TPMS or PITA?

[GeorgePal]

I am researching getting a TPMS, and am wondering if is more of a PITA or not? Seems to me some people precipitate either flats or malfunctions with them, and so e people swear they saved tires or blowouts. You can spend either 600 or 60, any where in between!

I have a 2015 ace 30.1 with a new set of skins. We camp maybe 4 weeks a year, go about 1500 miles a year

Tell me please oh forum friends, do any of you just check pressures before rolling old school way and call it good?

And a bonus question, what are the groups thoughts about dually pressure equalizers like cats eye or crossfire?

 

[ducksface]

A govt requirement on the last 100,000,000+- vehicles.
Have you ever had one on a daily driver?
Was it a problem?

Who says they cause flats?
Do you have a reliable source?


A dually pressure regulator saves you the exact amount of time it takes to check pressure in two tires.
I'm sure there is other value, but I haven't found one.

I manually check tires before a trip and occasionally as we travel.
Initial check due to the same reason a pilot touches surface areas.

 

[GeorgePal]

Source is threads on this forum. Searching for tpms will find them. Also reviews on Amazon. Sensors leaking, failing, install issues, etc.

I have a 2008 caddy, and went through vast pain with the TPMS on it. Replaced sensors several times , always one slow leaking. Tore em all out, no more slow leaks. Suffered with that crap for years, all good since.

So you say yes? What brand do you run?

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

The PIA is when you get an unexpected tire failure from unobserved under inflation. The remedy is either:

Regularly monitor tire pressure with a manual gauge.

OR

Install a QUALITY TPMS system to do it automatically.

If I never pulled a TOAD, I might just do option #1. However, since I do, I would NEVER leave home without the TPMS on the Jeep.

Thousands upon thousands of people in motorhomes have traveled safely and successfully WITHOUT a TPMS for many years. A TPMS is just another convenience tool to remove perceived anxiety.

 

[ADOR]

I have used TST 507 screw on sensors (non-flow thru) for at least 8 years on both RV and towed vehicle, total of 10 sensors. Never had any problems. Saved my neck once when I had a blow out on our tow dolly. Sent alarm immediately and gave me few seconds to safely pull over. Pulling a Jeep now. Gives me peace of mind to know what the tire pressures are while on the road.

 

[happy-THOR]

The best and newest tires and ones just hand checked by a reliable gauge can pick up a nail and begin to leak. If you do not have a TPMS you may very easily drive until the offending tire is low enough to cause damage. Damage to a tire or damage to your rig could very easily cost more than the TPMS.

Also, knowing a tire is losing air may allow you to pull into a repair shop long before you are stranded out in the middle of anywhere. Choosing to get a leaking tire fixed is better than having to get a flat tire fixed.


Our Tire Minder system has never caused a leak in many thousands of miles.

 

[ducksface]

I didn't say yes.
I said to provide a source of disdain.

One Cadillac.
How about the other cars since or before?

I have pass through tpms on my rv. I don't know the brand.
I also have amazon $20 stem cap systems that use solar to keep the receiver charged on other vehicles. They're unflawed on about 6 vehicles here.

I have them solely because
Inexpensive
I have an occasional low tire for no seeming reason.
It saves me a walk around I should have done and didn't.

The system in our king ranch worked but the dopey thing just said low tire without telling you which or how much. Very stupid system designed to save a single line of code.
I put the $20 solar caps on it.

There isn't too much to disagree with when it comes to aftermarket tpms.
The folks who got flats obviously can't work a valve stem cap because basically that's all they are in the aftermarket.

For 40,000ish miles My huge, the size of a walnut, pass-through tpms units dangle out in space on the end of a flexible valve extension at a few times of 90mph while passing and certainly at the flow of traffic always on our rv.
Some people would tell God himself on me for doing such a thing.

 

[EA37TS]

Source is threads on this forum. Searching for tpms will find them. Also reviews on Amazon. Sensors leaking, failing, install issues, etc.

I have a 2008 caddy, and went through vast pain with the TPMS on it. Replaced sensors several times , always one slow leaking. Tore em all out, no more slow leaks. Suffered with that crap for years, all good since.

So you say yes? What brand do you run?

You buy cheap you get cheap. TireMinder in use for 5 years and never had a sensor related flat.

Are they worth it, how much worth do you put on the safety of your passengers?

 

[ghnl]

I have a TireMinder TPMS. Six sensors on the motorhome, four more on the trailer. I get an occasional "no signal" but 99.9% of the time it gives me reasonably accurate readings.

It once saved me some grief. We were on I-95 in Connecticut when it alerted me to a low tire on the trailer. This gave me time to get off the highway and find a good place to swap on the spare. I think it is money well spent. I don't know if it can give advanced warning of a blow-out. Perhaps if the failure is preceded by increased temperatures (the TireMinder also reports temps) &/or pressures?

 

[16ACE27]

EEZTire on my MH for the last 7 years, different systems on Travel Trailers before that. Sooo much easier to check tire pressure with the TPMS before heading out.

Had a slow leak on an inside dually a few years ago that surfaced 2 days out from home in the middle of Nowhere, Georgia. Withe the TPMS I was able to fill, monitor and nurse the tire until home where I could purchase re[lacement tires at my pace and after doing my research (Of course it was a non-repairable nail in the shoulder area, so I moved a front to that rear position and purchased two new fronts).

