A Must Have - Air Compressor

[alparmer]

We left Ft. Wilderness yesterday to head back home to OH. While driving on I-4 right past Winter Park I glanced over at the TPMS and saw the number 11. No alarms or anything so I figured it must have been 111 psi. I decided to scroll back to that tire and sure enough it was 11 psi. Being that this TPMS system has been troublesome I figured that sensor crapped out. It was the rear outer passenger's tire so I asked DW to open the window to see if it looked flat. She said it did so I pulled over and sure enough it was flat.

So I pull out my little 12v compressor and bring the tire up to 90 psi. Grabbed a bottle of water and dish soap and could not find a leak anywhere. Buttoned everything back up and off we go.

It is currently loosing a couple of PSI per hour. I have been stopping every so often to fill it back up. I'm going to look for a truck stop somewhere along the route to see if they can fix it. I checked the 130* extender and it is good. Lots of soap around it and the TPMS sensor and it's all tight. It must be a pinhole puncture somewhere.

The moral of the story is: Always take a compressor with you. I also have a truck tire plug repair kit, but I cannot find the puncture. Oh, and a nice cop stopped by to see if we needed help and he said that FL has road rangers that will provide fuel, air, etc. free of charge. We lived in FL for umpteen years and didn't know that. There is a number you can call or dial 911 and they'll dispatch one wherever you are.

[donanddona]

What type of air compressor do you carry? I have two and both are to big for me to carry.

[Ford Idaho]

A nail or other road hazard has most likely poked a hole in the tire.
Try splashing soapy water on the tread area.

If you find a leak note it's location in relationship to the valve stem.

[Crusadernoob]

Glad that TPM system worked out for you, sorry it sucked you couldn't find the leak. With a 5er that needs tires checked, a 2500 TV that I let the air down on the tires when not towing, and an air ride coupler I decided that an on board air compressor would be a must and it's one of the best things I installed on my truck, and with air bags coming, too much air needed NOT to have air.

[GABoy]

Don't you have road side policy came with coach that would fix it free? Still in first year? Our dealer told us FR covered 12 months and Ford covered 2 years.

[Teamfour]

Originally Posted by donanddona

What type of air compressor do you carry? I have two and both are to big for me to carry.

We use this for maintaining the pressures on the TV and TT tires, as well as the TV air bags. We have a big compressor at home for when we need real a "real" air source. The ViAir works great and has no problem pumping to 65 psi in a reasonable time.

Amazon.com: Viair 00073 70P Heavy Duty Portable Compressor: Automotive

[GABoy]

This works for anything you could need. Bike air, tires even trim nailing. Runs on a/c so fire up gen if out and about.
24lbs


DEWALT Model # D551401-Gal. Portable Electric Trim Air Compressor

At Home Depot.



$139.00 / each
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PRODUCT OVERVIEW Model # D55140 Internet # 202019874
Use the DEWALT 1-Gal. Portable Electric Trim Air Compressor for your next home or automobile project. The air compressor offers a low, 2.6-Amp draw motor to help reduce breaker tripping. It operates at up to 135 psi for rapid firing and features a 1-Gal. tank capacity for power. Its oil-free pump helps provide long-lasting, maintenance-free operation.
Low, 2.6-amp draw motor helps reduce breaker tripping
0.75 SCFM at 90 psi allows quick recovery time
Maximum 135 psi for rapid firing
1-gal. capacity offers power
Oil-free pump helps provide lasting, maintenance-free operation
Automatic start/stop design for safety
Roll cage and control panel help protect key compressor components for lasting use
Lightweight, compact design allows portability
Cord wrap for easy storage
Quick coupler supports 1 nailer (not included)
High-flow regulator helps improve performance
Low 71 dBA allows for quiet operation
Ball valve drain allows easy tank draining

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[alparmer]

Originally Posted by donanddona

What type of air compressor do you carry? I have two and both are to big for me to carry.

I have a Master Flow Cyclone. See link below. I have to be honest when I say we've been beating this thing up since I have to inflate the tire every hour and manages to bring the tire pressure back to 95 without a problem.

Stopped at two gas stations that repair truck tires and they wouldn't touch an RV. We 250 miles away from home so I will have to remove it and check for leaks when we get there.

I don't understand why they couldn't patch it or plug it.

Amazon.com: Master Flow MF-1040 Cyclone High Volume Portable Air Compressor: Automotive

[alparmer]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

A nail or other road hazard has most likely poked a hole in the tire.
Try splashing soapy water on the tread area.

If you find a leak note it's location in relationship to the valve stem.

That's exactly what I did but couldn't find it. I have also removed the 130 extension and it still leaked. It must be a tiny hole. I have a truck plug kit to take care of it, but can't find it. I'm going to have to remove it and submerge the whole thing in water.

