Tire Pressure Monitoring System: What do you use?

[Deek]

Mike --

We have the Tire Minder TM-66. Very good system IMO. Outstanding service from Tire Minder at every step of the way. Fully satisfied.

I do like the bigger screen on the A1A and would upgrade if not so expensive to do so.

Deek

[HavingABlast]

I recently purchased the TireMinder A1A. I called the customer service of this company and that of TST. I was very impressed with responses from both. I believe that the TST owner is a forum member and have been blown away by his level of customer care. Both earned my business. Another form member and I had a phone conversation about his preference for the Tireminder. Both are terrific products. At the end of the day I went with the A1A simply because the display was easier for these old eyes to read.


2015 Newmar Ventana 3636 (almost finished..we saw pics !!), Cummins ISB,
2014 JKU Wrangler, SMI AF1, Blue Ox Baseplate and Tow Bar

[driedl]

We have used the TST system with flow-through sensors for the past 3 years. It's a very reliable system and they have excellent customer service. We tried the Pacific Dualies unit before that but had nothing but problems with it and I eventually convinced them to refund our money

[Roscott]

I have the TST system and consistently get dropped signals from the sensors. The only way to get the reading back is to cycle the power on the monitor...and that doesn't even work sometimes. I often go down the road getting readings from 3 or fewer sensors. I only have 4 installed as there is no room for them on the outer duals with the long stems I have at the moment...those I check the 'old fashioned way'.

I'm wondering if I should have gone with the flow-through units instead? Maybe they function better and more reliably.

[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by Roscott

I have the TST system and consistently get dropped signals from the sensors. The only way to get the reading back is to cycle the power on the monitor...and that doesn't even work sometimes. I often go down the road getting readings from 3 or fewer sensors. I only have 4 installed as there is no room for them on the outer duals with the long stems I have at the moment...those I check the 'old fashioned way'.

I'm wondering if I should have gone with the flow-through units instead? Maybe they function better and more reliably.

I have a TST system with the 507 flow thru sensors. I've had the same system on three different MH's since 2008. Right now it's in a 40' TAG with 8 sensors. Never a dropped signal. Never a false readout. Never a leak. Flawless.

Where do you have the head unit mounted? I find mounting mine in the drivers side window works without a repeater on my 40' TAG. Have you tried a repeater?

[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by DGBPokes

I have debated for years about getting one. I read about them, and unfortunately lots of maintenance, nuisance problems. Right now, my Michelins are only two years old, I check tire pressure at least once a month. AND I keep an IR temp gun in the rig. Once a day when traveling, I hit each tire with the temp gauge at a rest stop. I understand heat build up if the first sign of tire failure.
Why pay good bucks, for something that seems to introduce leaks, give false signs.....when I can know exactly what is going on with my tires, with my personal actions?

P.S. When it comes to tires on any of my vehicles, take care of them, check inflation, keep 303 on them, and replace them at 75-80% of expected life. Good tires seldom fail, pushing time and mileage is when you get into trouble.

ANYTHING can happen to your tires between your monthly, daily, etc checks. Your could catch a nail and have a tire start to go down seconds after you just checked the pressure and temperature manually. With your method, you'll loose that tire minutes later at 65 mph.

A TMPS is the only way to ensure you won't have a blowout by constantly monitoring the temp and pressure of every tire while traveling down the road.

Maintenance involves replacing the batteries once a year (they are NEVER dead after a year but why not?). I also replace all the O rings (lifetime free from TST) once a year. With the flow thru sensors, there are zero nuisance issues that I can think of. It's just as easy to add air and manually check pressure with and without the sensors. I have NEVER had a leak due the sensors using the same TST 507 system on three MHs since 2008.

[Roscott]

Originally Posted by newmarpusher

Where do you have the head unit mounted? I find mounting mine in the drivers side window works without a repeater on my 40' TAG. Have you tried a repeater?

I have had it in numerous locations, including driver side window. Have not tried a repeater. Will the flow-throughs allow me to place them on my outer duals? Right now I would need a 180 degree stem...and those won't fit either.

