Tire Pressure Monitoring System

[Let’s Roll]

I’m thinking about adding a tire pressure monitoring system for our Jayco Alante 26X.
Does anyone have experience with these systems? Is it worth it, pros/cons?

I have an upcoming maintenance appointment in May for a minor issue and if it’s worth it, have it installed then.

Thanks

 

[phil-t]

Peace of mind? I don't have one, I do the monitoring. We stop every 2-3 hours, I get out with an infrared yemp gun, shjoot all tires and wheels (brakes) on the RV and toad. I fell very comfortable with this method. Check tp every morning we travel.

 

[Let’s Roll]

So how does the infrared temp gun work? Is there a conversion chart for temps vs tire pressure?

 

[Tom]

So how does the infrared temp gun work? Is there a conversion chart for temps vs tire pressure?

When you've checked temps a few times, you get to know if something is out of whack. A low tire will run hotter. OTOH you'll recognize "normal" high temps, such as tires in the sun, and the inside tire of duallies.

 

[Tom]

I’m thinking about adding a tire pressure monitoring system for our Jayco Alante 26X.
Does anyone have experience with these systems? Is it worth it, pros/cons?

I have an upcoming maintenance appointment in May for a minor issue and if it’s worth it, have it installed then.

Thanks

We've been happy with our EezRV TPMS system. Previously, we used a PressurePro system, but they abandoned the RV market. EezRV has replaceable batteries, whereas PPro required that you return sensors with low batteries to the factory for $$ battery replacement.

You can easily install a TPMS system yourself.

Run a search on TPMS using the Search button above.

 

[Larry N.]

You'll find varying opinions, but most folks that I'm aware of suggest they're a good bet. Since one blowout can, besides the road service and tire price, cost several thousand dollars from damage to the RV I feel it's good insurance. In addition to the TPMS, I also check the tires visually and with an IR gun at every stop, even rest areas, along with a general walk-around of the coach and toad, just in case. It doesn't take long.

But the only installation for most of the aftermarket TPMS systems is to screw the sensor on each tire and put the monitor in the cab (truck or motorhome), then set the monitor for the pressures and temperature limits that you want.

So how does the infrared temp gun work? Is there a conversion chart for temps vs tire pressure?

You aim it at the tire (and wheel hub for me, too) and read the temperature displayed. Repeat for each tire and wheel.

There can't be a temperature to pressure conversion chart, because the only correlation is that, compared to the cold pressure at the beginning of the day, temperature rise will increase the pressure in the tire to some extent, partly due to tire friction on the road and partly due to the sun and to the day warming up. But it won't be a huge increase. In my 22.5" tires it will vary from 3-4 psi rise to maybe 10-15 psi if it's really hot. But psi also changes with altitude changes, and will be different on the sunny side vs the other side. The amount of change is also different on my rear tires than on the front, at least partly because my rears start the day about 85 psi and the front around 110 psi. Plus, the inside dual might be a tad different from the outside.

So I prefer to have the TPMS. Ours is a TST with TST-507 sensors.

 

[Tom]

Ditto what Larry said.

 

[Jayflight]

I will probably start a feud ,something simular to "what is better, a Ford, Ram, or Chevy" .BUTTTT , I was getting tires put on our camper and ended up with some mindless banter with a very well seasoned tire changer that drove a major service truck from the tire outlet about air pressure changes in tires. I cautiously asked about the details of Nitrogen filled tires.

He actually explained in a fairly reasonable way about the lack of a large increase and then decrease in tire pressure with Nitrogen filled tires versus tires filled with air. The molecules , I think the make up of Nitrogen, IIRC is more dense and consumes a larger area in a confined area inside the tire versus straight air. I am not an expert in areas such as this, except in hot air of opinions and an expert in asking questions.

But he went on to say that he runs nitrogen in his riding lawn mowers, which he swears that deals with a more stable pressure over the seasonable and ambient temperature changes, reducing the constant issues of checking and filling the tires to uniform pressure to get even cuts in his acres of grass.

 

[Tom]

I will probably start a feud ,something simular to "what is better, a Ford, Ram, or Chevy" .BUTTTT , I was getting tires put on our camper and ended up with some mindless banter with a very well seasoned tire changer that drove a major service truck from the tire outlet about air pressure changes in tires. I cautiously asked about the details of Nitrogen filled tires.

He actually explained in a fairly reasonable way about the lack of a large increase and then decrease in tire pressure with Nitrogen filled tires versus tires filled with air. The molecules , I think the make up of Nitrogen, IIRC is more dense and consumes a larger area in a confined area inside the tire versus straight air. I am not an expert in areas such as this, except in hot air of opinions and an expert in asking questions.

But he went on to say that he runs nitrogen in his riding lawn mowers, which he swears that deals with a more stable pressure over the seasonable and ambient temperature changes, reducing the constant issues of checking and filling the tires to uniform pressure to get even cuts in his acres of grass.

