Wheel Masters dual tire inflation & equalization tool

[Floridafran]

While we wait for our fist MH to be delivered (due Aug 30 ) DH and I are reading this and every other RV forum I can find, magazines, you name it, trying to educate ourselves.

We've both read how important proper tire inflation is and so when he found the Wheel Masters Dual Tire Inflation and Equalization Tool he thought it might be a big help in that area. I told him I'd ask here and see what you all have to say and maybe someone here has tried it.

According to Wheel Masters website and an ad on the Camping World site, this thing attaches to both tires at the same time to fill, measure, and equalize the tire pressure. (If I knew how to attach a link to the picture I would but I haven't mastered that yet.) To DH this seems like the best/most accurate way to be sure the tires are inflated properly, short of having a monitoring system. But we all know that things sometimes sound better than they work.

Eventually we'll get a tire pressure monitoring system like he has on his mini van but those things are so expensive. Plus, like so many other things, there are lots of choices at varying costs. Opinions on these are also welcome.

We knew going in that the cost of the MH itself was the beginning, not the ending, of the spending. We budgeted for as many of the "necessities" which are also "extras" as we could and tried to sort them into "right now" necessities and "down the road when we can" necessities. But the more we learn, the more things we find out we need. (Or seem to, but that's another thread.)

Any thoughts, info or opinions you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Fran

[AFChap]

I am not familiar with the Wheel Masters system, but with such "equlaization" systems the primary concern is that the system has some sort of safety valve that will not allow all the air to escape from the good tire in the event that one tire has a blowout or even a slow leak. Having equal pressure in both tires when that pressure is low or 0 is not helpful!!

I've been the route of the TPMS, and personally, I think the "best/most accurate way to be sure the tires are inflated properly" is to check them manually with a good pressure gauge before each trip. All my tires are set up (inner duals have solid metal extensions with rubber stailizers where they pass through the outer wheel, and all valve stems have "Alligator" pass-through caps) so I can easily check pressures, and easily add air if necessary.

[Ken-55]

Fran,

I'll be following this post to see the replies . . . based on what I've read here, I would be more inclined to take the money you plan on spending on Wheel Masters system and put it towards 2 Crossfires, shown here:

Dual-Guard

You can search "crossfire" in this forum for more info.

-Ken

[popsuscdds]

Fran
Do what AFChap says. Looks good to me. Nothing like doing it manually and there's a million other goodies that you either need or enjoy with your $$$.
Have fun.
Milt

[Floridafran]

Thanks for the replies, and you've introduced to me to yet another piece of equipment I didn't know existed - tire pressure equalizers that stay attached to the tires. We have sooo much to learn.

I don't think I did a good job of explaining the thing my husband saw. It's like a two-ended tire gauge that you attach to both tires and the air hose attaches to it. When you add air, it does it to both tires at the same time and to the same pressure. I read on another forum about a another one of these devices. It's called a Psiclops tire pressure gauge. Neither of these are meant to stay on the tires and adjust the pressure between them as you drive along.

I finally found some reviews on the Wheel Masters tool and they were pretty bad. I also found reviews on the Psiclops and people seemed to like it. They said it made getting their tires equally inflated a lot easier. And easier is important to me because I have a hard time getting my Wrangler tires even.

But I'm determined to learn how to do everything needed and be able to actually do it. I'm not going to have happen to me what happened to my sister. She drove their Class B+ for the first time when her husband's back went out about halfway between the Colorado mountains and their home on Florida's east coast. No way I could do that in a 30 foot Class A with a 4 door Wrangler in tow.

I'm still researching the TPMSystems because we'd really like to have to one. I want it to monitor the MH tires and the toad tires at the same time. I've read several accounts of people discovering when they stopped that they had a toad running on the rim and didn't know it. Nothing about that scenario sounds good to me.

[paulrtaylor]

IMO it would be just as easy to check the tires individually and fill them to what you need. I just bought a digital tire guage that lets you do this to the tenth of a pound. I also carry an air compressor just in case I need it when I'm out in the woods.

