Finding air for the tires October 12, 2016, 06:42:19 pm Is anyone 'challenged' by find good pressure air to fill the LD tires? We don’t always travel by truck stops which seem to usually have good pressure gages. Today, paid for air and the pressure was poor so we wound up letting out air instead of putting it in. There were add'l challenges and after about an hour finally got to a truck stop. Any suggestions?Thank you.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #1 – October 12, 2016, 06:46:10 pm We carry an 120 Volt air pump from Home Depot Husky 120-Volt Inflator-HY120 - The Home Depot. I've used this air pump while camping and while the LD is in storage. And that Amigo is my suggestion.P.S. Btw, this was a Bob Moore recommendation and just one of his very worthwhile recommendations that I've helpful.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #2 – October 12, 2016, 07:02:46 pm I gave up trying to find air a long time ago. I always want it when I check the tires in the morning, in camp. I carry a Viair compressor. This one is even better, with an automatic shutoff. We have no generator, so a 12V solution is mandatory. Amazon.com: Viair 40047 400P-RV Automatic Portable Compressor Kit: AutomotiveI have used a lot of 12V compressors, but this one is a very nice one, works fast, construction is very heavy duty, but it stores easy. When I get air, I look for a tire store, especially Les Schwab or Discount Tire, or Costco. They all are great at service.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #3 – October 12, 2016, 07:23:51 pm I also carry a 120v oil-less compressor. It always stays in the RV. The 12v compressors are every bit as good for tires. If you live in a colder area consider how you will be using a compressor. Most of the 12v I've seen are not suitable for winterizing the RV.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #4 – October 12, 2016, 08:07:45 pm Years ago, when I traveled in a truck, then a tent trailer, and later in a Toyota-based Dolphin, I had no space or weight "allowance" to carry a compressor, and I absolutely hated having to deal with the frustrations of finding "air stations"! Service station air hoses at the ends of pump islands, when they were available at all, usually were in such bad shape that they were useless. The nozzles had been run over countless times, flattened into a shape that fit no valve that I'd ever seen or the hose was so abraded and threadbare that air leaked through. The separate type of air and water stations were inevitably placed right next to the phone booth; one guess as to where everybody parked to use the phone! The air station (often "Out of Order", and often without any signage indicating this before one put quarters in!) also sucked multiple quarters for short bursts of air, and, if one was a solo traveler, speed and agility was a definite advantage; one had to drop the quarters into the maw of the machine, pull out the hose, "attach" it to the valve, then race to the next tire (and the next and the next ) before the thing shut down. Once in a while I was able to find a tire store that would allow use of their air hose, but many would not.I endured that nonsense for way too many miles ; the first thing I bought, months before I took delivery of the LD, was a 120VAC air compressor, a Campbell-Hausfeld 2-gallon with a straight foot, inline chuck attached to the pigtail air hose. It's the old iteration of this one:http://www.chpower.com/productdetail/inflation-and-fastening-2-gallon-air-compressor-with-accessory-kit_fp209000avThe thing is heavy, it's noisy, and it's as slow as pitch (mine is old and it can only be set to 100 pounds), but I would sooner leave the dog at home than my air compressor! (The dog doesn't know this, and I'm not telling her!) Some people swear by 12V compressors/inflators; I have not used a Viair, so I can't speak to how well it does the job (and if the clamp-on nozzle doesn't leak), but I've seen several 12V inflators that worked great if one needed to air a volleyball, but were essentially worthless when it came to airing up an RV tire. (The smell of a burned out 12V inflator is not pleasant.) This site presents a good overview of all kinds of air compressors:Air Compressors Direct | Your Online Air Compressor Store As ever, YMMV. Joan
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #5 – October 12, 2016, 09:47:46 pm I too use the Viar both for airing up the tires and, with the use of a blowout hose I THINK I got from the Mothership, blowing out the water lines each late fall.Slick and easy to use if you can part with the cash. If you own things long enough the cost per year goes down, it's amazing, LOL!
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #6 – October 12, 2016, 09:57:33 pm Curious here....Are your compressors used primarily for tire inflation?
