Community Forums

EngineerMike · 03-23-2006, 01:28 PM

Here is an interesting product I'm trying:
Tire Pressure Valve Caps
You set tire to correct pressure, put them on, the caps permanently calibrate, then if 4psi+ drop in pressure, the cap blinks red for 3 weeks (then battery dies). To check if cap is working, unscrew it and it blinks. Mfgr says accuracy is +/-1psi, & batteries are good for 2 years; vendor says batteries are good for 3 years & guarantees the product for life. Takes 2 sets for 6 tires. They are marked Front & Rear so you shouldn't mix them if you can (& do) read.
Great for a walk-around tire check while on the road; just look for red blinking.

EngineerMike · 03-23-2006, 01:28 PM

Here is an interesting product I'm trying:
Tire Pressure Valve Caps
You set tire to correct pressure, put them on, the caps permanently calibrate, then if 4psi+ drop in pressure, the cap blinks red for 3 weeks (then battery dies). To check if cap is working, unscrew it and it blinks. Mfgr says accuracy is +/-1psi, & batteries are good for 2 years; vendor says batteries are good for 3 years & guarantees the product for life. Takes 2 sets for 6 tires. They are marked Front & Rear so you shouldn't mix them if you can (& do) read.
Great for a walk-around tire check while on the road; just look for red blinking.

WeBrzn2 · 03-23-2006, 03:55 PM

Interesting product. Seems like a compromise between an in cab system and no system at all. I have been toying with the idea of adding a real time monitoring system. Have not done enough research to see if there is one that will read the pressure monitors already installed on my Jeep GC toad. Having had a flat on a toad once previously, I am more concerned (almost) about the toad than I am the coach since I check the pressure regularly on the coach.

jetar · 03-23-2006, 05:04 PM

I have the pressure pro system which reads continuously and has warning system to notify when pressure drops. On all ten wheels, 6 coach and 4 tow. After loosing front right and taking out 200 feet of guardrail, left side of coach and left rear of tow would not be without it. I think it is important to have a system you can check and has warning in the cockpit!

Ted III · 03-23-2006, 05:10 PM

Engineer Mike, we have used a product like this on 6 vehichles for a couple of years with great success. I personally am very uneasy with the electronic monitoring of the tires consequently I do not have it. If you read back through our forum on the tire info from the electronics I do not find it very dependable. Just a personal laymen's opinion. The particular product you showed the web page for looks excellent.
Ted & Carol
2005 Alpine 34FDDS
2006PT Cruiser GT

VAGABONDMAN · 03-23-2006, 06:18 PM

Mike,

I'm glad we finally got to meet at Aguanga, even if we didn't get much time to tech talk.

What happens when your pressure drops 4+psi overnight when it's cold? In Yakima and the rest of the North, it's common to have a BIG drop overnight, or in the shade. Do these caps go to sleep when not centrifugally activated?

So far, my "Smart Tire" has proven to be accurate and reliable.

Steve&Dora · 03-23-2006, 06:55 PM

Vagabondman
The caps don't go to sleep when not actively monitoring, so yes if you have a pressure drop due to cold then the alarm will go off. I solve it by unplugging the monitor at night, and plug it back in in the morning before leaving. A couple of 3am wakeup calls helps me remember to. Because I allways check the pressure befoe leaving I have less chance of forgetting to plug it in.

EngineerMike · 03-24-2006, 09:33 AM

These don't have an audible, just the visual.
The package is very specific that the alarm level is recorded once, for the life of the cap. So you fill to the cold pressure level, before sun hits tires in a.m., check it for spec, then install the cap for the first time. -4psi from there will go to red blink.
These have no high pressure feature, btw. And no temp feature.
Impressive little machine tho. 3/8" diam. x 3/4" long, w/a double seal (annular wedge shaped neoprene o-ring around barrel of tire stem, then square x.section translucent silicone (I think) o-ring for end seal, pressure sensor w/initial set mechanism (electronic I think), battery, LED, & lens. Lotta junk to compress into a minute package. Really winds up the geek in me.

iron mike · 03-24-2006, 09:43 AM

Ran across another product that allows dialing in new pressure for heavier loads, battery replacement, and in coach minitoring @ tiresentry.com. This product may address some of the short coming features of the others I think. Just talked to the company and they will send me literature.
The price seems to be close to the other offerings. What do you all think?

