Experience With Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems?

[Ray'n Mary]

Anyone have experience with wireless tire pressure monitoring systems? Perform as advertised? Life expectancy?

[jobrien]

Ray;

My only experience has been with SmarTire. http://smartire.com/

I had it installed in my 2001 Jeep that I was towing. I had the display on the motorhome dash and could monitor the Jeep tire pressure and temperature. An antenna was needed to transmit the signal from the Jeep to the front of the MH. Easy enough to do.

I had an additional display installed in the jeep, so I could also use it while just driving the Jeep. It worked great, and I had it for about 6 years. I had to replace 1 sensor during that time.

Installation requires removing the tires and mounting the sensor to the middle of the rim using a large "hose clamp". Each sensor has to be "activated" so the display knows which wheel it is associated with. And if you rotate the tires, the display had to be reprogrammed. Not a big deal to do.

At the time I bought mine, the high pressure models were not available for RV's. They have been out now for several years, and from what I read, SmarTire is still the best. More expensive than others, and requires installation in each tire, so that is another expense. But once installed, it constantly checks pressure and temperature, and using the dash mounted display, you can get an actual reading on each tire.. The sensors are protected from the weather, road hazards and theft since they are mounted inside the tire.

I can honestly say that the system alerted me to a low pressure condition at least 4 times that I can remember. It was always a nail in the tire, and one bad valve stem.

That's just my experience.

John

[Mel Wilbur]

We have the Tire Sentry system on both the coach and tow car and have had no problems with it or the manufacturer. One of the features I like is that the batteries in the senders are standard watch type and can be easily changed by the owner. I have the original system www.tiresentry.com but there is a new version that simply plugs into a power point. Some info on this can be found in the Vendor section.

[Ray'n Mary]

Thanks Mal, thanks John.

Have you guys debated your respective systems--Tire Sentry vs. Smart Tire?

'Have also found there's a "Pressure Pro" and a "BartecUSA." Heard any good or bad about those?

Geez, nuthin's simple!

[golferdhm]

I have Pressure Pro for both my RV and my Jeep and find that they work fine, but batteries in the tire transmitters cannot be replaced. You have to buy new transmitters at $50 a piece when they go. I did not have to add any special antennas on the coach or the jeep.

[karls]

We've had the Pressure Pro monitoring system for three years and it has given us a warning on two potential blowouts of the rear duals. We wouldn't be without this or some system like it.

We saved a little money by not using them on the front tires, figuring you can see/feel problems there. Not so with rear duals or trailer tires, so the six monitors go there.

In the case of the leaks the system detected, they were both due to failed rubber valve stems. Since switching to metal stems there have been no problems.

An occasional nuisance warning can occur when you park over night in a colder climate. This can bring the pressure down to below the low limit you set. It is interesting to see how much the pressure can vary with normal driving. The increase due to heating of the tires can approach 15psi.

Karl Striedieck
1998 24RB

[whemme]

I also have had a Pressure Pro monitoring system now for about 4 years and had to replace only one of the sensors which the factory did for free even though the system was out of warranty.

I monitor all 6 tires on my Born Free and also the 4 tires on the 2005 Malibu toad. The system has warned me twice of dropping tire pressure since I installed the system. First time was when a small bolt had punctured one of the rear tires on the Malibu and again just this Oct when we were out to the Oak Hurst, CA rally when the system caught a slow leak on the inside left rear dual. That problem was due to rubber valve stem going bad. I am sure that without this system, both of those tires would have been destroyed before I would have detected the problem by normal observation.

So far I have not had to replace a sensor because the internal battery has gone dead even though 4 years have passed. If you remove the sensors from the tires when not in use, this extends the battery life a whole bunch. Like Don Miller said above, new replacement sensors are $50 but according to the factory, if you return a sensor with a dead battery, they will replace the battery for only $25.

I really like this system because it is very easy to install and use. One of our own club members, Robert Davis, is a distributor for this product and a link to his website is: http://www.tpmsmarketing.com/

See his other information under the title Club Member Vendors below.