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #7 – October 12, 2016, 10:54:15 pm Quote from: pwgfalcon - October 12, 2016, 09:57:33 pmCurious here....Are your compressors used primarily for tire inflation?If I had a clock on the pump I think I would find I more time for blowing out the fresh water (FW) lines as compared to inflating tires. I have a tire pressure monitoring system so it is easy to watch my tire pressure closely. I rarely need to air up the tires. Perhaps a couple pounds in a tire or three couple times a year and once or twice in the fall when as colder weather sets in. Winterizing takes a hour or so and I do it a couple times a winter. If you are going to blow out the fresh water system on the RV for cold weather you want to make sure you do not introduce oil into the fresh water system. That is why I mention the oilless pumps. I am not some advanced RVer, really quite the opposite. I learned that from this forum and the owners manual.John
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #8 – October 12, 2016, 11:19:34 pm Quote from: Traxless - October 12, 2016, 06:46:10 pmWe carry an 120 Volt air pump from Home Depot Husky 120-Volt Inflator-HY120 - The Home Depot. P.S. Btw, this was a Bob Moore recommendation and just one of his very worthwhile recommendations that I've helpful. You have two choices for an air compressor, 12-volts or 120--volts. High quality 12-volt compressors, such as the Viair, are expensive but if you do not have a generator, it's your only practical choice.Most of us have under used generators, so why not use an inexpensive 120-volt compressor? The small Husky compressor is adequate for those who don't winterize and just need to top off the tire pressure occasionally . When winterizing, blowing the water system out with compressed air requires a storage tank to provide the sustained blast of air.A compressor similar to Joan's would be a better choice if the space and CCC are available .Many years ago, a lot of us here bought MV-50 compressors. Ours is still carried in the Jeep and has never missed a beat.Amazon.com: Q Industries MV50 SuperFlow High-Volume 12-Volt Air Compressor:...And if you want a high capacity air source, one that can also operate a mechanic's air impact wrench and other air tools, compressed CO2 is the ticket.CO2 tank and Fire extinguisher | 10 lb CO2 OBA. 31 inch spar… | FlickrPower Tank - - Powertank.comBesides using it to air tires, I often use the CO2 tank to power pneumatic nailers, when just a few nails need to be driven. Much easier than dragging a big compressor out.Larry 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #9 – October 13, 2016, 12:30:05 am Thank you so much to everyone who responded. Very, very helpful for us. We figured we should probably get our own compressor and now we know which one to get! As always this group is awesome.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #10 – October 13, 2016, 12:58:12 am At my Americas Tire place I just drive right up to the air hose area like I owned the place and they jump right on it. Even has a sign saying they do that for anyone.Dave 04 excel td
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #11 – October 13, 2016, 07:58:57 am Small add- I use my Viair for tires and short bursts of compressed air to blow things off/out. I may add a little tank to winterize, but prolly not, I do that at home. So if I needed to blow out the water on the road I would need to find an alternative. Like run the heater or go to an electric site and run the electric heaters, making us all warm and toasty.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #12 – October 13, 2016, 10:08:50 am On the west coast we have Les Schwab. I just drive up. Ask them to check and fill the tires. No problem. My brother in law has a Class A 40 ft - he have been doing that for years.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #13 – October 13, 2016, 10:36:15 am Just an FYI: Les Schwab has "west coast" locations in Oregon, Washington, and in northern California, but there are no Les Schwabs past Hanford in the Central Valley of California (unless the website map is incorrect). There are a lot of tire shops, to be sure, but depending on driving around to find one when one just needs to check pressures and/or air the tires seems counterintuitive to me. After driving, the tires are warm/hot, and will not show "cold pressure", so why not just carry a compressor and check/air the tires to get an accurate reading when they're cold before starting out on a trip or the day's drive? And, in my experience, a tire shop's air check gauges can be inaccurate; hot tires + a gauge of unknown accuracy will not give a correct tire pressure reading. YMMV for sure on this issue! Joan
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #14 – October 13, 2016, 12:37:33 pm Quote from: JCT - October 13, 2016, 10:36:15 amt depending on driving around to find one when one just needs to check pressures and/or air the tires seems counterintuitive to me. After driving, the tires are warm/hot, and will not show "cold pressure", so why not just carry a compressor and check/air the tires to get an accurate reading when they're cold JJoanYou got it right, the pressure can accurately be measured only when cold.I carry a compressor primarily for those rare cases where the tire has developed a slow leak and is too low to drive on.A tire shop, with air, 50 miles down the road isn't of use if we can't safely get there.Normally, we don't add air, while on trips, usually it stays within range, as indicated by the TPMS, each morning.With a TPMS, you don't lose air each time the pressure is measured.Larry
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #15 – October 13, 2016, 03:15:03 pm Quote from: JCT - October 13, 2016, 10:36:15 amJust an FYI: Les Schwab has "west coast" locations in Oregon, Washington, and in northern California, but there are no Les Schwabs past Hanford in the Central Valley of California (unless the website map is incorrect). JoanThere are 5 locations in Bakersfield.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #16 – October 13, 2016, 03:21:07 pm Oops; sorry. I always forget about Bakersfield!
