Tire Pressure Monitoring

[becks]

TST system for us as well. Bought the repeater but have never needed it. However, others with smaller coaches have needed repeater, don't know what causes that. I would not want to be without a TPMS now that we have had one.

[voltdoc]

Originally Posted by CoreyinWP

For those with the tst system, how have you installed the monitor?


Thanks

For now using the suction cup mount attached to the forward part of the driver side window where it does not interfere with the opening part of the window. Had it this way on previous Discovery and now new Entegra Aspire. Works great while driving on both, but on the Aspire interferes with the night shade. Will eventually find a different spot and may consider hard wiring the power. Mine is a 507 system.

[voltdoc]

Originally Posted by OldAero

I'm also considering a TPMS. How do they work with extenders? My understanding is that the typical (all?) extender is not pressurized except when checking pressure or adding air. Wouldn't a TPMS sensor cause an extender to be pressurized all the time? Should this be a concern?

On my Discovery I had to use extenders on all the wheels because of the shape of the aluminum wheel cutouts - the cutouts were too small to allow easy on/off of the sensors even with the sensor security case removed. Never had a problem in 12K mikes.

The rear sensors were fairly long, one straight and one J shaped for each side of the coach - these extenders had a standard valve core and by design were always pressurized. My front extenders were short and just had a pass thru pin without its own valve core - again, no problem with either being pressurized.

On the new Entegra Aspire, it comes with much larger wheel cutouts and is already rigged with the valve stems in a convenient position, making install of the sensors painless. The inner rears on the drive axle have factory installed extenders - no problem with the sensors/extenders in about 2000 miles on this coach.

Be careful of dissimilar metals - before I realized what was happening I had two cases of the brass insert on the sensor "freezing" to the aluminum stems on my toad (which has its own TPMS). Those frozen sensors had to be cut off (with a dremel) and were obviously destroyed in the process - luckily aside from a few missing threads, the toad stems are still intact. TST sent me two new sensors for no charge (yay TST!). To avoid this put a small amount of dielectric grease on the vehicle valve stems (recommended by TST). Might not be a bad idea to do this on the coach as well - even though it probably has stainless stems the brass can still react and cause some corrosion.

[Saltydog44]

Originally Posted by voltdoc

For now using the suction cup mount attached to the forward part of the driver side window where it does not interfere with the opening part of the window. Had it this way on previous Discovery and now new Entegra Aspire. Works great while driving on both, but on the Aspire interferes with the night shade. Will eventually find a different spot and may consider hard wiring the power. Mine is a 507 system.

Ours is mounted the same way and it's hardwired. We haven't had an issue with the shade that I've noticed. That location makes it easy to glance at without losing your view of the road.

[hogdriver]

Rob

I have the same Aspire and I want to put in a TPMS but I'm going crazy trying to figure out which one. I think I want a flow thru. Two simple questions...
1. Which system do you have
2. Does it work reliably? Signal extender or not needed?

[Ann n Gene]

I have had a pressure pro for 5 years and really like it. Unlike some that require new batteries every year , I have never had a battery die and all sensors work grest. It is getting to the age that I will have that problem soon I imagine.

[MRUSA14]

I replaced my Pressure Pro sensors after 7 years when the first one died. It is nice not to have to keep up with changing batteries except once every 7 yrs or so.

[hogdriver]

Does that mean the batteries in Pressure Pro are not replaceable and require you buy new sensors?

[Ann n Gene]

They are not user replaceable. You can send them in and the factory replaces them but it is about as cheap to replace them with the trade in allowance.

[voltdoc]

Originally Posted by hogdriver

Rob

I have the same Aspire and I want to put in a TPMS but I'm going crazy trying to figure out which one. I think I want a flow thru. Two simple questions...
1. Which system do you have
2. Does it work reliably? Signal extender or not needed?

Hi Dave,
1) we have the 507 system without the flow thru sensors (the flow thru units did not exist when I bought the system originally) - both the standard sensors included with the 507 as well as the new flow thru sensors have replaceable batteries.
2) Works very reliably for me including the toad tire sensors. My receiver/display is mounted to the driver side window. I bought a signal extender but never installed it and have not seen a need for it so far even on the new Aspire. A few times in cold weather (below freezing) when the batteries were getting around 2 years old I would intermittently loose contact with a sensor - this issue went away with fresh batteries. TST recommends new batteries once per year.

I know you only asked me two simple questions but I'm going to blab on further anyway.

• On my Discovery I really could have used the flow thru sensors as the regular sensors were very difficult to take on/off due to minimal clearance in the wheel cutout's (but I don't know if the flow-thru's would have fit!). On the new Entegra, the arrangement of the factory valve stems, plus larger wheel cutouts make taking the sensors on/off much, much easier, so consider that if there is a big cost delta for the flow thru sensors. Since there is no need to check tire pressure manually, you only need to remove the sensors to add/remove air which I have found to be a very infrequent need.
• It's easy to configure the sensors, but I advise marking them so you know which one goes with which tire - I use a silver Sharpie and write the tire number on the sensor.
• I have noticed a 1-2 PSI difference in some of the sensor pressure readings vs a digital pressure gauge I own, but this is within spec (and my pressure gauge probably has its own error tolerance too). In practice I don't stress over a couple of PSI difference in the readings of same axle tires.
• The temperature readings provided by the sensors don't necessarily reflect the true temperature of the rubber, but only of the gas inside the tire - mine always seem to read just a little warmer then the ambient outside temp when on the road. Even so, taken as a relative reading you would still see a problem developing by watching the temp readings.
• TST has been exceptional in regard to support in my experience.
• I know some advise buying the sensors with long life (5-7 years?) batteries and this approach has merit but costs quite a bit more over the long run. I don't know for sure what the cost is when the batteries do fail (my impression was that you must buy new sensors at ~ $50 each). If that's the case I'd rather spend the $12/year to replace the batteries (I paid about $1 each online for fresh Panasonic CR1632's) and an hour of time replacing them and refreshing the O-rings. TST includes a bunch of spare O rings with a new system, and will send you more free of charge upon request. Replacing them does however require a bit of dexterity and getting your fingers dirty.
• Note that taking the sensors off the valve stem (depressurizing) essentially turns the sensor "off" and will extend the battery life so if you have long lay up periods this might be worthwhile.

[hogdriver]

Thanks Rob

I left hints around my house for a TST system for Father's Day!