[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by Roscott

I have had it in numerous locations, including driver side window. Have not tried a repeater. Will the flow-throughs allow me to place them on my outer duals? Right now I would need a 180 degree stem...and those won't fit either.

I don't think the flow throughs would provide any advantage in fitting. Mine fit no problem on the stock Newmar valve stems which do have 180deg stems on the outer duals.

If you're loosing signal to the rears, that is what a repeater is for.

[flaggship1]

Originally Posted by newmarpusher

I don't think the flow throughs would provide any advantage in fitting. Mine fit no problem on the stock Newmar valve stems which do have 180deg stems on the outer duals.

If you're loosing signal to the rears, that is what a repeater is for.

Guess it is helpful to fully disclose - 38' towing CR-V - with the repeater.

[JohnT]

We have the TST with the Flow-thru we bought when we the coach. We had “newbie” issues with the instructions and eventually Mike (TST CS) enlightened me. We also had dropped sensors occasionally. I’ve never had a false alarm. We added a repeater and that helped but the real problem was the two remote weather stations I had. I never turned them off and Mike thought those units may be causing mixed signals. Since turning off the wx stations, the system works just fine. Mike at TST has been great to work with.
Yes, I would buy this system again.

[Tetonchief]

I bought set last year at the Tampa RV show from the MFR rep--he set them up before I left the show. I wanted them for my drive from FL to WY. I don't put them on in JAN as I wasn't leaving until April. When I went to put them on my Canyon Star I got all but 2 installed--the two inner rears which have a valve stem that comes out the outer tire. There was no way I could get them to seat--the wheel got in the way. I had problems with a couple others and calling the MFR Rep said just pry the valve stem sideways to make it fit. That worked on the all but the inner rears. I ended up returning them and got my money back. I was told of options but most consisted of removing the tires and installing them as the tires go back on as well as using flow through as opposed to stemless etc. Since I was on my way to WY when I returned them I figured I would monitor the tires daily and forgo the expense of dismounting and remitting tires to get a system to work. Well, I made it here and in about a month and a half I'll be heading back to FL. When I buy new tires I may still look into them.

[Tireman9]

To answer the specific question.

- I bought Tire Traker TPMS at RV event in Sept 2010

- Full disclosure I had one sensor bad in original set. Called and new sensor arrived in 3 days.
- Have 6 sensors and have replaced 1 battery in 5 years.
- I do remove batteries from sensors when I park the RV for the Winter.
- Expect to replace all 6 batteries by next Spring.
- Have replaced 2 of 6 O-ring cap seals
- They sponsor my blog but I was not involved in that decision as I do not manage the blog only write for it and started the blog after I made my purchase

- Also ran a HELLA TPMS (German) internal unit April 2008 - July 2015

[Vettesniper]

Hi Mike,

Full Disclosure: I do not work for Newmar, TST, or any TPMS manufacturer.


Congrats on your decision to purchase a 2016 Newmar Dutch Star and to outfit it and your toad with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)! We have used a Truck Systems Technology model 507 TPMS with Flow-Thru Sensors and a Repeater on our 45' coach and 24' tandem axle Featherlite trailer for the past two years and could not be happier with the performance of this system. Yes, that means we have 12 sensors reporting tire data to the monitor through a repeater mounted in the top of the bedroom closet (12VDC power available from the closet light).

Is TST the “best” system on the market today? I don’t know as it is the only system I have ever used, but I do know they work and TST stands behind their products 100%. If you ever have an issue or a question they are but a phone call away. OK, enough of the blatant product plug and on to some information you may find useful.

1. TPMS are designed and marketed to be “worry free”, but they are not “maintenance free”. They live and operate in the most hostile environment you could imagine…attached to an RV, toad, or trailer tire spinning down the road at 70mph, exposed to rain/snow/dirt/road grime/debris/etc. They require some TLC just like every other thing on/in your RV. Removing the individual sensors once a year, replacing the batteries and cleaning the sensor eliminates 99% of issues people experience in their use. The other 1% (IMHO) is almost always tire valve core related.

