How many who have TPMS on their trailers have had a tire failure?

[Gidyupgo]

TitanMike, great question. In a little over 2 years we have had two low pressure alerts. The first was when the driver side tow dolly tire alarmed while I was in heavy traffic, center lane of 5, just South of Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. I hit the turn signal and started working my way to the shoulder. The bead on the tire broke as I was rolling to a stop. No drama! There was a sizable cut in the tire. Put on the spare and we were on our way in under 30 minutes. The second time was just low pressure on an inside dual. I had just adjusted all the pressures the day before a planned trip. When I powered up the TPMS it alarmed on the passenger side inboard dual. I found the fiberglass extension leaking so I removed them. My sensors are TST mounted on metal bands that run around the wheel on the drop center.

[rracer5]

Turned on the TireMinder monitor to give it time to pick up all the sensors before pulling out after a 2 day stayover & stuck it in my pocket while I did my final walkaround & light check. Suddenly, the alarm went off & low pressure on the RR trailer tire. Turns out I must have picked up an industrial staple somewhere close to the CG because the pressures were all still up when I turned it off 2 days prior. It had dropped 15 lbs in 2 days but, wasn't really visually noticable yet . So, it saved my butt before leaving the CG and getting stuck on the side of the interstate somewhere .

[Larry-NC]

TitanMike, I'm glad you started this thread. I had been thinking TPMS was another toy like Bluetooth control to flush the toilet or turn on the porch light. But after reading three pages of testimonials, I think I'll get one. The TV already has this system--just need to add it to the 22 foot travel trailer.

Larry

[Rbare31]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

TitanMike, I'm glad you started this thread. I had been thinking TPMS was another toy like Bluetooth control to flush the toilet or turn on the porch light. But after reading three pages of testimonials, I think I'll get one. The TV already has this system--just need to add it to the 22 foot travel trailer.

Larry

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[geegee]

I had TireMinder TMPS on my 5th wheel tires. On the way to Branson I had someone pull up beside us and tell me to pull over. The sidewall and belts starting coming off. But because the rest of the tire was intact, we never lost pressure. I was able to pull up to a station and change it myself. I now own a Motorhome and have them on the tow. Wouldn’t leave home with out them.

[Joe_GA]

I have the TST TPMS on my truck and trailer. One time it alerted me to an overheat problem with a trailer tire. A spring had broken on the brake and was stuffed under a brake shoe.
Another time, I picked up a bolt in my inner left dual. It was the only tire that the TPMS was not working on because it needed a battery. However, the outer dual sensor reported an over heating condition because it was carrying the whole load.
I'll never be without TPMS.

[GreenImp]

In about 2-3 years of running a TPMS I have had 1 alert. We had time to pull over to a safe location (which took a while due to where we were) and discovered a tire had a defective valve stem.

[Dpelaez]

One week after I installed the TPMS on my motorhome the alarm went off and sure enough, I had a big nail. It saved me and I swear by it. One of the best investments you can make!

[TitanMike]

Thanks to all who responded.

With a few exceptions where bad wheels or clearly defective tires were the problem the incidents reported kind of support a position I've had all along

Most tires fail due to reasons other than poor construction. Low air pressure due to puncture by various objects from staples to larger objects on the road, or sometimes just neglect. A tire can be perfect when checked first thing but pick up a puncture anywhere along the way causing it to lose air. Without the monitor the only warning is most often the trail of rubber chunks you see in your trailer's path as you glance back.

Of course when that happens the tire is beyond repair as it has been run underinflated for miles and of course it's got to be that Chinese built tire's fault.

The responses make a great case for adding a tpms to your RV's essential "tools".

Remember though, a tpms isnt the answer to overloading or exceeding a tires rated speed.

[Brand2328]

Just finished my maiden voyage using TST 507 system . It worked great. My only issue Was tire pressure set at 20% above cold setting and tires would build pressure to that setting or just above. This caused alarm to go off. Not just one tire but for 6 of the 8 tires. Next trip will reset set max pressure higher. Any suggestions on how high I should go. Air temp was in the 90s alarm was set at 96 psi.

