Tire Monitors

[Heathcote4]

Being in a new rig and reading the tire threads I am becoming concerned about the Towmax tires on my new camper.

What experience is there with the tire monitor systems?

I am looking at the TST products.

Would this system alert to an impending problem, or is this a central method of checking tire pressure?

Nothing can safeguard from road hazards but is there an occurrence with a faulty tire before it goes?

The system seems a wise investment but I want appropriate expectations.

Thanks,

Josh

 

[JohnD]

My car has the tire monitoring system . . . and it goes off all of the time telling me that I am having a tire issue!

Yet . . . there is nothing going on . . . or nothing wrong!

It just went off again last night on my way home from work!

I'm about ready to pull the fuse and forget about it!

And, we just traded in my wife's car for a new one, and her tire monitoring system (2007 Volkswagon Jetta) was always going off alerting to a low tire . . .

But guess what?

No low tire . . .

And her new car . . . a Nissan Altima 2-door Coupe (with the 3.5 litre engine - that **** thing is a hot rod!) has already given us the low tire warning . . .

We've had that car about a month now . . . yet no low tire!

Hhhhmmmmmmmmmm . . .

 

[Garypowell]

You will find that most everyone loves the system they have and would buy another one just like it.

I think you will also find that they allow you to "see" parameters rather than just alarm. The display on mine goes to sleep but about every 15 minutes I hit the button to see it scroll through the temperatures and pressures and feel a lot better that it is there.

And tires will blow with no indication of a problem.

But it I will no longer pull my rig with out one.

But probably the best thing is get some better tires on the rig first.

 

[TravelTiger]

TPMS will let you see the psi and temp of the tires constantly. What you will see is that the temp and psi fluctuate based on the ambient temperature. Temperature of the tires on the road can run 15-20 degrees warmer than the ambient temperature, and tires in the direct sun can run 10 degrees warmer than those in the shade, so they are constantly fluctuating!!

I mostly focus on making sure no single tire is significantly different than the others, and still make a visual check at every stop along the way.

We had a valve stem leak and TST gave warning of a low tire, thankfully we were able to get off the road quickly and service it.




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[pegmikef]

My car has the tire monitoring system . . . and it goes off all of the time telling me that I am having a tire issue!

Yet . . . there is nothing going on . . . or nothing wrong!

Yeah, my wife's Expedition did the same thing. It was always related to a drop in temperature and depends on how they are programed. I had her tires filled with nitrogen and the problem went away. Apparently nitrogen is not affected as much as air by temperature swings.

 

[Kbvols]

I believe the most reasonable expectation is that you are able to monitor the "conditions" your tires are running at temps/pressures. Certainly they wil not directly prevent any failure. They may alert you to an issue a little quicker than not having and perhaps prevent or limit damage or a catastrophic event.

 

[porthole]

I've got over 15K using the TST system so far on the trailer, 70-80K using it on two different trucks. I have yet to have a "false positive" with that system.

Will the TPMS alert you to a rapid blowout, maybe not. But what caused the blowout?

I have had two alerts so far for pressure problems. 1st was a tire that had a fist sized bubble and started losing air. They were 80 psi tires and I was "alerted in sufficient time to find a safe place to pullover. By the time I stopped the pressure dropped to 65-70 (guessing). No doubt the monitor saved a blowout there.

My second alert came last summer and was an at first, slow drop in pressure. Since I was on RT 80 in Ohio all I did was a quick stop and look.
Saw nothing and continued until I could pull off the roadway, albeit at a much lower speed. All the while the TPMS showing a gradual drop in pressure. That turned out to be a cracked rim.

Without some sort of TPMS in your car and truck, the odds are pretty good you will feel something is wrong if you get a flat. The odds are also pretty good you will not know you have a trailer flat until you see the shreds.

And if you have a DRW there is a very good chance you would not know you have an inner rear wheel issue without a TPMS.

Deb has a 2008 Lincoln MKX, about 28K on it. She has had her factory alert go off several times over the years. Every time the tires needed air.


Here is my plug for a TPMS
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/11365-And-so-it-begins?p=137656&viewfull=1#post137656

 

[Heathcote4]

Thank you all for the feedback.

I have a TST510 system on the way in time for our Dallas to Hot Springs trip next week and new tires in next month's budget. I agree that the system might not alert to a rapid tire failure, but it might remove some issues resulting from an otherwise benign issue compounding and causing real damage. Our rig is still fairly new and from what I have read the Blowmax's are seeming to have issues after about a year.