[dsfriday]

I bought the Tire Sentry system for my 08 BFT C/O, can't say that I've had any trouble but don't necessarily trust it. When I installed the Tire Sentry, to make everything simple, set all the monitors for 65 PSI. First time out (4 weeks) never once checked individual tire pressures ( among other things, I'm getting lazy in old age). After the 4th week, started to get suspicious, after all when doesn't any tire lose pressure over time, so pulled out the hand gauge and began the job I really hate, checking the 6 tires and sure enough PSI was running around 62. After all, I bought the system to tell me while in route, if I was loosing PSI and about to ruin a tire, so with that limited loss wasn't overly concerned. Called the company, the girl explained there is a range of loss that can occur before the warning light comes on. A company rep. was going to call and explain but never did. Anybody know what that range is?

[Mel Wilbur]

As we have the Tire Sentry system I had done some research and discovered the following. Tire Sentry has a 10% range for triggering an alarm. Some manufacturers us a 15-20% range while the government allows the auto manufacturers a 25% decrease in pressure to trigger an alarm.

As for setting monitors, if they are preset by Tire Sentry they will be accurate but if set or changed by the owners they could be off by a pound or two as the dial is linear and small.

From my own expierence I can tell you that the outside temperature plays a major rule on the tires PSI. When heading to Florida after Christmas and taking the coach from a garage (about 45 degrees) and parking in my driveway overnight with temps down to 15-30 most of the tires show the alarm. However within 1 or 2 miles all alarms are off due to the increase in temperatures. Speaking of temperatures I understand that in hot weather 170-180 degrees is considered OK by tire manufacturers.

We completed an 8,000 mile trip in August and I was comfortable not checking tire pressures at any time. This may not work for everyone but it does work for me.

[whemme]

Mel is right about the tire pressures increasing significantly after being on the road 10 or more miles and also when the outside air temperature increases.

My experience with my Pressure Pro system is that when I inflate, for example, my rear duals to 75 psi with the tires not having been run on, then when driven at least 10 miles or more at highway speeds, the tire pressure readout will increase to 85 psi, a 10 psi increase but that is OK and the tire manufacturers expect that when they publish their cold inflation pressure vs weight charts.

Then when I travel from cold Iowa to warm Phoenix, I will see at least another 5 psi increase to a total running pressure of 90 psi. When I arrive in Phoenix and let the tires set for several hours to cool down and stabilize, I will deflate the tires to get back to a 75 psi cold inflation pressure when running in this warmer climate location.

I know nobody worries about this in a car, but the tires on our motorhomes are not as immune to problems caused by either over or under inflation.

[TLBlanchard]

I vote for the Pressure Pro, I have one used for 3 years on my Safari and now getting ready to install on my BF.
I check my pressure from the drivers seat every morning and every week or so while on the road with the standard gauge.
You can watch the pressure rise with heat and it gives you a secure feeling knowing you will get a alarm if something goes wrong.
Just a warning though, don't use with rubber valve stems, they will eventually fail due to the sensors weight.
Tom Blanchard

[Ruby2]

I have the Pressure Pro for all 6 wheels and it works like a charm. I feel much safer knowing what the reading is at each wheel when I press the button to check them. Much better than wondering and hoping...Cost is relative to peace of mind.

I have used them on my prior "B" and now on my BF. Very Happy.

[binsjohn]

I just finished the installation of a Pressure Pro on our BF. It was extremely easy to install and works flawlessly. Worth every penny for the peace of mind.

One minor problem during installation. The valve extenders that came from BF on the two inside duallies have a tip that is a bit too short to be depressed far enough by the mating tip in the Pressure Pro senders. Doug of Pressure Pro and Kim of BF were both very helpful in diagnosing the problem. Kim sent me two new extenders, which had tips that were slightly longer (by 0.020") and I was in business in just a few minutes.

Two great companies.

John

[hrgermany]

I use the old fashion monitoring system: I bought 4 tire valve caps made by Tire MInder in Canada.At the correct tire pressure it will show a green
color.If the pressure drops a yellow or red indicator will show up.Very easy to check.

front tire indicator 65 pounds indicator cap
rear tire indicator 80 pounds indicator cap
rear airbags 50 pounds indicator cap

They can be bought directly from Tire Minder 1-800 563-6679

Hans Rueckert
1995 BF 26 RSB

[bcope01]

... 4 tire valve caps...

front tire indicator 65 pounds indicator cap
rear tire indicator 80 pounds indicator cap
rear airbags 50 pounds indicator cap

Hans, don't you mean 8 valve caps?