2. Tire technicians are trained to insert valve cores fully into the tire valve stem in order to avoid leaks. Many times they will install the valve core so fully into the valve stem that the TPMS sensor will not be able to depress the core enough to get an accurate pressure reading. The TPMS sensor works just like a tire pressure gauge in that it depresses the valve core slightly to release air so that it can be measured. Simply backing the valve core out slightly (with a valve core removal tool) addresses this issue.

3. Perceived latency in the systems. I see posts where people complain that their TPMS doesn’t immediately boot up when turned on and report all the tire information immediately. TPMS manufacturers program their systems to only report sensor status every few minutes rather than constantly in order to prolong battery life. This is strictly a programming parameter designed to more efficiently utilize the finite amount of power stored in the watch batteries used in the sensors. Rest assured that if you have a sudden pressure or temperature change the sensor will report that information immediately to the monitor and alert you.

4. On our most recent 3500 mille RV trip we had THREE TPMS “events”. The first was when a trailer tire was pierced by a metal object and resulted in a semi-rapid pressure loss. As soon as the tire’s pressure dropped below the programmed limit threshold it alarmed and allowed me to monitor the remaining tires in real-time. I was able to assess the situation, review the available data, and decide on a course of action. I chose to slow down and continue to the next exit rather than stop on the shoulder. The second event was a sudden trailer tire failure that resulted in complete tire destruction; i.e. a “blow out”. Again, I was able to monitor the remaining tire information and decided to carefully proceed to a safer area for further action. The third event was on our final day and I was "pushing" to get home. The DW notified me that she believed the TST system was telling her we may have a problem with another trailer tire. She monitors the readings and she felt the TEMPERATURE of one of the tires was not normal. It was running about 15-20 degrees higher than the others. I was convinced she was worrying over nothing and that it was because it was on the side with the sun, etc, etc,... To calm her fears, I pulled over at the next rest area and investigated. Sure enough one of the hubs on the trailer was so hot you could not touch it! A wheel bearing had begun to overheat and was nearing the point of failure. Luckily, I was able to remove the wheel hub, repack it with grease, and continue home without further incidence.

5. In all instances our TST 507 system provided the necessary information to allow me to make a decision based on actual measured tire data rather than the visual data I was able to see in my mirrors. This is the beauty of a TPMS, it gives you more data, sooner than you would otherwise be able to access underway. More data is more better! The wheel bearing event was the thing that really convinced me of the value of a TPMS that reports tire temperatures though. Not long ago a friend of mine was driving an 18-wheeler loaded with vintage race cars and had a trailer brake dragging that caused a wheel bearing to fail and the subsequent heat caught the trailer on fire. The entire rig and everything in it burned to the ground on the side of the Interstate...a multi-million dollar loss!

6. Aren't TPMSs like the TST 507 expensive? Depends on your definition of "expensive". As I recall ours cost the same as a full tank of diesel fuel at the time (150 gallons x $4 gal).

7. Are they worth it? They are to me, but that too depends on you. What are you driving/towing/hauling. What are the consequences to you personally if you have a tire related event. There is a reason every new car and light truck sold in the USA since 2008 has come from the factory with a TPMS built in. OK, OK, the reason for that is because as a nation we have become too lazy to check our own tire pressures...but that is another thread!

8. Safety. In the past as soon as I heard or saw anything that I perceived as an issue with a tire I would have to pull over and investigate. The side of an Interstate highway is one of the most dangerous places you can possible expose yourself to; ask any State Trooper or go to Youtube for proof.

I applaud you for choosing Newmar and for investing in a TPMS for your new coach and toad. Good luck with your purchase and I hope you have many miles of safe and enjoyable travels!

[vettenuts]

Originally Posted by harleyjt

There are several recent threads on this subject here and over on the Class A forum. I bought the EEZ system recently and really like it. No antenna on the side and the screen has text instead of icons.
jt

Same here. Much easier to read text while driving if an alarm goes off.