[clr]

I had a similar problem with my unit. I increased the high pressure alarm point to 20% plus 3 pounds and no more alarms.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Brand2328

Just finished my maiden voyage using TST 507 system . It worked great. My only issue Was tire pressure set at 20% above cold setting and tires would build pressure to that setting or just above. This caused alarm to go off. Not just one tire but for 6 of the 8 tires. Next trip will reset set max pressure higher. Any suggestions on how high I should go. Air temp was in the 90s alarm was set at 96 psi.

Just curious why tires were inflated to 20% above "cold setting". Was the cold inflation pressure less than the max pressure molded into the sidewall of the tire? Were you inflating to more than the max sidewall pressure?

Motorhome or trailer, tire size and inflation pressures are listed on a sticker. If the stock sized tire is being used then the pressure listed is adequate for the load that is also listed on the sticker. For ST trailer tires it's recommended to increase the tire pressure 10% over the max shown on the tire if you plan on exceeding the max speed of that tire's rating.

If your load is within tire limits and you are driving at speeds less than the rated max, cold inflation pressures ("cold" being 60 degrees by the pocket protector crowd at tire factories) maintained, not sure I see the need to increase pressure by 20%. Over inflation keeps the tire from establishing it's maximum footprint affecting wear and braking abilities (especially on wet pavement).

On my trailer I check and set tire pressures before I begin a trip. From there I don't worry much about pressure buildup and pay more attention to heat. My last trip involved 80-90 degree ambient temps. Tires were "cold inflated" to 50 PSI when morning temps were in the low 60's. While driving the temps got up to around 100 degrees and pressure never rose above 62-63 psi.

If setting the pressure warning higher works for you then that's the way to go. At some point however setting it too high will just negate it's purpose which is to warn you when you reach pressures the tire wasn't designed to work with. To me heat is far more important. If heat is building up excessively in a tire it's a sign that it's overloaded or being driven too fast. If overloaded a higher load rating is indicated. If too fast? That question should answer itself.

[DRiveWell]

I believe Brand was referring to the pressure rise above his cold tire pressure exceeding the warning set-point, not initially pumping the tires to that pressure.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by DRiveWell

I believe Brand was referring to the pressure rise above his cold tire pressure exceeding the warning set-point, not initially pumping the tires to that pressure.

That was my thought too but the way I read it was confusing. Not unusual for people to run their tire pressures higher than recommended (actual inflation). Lots of people from my generation claimed it made their tires last longer and gave them better fuel mileage. Probably true back in the Bias and Bias/Belted days.

[GL1800Rider]

Originally Posted by Brand2328

My only issue Was tire pressure set at 20% above cold setting and tires would build pressure to that setting or just above. This caused alarm to go off. Not just one tire but for 6 of the 8 tires. Next trip will reset set max pressure higher. Any suggestions on how high I should go. Air temp was in the 90s alarm was set at 96 psi.

I am fairly certain the TST manual suggests 20-25%. TST set mine for me at 20% and I got a high pressure alarm at 96 also (based on 80 psi cold). I set it to 99 and it has been good for the last 1500 miles. I also had to increase the high alert on my toad to 25%

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by GL1800Rider

I am fairly certain the TST manual suggests 20-25%. TST set mine for me at 20% and I got a high pressure alarm at 96 also (based on 80 psi cold). I set it to 99 and it has been good for the last 1500 miles. I also had to increase the high alert on my toad to 25%

My confusion was whether you were setting the actual tire pressures or just the set pressure for the warning.

Pressure rise will vary from tire to tire as they aren't all the same volume. Make sure they aren't overloaded and then watch the heat. Regardless of whether a tire is under-inflated or overloaded, ultimately it's the heat that causes the tire to come apart. I think TST has a recommended max temp. I just left mine at default as it seemed reasonable when I read the instructions.

