TPMS
I need some info about TPMS.What is better the flow thru sensors or the sensors you have to remove to add air to your tires?What brand is better than others?Thanks!
Forum Discussion
I've used a Tire Minder (screw on) for over two years and am very happy. Customer service is exceptional from the company. They even know from my billing address that we are Escapees.
But do understand a couple things about TPMS systems. They will sense changes in air pressure and heat buildup in a tire.
They are mainly to warn of slow leaks and heat buildup caused by low pressures. Which are the cause of most blowouts/ tire failures.
Blowouts from heat buildup from running too fast or at low pressure are cumulative. The tire might be running at good speeds and pressure and still blowout - because of damage caused by running too fast speeds and too low pressure hundreds of miles before. You have to watch the pressures and temps and take action to correct them quickly.
No TPMS will warn before a sudden catastrophic failure caused by running over a piece of debris which makes a major cut in the tire. Those are a very small percentage of blowouts.
A TPMS will usually warn of a failure shortly before the tire blows if an axle is overloaded. Most common cause of this is trailers which do not tow level - especially nose high 5ers. Which overloads the rear axle and tires. Also improper side to side loading of a TT can cause overload failures. When someone complains about the tire in position X failing twice or more - the cause is the loading, not the tire manufacturer. I've seen over a dozen rigs with these issues in 2014 while camp hosting.
A TPMS may not sense tread separation. A tire can lose a tread, or have a section come lose and beat the trailer up and the TMPS may not alarm. Because the tire will not lose air pressure. Damage which causes this type failure can be a manufacturer defect, or be cause by excessive heat or low pressure. You have to listen to strange noises and always stop at any sign of smoke from the trailer tires / or what looks like possible debris you see in the mirror.
No TMPS transmits pressure data 100% of the time. If they did that, the batteries would not last a month. They transmit pressures and temps when changes occur and on a schedule. They are very low power transmitters - again to save battery power. A booster is always a good idea.
They transmit on a frequency band which includes a lot of other devices - outdoor/indoor weather stations, some personal radios, some remotes, etc. They can be impacted by nearby strong CBs, cell phones, etc.
Sounds like a lot of limitations and negatives. Not really.
I find them essential to my towing with piece of mind.
I've had two tire issues without TPMS. For one - I had to brake very hard and a trailer brake locked up. The tire went flat when the tread was worn completely through. Only got lucky to find that because we were stopping for fuel. Tire was completely gone. Another time the tire leaked while towing and I only caught visible tread wear/damage during my check before departure from the CG.
With a TPMS - I caught a problem where some thin cactus spines had poked clean through the inside sidewall on three places. My pressures would drop 40% on a cold night - but never vary after bringing the tire up to pressure during the day or while towing. Heat of towing would keep the hole closed as the rubber swelled a bit. Even when I had the tire off at the tire shop it took almost a hour to find the leaks. Only by cooling the tire in water into the mid-40s would the leaks appear. Without a TPMS I would never have been able to pin down when the leak was happening.
(PS - my 2012 RAM truck has factory installed TPMS and provides pressure readings to my dash - so I don't use the Tire Minder for the TV).
And why the heck don't Class A and Class C builders include a TPMS as part of their vehicle standard equipment. They are becoming standard on automobiles and light trucks. What makes motorhomes so 'unique' that they don't need a TPMS ?
But do understand a couple things about TPMS systems. They will sense changes in air pressure and heat buildup in a tire.
They are mainly to warn of slow leaks and heat buildup caused by low pressures. Which are the cause of most blowouts/ tire failures.
Blowouts from heat buildup from running too fast or at low pressure are cumulative. The tire might be running at good speeds and pressure and still blowout - because of damage caused by running too fast speeds and too low pressure hundreds of miles before. You have to watch the pressures and temps and take action to correct them quickly.
No TPMS will warn before a sudden catastrophic failure caused by running over a piece of debris which makes a major cut in the tire. Those are a very small percentage of blowouts.
A TPMS will usually warn of a failure shortly before the tire blows if an axle is overloaded. Most common cause of this is trailers which do not tow level - especially nose high 5ers. Which overloads the rear axle and tires. Also improper side to side loading of a TT can cause overload failures. When someone complains about the tire in position X failing twice or more - the cause is the loading, not the tire manufacturer. I've seen over a dozen rigs with these issues in 2014 while camp hosting.
A TPMS may not sense tread separation. A tire can lose a tread, or have a section come lose and beat the trailer up and the TMPS may not alarm. Because the tire will not lose air pressure. Damage which causes this type failure can be a manufacturer defect, or be cause by excessive heat or low pressure. You have to listen to strange noises and always stop at any sign of smoke from the trailer tires / or what looks like possible debris you see in the mirror.
No TMPS transmits pressure data 100% of the time. If they did that, the batteries would not last a month. They transmit pressures and temps when changes occur and on a schedule. They are very low power transmitters - again to save battery power. A booster is always a good idea.
They transmit on a frequency band which includes a lot of other devices - outdoor/indoor weather stations, some personal radios, some remotes, etc. They can be impacted by nearby strong CBs, cell phones, etc.
Sounds like a lot of limitations and negatives. Not really.
I find them essential to my towing with piece of mind.
I've had two tire issues without TPMS. For one - I had to brake very hard and a trailer brake locked up. The tire went flat when the tread was worn completely through. Only got lucky to find that because we were stopping for fuel. Tire was completely gone. Another time the tire leaked while towing and I only caught visible tread wear/damage during my check before departure from the CG.
With a TPMS - I caught a problem where some thin cactus spines had poked clean through the inside sidewall on three places. My pressures would drop 40% on a cold night - but never vary after bringing the tire up to pressure during the day or while towing. Heat of towing would keep the hole closed as the rubber swelled a bit. Even when I had the tire off at the tire shop it took almost a hour to find the leaks. Only by cooling the tire in water into the mid-40s would the leaks appear. Without a TPMS I would never have been able to pin down when the leak was happening.
(PS - my 2012 RAM truck has factory installed TPMS and provides pressure readings to my dash - so I don't use the Tire Minder for the TV).
And why the heck don't Class A and Class C builders include a TPMS as part of their vehicle standard equipment. They are becoming standard on automobiles and light trucks. What makes motorhomes so 'unique' that they don't need a TPMS ?
