12v Air compressor question!? High Volume? Beach camping

[johnhealey1776]

Hi,

I camp at the beach mostly and im looking for a good 12v air compressor to bring my tires up from 18psi to 80 as fast as possible. Anyone have any good luck with any? The lines for the compressor at the beach are too long...

I have a genny and a 100v compressor, but usually dont carry it due to my truck being srw 250 and my camper being quite large.

Is viair the only good solution? Im all about spending 200$ if i need too, but would rather half that.

Thanks for your time!

[RVIrvine]

If you're looking for a quality 12 volt compressor while staying within your $200.00 price range, stick with the VIAIR.

But you have to choose the 400P or larger.
Here's a link
http://www.viaircorp.com/portables.html

[PatrickA51]

deltabravo wrote:
I have been using my brothers 450p. I'm pretty impressed with it.

Here: Viair 450P

I have one of these also.{Viair 450} I also have one of these

[Boatycall]

I used to also Jeep. Before I put a Dual-400C Viair kit on, I used this - a double head portable compressor.

Sold the Jeep, but still keep this in the truck. It's extremely fast, even faster if you leave the truck running for those extra couple volts from the alternator.

I will also say this - ARB makes great axle lockers, but I do not recommend thier compressors. Very slow, and prone to overheating when you try airing up four 35" mud tires.

[DesertDave100]

I did a lot of research on this a month or two ago, and purchased one of these.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PUMA-12-VOLT-1-5-GALLON-OIL-LESS-AIR-COMPRESSOR-FREE-SHIPPING-/280790586347

I have had York engine-driven compressors on past vehicles so I am accustomed to having fast and efficient compressed air. This was the closest I have found , plus it seems to be the best value.

There is a lot of info on these if you search the internet, say starting with Ih8mud or expeditionportal.

[johnhealey1776]

Thanks everyone. Im thinking the Viair 450 is what I need, as far as price and durability go

[deltabravo]

I have been using my brothers 450p. I'm pretty impressed with it.

Here: Viair 450P

[Coblue]

I considered the MV50-style units but decided the consequence of a failure was too high. I got the viair 400p and have been very happy with it.

[Steelhog]

If you are handy you can assemble your own compressed CO2 setup pretty cheap. 10# cylinder (current hydro & stamping for refill) along with a regulator for under $200 and would be REAL fast. These thing can handle quite a few tires easily and you are only limited by the flow rate of the regulator, hose & valve stem. Get the bottle refilled at a dive shop or welding supply company. Once the tires are aired up and you are safely home you can pressurize a keg and call it a day!

[RVIrvine]

pa traveler wrote:
Does VIAIR 450 have an attachment to fill inside duallys?

The VIAIR 450P-A does not have an attachment to reach duallys. You'll have to get valve extenders.

Or you can go with the VIAIR 400P-RV Automatic. This kit comes with a 90 degree screw on chuck and an extended 45 degree push/pull chuck.

Here's a link to the websiteand product video.

Their website has fill rates too.

[nycsteve]

zman-az wrote:
110vac has nothing to do with it. Is a all about the pump and the motor to run it.

If you really want a portable air compressor you want this. Oasis



And if you are cheap and creative you can pull that pump out of a 80's AMC Eagle and hook it up with a belt to your current automotive engine to power it. I did all this for under $100 to a jeep I had. You really can run a impact gun off of it without a air tank.

If you have this compressor, how long to get a truck tire from 20#s to 80#s?
Also saw on the link auto tire deflators, the Oasis Trailheads. I have these. They atre adjustable and fast. Unscrew the valve caps, screw these on. You get 4 and I airdown completely in less than 5 minutes, accurately with no checking of pressure needed.Great timesaver.

