TPMS and no warning tire failures

dalford · 12-14-2015, 11:12 PM

I have and use a TPMS on my fifth wheel.

The one time I had a blow out on my previous trailer, I was not using it due to the fact that it would occasionally loose contact with one tire and start beeping and drive me crazy. My DW asked, "Didn't you spend money on one of those tire monitor things?"

So now, I always use it and just reset it when it drops a signal, really no big deal. My question is from others experiences, how many times have you had a blow out with no warning from your TPMS? In other words, an internal failure that happened before limits were exceeded To trigger an alarm?

whatsupchuck · 12-14-2015, 11:59 PM

Good question now that mine is still somewhere in AZ. Shipped the 12th and due in 16th.

I've been lucky and had no blow outs on a trailer (YET). Tread separations and old tires yes. I hope this doesn't turn out to be a waste like the forward self adjusting breaks. Just had same removed for standard adjusters when two were running hot after I had the trailer only 30 miles to the house.

Interested in this response also!

WayneLee · 12-15-2015, 12:33 AM

I have used a Pressure Pro system on my Class A's and my various dinghies I had before my recent downsizing. When I purchased my first tire pressure unit, some 10+ years ago, Pressure Pro was really the only system available at a reasonable price. I never had any "false" alarms with my gas rigs, nor have I ever had any tire problem in all for all my travels. Knock on wood really quickly....

On my last coach, a big diesel pusher, I started having some problems with losing the link to the sensors on the dinghy as well as occasionally with my dual tires. I added an "extension antenna" to the system which I put on the bed in back of the coach when we traveled. With this extension, I never had any "false" alarms. Bottom line, I would suggest your investigate adding an "extension antenna" to your system and see it you still have the problems.

I think that these big masses of steel we drive down the road gives us all kinds of problems with the weak signal our sensors put out. And, yes, I will be putting my Pressure Pro on my new coach and dinghy this weekend.

Jim34RL · 12-15-2015, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalford

I have and use a TPMS on my fifth wheel.

The one time I had a blow out on my previous trailer, I was not using it due to the fact that it would occasionally loose contact with one tire and start beeping and drive me crazy. My DW asked, "Didn't you spend money on one of those tire monitor things?"

So now, I always use it and just reset it when it drops a signal, really no big deal. My question is from others experiences, how many times have you had a blow out with no warning from your TPMS? In other words, an internal failure that happened before limits were exceeded To trigger an alarm?

I too would like to know the actual results if TPMS saves a true tire failure on a trailer?

Being a retired engineer and having spent a lot of time with sensors monitor components, I do not have a lot of faith in them. I have seen way to many false positives with sensor issue and nothing was wrong with the component that the sensor was monitoring at the time.

In fact right now I am chasing a sensor issue on my TV which dings every once in awhile. The idiot light illuminates and dings but than shuts off. I do not want to be a parts changer and just replace the sensor with out knowing the true issue. The diagnostic tool has not found any issue with the components that are being monitored.

Lincoln11 · 12-15-2015, 01:02 PM

We have the TST 507 system and although we have never had a blow-out, it definitely has alerted us on couple of occasions when things were going wrong with our 5th wheel tires. Once it alerted us and showed zero pressure, and of course, I freaked out thinking we had a blowout, but it turned out to be a poncho we had picked up from the road somehow and it had wrapped around our tire or frame and was slowly unscrewing the sensor from the tire as it was flapping in the wind causing it to show no pressure.
We love our TST unit. We used to have the TireTraker, but it wouldn't show the psi and temp as we drove down the road. We had to push a button to get it out of sleep mode. The TST scrolls through my tires and I like that much better. Plus they have the flow-through sensors, which I use on my pull vehicle. TST RV Tire Pressure Monitors

jkweller · 12-15-2015, 01:14 PM

I have been using a Tireminder TPMS for approx. 5 yrs. In that time the only false alarms I've had were when the batterys were getting low. Changed battery's worked fine. Tireminder say's if it's cold new battery's are even more important. I also run a signal boost on the front of my 5th wheel.

mpoulin8 · 12-15-2015, 01:20 PM

I recently left Las Cruces NM, after only 30 miles into the trip the TPMS system signaled that one tire was losing pressure. All tires had been checked prior to our departure and no problems had been observed. BY the time I had pulled over on the shoulder the tire was down to 25 lbs psi. The next exit was only 1/4 mile ahead so I moved the rig off the interstate. If the TPMS had not informed me about the tire condition, no doubt I would have continued driving with that tire. I have no idea what damage would have happened to the rig if that would have happened. I don't drive without them even with the annoying situation of sensors occasionally losing communications. The rig suffered no damage, except for the tire failure.

