Air Tank & Train Horn Installation

[mgonske]

The question was asked in another thread, "Where have you guys been mounting your tanks and horns?" I did these last week, and thought I'd share.



The Kilby 2. 5 gal air tank is mounted by clamping to the passenger-side frame rail, between the frame and rocker panel. I used two 10" 'L' brackets (one cut off to keep from hitting the rocker panel) at each end of the tank to clamp it to the frame rail.



View from front:

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View from rear:

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The Train horn is overkill ("too much is just right"), but I couldn't find anyplace it would really fit. The closest is under the bed, above the driveshaft, facing aft. The bells may be subject to getting smacked by the diff on full suspension compression, but it's hard to tell.

View from front:

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View from below:

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[Prairie Dog]

Nice install, that should blow the ricers out of your way!

 

[barbwire]

install

The air tank looks snug as a bug in a rug. But I think it would be nice to mount the horns up front somewhere. If it was legal, on top of the cab would be

 

[Got Smoke?]

Re: install

Originally posted by barbwire

The air tank looks snug as a bug in a rug. But I think it would be nice to mount the horns up front somewhere. If it was legal, on top of the cab would be

I passed a 2nd Gen 2wd 3500 coming home from Ohio Thursday on I-65 South that was pulling a 5th wheel camper. He had some HELLACIOUS looking Hadley's (I think?) on top of the cab! :--) :drool:



Can't wait to get my Grover back in!!:{

 

[rbattelle]

It's illegal to mount horns on the cab?



Mark... do you have Kilby's on-board air setup on a 3rd gen? I thought it wasn't available yet!



Also, Mark, can you post a link to the specific horn you've got?

 

[Got Smoke?]

Originally posted by rbattelle

It's illegal to mount horns on the cab?



Mark... do you have Kilby's on-board air setup on a 3rd gen? I thought it wasn't available yet!



Also, Mark, can you post a link to the specific horn you've got?

No I have a 24" Grover air horn mounted underneath the front end of my truck (97 Club Cab). I have a small 12V compressor from Ebay, and a small 1/2 gal. tank I got from a buddy.



You can look at some different horns @ www.ricksontruck.com

 

[Ram4Sam]

3G Kilby

Rbatelle, Kilby had his 3g truck at the Foothill Festival this weekend, complete with his on board air. Real fancy looking setup.



Sam

 

[exfuzz01]

air horns

Those would be nice to have when a "slug" enters the freeway from the entrance ramp at 30 miles an hour in front of you. Would certainly get their attention... Oo.

 

[rbattelle]

Re: 3G Kilby

Originally posted by Ram4Sam

Rbatelle, Kilby had his 3g truck at the Foothill Festival this weekend, complete with his on board air. Real fancy looking setup.



Sam

I'm waiting patiently for the kit to come out. Kilby says he's overworked and too busy with their recent move.



Mark,

How much air do your horns use? Any idea?

 

[mgonske]

Ryan



I'm not sure whether you're addressing Mark Harris or me. Like everyone, I'm waiting for Brad to release his 3g kit. When I talked to him in Moab, he said he was working a supplier issue for the intercooler hose.



I picked my horn up at a Petro truck stop on I-70 in Missouri. It seems the market got flooded with these things last year--even JC Whitney is carrying them. There may be multiple manufacturers and quality levels out there, but I sure can't tell from any of the product pictures I've seen--I'm satisfied with mine. Someone posted a link the other day to a Wolo "Cannonball Express", which looks about like the ones I got.



With the 2. 5 gal tank, a good blast doesn't drop pressure more than 5 psi, if that. Since I have no compressor (yet), and haven't (until last week) had a gauge in the cab, it's been more a matter of checking every couple of days, but the tank alone has been plenty. I just re-did my gauges (the new perfect match DiPricols in a dash pod, and a Dakota Digital air pressure gauge in an SRT-10 A-pillar--a recent trip on some narrow, twisty mountain roads convinced me the three-gauge A-pillar had to go). Now with the gauge, it'll be much easier to see usage, but I really haven't used the horn much since adding the gauge.

 

[Yo Hoot]

Having a hard time finding a place for these...



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[lmills]

:--) you had better not even think about bringing those to the next meet

 

[DF5152]

how did u wire the selonoid?

 

[Jengle]

Hoot! Bring 'em on. I got earplugs. Then again, would love to hear 5 trumpets in full bore mode, forget the earplugs.

 

[Got Smoke?]

Originally posted by rbattelle



Mark,

How much air do your horns use? Any idea?

I read somewhere that it takes 60psi to even make a Grover sound off, and I believe it too cause at one time I had a 7gal. tank (no comp. ) in my toolbox running my 24" Grover, and just like mgonske said a good blast would only drop the tank a couple of PSI, but I could only average 120psi in the tank so usually I only got a few good blasts. I'm still trouble shooting my probs right now with my system I just got put on my current truck. Hope to have it running right soon, and I'm hopefully picking up another 24" Grover for next to free soon too! Oo.

 

[bkaiser]

This past weekend I saw a pickup (not one like ours - that other brand) that had a Nathan M5 railroad horn mounted on a headache rack above the cab. The horn is about 2/3 the width of the cab. The M5 is a great sounding 5 chime horn but requires alot of air. This truck had an air tank that went from the cab wall to the tire wells and to the top of the bed. All very nicely done and it can probably blow out the back windows of rice burners from 2 blocks away. My Grovers were definitely outgunned!

 

[crobertson1]

I'm thinking about airbags and a compressor and tank for my truck and would eventually like air horns. My question is: How big of a tank in necessary for LOUD air horns. The air compressor setup I'm considering has a 1 gallon tank. Thanks.

Craig

 

[bkaiser]

I have a one gallon tank with my Grover horns and LOUD is not a problem. Staying power is. I was playing dualing airhorns with my fire company's rescue (It has an ISC!) and after too short a time, I had no air left. For normal use, like waking up people yaking on cell phones, I've never had a problem.

 

[Blakers]

Anyone thought about one of those Back Racks and mounting some horns up top on that?

 

[MD500E]

I am just finishing up a setup using Leslie RS-3L train horns. I went with a nitrogen tank mounted in the bed and the horns are being squeezed above the diff, if they dont fit there, its bye bye spare! I should have them mounted by next weekend. The nitrogen tank is mounted on the top of the wheel well hump, so it is out of the way when I put in the camper. The tank is not that large and is only about 135 CF. The horns are rated to use 49 CF per minute. That should be good for 100+ short blasts. They hopefully will be ready to go by kauffmans on the 14th.



PS: Yo Hoot is the one responsible for opening up a whole other area for me spend more money on my truck. I saw and HEARD! his setup in Muncie and I was hooked!



Kevin