Tire monitoring system - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Yankee stitcher · RV-Dreams Community Member

Tire monitoring system

Neil and Connie · RV-Dreams Family Member

Tire pressure monitors are like washer/dryer installations…some people love them and some hate them. I have them on both our 5ver and RAM 5500HD although the latter has a 'low pressure alarm' thing built in but it's fairly limited. Howard had a low tire due to not screwing the sensor on correctly or tight enough (he thinks) recently but that seems like an installation problem. Bill Napier hates them…I wouldn't do without them. It just depends on whether you want to have to check the tires a lot. I don't know what non TMPS owners do…but if I didn't have one then I would probably check the tires before every travel day and that's too much trouble. YMMV.

I have the PressurePro system but if I was doing it again I would get the other common brand…TSC I think but I may be wrong on the name. Both operate similarly and have pretty much the same features. The advantage of the other one is that the batteries in the sensors are user-replacable where on the PressurePro you have to buy new sensors when the batteries die…we replaced ours after 4 years on the road.

The only real problem is whether you can get them onto your valve stems on your truck…both of these systems use cylindrical sensors a little less than an inch high and diameter. I don't have any problem getting them on my 5500…even on the inner dualleys…but those with fatter hands might have more trouble. I can take them off/air up/reinstall them in probably 20 minutes for the 6 tires on the truck…but they really don't come off very often as I just monitor the pressures with the readout rather than an air gauge.

PressurePro's readout only shows one tire at a time…I think the other brand shows more of them at one time but I'm not really sure.

RonC · RV-Dreams Family Member

I am a big fan of TPMS. Mine is a TST 507, (TST stands for Truck Systems Technology) but the brand is unimportant and I'm not advocating for any particular manufacturer. I am advocating for using this technology as a safety measure. The TST system cycles thru each tire position at about a two to three second period per tire position. You do not need to stare at the screen as it goes thru it's cycles ... if an alarm is generated YOU WILL HEAR IT as it is very loud!! It monitors both temperature and pressure for each tire in a constantly repeating pattern. Each tire's alarm setting for pressure and temperature is user set. They recommend alarms be set for 10 PSI below and 20 PSI over the COLD TIRE AIR PRESSURE. They also recommend all tire's high temperature alarm be set at 158 degrees F. This temp alarm setting is the default setting, unless you change it. They say that tire failures due to high temp generally occur around 180 degrees, so the default 158 is well below that. Temps and pressures are very important per tire and in relationship to the other tires. TPMS serves as an early warning system to allow you to take action BEFORE the "bang" occurs. Highly recommended on every tire.

I use flow thru sensors on the 5th wheel, but their size (length) was problematic on my truck. I use non flow thru sensors on all 6 tires of my truck and flow thru sensors on the 4 fifth wheel tires. The TST 507 system with both types of sensors are available on Amazon.

Safe Travels!

-- Edited by RonC on Saturday 12th of November 2016 10:32:30 PM

-- Edited by RonC on Tuesday 15th of November 2016 10:13:48 PM

-- Edited by RonC on Tuesday 15th of November 2016 10:18:25 PM

Rob_Fla · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have the TST Brand of Tire Pressure Sensors for 5 years now.
I fulltime and travel year round moving about every two weeks so they get a real good workout.
They can be a PITA some times but they have also saved me several times with slow leaks from Road Debris.

TheNewhalls · RV-Dreams Family Member

I use the non flow thru EEZ TPMS. Easy to set up, easy to use and customer service has been great. When we stop for any length of time I take them off my coach to save the batteries. I used to get out and check my tires before each trip, now i just look at my monitor and verify pressures with a gauge every once in a while.

http://eezrvproduct.com/TIRE-PRESSURE-and-TEMPERATURE-MONITORING-SYSTEMS-TPMS_c3.htm

Second Chance · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have one of the TireMinder systems (non-flow-through) on the RV. The truck came with a built-in system. The TMPS saved my butt on I-16 coming out of Savannah when the right front trailer tire took a piece of rebar or VERY large bolt right through the tread. The tire deflated in a couple of seconds, but the TPMS alert allowed me to get to the side of the road before the tire disintegrated and caused any damage to the fifth wheel. It paid for itself with that one incident. The batteries that came with the system lasted about 15 months. I just ordered enough from Amazon to replace them annually for the next few years for only a few bucks.

Rob