Joe-Barb · 12-15-2015, 01:52 PM

We also have a TST 507 system. We use it on our 30ft Rocwood TT. On our first 2 trips we also had lost signals to the sensors. The beeping drove us crazy,we ended up turning it off. I called the company and told them about the problem of lost signal and that the system was less than 30ft apart from sensors which is distance they say the system will read all senors ok. They reconvened the antenna extension. I got the antenna and hooked it up to my battery on front of trailer and it works great. Have gone on 3 more trips and no signal loss. We had a alarm on one of the trips we were able to pull over and avoid possible major damage thanks to the system. I would highly recommend that TST system for any rig. It can monitor up to 23 tires which will cover your your rig and tv if yours isn't equiped with a system.

Blackhat6mike · 12-15-2015, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalford

I have and use a TPMS on my fifth wheel.

The one time I had a blow out on my previous trailer, I was not using it due to the fact that it would occasionally loose contact with one tire and start beeping and drive me crazy. My DW asked, "Didn't you spend money on one of those tire monitor things?"

So now, I always use it and just reset it when it drops a signal, really no big deal. My question is from others experiences, how many times have you had a blow out with no warning from your TPMS? In other words, an internal failure that happened before limits were exceeded To trigger an alarm?

I also have the TST507 RV unit AND relay. Only one of the 5 times I have had tire failure did I know ahead of time and I monitor it religiously. All blowouts occurred while temps and pressures were within parameters [80-90psi and temps never above 102*]. I'm 80psi cold.
I'm not sure there could be an indication on a faulty tire that instantly has tread separation or explodes. If the tire is defective, it can still run with in the numbers and that is all the monitor can do is keep you advised. It can't fix a problem. The one time I had a side wall come undone, the monitor let me know in plenty of time to take care and get off the road before it blew out.
I strongly recommend the antenna relay unit. I mounted mine on tope of the tongue jack and used the tongue light power.
If you have a blowout with the STS system, you will know it instantly! Loud beeping and flashing red light.

j free · 12-15-2015, 03:16 PM

I have a tpms system and have a blowout with out warning. But it was not a fault with the tire I hit a piece of metal that cut a 5 inch hole into the side wall of the tire. Not much you can do about that. The system did beep saying no pressure but I was already pulling over because of the sound of the blowout.

dieselguy · 12-15-2015, 03:33 PM

Any tire pressure monitoring system will not save you from an actual blowout as a blow out is pretty instant. You may be running the cheap Marabombs and one just decides to separate or develop a knot. What monitoring systems do is monitor pressure and temperature then it's up to you to heed high temps or low pressures and act accordingly. I have the TST system ... it has saved tire damage twice in as many years. One low pressure alarm before I left a campsite we had stayed at for a few days ... picked up a roofing nail somewhere prior to arriving at the campsite ... the other low pressure alarm was due to a leaking valve stem.

buffalohunter · 12-15-2015, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalford

I have and use a TPMS on my fifth wheel.

The one time I had a blow out on my previous trailer, I was not using it due to the fact that it would occasionally loose contact with one tire and start beeping and drive me crazy. My DW asked, "Didn't you spend money on one of those tire monitor things?"

So now, I always use it and just reset it when it drops a signal, really no big deal. My question is from others experiences, how many times have you had a blow out with no warning from your TPMS? In other words, an internal failure that happened before limits were exceeded To trigger an alarm?

My experience was bad. Installed a new TPMS got it all set up and everything looked great. Was feeling satisfied and glad to have it. I ended up with two TT tire failures one on I-5 N. That was a blown tire and the TPMS did not indicate any change at all. The second incident was a very flat tire when I arrived home. The TPMS again showed to change from original setting.

I returned the TPMS and was more unsatisfied when I was charged a $35 restocking fee. I posted all of this information on the Forum some time ago. I have not wasted money on another TPMS and don't plan to do so any time soon.

papap · 12-15-2015, 05:09 PM

Had a blowout and alarm did not go off till a couple months notes later. Stopped using them after that.

waiter21 · 12-16-2015, 10:26 AM

I'm installing TPMS on my Dolly and the rear tires of my TOAD.

As soon as I get it all working, I'll post an article on my web site.