[alparmer]

Originally Posted by Crusadernoob

Glad that TPM system worked out for you, sorry it sucked you couldn't find the leak. With a 5er that needs tires checked, a 2500 TV that I let the air down on the tires when not towing, and an air ride coupler I decided that an on board air compressor would be a must and it's one of the best things I installed on my truck, and with air bags coming, too much air needed NOT to have air.

Funny you mentioned an on board air compressor. I recommended to DW that we installed one and she laughed. She said, it would be a waste.

Now, she thinks it's a good idea

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

A nail or other road hazard has most likely poked a hole in the tire.
Try splashing soapy water on the tread area.

If you find a leak note it's location in relationship to the valve stem.

"So I pull out my little 12v compressor and bring the tire up to 90 psi. Grabbed a bottle of water and dish soap and could not find a leak anywhere. Buttoned everything back up and off we go."

[alparmer]

Originally Posted by GABoy

Don't you have road side policy came with coach that would fix it free? Still in first year? Our dealer told us FR covered 12 months and Ford covered 2 years.

We have the one that came with the coach plus a 7 year one that also covers tires. We just kept chugging along and refilling every hour. Maybe If I can't find the leak when we get home, I'll call them.

[Scagsdale]

I have a Craftsman air compressor from Sears. Works great. Use it at home, and then throw it in the car and take it to the coach when we are going out. Came with a hose and some outlets....not great though. I had to buy some additional pieces. Sears.com

[camaraderie]

Funny...we were just admiring this one in Lowes yesterday...very small and compact but powerful....comes will complte basic accessories and a free staple gun so you can put up all your pictures of the grandkids! Regular $99 but it was $89 in my local store on sale.
I actually went in to look at the Porter Cable one at the same price but it was a bit too big for me.

Shop Blue Hawk 0.3-HP 2-Gallon 125-PSI Electric Air Compressor at Lowes.com

[Weezer]

I've been trying to convince DH we need one of the small "pancake" compressors. Just keep it under the Tonneu cover in the back of Biff.

I've got a small 12V that lives in my Jeep, but I'm not sure it's up to snuff when it comes to RV tires, nor do I think the 12V cigarette lighter cord would be long enough to reach from the truck to the 5er tires.

Gonna strongly suggest that he read this thread tomorrow.

[alparmer]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

Funny...we were just admiring this one in Lowes yesterday...very small and compact but powerful....comes will complte basic accessories and a free staple gun so you can put up all your pictures of the grandkids! Regular $99 but it was $89 in my local store on sale.
I actually went in to look at the Porter Cable one at the same price but it was a bit too big for me.

Shop Blue Hawk 0.3-HP 2-Gallon 125-PSI Electric Air Compressor at Lowes.com

That's a great deal. My 12v does the job, but I'm thinking of going with a permanent one in the basement with a hose long enough to reach the front tires.

[alparmer]

Originally Posted by Weezer

I've been trying to convince DH we need one of the small "pancake" compressors. Just keep it under the Tonneu cover in the back of Biff.

I've got a small 12V that lives in my Jeep, but I'm not sure it's up to snuff when it comes to RV tires, nor do I think the 12V cigarette lighter cord would be long enough to reach from the truck to the 5er tires.

Gonna strongly suggest that he read this thread tomorrow.

That's funny, it's usually the other way around with us. I always have to convince DW when it comes to tools.

[Cornelius]

After reading numerous comments from other RVers, I purchased a Sears air compressor a few years ago that has worked very well. Unfortunately it is no longer sold by Sears, however the same model is still available from Porter-Cable, the actual manufacturer.

PORTER-CABLE CMB15 150 PSI 1.5 Gallon Oil-Free Fully Shrouded Compressor - Air Compressors - Amazon.com

When shopping for a compressor for inflating RV tires there are some important considerations. First, that the compressor can get to a high enough pressure, as motorhome tires are typically at a much higher pressure than automobile tires. Second, that the compressor has a decent cubic feet per minute flow rate because motorhome tires are much larger than automobile tires. Many small compressors would just be too slow. Finally, with large high pressure tires you need to be several feet away from the tire when inflating it to avoid injury (or death) if something goes wrong. I use a Milton inflator gauge with an additional 10 feet of hose and locking chuck to keep a safe distance from the tire.

http://www.amazon.com/Milton-501-Hi-.../dp/B001O2ZT90

[alparmer]

Found the problem. One of those self tapping sheet metal screws embedded into the rubber. I couldn't see it because the head was totally grinded off. Plugged it with my truck tire repair kit and it's fixed.

[BamaBob]

This is our solution - AND it doubles as a jump starter. It is currently on sale at Sam's it also has a big brother a 750 Watt job.

If you have a similar rig, I have a 110V AC Outlet in my truck so I keep it plugged in on the road so it is always fully charged.

Always a good idea to have something like this so you can check the pressure & top off your tires on the TV & rig

Stanley 450 Amp Jump Starter with Compressor - Sam's Club&