Truck mounted air compressor

A frame mounted compressor with cockpit controls would be the height of convenience, but it's expensive and not maintenance free. An alternative I've been using is this Milwaukee portable compressor compressor. Don't laugh - it actually works pretty well! With a medium sized battery, it will inflate your airbags all season. You set the pressure you want and it automatically stops at that pressure. 100 lbs is no problem. It will inflate a truck tire from flat, maybe two on a charge, and will easily top them all up. It isn't going to run any air tools for sure.

I've been carrying one to top up and adjust my air suspension (not air bags), while I procrastinate putting on the frame mounted compressor which I already have purchased. The Milwaukee is easy enough it's allowed me to procrastinate for a couple of years now. It is small, light, does bike tires and soccer balls too. $69 at Home Depot for the tool only (if you already have Milwaukee batteries).

I like the horn idea...next mod for me?....maybee? I have seen those youtube vids with the train horns ...so funny!

Well I will installing on board air on our 2016 Ram not for bags, but just to have on board air! Got it with the PacBrake for 2001 Ram, and miss it already! That and semi air horns.

Never had an issue with overheating...it has about a 1/4 inch of clearance and does not touch the carpet. It does not run that long to really even get that hot...if it did, something would have been done already but good point. I don't stow anything really that close to it and no odors either.

KKeller,

The cylinder head looks very close to the carpet. No odors of burning carpet yet? Suggest covering it in a way so that stored items don't block cooling and intake air.

Here is my set up. I highly advise you mount your compressor internally. The tiny filter will clog in no time mounting it outside of the cab, the air is just to dirty and dusty. Mine lives underneath the back seat cargo area. The system has a schrader valve you mount to the frame so you can hook up the coil hose to fill air into anything from tires to rubber rafts. The on demand air controller to your air bags is the bomb...air adjustments on the fly is fantastic. One other note is that your airbag brackets be planned out very carefully. They are not just bolt on and go. Many measurements have to be done loaded and unloaded or you will bottom them out so be prepared for some cut and re-welding work... Mine have been modified on the lower brackets to allow for the huge amount of travel the Dodge dually has...they may seem stretched out a bit, but trust me...stock ones out of the box are too tall at least when I did mine. Notice the unloaded and loaded pics, that is a lot of travel up and down. Good luck and you won't regret the upgrade. I hope it works out.

When I had the rear locker put in I had them install an air compressor under the hood and plumbed in my air bags and installed a gauge in the cab for ease of operation. Also got a 50' Air line for filling tires after going boon docking and dropping tires down from 65 to 35psi. Getting older and trying to be smarter, subject to who your talking to.

I am installing the airbags today and won't have time to get a compressor before picking up our new TC. Lots of good info here so I will review it again once I am ready to pick one. Thank you all for the great replies!

It doesn’t matter if the compressor makes some noise. You hardly ever use it. It isn’t something you run every morning unless you have leaks in your plumbing, in which case the solution is fix that.
An air impact big enough for the truck lugs will use more air than the little 12V compressor can keep up with. But the Milwaukee cordless 1//2” impact is awesome for that.
I actually traded up to the 3/4”, and it does semi-truck lugs.

I have been using an Extremeoutback compressor for the last 15 years. It has been sitting under the truck the entire time. It is a sealed unit. I have it tucked up under the bed between the frame rail and the bedside so is fairly well protected and I also have a couple pieces of sheet metal to help protect it even more. I originally put it on my 01 then when I got my 17 I moved it over to it. I have a 2.5 gal tank mounted under there as well.

Large high pressure tires use a lot of air to fill them up. As mentioned get one with 100% duty cycle. A small tank will help but not that much. I have a quick connect at my rear bumper so I can reach all my truck tires and trailer tires with one of those coiled hoses. I use the compressor and tank for tires, air horns, filling my fishing float tube or anything else that might need an air source such as blowing out filters out in the field. A good one is not cheap and few will really run an air tool well but there are certainly some that can. Mine while pretty good is not capable of taking my tires off with an impact gun just not enough oomph.

this is the one I use https://www.extremeoutback.com/product/8/ExtremeAire+High+Output+12+Volt+Compressor+Part%23+007-000.html

Whenever it fails I would probably go with this one
https://www.extremeoutback.com/product/14/ExtremeAire+Magnum+12+Volt+Compressor++Part%23+007-222.html

The grandaddy of 12 volt is this one but so is the price
http://aircompressors.oasismfg.com/item/air-compressors/xd4000-continuous-duty-air-compressors/item-1052

An engine mounted one would be the best if you have the space
https://www.cuoffroad.com/product-lines/airboss-components/

Viar makes a good line of compressors as well
https://www.viaircorp.com/oba

I prefer to have 12 volt so I can use it anytime anywhere. If it was just for a motorhome I might feel different but I use my truck for more than just towing the fifth wheel so while I cant say I use my compressor all the time it gets used more often than my home compressor though my home compressor gets used for much longer and higher capacity needs that the 12 volt cant deal with with at all.