Tire Pressure Monitor Systems

[k1hog]

Your thoughts on tire pressure monitor systems???

Thanks

[rowiebowie]

Sorry, can't recommend an after-market product. I'm just glad my '2011 Chevy Express chassis has it as standard factory equipment.

[peteco]

I recently purchased TST-507-RV system. Walmart.com had the best price at the time. It has worked great.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by peteco

I recently purchased TST-507-RV system. Walmart.com had the best price at the time. It has worked great.

Concur - I've had a TST-507 system for six years now still working OK. Just have to change the batteries about every two years to keep it working

[mkguitar]

I have this on my $40 unit on my pickup:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


it does not have the range for the higher psi in my RV tires
it does register temperatures



for the pick up it works "ok" the display dims in HOT AZ temps


why I use it:
plenty of road debris, this will beep in the event of a change in pressure below a user set value


upside the little solar means it doesn;t need to be plugged in


downside: slight affect on tire balancing I assume- no noted effects though

====================


I just ordered this for the van- similar unit same brand 99 psi, $40:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1






Mike

[dmb496]

I decided to purchase the TST 507 RV with 10 sensors. A little more expensive than some, however owners' reviews speak well of the TST.

[k1hog]

I am sold on the TST system.

Thanks for all your help.

Johnnie

[rowiebowie]

Wow, a seven-fold price differenct between the recommeded systems. I know there is always a "Good", "Better", and "Best" quality offering out there. Just rarely do you see such a large price discrepancy.

[dmb496]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

Wow, a seven-fold price differenct between the recommeded systems. I know there is always a "Good", "Better", and "Best" quality offering out there. Just rarely do you see such a large price discrepancy.

I started my search looking for features, and of course low price. There were a handful that were competitively priced. Next I spent time reading owners' comments and was able to eliminate quite a few of the lower priced products.

Initially I shied away from the TST product because of the price. Then I read owners' comments and was able to begin justifying the the cost differential. I also thought back to about 2010 when we experienced a 65 mph front tire blow-out on my F350 while towing an enclosed car trailer. That experience was a nightmare. The shredded rotating tire did $5,000 in damage to the truck, and we hadn't hit anything by the time I stopped the rig. The tire temperature function of the TST system would likely have alerted me to the pending catastrophe.

Last year we were again towing the car trailer with the F350. At about 200 miles into the trip, we stopped at a rest facility and I did a walk-around of our consist. Two of four trailer tires were near failure. I believe the TST system may have alerted me ahead of time.

Now that we have a Coachmen Galleria with 6 tires, and will occasionally hitch to the car hauling trailer, there will be 10 tires to monitor. I want a TPMS that will be dependable and have the features that will enhance our safety. In that so many current owners of TST's swear by the product, I'll pay the premium price.

[<<B-Guy>>]

Interesting, I just took a look on Amazon to see what the TST system is all about.

To my surprise, it looks identical to a TPMS I have that was sold (at least here in Canada under the name "Hawkshead" It looks identical in every respect, physically, and also the screen displays.

I bought min over ten years ago for monitoring the tires on a dual axle Airstream trailer we owned at the time.

I friend liked my setup and bought the same thing except he needed them also for is tow vehicle so needed 8 sensors. We both also had the signal boosters.

A few years later he gave up RV'ing and I bought his TPMS equipt from him just as spares - and because he offered them at a very good price.

I i used the second monitor and a couple of sensors on a Goldwing bike I owned at the time.

They continue to serve me very well and I now use the same equipt on our 2019 PW plateau - would never be without TPMS, especially with no spare tire!

The only issue I had over all this time is that the lithium batteries in teh monitors eventually went bad. They still worked fine as long as you left them plugged in.

I tried to buy replacement batteries from Hawkshead in British Columbia and was advised that I could only buy new monitors for about $200 !!

After opening them up to get dimensions and stats off the batteries I got them on Ebay for about $3 each - all good again now.

Incidentally, the small 1632 batteries in the sensors are not always easy to find and when you do find them at a battery specialist, I have seen them for as much as $8 apiece!

For years I have bought them on Ebay or Amazon, 10 or 20 at a time for around $10 total and always keep a few spares in the van!

Brian.

PS - regarding your comment about doing a walk around and finding defective tires, a TPMS may not have saved you - just depends.

On a previous travel trailer, I had a a full width section of tread over a foot long come off - but no air loss in the tire. I felt something wrong due to vibration transmtted to our truck. When I looked at the rest of the tires, two more were starting to delaminate - again no air loss! My fault - very old tires!

TPMS is great and likely will prevent a minor leak developing to a blowout due to the tire overheating, but regular walkarounds at every stop on a journey, and tire replacement when around 6 years old irrespective of apparent condition are still well worth doing I believe!

Originally Posted by dmb496

I started my search looking for features, and of course low price. There were a handful that were competitively priced. Next I spent time reading owners' comments and was able to eliminate quite a few of the lower priced products.