To me, the TPMS is one of those things you ask yourself "How did I get along so long without one of these". My tow vehicle came with it OE but I just got around to adding it to my trailer recently.

Again, the responses to this thread are confirming what I suspected all along. Given ample warning that a tire is going flat, people are able to stop driving and at the very least prevent catastrophic failure that could end in an accident or severe damage to the RV. At best more air can be added and the tire can be repaired at the next town or change to spare and do the same.

I like the TST 507 I bought so well I'm seriously thinking of adding 4 new sensors to my truck even though it has factory TPMS. The extra sensors will alow me to monitor my TV tire temps and current pressures while the factory system doesn't. It just sets off an alarm when pressure is low.

[Brand2328]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

Just curious why tires were inflated to 20% above "cold setting". Was the cold inflation pressure less than the max pressure molded into the sidewall of the tire? Were you inflating to more than the max sidewall pressure?



Motorhome or trailer, tire size and inflation pressures are listed on a sticker. If the stock sized tire is being used then the pressure listed is adequate for the load that is also listed on the sticker. For ST trailer tires it's recommended to increase the tire pressure 10% over the max shown on the tire if you plan on exceeding the max speed of that tire's rating.



If your load is within tire limits and you are driving at speeds less than the rated max, cold inflation pressures ("cold" being 60 degrees by the pocket protector crowd at tire factories) maintained, not sure I see the need to increase pressure by 20%. Over inflation keeps the tire from establishing it's maximum footprint affecting wear and braking abilities (especially on wet pavement).



On my trailer I check and set tire pressures before I begin a trip. From there I don't worry much about pressure buildup and pay more attention to heat. My last trip involved 80-90 degree ambient temps. Tires were "cold inflated" to 50 PSI when morning temps were in the low 60's. While driving the temps got up to around 100 degrees and pressure never rose above 62-63 psi.



If setting the pressure warning higher works for you then that's the way to go. At some point however setting it too high will just negate it's purpose which is to warn you when you reach pressures the tire wasn't designed to work with. To me heat is far more important. If heat is building up excessively in a tire it's a sign that it's overloaded or being driven too fast. If overloaded a higher load rating is indicated. If too fast? That question should answer itself.

Bad typing. I set the max pressure warning at 20% above the cold psi. Cold tire pressure was set at 80 warning was at 96. Tires would climb to 96-97 psi

[Brand2328]

Originally Posted by DRiveWell

I believe Brand was referring to the pressure rise above his cold tire pressure exceeding the warning set-point, not initially pumping the tires to that pressure.

Yes

[Iwannacamp]

delete... did not read post header

[RockyMtnMarty]

My original posting from June...

FYI....Be maniacal about checking tire pressure and invest in a TPMS system if you have not already.
This past week, two incidents proved that a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) investment is worth every penny.
Coming back from a long trip on Memorial day, my caravan friends, who did not have a TPMS on their 5th wheel toy hauler, lost pressure in a rear tire which became overheated and eventually blew on the interstate. The damage the blown tire caused to their meticulously maintained RV added up to $3000 in body work. I hear this is typical...and often at the low end of cost for damage when a tire blows. My buddy has talked about investing in TPMS...but chose not to spend the $. The insurance deductible alone for the damage was $500. Lesson learned.
A few days later, I was back on the interstate headed for a camping trip to the lake with my 5th wheel toy hauler. I have invested in a TPMS....and am so glad I did. At 65mph....all of a sudden the display on my TPM system flashed red and displayed that my right rear tire on the trailer was "leaking". I was impressed that it alerted me when the tire pressure was down only by 2 pounds...and I could see on the display the rate at which it was deflating. This gave me sufficient time to exit the highway, park in a safe place...and not suffer any damage to my RV....let alone save the tire which picked up a screw.
This device is worth its weight in gold....and I highly recommend it to anyone pulling a trailer of any kind. You will never know you a have a problem until it is too late without it.