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #17 – October 13, 2016, 03:35:52 pm Quote from: JCT - October 13, 2016, 03:21:07 pmOops; sorry. I always forget about Bakersfield! It's a good place to be . . . from.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #18 – October 13, 2016, 04:18:03 pm Quote from: JCT - October 13, 2016, 10:36:15 amJust an FYI: Les Schwab has "west coast" locations in Oregon, Washington, and in northern California, but there are no Les Schwabs past Hanford in the Central Valley of California (unless the website map is incorrect). Oh come on Joan are you trying to tell me there are people living south of the Sacramento area. Guess there is no accounting for taste.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #19 – October 13, 2016, 05:02:15 pm If I understood BJO's question correctly, the concern was not so much with finding someplace to add air, it was with getting the right pressure. To that end, a few years ago, I bought a digital tire gauge that had gotten mostly good reviews. (I would check the brand and model but at the moment it is in my car, not readily accessible.) I also have an air compressor. I ALSO have a tire pressure monitoring system. I periodically use the gauge to check all tires and make precise adjustments up or down as needed, with the compressor. On a daily basis, when the engine is on, my TPMS is on and checks the tire pressure every few seconds, alerting me if a tire is out of proper range. Checking in the morning before a trip is not sufficient to me. I know of a LD user who was towing a Mini-Cooper. His TOAD had some primo tires and expensive rims. He checked the tires before starting a tow. Thirty miles later, he arrived at his destination, to find the right front TOAD tire gone. He was on the rim, which he had ruined, and the road impacts on the rim had damaged the rotor. All in thirty miles.So, a TPMS and compressor - "Don't leave home without it..." A good digital gauge, which can be checked for accuracy, will deal with the issue of filling up at a commercial facility and getting the pressure right.Ken F in NM
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #20 – October 13, 2016, 05:32:41 pm "...the concern was not so much with finding someplace to add air, it was with getting the right pressure." ----I read bjo's post as asking how to find locations whose equipment offers sufficient pressure through the air hose to adequately air an RV/light truck tire; no? Checking the cold tire pressures each morning before the day's drive is SOP for me; it's the most I can do since I don't have a TPMS. I have three tire pressure gauges; all correlate to each other:Amazon.com: Accutire MS-4021B Digital Tire Pressure Gauge: AutomotiveAmazon.com: TireTek Truck-Pro Dual Head Tire Pressure Gauge, Heavy Duty -...Amazon.com: Wheel Masters 8216 Dual Tire Pressure Gauge with Quick Release...I use the Accutire gauge almost exclusively; the only thing I don't like about it is the slow recovery time, i.e., several seconds elapse before the reading goes off. Also recommended to carry is a valve core tool and spare valve cores; lot of choices on Amazon and in auto supply places. A loose valve core can easily be the cause of a slow leak.Joan As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #21 – October 13, 2016, 09:54:48 pm JoanI would prefer either of the 2nd or 3rd gauges you linked to. In fact, I have and use one quite similar but with a flexible hose. Any of these have instantaneous reset.I also have Gator Valve Stem Caps on all tires. With these there is no need to remove and then loose the cap. You make your pressure measurement through the cap. Not only does it act as a dust barrier but will also stop a leak should you have a poorly seated valve stem. 1 Likes
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #22 – October 14, 2016, 09:21:30 am "I also have Gator Valve Stem Caps on all tires. With these there is no need to remove and then loose the cap. You make your pressure measurement through the cap. Not only does it act as a dust barrier but will also stop a leak should you have a poorly seated valve stem."----Yes, Alligators are the best; I have used these for years! I'm on the third box of 50; not that I change them like socks, but lots of caps have found homes on other people's LDs! These sites offer the caps individually; listed in descending order of price. (There is also a source on Amazon.) Expedition Exchange Incorporated :: Wheels & Tires :: Alligator Double Seal...Alligator V2B Double Seal Valve Caphttp://accu-pressure.com/eShop/product_info.php?products_id=44There are a lot of knock-off air-through caps; Alligators have the name etched into the base of the cap.Joan 2 Likes
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #23 – October 23, 2016, 12:40:33 pm Quote from: Traxless - October 12, 2016, 06:46:10 pmWe carry an 120 Volt air pump from Home Depot Husky 120-Volt Inflator-HY120 - The Home Depot. I've used this air pump while camping and while the LD is in storage. And that Amigo is my suggestion.P.S. Btw, this was a Bob Moore recommendation and just one of his very worthwhile recommendations that I've helpful. We just bought the Husky and it wasn't able to handle the pressure for the LD tires even though it says max. PSI 130 (we go to about PSI 78). It got HOT and then stopped working after a few tires of adding air. Any other suggestions on an inexpensive 120V that will only be used for air in the tires??Thanks!
Re: Finding air for the tires Reply #24 – October 23, 2016, 01:00:28 pm Quote from: bjo1600 - October 23, 2016, 12:40:33 pmWe just bought the Husky and it wasn't able to handle the pressure for the LD tires even though it says max. PSI 130 (we go to about PSI 78). It got HOT and then stopped working after a few tires of adding air. Any other suggestions on an inexpensive 120V that will only be used for air in the tires??Thanks!I'd consider returning it. Mine has worked well.
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