Tire Pressure Monitoring System or not!
Ok, so here's my question, we are talking about the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) for our new MH and one of us feels like its an expense we don't need at this time and the possibility of perh...
Forum Discussion
Let me preface by saying I have a TPMS. They are both a valuable tool and a pain. On the con side, they cost a lot, have to be maintained, are not always 100% accurate. On the plus side they can alert you to an issue. In realty the only things a TPMS will alert you to is an underinflated/overinflated or overheated tire. They will not help much in the event of a blowout based on failure.
I have had issues with my TST. It often reads a higher PSI or higher temp than is accurate (I've validated it), they don't work well with extensions, and I have one that drops a signal sporadically.
They also cause me a bit of anxiety, as I feel I am more attune to small changes. "why did that tire suddenly jump 5 degrees, why is that tire 8 psi higher than the others but 2 degrees cooler? etc..."
But once in really hot stop and go traffic it let me know how hot my front wheels were getting from all the braking. Enough to wonder if I shouldn't pull over and let them cool down. So lots of information leads to more decisions about what - if anything - to do with that information. And I still wonder if ignorance wasn't bliss or just ignorance.
And as others have said it's an opportunity to be lazy. TPMS allows you to check psi without actually checking PSI and that is a bad habit.
I still think they are a good tool to have but far from necessary, far from perfect at predicting a blowout, and even further from foolproof.
I have had issues with my TST. It often reads a higher PSI or higher temp than is accurate (I've validated it), they don't work well with extensions, and I have one that drops a signal sporadically.
They also cause me a bit of anxiety, as I feel I am more attune to small changes. "why did that tire suddenly jump 5 degrees, why is that tire 8 psi higher than the others but 2 degrees cooler? etc..."
But once in really hot stop and go traffic it let me know how hot my front wheels were getting from all the braking. Enough to wonder if I shouldn't pull over and let them cool down. So lots of information leads to more decisions about what - if anything - to do with that information. And I still wonder if ignorance wasn't bliss or just ignorance.
And as others have said it's an opportunity to be lazy. TPMS allows you to check psi without actually checking PSI and that is a bad habit.
I still think they are a good tool to have but far from necessary, far from perfect at predicting a blowout, and even further from foolproof.