[buck62]

Last year I bought the Psiclops dual inflator and I really like it. It clips onto both tire valves equalizes the pressure in both tires as you add pressure each tire is inflated to the same PSI. I looked at the Wheel Master dual inflator and I found a lot of complaints about quality and function from users and most were unhappy. The Psiclops is very heavy duty and I like the fact that the inflator hoses are long so you can stand off to the side of the tires while inflating them. It does make putting air in the rear duals easier and is a lot faster. I also looked at the Cross Fire system, it is a little costly but I see this system on a lot of trucks. I use a TPMS system so I need to have a sensor attached to each tire valve and since the Cross Fire system has one valve I did not think it would work with my TPMS. The Psiclops has serveral tire presure models so make sure you get the one that will inflate your tire pressure. I think mine is the 180XL model.
As far as a TPMS system look at the TST system, I have had that one for a couple of years and I use it for my motorhome and towed car. It did save me once when it alerted me that my towed car was low on air in one tire otherwise I would have kept driving.

[woodyk]

I just bought a TireMinder from Camping World today--as President Club members they have it on sale for $279- you have to order 2 more sensor for it only comes with 4--that brings the price up another $79 -- it monitors both temp and pressure. Go on line and order and put in code 0845 and you get another 10% off. I've search the entire web and this is a good deal.

WoodyK
2004 Allego Bay

[Floridafran]

Buck,

Thanks for the vote of confidence for the Psiclops since my DH informed me he ordered one after I read him some of the comments I found online about it.

When we do finally get our TPMS it will definitely be capable of monitoring both temp and pressure. Haven't decided which one yet, lots of strong feelings from some people about different brands - both pro and con.

Heard from our dealer today - Winnebago is nearing completion on the Vista. I sure hope it gets here early. I keep reading about all sorts of great ideas for storage and such but don't want to buy anything until I know what will fit. Tom (DH) says I've become RV obsessed.

Fran

[Ray,IN]

Go to the vendor forum and open the TST tire pressure monitoring system. I bought one July 1 just before leaving for Canada. It alerted me to a nail in a tire (pressure reduction to low alarm level). Then a week later alerted me to high temperatures in all four tires. All four tires failed from ply separation at once! If you buy direct from the TST website, a basic system, which includes 4 tire monitors is $229. You may purchase a system with up to 22 tire monitors. They sell many different models, so talking to the owner results in complete satisfaction with your purchase.

[HowardV]

I also have purchased the TST Monitors and will set the pressure and temp alarm levels as soon as I can figure out what is right for our 215/85 R16 tires that came with the 2008 Itaska Navion. The people at TST are great to deal with and have a product that makes sense as you sort thru thier instructions and product abilities.

[Floridafran]

Ray and Howard,

Thanks for the info on the TST systems. We're still awaiting delivery of the Vista. Had hoped to hear from our dealer today that the unit was finished and ready to send our way. But no. Now it looks unlikely that it will be here on the 30th. Perhaps just as well as DH has jury duty that day and even though Tom said I could go see it without him if it arrived, I wouldn't want to do that. However, patience isn't one of our virtues so we're really getting antsy and tired of waiting.

[dajudge]

Fran, for my money I chose the crossfire. Lots cheaper than tpm and it is very heavy duty .I had a set on my former mh and just purchased a set for this one.

[Floridafran]

Thanks for the advice on the crossfire.

The Vista is finally due to come in at the dealers sometime tomorrow. Of course tomorrow I promised to take my friend and neighbor to her cataract surgery at 10, and my son, daughter-in-law and grandson (3 in December) are due to roll in here from Chicago about dinner time. Hoping the RV gets there sometime between noon and 2 or 3 pm so we'll have time to at least zip out and touch it before the dealer starts on the things he has to do before we get to bring it home.

At some point we'll decide on the TPMS. But for now, it is going to have to wait. If we do decide to get one, we want to be able to make the decision based on quality, not cost. And, as you all know, getting set-up with the necessities - tow bar, aux. brakes, etc, - is expensive. We haven't gone over budget. Yet.

Thanks again for all the advice and for being a friendly, helpful group.

Fran