[jefe_4x4]

I have used the cheap China Freight hi vol. air compressors and one lasted a few tires worth, and the newest one kept blowing the fuse every time i used it. Fuse? Yes, it requires a 35 amp fuse. How many places carry a 35 amp fuse? None that i could find, so i put a 40 amp fuse in and the rig went into one-piece-no-moving-parts, mode very quickly. At one time i used two at the same time, but they draw a true 30 amps under load and that will deplete your batts over time with both pulling 60 amps on the alternator. So, no China Freight Compressor for me.
For years as a jeeper I've used a 20 pound CO2 tank, as you can get about 28 inflations out of one tank and the fill is very fast. As fast as any system. That's 4, 37x13.50 tires from 5 pounds up to 36 on my Jeep (in about 10 minutes) and from 20+-pounds (for dune running in the TC) up to 65 or 80, depending on which tires at the time. I've even used air tools when something broke on the Rubicon and for getting lug nuts on;/off. The best all round compressed air for off-roading is arguably an older York air conditioning compressor piped with a small storage tank. A guy in L.A. sells a kit which is a steal, IMHO. You must mount it with your existing belt drive. It has a lot of good aspects, not the least of which is a rock solid, 100% duty cycle all the time. You must raise the idle speed of your motor to get the best effect, and you must oil the unit. Some use a little oiler, a small plastic, see-thru cup above the unit. So, that means installing a manual throttle and a quick connector hose bibs on front and back of the truck.
I think the Via Air and a couple others are the way to go for us TC-ers, following the KISS principle. Fairly lightweight and comes with a little storage bag. When you need it, you really need it to work as advertised.
jefe

[Oldtymeflyr]

anutami wrote:

RoyB wrote:
Back in my JEEP running days we was always bleeding down the tires for better traction.

I have been using the 12VDC tankless portable air compressor. It may not be the fastest one in the world but airs up my trailer and truck tires and all the kids bicycles at the camp grounds...

This is the Q Industries portable MV50 12VDC 150 PSI Air Compressor available from AMAZON. It fits in its nice carry bag under my truck back seat. I usually sit this on my truck tailgate and hook into the trailer batteries and then I can use the provided long air coil hose to walk around the trailer and tires...


I also use this air compressor along with the CAMCO 36153 Blow Out Adaptor to blow out my water lines for winterizing. Being TANKLESS it takes more time to build up air compressor which is ideal for blowing out water lines.


Perfect setup for me and my OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer.

Roy Ken

I use this as well for my F350. From usually 35-55 air down to 65-80 air up. Takes 4 to 5 minutes per tire. The gauge is Inaccurate. I would not recommend it if you're going from 18 psi to 80 though. You're probably looking at 8-10minutes per tire, And it gets really hot. But it is cheap, Maybe buy two of them. It did get the best reviews out of the lower end air compressors.

I have had one of these units for a few years. Its been slowly dying and will not pump my tires up to 80 psi, the magic number for a lot of 25xx and 35xx tires when carrying a camper. I have used it to fill maybe 30 tires from about 70 psi up to 80 psi. I use it on the road, at home I have a full fledged 220v compressor.

Its better than most of the cheap air compressors out there but in the near future I will be going with the Viair 450, it seems like the best bang for the buck.

Good Luck!

[zman-az]

110vac has nothing to do with it. Is a all about the pump and the motor to run it.

If you really want a portable air compressor you want this. Oasis



And if you are cheap and creative you can pull that pump out of a 80's AMC Eagle and hook it up with a belt to your current automotive engine to power it. I did all this for under $100 to a jeep I had. You really can run a impact gun off of it without a air tank.

[Bedlam]

Mine is an older 150 psi unit from Harbor Freight and can air my rears from 50 psi to 110 psi without tripping the protection (self resetting). If I don't stop to let it cool, it will trip as I'm airing up the fronts from 50 to 80 psi - It is not a 100% duty cycle compressor either. I never measured how long it takes to get all four tires aired back up, but I would guess 30-45 minutes with the cool down period at the mid point. Your DRW has an extra pair of tires to air, but you are not running them as high pressure as my 19.5's (maybe an hour tops to do six tires?). I think I only paid $40 for it when it was on sale and a 20% coupon was applied - Today, you will pay about $10 more for the current model.