We have decided to downsize and move to a smaller house. One of the things I may have to give up is my big, vertical air compressor that I use to inflate my motor home tires. So I will hve to find another method and perhaps place to inflate my tires. Inflating tires to 100-110# is not the easiest thing to do.How do others accomplish this? Do you use a small portable compressor or similar at home? Do you take your rig to a truck stop and use their air? Does anyone use the onboard air in their diesel pusher? Does anyone have other approaches?

I know of some who use the onboard air in their DP's. Just need a hose long enough to reach all the tires, and spare if you have one. You could also use the onboard to fill an air tank, but it'll be lots of fillups if one of those big tires is low. If you want a compressor that'll air your tires to 110, you need one rated to produce at least 150. At least that's what I see with our "100-PSI" compressor. Upping tire pressure from 70 to 80 on our Class C is all it can manage. Slow process.I think you already have metal truck-style tire valves. If you don't and are using some kind of extender rig, changing to custom one-piece valves will drastically reduce the number of times you need to add air.Or... A Truck Stop. Part of the reason I went with custom valves was so I could use any available air chuck. A lot of the Class C guys have workaround setups that work but take time. It's one thing to pull an RV into the truck service lane for 5 minutes. 30 minutes is another matter.

Bobbo wrote:X2. For around a hundred dollars you can't bear the versatility or speed

We use our 25 year old CH work compressor when in town. On our August 5000 mile trip we had to add some Yankee air once we hit the cooler temps of the northern hinterlands. The local truck stop worked fine.

donn0128 wrote:X2. For around a hundred dollars you can't bear the versatility or speedI got one that LOOKS pretty much like that.....but it isn't.It is "rated" for 100 PSI but is presently set for 80 and I haven't figured out how to up the cutoff yet. And maybe I wouldn't want to since it struggles to make 80. I can't "bear" the speed of mine either. :)So, my advice is: Don't cheap out. Get one where the cutoff pressure really IS at least 20 PSI above your highest pressure need; not the rating but the actual working pressure.The Craftsman pictured here might fit the bill. My $39 one that looks like it but came from Harbor Freight is more than adequate for bikes and basketballs and car tires but totally inadequate for a motorhome.If you don't want to carry something like that, get OFF the Interstate and look for (or Google search) any kind of tire dealer; even WalMart.....and hope it's not Sunday.

How/Where Do You Inflate Your Tires? | Good Sam Community

jjj
Explorer
Sep 23, 2015
I have a Porter cable pancake compressor that goes to 135 also. I use it for my fiver tires and my fifth airbourn pinbox. Works very well.
creeper
Explorer
Sep 23, 2015
I carry this. Works well, runs off 12volts. Carry it when we go off road with a tire plug kit.
CJW8
Explorer
Sep 23, 2015
My tire guy always asks me if I want 100% nitrogen. I always say "No the 79% stuff is good enough for me." He still doesn't get it.
CJW8
Explorer
Sep 23, 2015
Vulcan Rider wrote:
CJW8 wrote:
I just got a Porta Cable pancake compressor similar to that at Northern Tool for $87. It is rated to 135 PSI.

The "rating" is pretty much meaningless.
What is the cut-off pressure set at now ?
And is it adjustable ??

No doubt that one is a bit better than the el-cheapo that I got at Harbor Freight.

Here is the link. I was wrong, it cuts off at 150 PSI.
Golden_Gopher
Explorer
Sep 22, 2015
Amazon sells the Viair 400p RV compressor for about $200.

I just purchased and it works great!

Lookup theRVGeeks.com and watch their latest how to video on tire inflation.
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Sep 22, 2015
Most tire chain stores and quite a few independents will be happy to check and air up your tires. Try and catch them when they are not busy, as in not on a Saturday morning. Their equipment is probably a lot better (more pressure/accurate), than anything most of us carry. Usually in and out in about 5 - 10 minutes.

I stop in a couple of days before any serious trip and usually it just takes a couple of pounds to get back to where they need to be. On some trips we may load a lot heavier/lighter than others so this allows the pressure to be matched to the appropriate load for that particular trip.

I do carry a Husky 120 volt portable compressor. It is loud and takes a while to get a tire back up to pressure but at $28 (Home Depot), combined with its small size it is worth having.

:C
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Sep 22, 2015
Is there a portable compressor with a rating higher than 150 PSI? I'm skeptical that the 150 PSI Porter Cable or Sears will be adequate for my 120 PSI tires because of it's rated 120 PSI cut-in restart rating.

I have a 150 PSI vertical Sears model that is really inadequate for 120 PSI tires. I did just find a 165 PSI vertical model.
jrp
Explorer
Sep 22, 2015
the bear II wrote:
X3 on the Craftsmen compressor. Just used it over the weekend to pump up to 120 PSI.

X4 , I carry this portable compressor in the MH, its actually made by Porter-Cable and sold under several different brand labels. Like many Craftsmen products, they don't actually make it, but slap their label on someone elses product.
I got mine years ago on sale at Lowes or HomeDepot.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Porter-Cable-6-Gal-150-PSI-Portable-Air-Compressor-C2002/203162815
Bobbo
Explorer II
Sep 22, 2015
Depends. Air guns like that need a minimum air flow in addition to a minimum pressure. This unit may not provide the minimum air flow even though it will hit the psi. I just looked up one of the Sears pneumatic impact wrenches. It stated it required 4.7 cfm of air. It didn't state the pressure, but I seem to recall they need something like 90 psi. I bet this unit won't provide that kind of cfm air flow at that pressure. You would need a much larger air compression cylinder for that.
pdogg
Explorer
Sep 22, 2015
I Carry a CO2 tank with me...

www.powertank.com

No electricity required and no problem with any kind of PSI I would need.