Tire alarm- Running TST system to validate Valor system

[hogdriver]

Brand new DutchStar, 2200 miles. 3rd or fourth small trip after purchase. Coach had a TPMS faulted tire reading on outer dual since purchase. Made appointment at a Spartan shop 70 mi away. Waited a week while Spartan shipped wrong part, then broken part, then finally good part. Spartan HQ recommended adding a antenna to rear to pickup dropping signal. Fix works sometimes....another thread.

Granted it has been really hot lately. Driving home in 95F day in stop an go traffic because multiple kamikazee drivers decided to close the interstate I get a “beep” HIGH TIRE TEMP WARNING. It’s the inner dual adjacent to the problem outer dual just fixed. Tire got as high as 195F. Other tires were 160-ish. I’m running factory tire pressure. I had completed loading my normal amount of junk so I don’t think I’m overweight. Less junk than my traded-in Entegra carried. Can’t’ find a RV weigh guy near me (previous post).

I call my Spartan guy and Spartan HQ. Nobody has a definite idea to remedy. Best suggestion was to go drive again. I suggest to Spartan CS that I will install my old TST tire monitor and stem mounted sensors to compare readings. I’m concerned about a dragging brake or axle problem. Spartan CS doesn’t think that’s the problem. I could get the Valor system adjusted higher but what if my tire(s) are indeed too hot?

I go for a leisurely 1-1/2 hour drive. Temp outside 90F. The factory Valor system indicates all tires get hotter, as expected. Fronts get up to 135F, tags at 120F, outer duals go to 135F. Inner duals go to 168F......what’s going on? By contrast my old TST sensors show the inner duals at 115F. The big question is what is right and what is wrong? The TST sensors are sensing temp of air at the stem. Those values are about what I was seeing on my traded Entegra. The Valor sensors are fastened to the rim. The inner duals are definitely hotter. Is measuring the rim temp a valid indicator of problems?

Each drive I ran outside and used one of those Amazon laser temp gages on the tires and rims. When the inner dual temp indicated 165F the laser confirmed it when pointed at the rim. The rubber indicated about 120F-130F.

I’m concerned about upcoming mountain driving. This is my third Spartan but first one with a glass dash and Valor system. My plan is to keep the TST sensors on while I watch this but I’m concerned about the high temp readings on the Valor. Anybody gone down this road before me?

[BBelanger]

After reading your post, I think I'll order the EEZTire system again. I sold it with the last coach, in retrospect looks like a mistake. I ordered the extra sensors for my Jeep, over $300. Plus I have to get a tire shop to remove my tires, plus remove the balancing beads I have in them to install the Valor system. I'll be doing this next week. Then I need to get Don to send me the programming tool when he has it in stock.
The big question is, why did Newmar decide on this system when the stem mounted sensors worked great? I've had EEZTire sensors on all my coaches for 8 years and so far without issues. They gave me an extra antenna with the 43 foot DS but I never needed it.

My guess is that this is an old system that was installed on the King Aires and worked it's way down the line. Measuring the rim temp? Who does that other than Valor? I know the dealers are less than helpful so far and Newmar CS has sent me to Mr Rigby.

My thought is that if the system is receiving a bluetooth signal, there is no reason why the coach receiver couldn't be set to receive the EEZtire or other sensors, but that's just me...

Hoping to pickup the coach in Vegas next week, so I'll be able to give you a better report then. There must be hundreds of these systems out there, I guess I'm surprised not to see more posts here.

Bill Bélanger

[hogdriver]

I found an older thread discussing higher temps on the inside tires on a New Aire. It did not have a happy or easy resolution. It appears this Valor system has more of a history on Freightliner chassis than Spartan. I’m still looking.

The latest advice from Spartan was to weigh the axles at a truck stop. I’m going to try running a little higher pressure in case it is weight related. Other than a toolbox (maybe 200lb) and two cookers (100lb total), I’ve just got lawn chairs and kitchen stuff. Tanks aren’t very full either. Oh well, to weigh I go.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/inc...re-441551.html

[Dutch Star Don]

You can email Newmar and get your complete weight information. They weigh every coach as it comes off the production line. You'll see what the weights are empty and do some simple math for what you added.

[tderonne]

I've had a similar experience with internal sensors on my F53. Doesn't have to be too hot out to hit the 177° warning on the inside duals. I raised my pressures a little when it first happened, and it helped. But they still get pretty hot at times.

I like the idea of having internal sensors. It's how the automotive OEMs do it. But on a dually application with brakes inside the wheels, the temperatures do seem to be biased a bit high. Higher than some quick linear PV=nRT calculations suggest they should be based on the the pressures when the temps are high, suggesting that they are picking up some heat from the wheels.