Blackhat6mike · 12-19-2015, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselguy

Any tire pressure monitoring system will not save you from an actual blowout as a blow out is pretty instant. You may be running the cheap Marabombs and one just decides to separate or develop a knot. What monitoring systems do is monitor pressure and temperature then it's up to you to heed high temps or low pressures and act accordingly. I have the TST system ... it has saved tire damage twice in as many years. One low pressure alarm before I left a campsite we had stayed at for a few days ... picked up a roofing nail somewhere prior to arriving at the campsite ... the other low pressure alarm was due to a leaking valve stem.

X2 on the TST 507RV system. It has served me well with 5 blowouts and one fast leak due to a sidewall separation. The blowouts showed instantly and the sidewall fast leak warning came on at 5psi drop. This unit is worth it's weight in gold to me. I installed the relay unit on top of the tongue jack just to give me peace of mind as all were reporting just fine anyway.
Two of my total blowouts I never heard or felt and would have driven on a ways till much damage was done if it hadn't been for the TST 507 RV system.

dalford · 12-20-2015, 11:16 PM

Thanks for the responses. I have been lucky thus far, 3 different trailers, towed over 10,000 miles and 1 blowout.

I have the TST system and since I have it I will continue to use it and monitor it. It seems more posters than not have a positive opinion on the monitors.

I don't want t be like the blow out I had. Did not know it even happened until an 18 wheeler pulled along side but did not pass. I'm wondering why until I look over and the driver is motioning to the back. Hopefully if I have another blow out at least it will inform me the air went away.

I do believe it will show me a slow or moderate pressure change as it does that now as I travel and the tires heat up or the air temp changes.

What I really like is that I can come to my trailer after it has been parked for a week or a month and switch on the monitor and get tire pressure readings without having to take a tire gauge to each one. That alone is a nice feature to me. Thx again...

Blackhat6mike · 12-21-2015, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buffalohunter

My experience was bad. Installed a new TPMS got it all set up and everything looked great. Was feeling satisfied and glad to have it. I ended up with two TT tire failures one on I-5 N. That was a blown tire and the TPMS did not indicate any change at all. The second incident was a very flat tire when I arrived home. The TPMS again showed to change from original setting.

I returned the TPMS and was more unsatisfied when I was charged a $35 restocking fee. I posted all of this information on the Forum some time ago. I have not wasted money on another TPMS and don't plan to do so any time soon.

Which TPMS did you have? Just curious.

Dwilcox · 12-22-2015, 11:31 AM

I also have the TST system. Suffered 3 blowouts before we bought it. Heard the 1st two, no damage. Did not hear the 3rd one, lots of damage. Bought the system. 2 alarms on 5psi pressure drop, tread seperation both tires, no damage, 1 blow out, heard Bang and beep at same time, about a foot of tread from the center of the tire flipped out and tore things up as I pulled off the freeway. DW was unhappy, "I thought this thing was supposed to keep damage from happening?" Well honey, it can't tell that type of failure is about to happen, but it saved us 2 time before this. With that reminder,all was well again.
I won't leave home with out it.

fonzie · 12-22-2015, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackhat6mike

Which TPMS did you have? Just curious.

Post #16

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...m-84046-2.html

ScottBrownstein · 12-22-2015, 12:09 PM

Frankly I think the negative posters are expecting too much. Consumers carp at the manufacturers about battery life and about reliability. My 507 works well and when I turn it on before I start out it confirms to me that I am totally aired up and good to go. I used to lose might right duals periodically with the unit on the dash and discovered that by monstrous residential refrigerator was seriously weakening the signal from that side. Since it has alarms I just leave it on the kitchen counter (5'closer to the duals) and all is well.

But let's look at blow outs from a design perspective. When a blowout occurs, the tire pressure drops precipitously and instantaneously. If it is due to sidewall failure (more often than not) the pressure drop is very fast and catastrophic. But the units stop transmitting when removed from the tire in order to preserve battery life. So...you guessed it, as soon as the blowout occurs the unit stops transmitting. Now a warning is really impossible if it is catastrophic since nothing was wrong milliseconds before the failure and who cares if it doesn't warn you after the fact?

Tire failure due to slow leaks is more prevalent and as long as the drop is fast enough, most units will immediately transmit, but either way you can see the current pressure on the display and the alarm will sound well before low inflation pressure is reached.

Its a TMPS...not an angel on your shoulder!

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