In praise of TPMS January 07, 2023, 03:23:42 pm This month I started towing my Maverick behind my Lazy Daze. I use the NSA tow bar with Ready Brake surge brake system.I decided to splurge and spent $294 for a TST TPMS so I could monitor the tires on my Maverick. SO GLAD I did.On the second day of my first trip towing, the tire temperature started rising. I stopped when it reached 100° and discovered that the brake system was a bit too tight, not allowing the brakes to totally release. I was dragging the brakes a bit for 10 miles or so. It appears there wasn't any permanent damage, but without that TPMS, I'm sure I would have burned up the brakes.On my next trip, about 90 miles in, I got a low pressure warning. One of the front tires had acquired a puncture and was leaking air quickly. Without the TPMS, I would have been dragging a flat, and surely ruined the tire and maybe the rim. As it was, it was easily repaired by the next tire shop on my way.Moral of the story, if you're towing, make sure you have a TPMS for the toad.I also learned how lousy Ford roadside assist is. I called them for the tire change and after an hour and a half of them being unable to find someone to help me out, I decided to change the tire myself. Me, a 64 year old grandma. Worst part was getting the spare out from under the back of the Mav. A really dirty job. In the past (although the last flat I had was 35 years ago) I always changed tires on my own. This time, I thought I'd try the service that came with the Ford purchase. If there is a next time, I'll call on USAA or my Escapees roadside assist, or my Progressive roadside assist. 9 Likes
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #1 – January 07, 2023, 04:08:53 pm Not having to replace the tire goes a long way toward the TPMS paying for itself. Safe travelsJoel 3 Likes
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #2 – January 07, 2023, 07:48:35 pm Glad TPMS saved your bacon Linda.TPMS isn’t about just saving a single tire for me.It’s about avoiding the collateral damage done by a blowout AND having it happen in the middle of no where, exactly why I use my RV, to explore places out of the way. Even more important now that finding a replacement Lazy Daze isn’t getting any easier.The above reasoning is why I had a CAT cage built too, last thing I want to do in the Yukon is find a replacement CAT. 1 Likes
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #3 – January 08, 2023, 02:54:52 am Hi Linda; My recollection of the Ford towing insurance, if it was the three year warranty, was that it is only for the motorhome itself. Not anything else, specifically any towed vehicle. So is the Maverick a Ford also, and covered under it's own warranty? P.S. Be glad you had a full sized spare, and not just a spray can of fix-a-flat. RonB
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #4 – January 08, 2023, 01:03:27 pm Hooray for TPMS! Definitely worth the money, Linda. Of course, you missed out on being a YouTube star; you could have been #4 in this video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iu0zmUHjTw
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #5 – January 08, 2023, 02:14:55 pm The Ford Maverick Hybrid pickup may become the new darling of the RV set, a replacement for the Honda CRVs. It is flat towable and gets fantastic mileage, friends with one get an average of 39 MPG. I fully endorse and use a TPMS in our LD but know they cannot prevent all tire failure. Several years ago, we had a passenger-side rear blowout that was not predicted by the TPMS since the tire failed catastrophically. I had checked the pressure of all 10 tires just a few minutes before the blowout occurred and everything was OK. The alarm did sound just after the tire exploded. We were lucky the damage was limited to repairable sheet metal damage, unlike some rear blowouts that severely damage the coach.Blown rear tire damage | FlickrSheet metal heat shields were fabricated and installed on the exhaust pipe to limit the heat exposure to the passenger-side rear tire.Exhaust heat shields | FlickrLarry 1 Likes
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #6 – January 08, 2023, 08:49:01 pm Quote from: RonB - January 08, 2023, 02:54:52 amHi Linda; My recollection of the Ford towing insurance, if it was the three year warranty, was that it is only for the motorhome itself. Not anything else, specifically any towed vehicle. So is the Maverick a Ford also, and covered under it's own warranty? P.S. Be glad you had a full sized spare, and not just a spray can of fix-a-flat. RonBYep, Ron, the Maverick is the new smallest Ford pickup. The hybrid is towable and as Larry said, it gets great mileage. The "full size" spare is an option that is included with the hybrids. 1 Likes
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #7 – January 09, 2023, 08:58:47 am Hi,Hi developed a flat in October. I did not have TPMS. It was the front driver's side and it occured mid day during a heavy rain storm. Fortunately, I could feel the difference upon braking and immediately pulled into a gas station. I "had" Allstate roadside for RV. 24 hours later no service with frequents calls.Solution, I pumped up my tire and drove 1.5 miles to a tire dealership after calling to ensure the could help me.Lessons learned:I installed TPMSTires bought in August - garage did not replace stems. I had leaky stems. That too has been fixedI cancelled Allstate and demanded a refund. I am still fighting that battle it if anger.So glad you made out so well. 4 Likes
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #8 – January 09, 2023, 11:54:48 am Years ago we were cruising along on a two lane blacktop in New Mexico. Beautiful day. Then I glanced in my left mirror and saw lots of smoke. I figured either the engine was on fire (pusher) or the toad was on fire. Gulp. Good thing there wasn't any traffic as the shoulder grass was dry and I didn't want to be the source of a famous New Mexico conflagration. Turned out to be a toad tire (just the wheel and steel threads remained). So I too am a proponent of TPS. Of course, some never learn and I still travel without it!!! jor
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #9 – January 09, 2023, 01:55:26 pm I decided to add a TPMS several years ago when at the March Morro Bay event, an attendee showed up a day late.His beloved Saturn had a dragging brake that set the plastic front end on fire. The car was a total loss.We were planning a long trip to Utah and didn't want to worry about the same thing happening. A Doran 360 RV system was installed.So far, so good.Doran 360RV Tire Monitoring System – Doran's Online Store - Tire Monitoring...Larry
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #10 – January 09, 2023, 04:10:03 pm Not long after installing the TST-507 TPMS, I got a low pressure alarm on one of the rear dually tires. It happened early in the morning when I first started out. Evidently I had picked up a screwdriver bit on the road the day before and the TPMS was showing only 13 psi. I used the electric air pump to fill the tire back up and drove a few miles to where it could be repaired. Funny thing is that other than the low pressure alarm, I had no indication that anything was wrong. The rig felt normal to drive with no pulling at all. I’m just glad the TPMS alerted me to the problem early and before I lost the tire(s) and many $$$.- John 3 Likes
Re: In praise of TPMS Reply #11 – January 12, 2023, 01:25:43 pm I had our TPMS installed very soon after bringing our ‘15 RB home from being built. We did take our maiden voyage to Bryce Canyon and Zion prior to its installation and I was feeling very anxious not having it. With so many upgrades to purchase for our LD, the TPMS was the most important addition. It is, no doubt, the most critical thing to add to any rig. Even new tires are not a guarantee to safe travel. We’ve had one TPMS moment while heading back to Zion as we passed through Las Vegas. The slow leak alarm allowed us to pull safely off the freeway. Apparently a sharp pointy thing punctured our new tire between the treads.I had the tire guy repair the damage by installing a patch inside the tire rather than installing the spare. I preferred this method to insure we still had a spare available for the remainder of our journey. Between the TPMS and our Coach-Net policy we made it back on our way in under an hour. Safety first.Kent 2 Likes
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