Tire pressure monitor systems

[gerry]

I did a thread search and the latest response I could find was three years old. Is there anything new out there, and I'd like to know how the type that has to be installed inside the rim compares to the valve stem cap type.

 

[RustyJC]

I run the TST 507 system with the newer valve-stem mounted flow-through sensors (air pressure can be checked and air can be added without removing the sensor) that have user-replaceable batteries on all 10 wheels (6 truck, 4 trailer). Due to the distance between the trailer wheels and the receiver/display in the cab, I also opted for the TST trailer repeater and have proved that I need it due to dropping the signals from two (2) trailer tires the one time I forgot to plug the repeater in at the rear bumper 7-pin receptacle.

The TST system displays both temperature and pressure and will alarm on low pressure, high pressure, rapid pressure loss or high temperature. I've been extremely pleased with the TST 507 system - I purchased mine through RVUpgrades.

Rusty

 

[Kirwin]

Try Dill Air Controls Trailer TPMS. This site has the one I want to replace my old Smartire System with. Company is in North Carolina. See below

http://yourtireshopsupply.com/product/3180/1510453-trailer-tpms-system-with-sensors-di1510453

 

[dodgesst]

Dusty totally agrees with Rusty. I run the TST 507 also with the repeater. I never had any issues with mine but have read that others have and TST customer support is way above most.

 

[Dutch & Di]

We too have the TST system. We have used ours for 5 years. I still prefer the 510 version that has the permanently sealed sensors. You do not have to replace them them each year. The battery life is 5 to 7 years and when the life ends, just have to send in the sensor with $20.00 {a new sensor is $50.00} to receive a new sensor. I also like the shape of the monitor for where we keep ours. With our 1996 Dodge, even though we pull a 38' Carriage, we did not need a repeater. With all the electronics in our 2014 Ram it didn't talk long to realize that we had to add a repeater. Now, we have the monitor picking up all the sensors all the time.
The biggest "save" for us was when the temp alarm went off at +165 degrees. We pulled over and there was no tire problem but we had tremendous heat. It turned our to be a stuck caliper which caused enough heat to set off the alarm. Did we lose the caliper? yes & fortunately Dutch had a spare. But we didn't lose the rotor, tire and possible fiberglass damage. That one instance made it well worth the price we paid for our system. Hugs, Di

 

[Killgore]

Gerry, I have been running the TST-TPMS 507 for about a year. At least long enough for my first battery to fail and need replacement. No big deal after I found a screwdriver small enough to remove the three screws. (The screw driver now resides in the glove-box.)

I found that I didn't need the repeater. My Chinese rubber stems were replaced with metal stems after several failures. The best news is that the system has saved fiberglass fenders and the under carriage on my camper three times. I was alerted quick enough that I was able to select a reasonably safe place to pull over and get out of the traffic. I am a very satisfied customer and I would rate their service after the sale as top notch.

We just completed a 3,100 mile pull to South Texas and back. I don't think I would feel comfortable driving around the block without the system.

- Ed

 

[GCroyle]

TPMS = Yes.

Mine is Dill internal mounting monitoring internal temp and PSI. I'm a repeat customer.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Will the 2015 RAM LongHorn Dually I just ordered have some sort of tire monitoring system?

 

[bigblock_doc]

Being able to cut power to the sender would save battery life as most trailer owners don't use the equipment
all the time. It sits 90% of the time or more.

 

[Jim W]

I guess I am in the minority; I do not like nor use the Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems on my vehicles. I have two of them and neither work as I would like them to work; all thought the VW TDI is 10X better than the Ram’s 2008 TPMS.

What I use instead is a very accurate tire air pressure gage that I have had for over 30 years. I check air pressure once a month in the vehicle tires and regulate them as required.

With the Ram’s system I always have low tire pressure for at least 6 months of the year when I am not towing. The front pressure is set at 60PSI and the rear is set at 45 to 50 PSI (light load pressure). When set at the light load pressure I get the idiot light and two dings at every start up.

Now the VW’s system will come on when you have a flat tire; my wife experience that last month. Light came on as she experience a flat tire no warning before the flat; nail in the side wall.

On my camper I am using LT tires and I found something very interesting with them. The Michelins lose a slight amount of air pressure over a long period of time. I put the camper away in late Oct and get the camper out in April from storage. When the camper goes into storage the tires are aired to 80PSI when the camper comes out of storage they are between 5 and 6 psi under the 80PSI setting. Every time I am on the road the air pressure and wheel torque is checked daily; air pressure never varies from 80 PSI.

So to me the TPMS is another electronic gimmick that will give out false positives and take your money.

Jim W.

 

[bigblock_doc]

I think one to two pounds a month is considered normal.

 

[Kirwin]

I guess I am in the minority; I do not like nor use the Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems on my vehicles. I have two of them and neither work as I would like them to work; all thought the VW TDI is 10X better than the Ram’s 2008 TPMS.

What I use instead is a very accurate tire air pressure gage that I have had for over 30 years. I check air pressure once a month in the vehicle tires and regulate them as required.

With the Ram’s system I always have low tire pressure for at least 6 months of the year when I am not towing. The front pressure is set at 60PSI and the rear is set at 45 to 50 PSI (light load pressure). When set at the light load pressure I get the idiot light and two dings at every start up.

