On-board Air Compressors

adamis wrote:

GordonThree wrote:
How about a DeWalt or Bosch hotdog compressor, AC powered, and a 1500 watt inverter?

I bring my Pancake compressor for the ATVs and have run it off the genset which is fine for that application. I used it once on my first trip to air up the truck and trailer and while yes, it did work, it took nearly an hour to do it likely to the detriment of my compressor and a lot of propane. Since then, I've gone to the Air Up station on the way out and pay the guy to fill up. It still takes 20 to 30 minutes (or longer depending on how many people he's servicing at once) but inconvenient plus I'm reliant on him to actually be there (not guaranteed).

I don't believe that standard tanked air compressors from Home Depot are designed for a 100% duty cycle. What this means is that when filling 8 to 10 tires from 20psi to 80psi the compressor will get hot and shutoff to cool down which can add as long as 30 to 40 minutes. Or, the compressor may just run hot but at the risk of greatly shortened life. Either way, I'm running the truck or gen-set for a long time.

The onboard air system although expensive and possibly overkill, saves me from having to lug around the compressor plus it should be able to handle filling all tires quickly and at my convenience.

The VIAIR has a max pressure of 200 PSI, a 2.5 gal. tank, delivers 2.24 CFM at 90 PSI, must be permanently installed/mounted, runs off 12 VDC, and costs $833.

Harbor Freight sells this Fortress Compressor which has a maximum pressure of 200 PSI, a 4 gal. tank, delivers 4.00 CFM at 90 PSI, is portable, runs off 120 VAC, and costs $250. Based on the CFM rating it should fill tires significantly faster than the VIAIR. It's got an overall 4.7 (out of 5) user rating at HF---pretty good. Granted it's not rated for 100% duty like the VIAIR; however, HF has a 90 day return policy so you'd have plenty of time to check it out---see how long it actually takes to go into thermal overload. As for longevity you have the option of purchasing a low-cost, 1-2 year, one-time replacement warranty. For less than 1/3 the cost of the VIAIR, it might be worth a try.

How about one of these https://powertank.com/

I have had on board air on my truck for the last 20 years. I have not used Viar but from what I have seen they have at least some quality units.
You want 100% duty cycle for sure.

The bigger the tank the better but in reality you cant put a large enough tank in it to make up for a lower power/quality compressor so tank size is really not a problem as pretty much no matter what you are going to need your compressor running. Which means a good compressor with 100% duty cycle.
Beyond that it is what are you willing to spend for speed or quantity of air.

There are engine mounted kits that use a York (or similar) compressor for the pump. They can put out up to 8-10cfm at 150psi. The rub is getting it to fit under the hood with access to the belt to drive it. There is a company called Oasis that makes one that is electric powered however at $1500-2000 and 100+amps it is a bit more than most want.

My compressor (outback extreme extremeaire compressor) has been mounted under the truck between the frame rail and the bed side the entire time I have had it. It is in a semi enclosed box (no top or back side) I made out of scrap sheet metal laying around. I have an air line going up to the front for my horns and another airline going to the rear bumper with a quick connect on it. On my previous truck I had a quick connect on the front of the truck as well but decided against it on this one as it really isn't needed for me at least. My rear connect with one of those coil hoses can easily reach my front, rear and trailer tires no problem.

Tires hold a large amount of air so unless you go quite big it will still take a while to air up a bunch of tires

My compressor is an extreme outback extremeaire but they have others as well as a few wiring and plumbing diagrams that might be helpful
https://www.extremeoutback.com/products/2/Air+Compressors.html

I can say that if mine ***** out I would buy another one though I may go up in size to their Magnum since it has more air, they didn't have it at the time when I bought mine many years ago. Though for $200 I might be willing to wait a bit longer when I need to air up.

1320Fastback wrote:
Back in my off roading days, including trips to Pismo, I had a York AC compressor converted to a air pump that was engine driven on my CUCV. Since your going electric the only thing I can add is to put air fitting at the front and rear of your truck. Sure beats dragging a hose around or having to move because you can't quite reach.

Great idea, I'm thinking of a fitting on both sides of the truck in the middle by the front camper tie-downs instead of the front and rear.

The other part of this project is to come up with a kit to tie the duallys together and make the valve easier to access so I can attach a latch on chuck that doesn't require constant physical pressure to keep air flowing and fill both tires together. I haven't decided if this will be a permanent setup or just one I thread on and off while at the beach. Couple this with a pressure regulator so I can just connect the hoses and let it do it's thing while I enjoy a cold drink and I'm happy...

I know this sounds lazy but believe me, after a full weekend at Pismo in the sun, it gets tiring to air up each tire manually by holding the chuck to the valve stem from 20 psi to 80 psi. Over 8 to 10 tires you have to keep constant pressure on that stem for 30 to 40+ minutes and that gets tiring! Having gone to Pismo four times now (with many more trips in the future) I'm ready to throw money at the problem.

GordonThree wrote:
How about a DeWalt or Bosch hotdog compressor, AC powered, and a 1500 watt inverter?

I bring my Pancake compressor for the ATVs and have run it off the genset which is fine for that application. I used it once on my first trip to air up the truck and trailer and while yes, it did work, it took nearly an hour to do it likely to the detriment of my compressor and a lot of propane. Since then, I've gone to the Air Up station on the way out and pay the guy to fill up. It still takes 20 to 30 minutes (or longer depending on how many people he's servicing at once) but inconvenient plus I'm reliant on him to actually be there (not guaranteed).

I don't believe that standard tanked air compressors from Home Depot are designed for a 100% duty cycle. What this means is that when filling 8 to 10 tires from 20psi to 80psi the compressor will get hot and shutoff to cool down which can add as long as 30 to 40 minutes. Or, the compressor may just run hot but at the risk of greatly shortened life. Either way, I'm running the truck or gen-set for a long time.

The onboard air system although expensive and possibly overkill, saves me from having to lug around the compressor plus it should be able to handle filling all tires quickly and at my convenience.

Back in my off roading days, including trips to Pismo, I had a York AC compressor converted to a air pump that was engine driven on my CUCV. Since your going electric the only thing I can add is to put air fitting at the front and rear of your truck. Sure beats dragging a hose around or having to move because you can't quite reach.

How about a DeWalt or Bosch hotdog compressor, AC powered, and a 1500 watt inverter?