Most of the aftermarket failures are USER INITIATED. You have to make sure you have good O-rings and the sensors are properly installed. I had one failure in the electronics on one TPMS sensor due to moisture intrusion.

 

[TripleGGG]

I have the TST TPMS on the coach and toad Jeep and also have the Crossfire system. Both have worked flawless for 4 years now. I like the Crossfire as it keeps tires equal in pressure but I really like the ability to quickly glance and see they are inflated to the correct pressure.

 

[DavidEM]

I have the Tymate system with six sensors. The Tymate system works great. The problem is the extenders that are required to screw the sensors into.

The ones I have are simply a tube with an internal rod the activates the valve on the underlying stem, ie there is no valve on the extension. The Tymate sensor does depress the underlying valve sufficiently to pressure up the sensor.

The problem is that both my air gauge and pump don’t always depress the valve enough to open it. This either results in a zero reading on the gauge or a blocked in tire pressure pump.

I have learned to live with this problem and sometimes have to remove the extender to hook up the pump so it won’t be blocked.

I have also had problems with the extender leaking, but have dealt with that by screwing them down real tight with a wrench.

I use the Slime valve extenders: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003V9TC10?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details. Anyone have better ones?

I must admit the Tymate system has never saved me from under pressure, other than the leaking extender noted above. But it is comforting to know that the tire pressure is ok all of the time and to watch it increase while driving in hot weather. Tells me it is working.

David

 

[ducksface]

'but have dealt with that by screwing them down real tight with a wrench.'

The above is not a heroic endeavor.
It is the bare minimum but still beyond those who won't do the bare minimum.



Maintenance and the slightest iota of responsibility cures the
'I read that they cause flats'

Quoted poster does not have flats and all he did was SOMETHING in his favor.
Do what he did. It was exactly the cure needed.

Wonder not of the flats quoted by people.
Wonder of the quoted people.

 

[DavidEM]

The extenders are designed to be screwed down by hand: they have knurled ends and no flats to use a wrench on. You have to use two channel lock type pliers to get it tighter than you can by hand.

I would say that goes beyond the bare minimum. And what more can you do?

David

 

[ducksface]

My point was
There is nothing more you can do other than installing an O ring replacement(the maintenance I typed of)

No specialized tools needed, no specialized schooling, no machining, no outlandishly priced Rolex branded units, just maintain and adjust the damn things until they don't leak like you did.

Exactly what you did is all everyone should do.
Make.
Them.
Work.

Mine wasn't a slight. It was praise for doing what's needed instead of complaining because you didn't have the forethought to just tighten them down.

You had a problem.
You fixed the problem.
Others say their tpms cause leaks.

 

[GeorgePal]

The PIA is when you get an unexpected tire failure from unobserved under inflation. The remedy is either:

Regularly monitor tire pressure with a manual gauge.

OR

Install a QUALITY TPMS system to do it automatically.

If I never pulled a TOAD, I might just do option #1. However, since I do, I would NEVER leave home without the TPMS on the Jeep.

Thousands upon thousands of people in motorhomes have traveled safely and successfully WITHOUT a TPMS for many years. A TPMS is just another convenience tool to remove perceived anxiety.

Thanks!

 

[GeorgePal]

I must admit the Tymate system has never saved me from under pressure, other than the leaking extender noted above. But it is comforting to know that the tire pressure is ok all of the time and to watch it increase while driving in hot weather. Tells me it is working.

David

Thanks, that's good info!

 

[GeorgePal]

Thousands upon thousands of people in motorhomes have traveled safely and successfully WITHOUT a TPMS for many years. A TPMS is just another convenience tool to remove perceived anxiety.

Makes sense to me!

I am still on the fence..got some good info here.

Got some references too.

 

[ducksface]

$20 to $200 is fence sitting territory?
How?
It isn't like adopting a shelter animal.

 

[dkoldman]

It didn't take me long to figure out you couldn't eyeball these tires for low pressure unless it was too late. Kicking the tires cost me a pair of good shoes, carry a hammer only added to the weight of the RV creating more stress on the tires.

So I bought the Cheapo China made sensors because what could I lose? The were cheap. I went two years but I tore up two trying to replace the batteries. So I just bought another brand new set, spent about $45.

Then I bought the fancy dancy Tire Patrol from RVi. I only bought RVi because I already had the Command Tablet to go with my RVi 3 Braking system. I bought used sensors. They worked but I preferred by Cheapo China made because I could leave on the tires all the time and just change batteries if a sensor went bad. RVi says after two weeks with no travel they recommend taking the sensors off. At current batteries in RVi Tire Patrol sensors are not replaceable

As fate would have it I had two sensors in the 2nd China Cheapo, I was about to spend $45 again when I ran across a bargain on a brand new 6 sensor RVi Tire Patrol set. I got for $100. I will roll with the RVi Tire Patrol from here on out as it offers a lot more information, and I love the Command Tablet. The system brand new is very expensive $1,200 mainly due to Command center and puck needed.

With Tire Patrol I can watch my tire pressure and temperature when RV is sitting idle. i.e. I had not idea that my tires will go from 82 psi up to 106 psi just sitting? May be function of sensor but odd nonetheless. With 6 new tires I am anxious to see if I notice any differences?