Air on Earth contains 78% nitrogen. Do with that what you will.

 

[Jayflight]

Air on Earth contains 78% nitrogen. Do with that what you will.

Well then what is the make up of pure Nitrogen? And how do you get the natural air out of the tire as you inflate with pure Nitrogen? Anyway I went with stale air from an aged compressor. I guess I should have added some BBs and balanced my tires too.

 

[Tom]

Well then what is the make up of pure Nitrogen?

Eh? "pure nitrogen" is 100% nitrogen.

 

[Jayflight]

Eh? "pure nitrogen" is 100% nitrogen.

Well I think that was the jest of filling the tires with Nitrogen in lieu of air as it relates to density, as it was explained to me. So should this not remove the percentage of air that you spoke about? I am not a scientist , chemist or an authority on what works better to reduce the changes of tire pressure. So I yield to others. This was the first time that I actually got something in return when questioning the adding of nitrogen to tires other than a straight sales pitch and an added cost of around 10 bucks a tire..

 

[NY_Dutch]

Well then what is the make up of pure Nitrogen? And how do you get the natural air out of the tire as you inflate with pure Nitrogen? Anyway I went with stale air from an aged compressor. I guess I should have added some BBs and balanced my tires too.

Reducing the air pressure in the tire to zero and then inflating it with just nitrogen will result in about a 95% concentration. Repeating the process two or three times can raise the concentration to about 98%.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

No amount of careful checking of pressures and temperatures can tell you you're losing air due to the nail you just picked up driving along, leaking stem or any other reason. It's not a question of if you should have one, it's which one you get.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Jayflight]

Reducing the air pressure in the tire to zero and then inflating it with just nitrogen will result in about a 95% concentration. Repeating the process two or three times can raise the concentration to about 98%.

While I said that in jest , I think the Nitrogen does have some merit. To me I feel that driving over the road in the summer time there would be a big advantage. But there is no magic bullet for getting a nail in your tire.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

There is no question that the driver can manually check and recheck tire pressures with a gauge, but using a TPMS to automatically & continuously monitor pressures is a great convenience. Why should you want tire pressure monitoring? Proper tire pressure is critical to preventing premature tire wear or even blow-outs, and also improves fuel economy and handling. Tires typically lose psi over time and are also subject to psi changes due to varying altitude and temperature, so maintaining the proper pressure is an ongoing chore for any vehicle owner, whether done manually with a gauge or auto-magically with a TPMS device.

 

[RVfixer]

I love my TPMS. I won't go into the brand thing...I think they are all good. I will caution you to NOT put the TPMS sensors on rubber valve stems. The sensors will swing the valve stem back and forth until they break or are cut where they go through the wheel. I know two people that put the sensors on rubber valve stems and had flats due to broken stems. That is really bad...putting something on your tires for better safety and piece of mind and it causes a flat! I read that there are rubber tire valve supports. I don't know how good they are. Camping World had one type but they wouldn't fit my wheels. I waited until I replaced the tires and had metal stems put on at that time.

 

[DonTom]

I will caution you to NOT put the TPMS sensors on rubber valve stems.

IMO, those rubber stems should have been made illegal years ago. They often leak even without anything on them.

However, I use the smaller lighter TPMS sensors even on motorcycle rubber valve stems and never had a problem. But at the first tire change, I have them changed to metal.

I have cheap original rubber valve stems in my 30K$ Harley. IMO, small stuff like that makes the entire bike look cheaply made. But I have external TPMS sensors on those as I do on all my bikes, if rubber or not. Very small light sensors. But they are checked often. And will be changed at the first new tire. I have a box of metal stem tire valves here in case the shop doesn't have them, which has happened to me before, so I bring my own. I never change the tires on the rims, I let a shop do it. I only remove the wheels.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Jayflight]

I love my TPMS. I won't go into the brand thing...I think they are all good. I will caution you to NOT put the TPMS sensors on rubber valve stems. The sensors will swing the valve stem back and forth until they break or are cut where they go through the wheel. I know two people that put the sensors on rubber valve stems and had flats due to broken stems. That is really bad...putting something on your tires for better safety and piece of mind and it causes a flat! I read that there are rubber tire valve supports. I don't know how good they are. Camping World had one type but they wouldn't fit my wheels. I waited until I replaced the tires and had metal stems put on at that time.

I was going with the metal stems but was unable to install them due to the type of mag rims that was on the camper. We tried them. We did install the high pressure rubberized ones, which were actually shorter than standard valve stems. Hopefully this minimizes the movement and breakage for the TPMS to be mounted and used on this camper.

 

[RVfixer]

I didn't see the rubber stems that failed due to the sensors so I can't comment on them...long, short, high pressure...??. However, I have read cautions by the TPMS manufactures not to put sensors on rubber stems. I have also heard of people using the sensors on rubber stems and claimed no problems...but I wouldn't do it.