An ounce of prevention........right?

Josh


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[Snow]

I got about 1100 miles on my towmax tires 1 season so now I ready to purchase a tire monitor system and I have no idea what so ever what to get I have a budget of around 400$ will that get a decent one, and I see where most come with only 6 sensors do I need 8 any help will be appreciated like I say I have no clue of what iam doing thanks ⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️

 

[hriker]

If you can't afford both the sensors for both the truck and trailer. Get them for the trailer now and add sensors for the truck later.

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[Heathcote4]

My system from TST was $550 for 10 sensors. TST is running a special for April 10% off and a three year warranty. If you drop two to four sensors and the repeater I needed you might get close to your budget.


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[mobilcastle]

I would dump the Towmax tires and put these on.http://simpletire.com/telstar-235-8...m_term=80504&gclid=CP3A9pOvir0CFeZDMgodoBsA0w
I have yet to read about a blowout on one of these. Yes I am running them on my rig and I do not have a tire monitering system on my truck or trailer. Of course if they fit. Good luck

 

[Birchwood]

Someone give me a set and its set for 90 psi.Its an inexpensive TPMS that sets off an alarm when the tire pressure drops below 90psi.I keep my tires at 110 psi .If I have a blowout I assume it will just alarm and will know immediately of a problem .

 

[danemayer]

Someone give me a set and its set for 90 psi.Its an inexpensive TPMS that sets off an alarm when the tire pressure drops below 90psi.I keep my tires at 110 psi .If I have a blowout I assume it will just alarm and will know immediately of a problem .

FYI, On a G614 that's supposed to run at 110psi, I believe Goodyear and other manufacturers consider 88psi (20% low) a run flat condition that is likely to ruin the tire.

 

[JohnD]

Yeah, my wife's Expedition did the same thing. It was always related to a drop in temperature and depends on how they are programed. I had her tires filled with nitrogen and the problem went away. Apparently nitrogen is not affected as much as air by temperature swings.

I have nitrogen in my car tires as well.

I have been dealing with the tire store on trying to get my brand new car tires replaced as there is one or more of them defective.

When this happens (hopefully in the next week or so), I will not have nitrogen put back in the new tires.

 

[pegmikef]

I have nitrogen in my car tires as well.

I have been dealing with the tire store on trying to get my brand new car tires replaced as there is one or more of them defective.

When this happens (hopefully in the next week or so), I will not have nitrogen put back in the new tires.

You think the nitrogen caused the defects? . . I ask because mine have had it for a couple of years with not problems at all. Hers is an 05, but the tires are only a couple of years old.

 

[JohnD]

You think the nitrogen caused the defects? . . I ask because mine have had it for a couple of years with not problems at all. Hers is an 05, but the tires are only a couple of years old.

I don't think it (nitrogen) caused the defects, but perhaps could be why the car doesn't handle the way it did before I bought the new tires.

Plus . . . what a PITA having to run to the tire store every time you need to adjust the pressure!

Here is another (not so) funny thing . . .

The very day I bought the tires when I drove about 10 miles and then returned to tell them that something was not right . . . the very guy that put my new tires on the car earlier in the day adjusted the tire pressure using the regular air hose!

I pointed this out to the store manager, so then I had to sit around for another hour before they could pull my car back into the garage . . . deflate all of the tires and refill them with nitro!

I have my own air compressor . . . no more nitro for me!

I've been driving since the mid-70's and never had nitrogen in a tire until last October (when this whole tire debockle began) . . . and never had this kind of problem!

I think that nitrogen is just another way for tire shops to squeeze an extra $20 out of our pockets for basically nothing!

 

[Manzan]

TST 507 on our trailer and it works very well. Bought the tires from Costco and they fill everything with nitrogen and no charge for keeping them filled. One tire lost some pressure ( my fault) and I filled it with plain air. That one ran hotter by a few degrees than the others until they too, had a lot of plain air added to the mix. Suburban also has Costco tires and pressure in them changes very little. Before leaving on a trip I stop in and have them 'topped off'. That pressure maintains until I get back--usually 4 to 5K later. Actually, it is the oxygen and moisture in the tires that will cause what few problems there are.

 

[JohnD]

High humidity and moisture generally isn't a big issue for us here in Colorado.

Although we do have a spring snow storm on the way for tomorrow.

 

[Birchwood]

FYI, On a G614 that's supposed to run at 110psi, I believe Goodyear and other manufacturers consider 88psi (20% low) a run flat condition that is likely to ruin the tire.

Good information Thanks Dan