Now the VW’s system will come on when you have a flat tire; my wife experience that last month. Light came on as she experience a flat tire no warning before the flat; nail in the side wall.

On my camper I am using LT tires and I found something very interesting with them. The Michelins lose a slight amount of air pressure over a long period of time. I put the camper away in late Oct and get the camper out in April from storage. When the camper goes into storage the tires are aired to 80PSI when the camper comes out of storage they are between 5 and 6 psi under the 80PSI setting. Every time I am on the road the air pressure and wheel torque is checked daily; air pressure never varies from 80 PSI.

So to me the TPMS is another electronic gimmick that will give out false positives and take your money.

Jim W.

One blow out that damages your trailer will change your mind. You can pick up something on the road, have brake stick, or any one of a hundred other problems that will be detected by the TPMS. Its not like your truck tires, if one of them goes flat its pretty noticeable, not so on a trailer 30 feet behind you. I know several people that have pulled a trailer, had a blow out and didn't know it until the second tire blew out. My $0.02. Ken Irwin

 

[Dutch & Di]

I'm gonna guess yes. Our 2014 Ram 3500 Single Cab dually had them and we didn't even know we had them til one failed. We didn't order it, it just came that way. Hugs, Di

Will the 2015 RAM LongHorn Dually I just ordered have some sort of tire monitoring system?

 

[Jim W]

One blow out that damages your trailer will change your mind. You can pick up something on the road, have brake stick, or any one of a hundred other problems that will be detected by the TPMS. Its not like your truck tires, if one of them goes flat its pretty noticeable, not so on a trailer 30 feet behind you. I know several people that have pulled a trailer, had a blow out and didn't know it until the second tire blew out. My $0.02. Ken Irwin

Ken,

Been there done that.

We were camping in Nebraska going to Rocky Mountain National park. I check my tires like I normally do before we leave; tire air pressure was set at 80 PSI. We left the dump station and started down the road on interstate 80. 10 mins down the road in Kearny NB; the driver side front tire on the camper had a catastrophic failure causing over $3000 in damages Chinese tire bomb. TPMS would not have saved me on this tire failure. No failure occurred of the truck tires there was no road debris on the highway; truck would have run over that first. The camper tire had 500 miles on it at time of failure.

Now one year later when we were coming home from the CMEP plant tour in Columbus IN; I picked up a nail in the passenger side rear tire on the camper. Right in the center of the tire I did not realize I had picked up nail until I got home and was checking the camper before the camper went into storage. The tire never lost any air pressure nor did it fail. My reasoning is because I had changed to Michelin XPS Ribs for the trailer tires. These tires do not seem to lose air pressure all season nor even in storage if they do they may lose only 3 or 4 PSI.

Jim W.

 

[Kirwin]

Ken,

Been there done that.


Now one year later when we were coming home from the CMEP plant tour in Columbus IN; I picked up a nail in the passenger side rear tire on the camper. Right in the center of the tire I did not realize I had picked up nail until I got home and was checking the camper before the camper went into storage. The tire never lost any air pressure nor did it fail. My reasoning is because I had changed to Michelin XPS Ribs for the trailer tires. These tires do not seem to lose air pressure all season nor even in storage if they do they may lose only 3 or 4 PSI.

Jim W.

Hence why you need a TPMS for the trailer. It will tell you that a tire was slowly going down. My TPMS system is a peace of mind thing. I can look down at the monitor and tell the tire temperature or temperature compensated pressure in any tire on the ground in my rig. That peace of mind is worth it to me. Maybe not to you, but to me, I won't tow without it. Ken Irwin

 

[Stab]

Will the 2015 RAM LongHorn Dually I just ordered have some sort of tire monitoring system?

Yes, our '15 Ram LLs come with an air monitor system. I'm getting from these posts that they are talking about the RV (trailer) air monitoring systems.

 

[GCroyle]

I'm on my second setup with TPMS. I didn't buy it to eliminate checking tires or pre trip or in route inspections, I bought them to increase my chances of NOT having a major issue on my tandem axle trailer while driving. I'm counting on it to warn of under PSI, over PSI and over internal temp.

It's a bit of an insurance policy that hopefully you'll need but I'm sold on it.

 

[sluper]

Any of us who have ever lost a tire while towing wants every advantage we can get. Our trucks are such towing beast that unless you happen to be looking in the review mirror when the tire goes we continue for a short while until we notice the problem or lose another tire causing more problems. I for one will take every advantage I can get to keep the damage to a minimum. All have friends or have heard stories of the damage that can be caused by the loss of a tire.

 

[RUSSELL5000]

I use the TST TPMS 507 and had the valve stems replaced with metal ones. I intend to replace the batteries at the start of every season. This was my first year with the TPMS on the trailer and I liked knowing that I would be notified should I have a tire blow out.

I also use my air gauge and set the tires on both truck and trailer prior to a drive of any significant time (I also torque all the lug nuts).

Belt and suspenders, I guess.

 

[gerry]

Thank you all that responded. I think I will put a TST system on next year, first on my toy hauler and then my dually. Anybody still have thoughts I'm open.
Gerry