Tire Status

[gary9825]

We have a Forest River Rockwood Minilite Travel Trailer but that may not be significant. We have not made our first trip yet so we are still gathering initial info. We have read and heard that Tire Pressure Monitoring systems (TPMS) may be something worth having. We are asking for advice for systems that are recommended and experiences that you more experienced folks have to share.
Thanks in advance for info to guide us.

[bergy]

First, an annoying but working TPMS is much better than no TPMS at all. I think I'm trying to encourage you to not over think this. A blowout can cause several thousands of dollars damage. I happen to have a TireMinder Smart TPMS which I am happy with. I'm sure others will chime in with their satisfaction with what they are using.

[spock123]

I have TST 507 Flow-through TPMS. They will let you know if you have a slow leak. Color monitor. Check them out at great rv products. Mike Benson is usually on these sites, whatever unit you decide on. Unless you have someone right behind you all the time checking on your tires you need a good TPMS

[TitanMike]

I installed a TST 507 system on my Micro Lite. While comparing systems I was less interested in price and focused on the actual system itself. Were the various warning parameters easily adjusted (too high, too low, etc)? What about sensor batteries, transmit/receive range, repeater, etc?

I liked what I saw with the TST system. Doesn't give annoying warnings, shows pressures without lag in any change. Alarms are near instantaneous when pressure drops rather than waiting for another sample interval.

Another nice feature is the ability to program the "console" for different trailers. Just install sensors on the different trailer(s) wheels and assign it a number. Great if you own a travel trailer, utility trailer, boat trailer, or whatever, all towed by the same vehicle.

That was how I went about choosing a TPMS for my trailer.

[Lee Pedrick]

Originally Posted by gary9825

We have a Forest River Rockwood Minilite Travel Trailer but that may not be significant. We have not made our first trip yet so we are still gathering initial info. We have read and heard that Tire Pressure Monitoring systems (TPMS) may be something worth having. We are asking for advice for systems that are recommended and experiences that you more experienced folks have to share.
Thanks in advance for info to guide us.

May I ask you something first? Weather you have single axle or twin,, Look on the Tire,,,no where else,,,on the tire,,find what the max load of that tire is. Add up the load total for how many tires you have and compare it to the weight of your trailer. I had a KZ 19 footer single axle. The total weigh of the two tires was only 30 lbs more than the EMPTY weight of the trailer. I had a blowout only going 45 mph but it wrecked the inside fender well and rubber got jammed in my brake area where the drum spins. You might have to upgrade.

[Paulie1138]

When I first bought my trailer, Dealer gave me a ts507 with flow thru sensors. Despite that, on my first real trip (took a few local 12 mile weekenders to shake out things). Trip of 70 miles from Mesa, Az, to above Payson. All 4 of my tires separated to being way oversize and almost touching. My TPMS never showed any over tepmerature. I am guessing that I had not driven far enough or fast enough to heat up the tires to trip the TPMS.

Had to replace all 4 at the local shop in Payson before heading home. Once home, I looked at the 5th tire (spare). It too had separated, and the tread was already coming off! That tire still had stickers on it and never on the ground! Fortunately, they were all covered under warranty.

Point I am making, is that under most failure conditions, the TPMS can save your bacon. Tires separating most of the time will give a high temperature reading. Where the TPMS really shines, is during loss of pressure, tire running hot, either due to failure, or loss of air. This will aid in alerting you to get stopped, hopefully before the tire comes apart and has a chance to really tear things up. It is still up to you to get out and look at your tires whenever you stop to keep an eye on things back there!

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Paulie1138

When I first bought my trailer, Dealer gave me a ts507 with flow thru sensors. Despite that, on my first real trip (took a few local 12 mile weekenders to shake out things). Trip of 70 miles from Mesa, Az, to above Payson. All 4 of my tires separated to being way oversize and almost touching. My TPMS never showed any over tepmerature. I am guessing that I had not driven far enough or fast enough to heat up the tires to trip the TPMS.

Had to replace all 4 at the local shop in Payson before heading home. Once home, I looked at the 5th tire (spare). It too had separated, and the tread was already coming off! That tire still had stickers on it and never on the ground! Fortunately, they were all covered under warranty.

Point I am making, is that under most failure conditions, the TPMS can save your bacon. Tires separating most of the time will give a high temperature reading. Where the TPMS really shines, is during loss of pressure, tire running hot, either due to failure, or loss of air. This will aid in alerting you to get stopped, hopefully before the tire comes apart and has a chance to really tear things up. It is still up to you to get out and look at your tires whenever you stop to keep an eye on things back there!

Perhaps the high temp alert was set too high.
FWIW, AZ is a state that is extremely hard on tires. Gets hot enough to make your eyeballs squeak. Nothing kills tires like heat.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I installed a TST 507 system on my Micro Lite. While comparing systems I was less interested in price and focused on the actual system itself. Were the various warning parameters easily adjusted (too high, too low, etc)? What about sensor batteries, transmit/receive range, repeater, etc?

I liked what I saw with the TST system. Doesn't give annoying warnings, shows pressures without lag in any change. Alarms are near instantaneous when pressure drops rather than waiting for another sample interval.

Another nice feature is the ability to program the "console" for different trailers. Just install sensors on the different trailer(s) wheels and assign it a number. Great if you own a travel trailer, utility trailer, boat trailer, or whatever, all towed by the same vehicle.

That was how I went about choosing a TPMS for my trailer.

X2
Also the folks at TST post here and are great to work with.

[Paulie1138]

TitanMike, since it was all new to me, first time out on a more than 12 mile trip with a new 5’r, I was overly paranoid. (2 previous shakedown trips 12 miles away) I had verified the settings and alerts. I had even watched the temps manually. Had stopped periodically and shot the tires with the I/R gun and even hand felt them along with the hubs. Never drove over 60, mostly 55. They never ran more than 15-20 degrees over ambient. The real kicker? Even the spare did it, and it never was on the ground! Dealer had stored the spare tires inside the warehouse to prevent theft, and I keep the rig under shaded parking. I am way under weight, have since had the alignment checked, and am level towing.

Yes, AZ is indeed the Land of Scorch ! But....its a DRYYYYY heat....LOL

[MtBiker]

We picked up a TST 507 setup last year. Seems to work well after we got the initial programing done. Traveled in temps well over 100 degrees and was amazed at the difference in temps from tires on sunny side to shaded side when traveling.
I'm ordering extra sensors for my trucks that are old enough not to have a built in system. Nice for my old pickup that goes to the dumps (land of nails and sharp objects).

[HangDiver]

Everything you have invested in your TT including its contents are resting on those four little itty bitty tiny contact patches with the pavement. While I use a TST-507 non-flow through system, any system that works is better than running without one.