Whangler wrote:
Thanks everybody. My last maxxis's didn't lose much, just down 1-2psi from 50 every 6 months or so. That said, my cheapo harbor freight 3 gallon compressor doesn't exactly make short work of topping them off. I can't imagine how it would labor to get from 77-80psi :-0
Rather than getting a dc compressor, maybe I'll just get a stronger one for home and keep my fingers crossed I don't need to air up afield.
It would still make sense to carry a DC powered air compressor for when you're not at home. They may not be 5 CFM 120v air compressors that can top off tires in literally seconds, but they get the job done, weigh next to nothing, and take up very little space. You don't want to get into a situation where the tires have lost air, but you need to tow the trailer for several, maybe even dozens, of miles to find a filling station.
DC compressors will take minutes to fill up a tire from 0 to 80 PSI, but rarely would you ever do so. If your tire went down to 0 PSI then it would be a better idea to have it removed and inspected rather than trying to refill it. Most of the time you would be topping off the tires, somewhere around 1-10 PSI.
I have the compressor below and 65 PSI tires on the trailer. It doesn't take long to add 10 PSI to the tires, maybe a little over a minute. Performing the same action in your case (@70 PSI) wouldn't add much time.
When you're looking at DC air compressors look for ones that have battery clips instead of the 12v socket connector. The units with battery clips are usually more powerful and since you can power it from virtually any battery, you have more options to power it. Also pay attention to the CFM rating of the pump, the higher the better. Forget about anything that's less than 1 CFM.
Harbor Freight 150 PSI Compressor
