I have had 3 flats with my TST installed. It caught 2 of them immediately and I was able to get off and avoid further damage. The other 1 blew out catastrophically. I heard the tire go, looked to the mirror and saw shrapnel, and then I heard the tire alarm.
TPMS certainly has it place and is a good tool for minimizing tire damage… but they are only a tool and not a replacement for good and regular inspections…
The problem I have with them is that to many do use them in place of normal tire inspections…
They don’t help in a catastrophic failure and a slow loss of air should be noticed at fuel and rest stops, even before a alarm sounds… which I guess leaves rapid loss that is somewhere between slow and catastrophic…
If their use causes fewer tire inspections and from what I see it does their true value is greatly reduced, but their worth to someone that traditionally ignores their tires would be where their greatest value would be…
Love my mass produced, entry level, built by Lazy American Workers, Hornet
JJBIRISH wrote: TPMS certainly has it place and is a good tool for minimizing tire damage… but they are only a tool and not a replacement for good and regular inspections…
The problem I have with them is that to many do use them in place of normal tire inspections…
They don’t help in a catastrophic failure and a slow loss of air should be noticed at fuel and rest stops, even before a alarm sounds… which I guess leaves rapid loss that is somewhere between slow and catastrophic…
If their use causes fewer tire inspections and from what I see it does their true value is greatly reduced, but their worth to someone that traditionally ignores their tires would be where their greatest value would be…
With this logic then we do not need oil pressure gauges nor temperature gauges in our TV's. Just stop and check the oil level and monitor the radiator temperature with your IR device. I will stay with my Pressure Pro, it has saved me two tire failures which is almost priceless to me.
They don’t help in a catastrophic failure and a slow loss of air should be noticed at fuel and rest stops, even before a alarm sounds… which I guess leaves rapid loss that is somewhere between slow and catastrophic…
With my 22.5 tires, I normally have 100 lbs in both front tires. Last year, after the coach had set for five months, I was getting ready to go on a trip and was checking all tires for correct pressure with my hand held gauge. The left front was at 65 lbs, the right was at 98 lbs. I could NOT tell the difference between the two by looking at them which one was 35 lbs low.
I typically go 300 miles between fuel stops, a slow leak will render that tire in a very dangerous condition if I did not have a TPMS.
Your statement does not hold air...
Ron
Ron & Sandie
'08 Safari Simba SBD35 CAT C7
Toad: 2011 GMC Terrain SLT2
Tow Bar: Sterling AT
Toad Brakes: Unified U.S. Gear
TPMS: Pressure Pro
Member of: GS, FMCA, Safari Intl, CAT
JJBIRISH wrote: TPMS certainly has it place and is a good tool for minimizing tire damage… but they are only a tool and not a replacement for good and regular inspections…
The problem I have with them is that to many do use them in place of normal tire inspections…
They don’t help in a catastrophic failure and a slow loss of air should be noticed at fuel and rest stops, even before a alarm sounds… which I guess leaves rapid loss that is somewhere between slow and catastrophic…
If their use causes fewer tire inspections and from what I see it does their true value is greatly reduced, but their worth to someone that traditionally ignores their tires would be where their greatest value would be…
With this logic then we do not need oil pressure gauges nor temperature gauges in our TV's. Just stop and check the oil level and monitor the radiator temperature with your IR device. I will stay with my Pressure Pro, it has saved me two tire failures which is almost priceless to me.
My point had nothing to do with need, but I have pulled trailers of every size my whole life and haven’t felt the NEED to have TPMS yet…
They are a good tool but their need is primarily generated by people’s lack of tire maintenance… with RV’s it seems they are a excuse for not needing to inspect the tires…
Will you TPMS alarm when a tread flies off without a loss of air???
Is it going to alarm with a catastrophic failure??? Chances are it won’t because the sensor will most likely be damaged at the same time…
The only trailer tire failures I have had didn’t blow out because I caught them in a visual inspections at gas stops and prior to the days travel… they were bulges in the side wall of the OE tires on my trailer that would have not been caught by using a TPMS…
Of coarse water temperature gage and the oil pressure gage don’t replace the need for checking water and oil levels either??? do they… nor is it their purpose… it’s a silly comparison if you ask me…
Or are you trying to tell me that is how you check your water or oil levels???
They don’t help in a catastrophic failure and a slow loss of air should be noticed at fuel and rest stops, even before a alarm sounds… which I guess leaves rapid loss that is somewhere between slow and catastrophic…
With my 22.5 tires, I normally have 100 lbs in both front tires. Last year, after the coach had set for five months, I was getting ready to go on a trip and was checking all tires for correct pressure with my hand held gauge. The left front was at 65 lbs, the right was at 98 lbs. I could NOT tell the difference between the two by looking at them which one was 35 lbs low.
I typically go 300 miles between fuel stops, a slow leak will render that tire in a very dangerous condition if I did not have a TPMS.
Your statement does not hold air...
Ron
Well you found your low pressure with a hand held tire gage…
I generally stop every 300+ miles also and have yet to have a problem with recognizing when or if I had a problem… I have found nails in tires long before a alarm would of sounded already…
I am not suggesting they shouldn’t be used but, they are exactly as I said they are, a good tool for tire management… what they are not is a replacement for good tire inspections…
The problem I have seen is many people I know that have them learn to ignore doing good and frequent inspections instead relying on their monitor system… that sir is a big mistake…
If you think that doesn’t hold air its ok with me, but then I think you can look forward to some unforeseen tire problems in you future even with TPMS…
I am sure there are a lot of people out there that are much better at checking their tire pressure than I am. Each morning before we head out I will do a walk around and do a visual check of the tires. I don't climb under the trailer to check the insides. I check the lights, make sure the jacks are up and the sewer line is not connected and I am down the road.
I think the monitor would be good for a slow leak if you pick something up between stops which could cause high heat and sudden failure.
Truckers check their tires professionally and I see a lot of skins all along the road...
2011 Work and Play 30WR. Added 2nd AC, four deep cycle batteries.
I have a TST system with the external sensors. The comment that they monitor the tire internal temperatures is incorrect. They report the temperature at the valve and it is typically 20 degrees lower than the tire. It is still useful, but you should keep this in mind.
A fence is a fence. It can be wire, plastic, electric, split rail, ect.
In the case of the TST system it is nothing more than the function of a tire gauge and an IR temp gun rolled into one that is wireless and does checks and reports every few seconds 24/7.
As Lynnmor points out the temp feature is relative. You want to know if the temp reading the expected reading or is it going high?
A TPMS is the only way I know to know the PSI of a tire after striking an object in the road or a MAJOR pot hole without stopping which I did once after hitting a piece of steel before getting the TST.
No one yet by law has to buy one for a MH or RV trailer as far as I know. No one can say they do not work because too many are in use each day.
They are just new technology doing the same old thing that has been done one way or another since Firestone started selling air filled tires.
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