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kalynzoo's avatar
kalynzoo
Explorer
Jun 20, 2015

Tire monitor saved my trip

Thank goodness for Tire Protector USA (tireprotectorusa.com) as they saved me on this last trip. Leaving Sacramento I apparently miss-installed my braking system. About 5 miles down the road from the RV park my Tire Protector started screaming, and at first I didn’t know what was making noise. The display showed my towd front tires at 185 degrees. I pulled over to check and found smoke coming off both front wheels. I had been driving with my brakes depressed. I unhooked the brake system, gave it a few minutes for the smoke to clear, and went onward with our vacation. I don’t think it did any major damage to the brakes of the Saturn, but I will have them checked next week.
On the way home from 7-Feathers I saw another motorhome, which I recognized from our last stop, on the side of the road, and I pulled over to offer assistance. They had just lost the toad front tire, which had completely come off the rim. I guess another driver had flagged them to pull over as they were towing the toad on the rim, throwing sparks. They did not have a tire monitoring system. All went well, they called Good Sam who came out with the needed assistance. We left them with a road cone and the assurance that help was on the way.
Anyway, Tire Protector, as with other tire monitors are not perfect. They give strange beeps, sometimes lose contact, and have a learning curve. But I do think this one saved be a bunch of money and a lot of lost vacation time.
Happy Trails.
Class A

6 Replies

  • OnaQuest's avatar
    OnaQuest
    Explorer
    Jun 20, 2015
    I'm a user, and believer, in a TPMS. My older (9 yr. old) system does not specifically monitor temperature, but since it alarms on either HIGH or Low pressure (I think it requires a 12lb swing), it will alarm on high pressure caused by heating before the temps. rise high enough to be too dangerous. I've had it happen.

    If I were to purchase another system, it would have temperature monitoring.
  • Klueck's avatar
    Klueck
    Explorer
    Jun 20, 2015
    That is a very good reason to choose a TPMS that not only monitors air pressure, but temperature as well. That was a requirement when we chose our TST system. Glad all worked out well.
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Jun 20, 2015
    Even without temp (only pressure) a TPMS can detect an unusual temp increase. I'll manually check my tire pressures at the beginning of the day and then an hour later. On a rainy day my tag axle tire pressures had increased more than the normal 10% and all of the other tires had not. I pulled over and using my IR temp gun found my tag tires temps at 125 and all the rest under 100. At the back of the MH I could hear a small air leak which was coming from the tag axle air pressure regulator. Turns out it was putting 100+ psi into the tag's airbags which was overloading those tires. Not sure why, and by turning the adjusting knob back and forth I was able to get it back to the 45 psi I use and this was five years ago.

    Over time you learn what's normal and what's not.
  • Kayteg1's avatar
    Kayteg1
    Explorer II
    Jun 20, 2015
    And you would think that government requiring TPMS on all newer cars was overstepping the authority.
    Another story is that lot of motorhomes come with overloaded wheels from the factory.
    My bus conversion had the same size wheels semi-trucks use.
    I calculated I had them loaded to 60-70% of load capacity.
    They would hold the pressure for 2 years without pumping.
  • jolooote's avatar
    jolooote
    Explorer
    Jun 20, 2015
    Hi. I'm a believer in em also. We usually do a 8 week trip out west from Miami, Fl. and put in about 7000 miles. During almost everytrip we have been saved from total blowouts and possible damage to our Class'A' MoHo by the alarm of lossing air.

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