Waiting for more input before buying.

2003 Alpine 38' with Suzuky toad.

ISLAPP · 03-24-2006, 10:05 AM

Iron Mike,
I had looked at the Tire Sentry couple of years ago and decided on the Pressure Pro.
The Tire Sentry is a gauge about 2" in diameter that requires you to cut a hole in your dash to mount it or buy a gauge mount to place on top of the dash or wherever. It only indicates a reading if there is a problem. The Tire sensors are longer and heavier than the Pressure Pro ones. They have a pressure range so if you go to a larger rig or smaller rig that requires a different pressure, those sensors wont work.
The Pressure pro unit sits flush on your dash with velcro. You can toggle thru the various tire positions anytime you want to get an actual reading at the time. You dont have to wait until the tire gets low to see an indicator come on. That is nice in the morning for example, before you leave for the road, you sit in your seat and toggle thru the positions and see what the pressures are. In "most" cases, you do not need an additional antenna with the Pressure Pro, but you do with the tire sentry. The tire sentry now takes two batteries, when I believe they used to only take one. Maybe they were wearing out quickly.
Yes, you can buy those in most stores, but now since you need to buy two of them, that isnt much cheaper than sending the Pressure pro one back to the them for replacement. I havent had to do that yet, but I understand the cost should be less than 20.00.
My reason for having a monitoring system is that I know of something wrong before it is too late. I like to check them before I leave in the morning, check them when I stop for lunch or whatever. But I need to know as I am driving if something is wrong. The ones that you have to actually look at dont help me as I am driving down the road. After all, you never get a low tire when you are sitting somewhere convenient to repair it, it always happens while on the road.

Mike

Buddy and Beverly · 04-28-2006, 03:35 AM

I just found out about this site yesterday. I KNOW we need to be a part. We have just bought a new 06 36' Alpine Coach. We have owned two class C (Lazy Dazes, made in CA) and a Class A Tradewinds for four months. All of these were used when we bought them and gave no problems except routine things due to age, so we didn't know about "debugging." We are in a learning curve! The only thing wrong with the 03 Tradewinds (35') was the handling wasn't good in the wind. When we test drove the Alpine, we did some serious thinking about "moving up". Perhaps this email is not the one to discuss all our problems, which Alpine has been very good to address, so I'll confine it to tire pressure monitoring. We got the SmarTire option. One sensor went out within 25 miles after installation. While in the shop for repairing this one, another one went out. Parts for one were in stock, so we had it replaced and took the MH on a 3,000 mi. trip (we were anxious to use it as it had been in the shop for weeks waiting on parts). We left with 5 sensors working. At about 900 miles, one, then two, icons turned yellow. Pressure was 141 and 142. Then all icons scattered over the monitor. The next morning, they came back up scattered, then all went off the screen, and we haven't seen them since. The coach is in for other problems, and of course, this will be checked, too.

Is there anybody out there who has the SmarTire monitoring system (I know it is standard on Apex). How is it working? Any problems like ours?

Beverly

rebelsbeach · 04-28-2006, 04:04 AM

Beverly, WELCOME to iRV2!!

I'm sure someone will come along and have an answer to your questions...

In the meantime,enjoy the site!!

As you look around the forums, you will find topics having to do with many of us "getting together" in various areas of the U.S. and enjoying our RV's with one another....
Those forums are towards the bottom of the main page....

Thanks for joining and Happy Camping!!

EngineerMike · 04-28-2006, 07:13 AM

Bev- Welcome!!
Try this post: Hot Tires for a good introductory discussion of the monitor system & its personalities. You can reply to that thread w/particulars you'd like discussed so its all in one place, or start a new thread if your issues are different.
Hope you are liking the ride on your new coach.

Jim A · 04-28-2006, 08:26 AM

Hi Beverly!

I also had two Lazy Daze class C's (but no Tradewind) before we bought our Alpine Coach. I had the second Lazy Daze, bought new, back to the factory once in 7 years, so I understand about not being ready for debugging. But I love my '04 and wouldn't trade it. In fairness, it has more systems than the Lazy Daze had to go wrong!

Good luck with yours.