Pressure Pro installation

[RREngr]

Hi!  Guess what?  After reading the instructions numerous times, we brought our motor home to the house in the early A.M. so we could do our installation.  Our motor home has the large chrome wheels/hubcaps--looks like these are going to have to come off in order to do the installation or even be able to use the tire gage and compressor on them.  I told DH that I did not recall Bernie, Ron or anyone on the forum mentioning it being such a difficult procedure. DH also has to get a better tire gage--ours doesn't go high enough.  Are we missing something here?  Is there a better way?  Some special gadget that will make it easier?  Anyone want to share their installation tips?  We leave tomorrow night or Monday morning for a week, but will be checking the forum for replies.  Won't do the installation until we get back after the first of the year--luckily we are just making a local trip.  As usual, nothing is ever as simple as it seems at first!  Kay

 

[BernieD]

Kay

I apologize, we don't always account for all circumstances, try as we might try Usually, the install is fairly straight forward and takes less than a half hour. I am somewhat concerned that you haven't checked your tires before, you could be seriously underinflated. But if you would have checked them you would have been aware of the limitations of your tire gauge and the impact of the wheel covers.

You do need to get a good "truck" tire gauge, that will handle the higher pressures of your tires and be able to access the strange angles of some of the valve placements. The issue of the wheel covers can be handled in 2 ways. First would be pulling the wheel covers to install the PressurePro but you would also have to remove them whenever you air up or down. The best alternative would be to have longer tire valves installed that would extend beyond the wheel covers or you could get metal valve extensions (make sure you can screw the PP sensor on to it before buying) that would also extend beyond the wheel cover. My personal recommendation would be the valve extensions. Once those are installed, you can just install the normal way as outlined in the manual.

Sorry we didn't anticipate this problem for you.

 

[John From Detroit]

  Are we missing something here?  Is there a better way?  Some special gadget that will make it easier?  Anyone want to share their installation tips?

Those big crome things are called "Simulators" (Wheel covers to us heathens but truckers call them Simulators) and you are not missing a thing... I had to take mine off to install the Pressure pro's.  Here is the procedure, (Note there are 4 different procedures, depnding on the model of simulator you have)

First trick is to locate the bolt,  Now on some simulators the crome cover on the lug nut comes off, my original it does not.  So you get the wrench provided and wrench on each one. The proper nuts will reviel themselves.  Note if the chrome cover comes off, remove it.

Second you find the other lug nut holding the cover (if it's a two lug type (Else you find the other TWO lugs

Same procedure for the most part,  That makes 4 different designes, (2 or 3 bolts, lug nut cover comes off or not, 2x2=4)  That's really about all there is to it, very easy to remove and replace  No impact wrench needed

NOTE, the wrench provided with the motor home will NOT remove a real lug nut, only a wheel cover (Simulator) nut,  And sometimes not even that (I had to beat on mine (the wrench, not the wheel) with a hammer to make it work)

 

[RREngr]

Thanks Bernie,  We have only had the MH since end of September.  No problem with tires so far.  We just got it out of the RV repair place where they did the 3 month checkup on everything and some minor repairs on things we listed for them.  Wish we would have just asked them to do the Pressure Pro install for us while it was there.  That way they could have done whatever was needed for extensions, etc. I will show Rich your suggestions and we will go from there.  Thanks for your prompt response.  Especially on Christmas Eve.  Enjoy your holiday.  Thanks, Kay

 

[RREngr]

Hi John,  Thanks for the information.  At least you made me feel better by letting me know we are not the only ones who ran into this problem.  We thought we had everything all planned out, get the MH out of the Service shop on Friday, bring it to the house early Saturday morning so we can use our air compressor, allow a couple hours for hooking everything up, run it back to storage, then enjoy the afternoon and evening with our son and family, do Christmas morning with family, then take off in the afternoon for a week of relaxing and fun.  Did not work out exactly as planned--which is par for the course with us most times.  You know what they say about the best laid plans!  Ha ha  Oh, well, we will tackle it when we get back.  Thanks again for your help.  Kay.

 

[BernieD]

We have only had the MH since end of September.  No problem with tires so far.  We just got it out of the RV repair place where they did the 3 month checkup on everything and some minor repairs on things we listed for them.

Kay

One positive thing, once you have the PP's installed you will be able to check your tire pressures on a daily or more frequent basis if you wish 3 months, from September to December is too long to go without checking. Ambient temperature drops quite a bit over those 3 months and just the colder air alone could have caused a 10+ pound drop in pressures. And unless you specifically asked the repair place to check and adjust your tire pressures, it is unlikely that they would have touched the tires. And if they did, I bet they would have put the wrong pressures in :-\

 

[John From Detroit]

Well, as noted, it only takes a couple of minutes to pull the simulator off each wheel, and a simular amount of time to put it back on.  What Bernie says about 1: The temperture causing a pressure drop and 2: The service centers forgetting to check the tire pressure is 100% correct.

When I had my oil changed I specifically ask them to check two things.. They checked neither

Both are temperture related and needed to be done in the COLD

Alas...... The tire pressure was one of those

Of course with the pressure pro installed, as Bernie said, you can check every day.. Heck.  they update every five mintues or so so you (or your co-pilot) can check every 10 minutes if you wish, AS YOU DRIVE DOWN THE HIGHWAY.

It don't get much better than that (and the computer checks on every update, if it sees, a 10% drop it gets nice and beepy,, BEEP BEEP BEEP, all the time flashing the pressure

 

[RREngr]

Thanks guys!  We are going in search of a heavy duty truck tire gage tomorrow.  We bought the pressure pro after reading all the discussions on this forum about the ease of checking the tire pressure (plus Rich just loves gadgets!)  We just had not had a chance to get it installed until now. Right at this moment, we are sitting right on the beach at Huntington City Beach.  Plan to stay here for a week to celebrate our 40th anniversary.  Rich brought the tool for removing the chrome covers and with that and a new tire gage, he will get them checked this week.  Kay

 

[Karl]

I'm with Bernie on this one. Get the braided stainless steel extensions. They mount right on your wheel simulators and make checking and inflating the tires and installing the P.P. monitors a breeze.

 

[BernieD]

I'm with Bernie on this one. Get the braided stainless steel extensions. They mount right on your wheel simulators and make checking and inflating the tires and installing the P.P. monitors a breeze.

Karl

I'm not necessarily recommending the braided steel extensions. Those are primarily for the inside rear duals, and the tire sensors can usually be mounted between the tires if necessary. Kay and Richs' problem seems to be the wheel covers mounted on the front tires. Those can hide or restrict the tire valve. What I recommeded for that are the 2-4" screw on metal tire valve extensions. Those can bring the valve cap out beyond the wheel cover and are fairly fool proof. The major issue with them is the ability to screw on the sensor, in some designs the end of the valve is a spring loaded ball rather than another dill valve and the sensor, or a valve cap, won't fit.

 

[Karl]

Oh. Misunderstood the problem. :