Initially I shied away from the TST product because of the price. Then I read owners' comments and was able to begin justifying the the cost differential. I also thought back to about 2010 when we experienced a 65 mph front tire blow-out on my F350 while towing an enclosed car trailer. That experience was a nightmare. The shredded rotating tire did $5,000 in damage to the truck, and we hadn't hit anything by the time I stopped the rig. The tire temperature function of the TST system would likely have alerted me to the pending catastrophe.

Last year we were again towing the car trailer with the F350. At about 200 miles into the trip, we stopped at a rest facility and I did a walk-around of our consist. Two of four trailer tires were near failure. I believe the TST system may have alerted me ahead of time.

Now that we have a Coachmen Galleria with 6 tires, and will occasionally hitch to the car hauling trailer, there will be 10 tires to monitor. I want a TPMS that will be dependable and have the features that will enhance our safety. In that so many current owners of TST's swear by the product, I'll pay the premium price.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

Wow, a seven-fold price differenct between the recommeded systems. I know there is always a "Good", "Better", and "Best" quality offering out there. Just rarely do you see such a large price discrepancy.

Take a close look at those Amazon reviews. I would not call that $40 unit a great product.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

Take a close look at those Amazon reviews. I would not call that $40 unit a great product.

I wasn't advocating for the $40 product, nor was I discouraging the much pricier TST. I was merely surprised someone hadn't found and suggested a unit falling somewhere within the wide $260 gap between the two.

But dmb496 already justified his decision based on quality and I cannot argue with his logic. I often go with pricier items for peace of mind, but I usually consider the Good, Better, and Best range of items before finalizing my choice.

[BuddyM]

iNSTALLED THIS ON A SPRINTER. WORKS GREAT.
NO PROBLEMS. SIMPLE TO INSTALL AND USE.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3295...27424c4dVVFu2V

[jbucking]

I have used the Tire Minder system on both class A and Class B motor homes pulling toads or trailers with great success for years. I can monitor all the wheels on the ground as well as the spare. It is not just a tire pressure monitoring system. It monitors repaid air loss, and blow out (total tire failure) with alarms in real time. It's not the least expensive system out there, but one of the best, and Tire Minder supplies a life time of batteries. If you are going to invest in a tire monitoring system then buy the best you can afford. It can literally save your life.

[markopolo]

Originally Posted by jbucking

..............It monitors repaid air loss, and blow out (total tire failure) with alarms in real time............

Think about a blow out for a minute ............................ Monitoring a blow out would be useful to tire engineers, the rest us, not so much as we're already aware something is terribly wrong (in a B van) ........ If something could predict that your gonna have a blowout next Tuesday then that would be awesome. A TPMS is not a reason or excuse to forget good & prudent practices so don't rely on it too much.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by markopolo

Think about a blow out for a minute ............................ Monitoring a blow out would be useful to tire engineers, the rest us, not so much as we're already aware something is terribly wrong........ If something could predict that your gonna have a blowout next Tuesday then that would be awesome. A TPMS is not a reason or excuse to forget good & prudent practices.

Well, yes. Except in the case of the sudden loss of a rear tire in a dually setup. When I suddenly lost the rubber valve stem in one of those at highway speed, I am not at all sure I would have noticed anything promptly if it weren't for the screaming TPMS. I know this seems implausible, but lots of people have torn a rear tire (or two) to shreds before realizing anything was wrong.

I consider a TPMS to be a luxury on 4 wheel vehicles, but a necessity on 6 wheel ones.

[markopolo]

You can find a situation to fit the narrative for sure. I just didn't want the idea that a TPMS is more than what it is to propagate.

[jbucking]

The blowout protection is most useful if you have a unit with tandem rears or if you are pulling a toad or trailer. Often a blow out or complete tire failure can occur on a tandem rear tire or the tow vehicle and the driver does not realize it until someone comes by and flags him down. By then you have scattered rubber down the road for a mile or your tow vehicle's tire is on fire. I have seen it happen.

[markopolo]

Point taken re: sudden air loss in a duallie - not exactly what I imagine as a blowout though.

[peteco]

Originally Posted by avanti

Well, yes. Except in the case of the sudden loss of a rear tire in a dually setup. When I suddenly lost the rubber valve stem in one of those at highway speed, I am not at all sure I would have noticed anything promptly if it weren't for the screaming TPMS. I know this seems implausible, but lots of people have torn a rear tire (or two) to shreds before realizing anything was wrong.

I consider a TPMS to be a luxury on 4 wheel vehicles, but a necessity on 6 wheel ones.

I would say TPMS is a necessity on 4 wheel vehicles also. I met a guy that had his Roadtrek 210 lose control and rollover after blowing a tire. Warning of upcoming tire failure should be met with a safe pullover to investigate.