amazon.com/Slime-40026-Heavy-Direct-Inflator/dp/B005Z8HAUK/  Great bang for the buck, I bought mine over 6 years ago and it still works, though is a bit banged up now (I run 80 psi in the tires on my coach)  Sure it is not as fancy as a Viair 400P-RV, but it is also 1/5th the price.
 
First I have a 150 PSI si\x gallon air compressor from Sears (Get one while they last).

Second there are hundreds if not thousands of service stations across the land that offer service at several leveld

Self serve.. including air hoses with at least 150 PSI
Mehanic.. and often MOBILE mechenic
Tire service
Assistance pumping gas
Propane refill
ANd more

Flying-Js are generally on the list (not all have mechanics).
 
I recommend a compressor without a tank.  You do not need to accumulate air since you are just doing one job and putting the compressor away.

Jennifer

 
RVRAC said:
You need to call around to tire shops in your area.  They can put extensions and fill the tires, as needed.

Thanks to your advice, that's exactly what I did today.  They took the hub caps off (which are all shiny and pretty but prevent you from accessing the valves all around).  I left the hubs off.  They put on extensions.  Now I just need a darn good tires guage that will reach and an air compressor.
 
ferfer said:
I recommend a compressor without a tank.  You do not need to accumulate air since you are just doing one job and putting the compressor away.

Jennifer

I recommend one with a tank. Comes in handy for winterizing, along with a lot of other stuff.
 
Thank you all for the good advice.  I did find a tire center that works on trucks and had room for me to pull in.  They took off the hubs and lo and behold the valves were a bit more accessible.  They also put extensions on the inner valves on the duallys.  Now to get a "truck" tire guage and an air compressor for the road.  Feeling a lot more confident now to travel alone  :) 
 
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