Derek Uzzell Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 My decade-old and cheap-to-begin-with 12V tyre-pump has provided me with excellent service, but its days are plainly now numbered. Although it still deals adequately with our car's 30psi tyres, it struggles painfully when confronted with the Hobby's twice that pressure. The replacement pump will need to be reasonably compact and, as I shall be powering it from the Hobby's dashboard 'cigarette lighter' socket, draw less than 20A. I'm not particularly interested in 'gizmos' (lights, cut-off valves, etc.) Neither am I much concerned about power-cable length or pressure-gauge fine accuracy. I just want a good quality, no nonsense pump that will EASILY and reliably handle inflation pressures up to 100psi. At present I'm leaning towards the Ring Rac700 pump. I've read Auto-Express and Which? comparison reports on tyre-pumps, but I'd be grateful for any recommendations based on PERSONAL experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Derek Have a look at the website of " International Tool Company" (based in Leicestershire). Their tyre pump/compressor model ITC12-132 is designed for 'Rvs and trucks' I had a similar model from them some 5 or 6 years ago which I've been quite satisfied with. I've only used it up to 65 lbs pressure but as the above model is designed for 'rvs and trucks' it should handle 100 lbs o.k. Not cheap though at approx £35. (I also had a very good tyre pressure gauge from them). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dikyenfo Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I replaced mine with the combination battery pack/power supply/compressor/torch and the quality is v. good. More use around the camp as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I use a "michelin" model from Halfords, it is the larger circular one. It worked well with my 4x4, has a reliable readout as well. cost was approx £40 but i think thet are cheaper now........Just used it for the kids bike's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonaldson Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Yeh Derek, Iv'e been looking into 12v pumps as well and like you came up with the RAC700. Why, because it looks like a mini 240v garage compressor and not in a plastic box covered with lights, gauges, etc. But if money was no object I would go for the RAC900, its bigger brother. One must realise that pumping up tyres is not these pumps only use as it could be used to drive a pnuematic/hammer gun to remove the wheel nuts, via a small reservoir/cylinder of course. Other uses like paint spraying, blowing up footballs and air beds. Bet you could think of other uses. Air drills, sanders, woow stop!! Size, output, etc., has got to be mentioned here. Well your not going to be likely to do the above with £9.95 units so we have to think of spendin a minimum of £30. RAC700 unit comes in at £32.95 whereas the RAC900 about £75. The RAC800 Iv'e ruled out as it's in a round plastic case but might suit some people, Retails around £49.99(best price). As too tested/approved units, Whatcar magazine (per the fab internet. Type in Ring RAC600 and pick Whatcar), gave the RAC600 the best overal score for around £30 units. But not my choice as its in a plastic case with lights etc. Might be something to say about Ring compressors here. Interesting topic Derek. Gordon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 Thanks for the feedback - I shall probably settle for the Ring Rac-700. Much as I like the idea of the Rac-900's fast inflating capability, I don't require the add-ons that come with it and (most importantly) its high current-drain means it could not be powered directly from my motorhome's dashboard 12V socket. I neither need, nor want, a cordless pump, so that rules out the Rac-800 model. I have looked at Michelin pumps in Halfords and I think they all had a 50psi limit. Not sure about the ITC pump as I've seen a worryingly cheap, visually identical model being advertised elsewhere. Trouble with all the magazine tests is that they have involved car tyres and pressures way down on those needed for big motorhome tyres. Although some pumps claim to be able to inflate up to 300psi, it's anybody's guess how long it takes them to reach that figure. My current pump supposedly will inflate to 250psi, but it's always begun to run out of puff (literally) around the 60psi mark when a motorhome tyre is at the end of its air-hose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonaldson Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Nice thread Derek. Gives a result/feed back of what you buy and if it comes up to your expectations. I and others may follow suit. Gordon.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron. Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I have the ITC12-132 mentioned by Malc-d above and can confirm that it handles 80+ with ease. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Only a thought, mind, but Ring also make a 230V portable compressor (not the re-chargeable one), which I thought looked quite neat. It has higher pressure capacity and flow than the 700 model, so may be better suited to motorhome tyres with their larger volumes and pressures. The other obvious advantage is that there is no draw at all on the van battery, because it plugs into the mains. So, now you need mains to check your tyre pressures. Well OK, but since modern tyres seem to hold their pressures remarkably well, and since most of us must from time to time pass a night with mains available, might this not be at least as good an option? As I say, only a thought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike H Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Derek. I have the Ring RAC 700. It pumped my tyres up from 55 to 70 psi reasonably quickly,when I rotated front to back. The only problem I have is getting the wire and plug back into the recess, could do with a bigger opening. The gauge is fairly accurate as well, reading a couple of pounds under my separate digital gauge. Not sure which one right, so I go with the higher reading. Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 I have now obtained a Ring Rac-700 tyre pump, purchased for £33.49 through http://www.skidrive.co.uk (Ordered on-line on Tuesday morning: arrived Wednesday morning.) It seems to work well, dealing quite quietly and rapidly with inflation-pressures around the 60psi mark where my other pump staggered woefully. Its plastic 2-part carrying-handle looked like it wouldn't stay clipped securely together (a token attempt at internal gluing proved to have been made), so I've re-stuck it so that it will never come apart again. The Rac-700 is stated as being capable of inflating to 140psi, but the pressure-gauge's scale reads to twice that. The instruction leaflet warns that the gauge is for guidance only and, at 60psi true, the gauge on my pump over-reads by some 10psi. It's not something that worries me much, but you could get caught out badly if you chose to rely on it. My Rac-700 pump seems to differ design-wise from Mike H's as it has no integrated cable storage. It comes with a handy storage bag that could usefully be a tad bigger, but - with a bit of careful cable coiling - I still managed to cram in the pump plus my (essential for motorhome usage) home-made extension cable. Having confirmed that the new pump functioned OK, I pulled the old one apart to see if I could easily cure its jammed-on ON/OFF switch (Answer- No). I was surprised how much empty space there was inside the old pump's plastic 'shell' and how small and weedy its electric motor/compressor was compared to the Rac-700's. It's no wonder the beggar used to get out of breath! I then consigned the old pump to a top-shelf spot in my garage until now occupied by an even older 12V tyre pump. This was my first electric pump - probably bought in the 1970s. It was fine until 1998 when it proved unable to cope with our first motorhome's tyres and it's been languishing in the garage ever since. It's branded "Harry Moss", was manufactured in Taiwan, allegedly could inflate to 165psi and is very nicely constructed. The plastic casing is held together by sliding pieces of extruded aluminium rather than nasty screws, so you can disassemble it (literally) in moments. I couldn't remember if it was still in working order when it was 'archived' but, even if it had been then, 10 years of inactivity seemed to have killed it off. Ironically, when I connected the venerable old pump to a tyre, the 200psi-scale gauge turned out to be pretty accurate. Having realised that, when used with the pump's air-hose and its compressor's cylinder-head, the gauge just possibly might be useful some day as it can be attached to a tyre-valve very easily, this combination of bits has gone back on to the garage shelf where - as I've got three other pressure gauges - it will almost certainly gather dust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike H Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Derek. Sorry, just checked out the website you posted, and mine is the 600 not 700. Mike H. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 Having a bit of a job finding the specs for the 700 but did find an instruction sheet. What puzzles me is the notes that say the compressor should NOT be used on high pressure tyres such as those used on commercial vehicles ? Whats their definition of "high pressure"? I would consider my own 80 psi to be high (!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 Geoff I've assumed that the "commercial vehicle" caveat you mention refers to truck/bus tyres. I don't know what sort of inflation-pressures are the norm for such vehicles, but the tyre-valves employed on their wheels are invariably of the 'clamp in' type and these are good for at least 200psi. (You could probably get a ball-park inflation-pressure figure by examining the tyre-wall marking on a few trucks' tyres, though I'm sure a specialist commercial tyre supplier could provide an off-the-cuff answer.) I believe the caveat is much more likely to be due to the large internal volume of a truck/bus tyre rather than to its high pressure inflation requirement alone. The Ring Rac-700 has a stated design-capability of inflating to 140psi, but the speed it does this will depend directly on a tyre's volume. The larger the tyre and the higher the inflation-pressure the longer and harder the pump will have to work. Although the Rac-700 can rapidly put (say) five extra psi into one of my Golf's tyres that run at 30psi, it takes much longer to do the same with my motorhome's much larger tyres that run at 65psi. And, when it's pumping up the motorhome's tyres, the pump gets noticeably warm. To put an extra 5psi into a big high-pressure truck tyre would take significantly longer than with my motorhome and the pump would get even hotter. I think this is just a 'common sense' thing. If a pump capable of inflating a car tyre from 0psi to 30psi is required, then the Rac-700 should be able to do this very well. For 0psi to 80psi with an average size motorhome tyre, it should also be able to achieve this (though you'd need to watch the heat build-up carefully and it might be wise to 'rest' the pump regularly during the inflation process), but it will be perfectly happy 'topping up' the pressure of such tyres. But, for truck/bus tyres (or 'professional' usage), the Rac-700 will be unsuitable. I wanted a pump for occasionally 'topping up' my motorhome's tyres reasonably quickly that I could power from the motorhome's 20A dashboard socket. The Ring Rac-700 fulfills these requirements - on paper and in practice - and seems well enough made for the price. If I had wanted something with a more capable specification then I wouldn't have chosen it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevef Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Hi; WARNING For whats its worth never buy a 12v air pump from Maplin, they continue to be very unreliable, Ive had 3 in under a year(under warranty). They are quoted as being able to go up to 100 PSI, way before that even up to 60PSI they fail and start to melt the cigar lighter adaptor and damage the 12V cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadows Engine Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Hi Derek, first of all thanks for all your work on the murvi/ camper assist muddle I have a little bit further to go on it yet fingers crossed Now to pumps I have today bought a Ring RAC 700 which looks the job except that I can not connect it to the tyre, the end connection has a threaded bore and so is too small to go over the valve and its layout/constuction prevents it being screwed on , as in the RAC600 Is yours the same, am I missing something, do I have to get a different inflation hose or should I just drill it out to make it fit. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 Meadows Engine - 2009-04-16 7:16 PM Now to pumps I have today bought a Ring RAC 700 which looks the job except that I can not connect it to the tyre, the end connection has a threaded bore and so is too small to go over the valve and its layout/constuction prevents it being screwed on , as in the RAC600 Is yours the same, am I missing something, do I have to get a different inflation hose or should I just drill it out to make it fit. john John I'm sure that the connector of your RAC-700 is the same as mine. When I commented on the pump I forgot to mention that I had experienced a little difficulty connecting it to the tyre valve initially. (Personally, I would have preferred a 'screw on' design of connector, but all three of my pumps (including the RAC-700) have had the 'push-on/over-centre lever' type that is quicker to attach/detach.) The 'rubber sleeve' in a RAC-700's connector is internally ribbed (not 'threaded' as such) and, even before the over-centre lever is moved from its vertical to horizontal position, the sleeve is a tight and grippy fit on the valve's stem. You'll need to bite the bullet and push the connector hard against the end of the valve's stem to get the 'sleeve' to slide down the stem. You'll also need to push the connector as far down the stem as it will go before moving the over-centre lever that tightens the 'sleeve' and opens the valve. And a good forceful tug will be required to pull the connector free of the valve. The tyre-valves on my Hobby are rigid clamp-in ones, so there's no difficulty pushing the connector hard against them, but I expect it's OK even with more flexible 'rubber' valves. Once you've had the connector on and off the valves a few times I think you'll find connection becomes easier. You definitely should not try opening up the sleeve's bore with a drill, but I guess you could try putting a smear of rubber-safe lubricant on the valve-stem before attaching the connector for the first time. However, a brute-force shove should suffice and, although the connector seems unduly tight compared to my other two pumps, at least it shouldn't fly off under pressure and would undoubtedly free up if one used the pump a lot when the connector-sleeve's internal ribbing would begin to wear smoother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadows Engine Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Thanks again Derek, I didn't realise that the bore was sleved. I think I'll use the spare wheel off one of my Friskys to practise with first which will hopefully free it up a bit. On the other matter I was down at Murvi this morning and had a word with Rex and gave him a print out of the thread to "study" salong with a copy of a fiat CA booklet clearly stating ANY fiat based vechile Will it help ....perhaps! john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianR Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Derek Uzzell - 2009-04-15 8:47 AM I wanted a pump for occasionally 'topping up' my motorhome's tyres reasonably quickly that I could power from the motorhome's 20A dashboard socket. Hi, Derek, My 12V dashboard socket is fused at 10amps. Would it take the RAC700 pump? The website doesn't give the current rating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonaldson Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Ah interesting thread this that has one answer, where to plug in the Compressor ? Compressor with Cigar lighter plug, plugs in dash, simple but will it take the the amps and its sooo awkward with that cable going out the door. Compressor with Crocodile Clips, these go on the battery posts?? Got to open the bonnet here, its a pain aint it and try and attach clamps so they don't fall off. Come to think of it, there's quite a few 12v gismo's that could do with a power supply on the exterior of the motorhome. Think of some for youself? Yes no hints. The answer here must be a socket attached to side of motorhome, or underside so doesn't spoil bodywork. Howabout in radiator grill. Or on bracket just inside one of the access doors. It may have to be weather proof. 13 amp house sockets/plugs. Aaah, no. Just imagine someone trying to get 240v out of it. Trailor socket and plug. Possible.. Maplin? Anyone got a idea???? Bet someone out there is got an answer. Got one fitted, yes!!!! Tell us !!! Gordon.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonaldson Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Sorry it duplicated itself.. Scrubed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Gordon What's the problem with the cable going out of the door (or window ) ? :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Gordon, At work we use XLR plugs and sockets, have a look at Maplin. I think they are good for 20A but make sure the wire you use can handle this current and fuse it correctly. There is a whole range of trailing and panel mount plugs and sockets so something will suit your needs. The biggest advantage of them is that they 'lock' in and so cannot be pulled out by tugging on the wire. I would thoroughly recommend them. Keith. Edit. Maplin quotes current as 15A at 120Vac so I think they should handle 20A at 12Vdc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Out van has an extrenal 12v socket built in - designed to use with the supplied submersible pump for filling the fresh water tank from a jerry can. It is for a Euro plug rather than the usual "cigar lighter" plug but adapters are available. It could be used to provide power for a compressor on the offside of the vehicle but an extension would be needed to use the compressor on the nearside. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 BianR The Ring RAC-700 pump requires a 12V power-supply rated at 12A minimum. Gordon I'm sure it's possible to theorise uses for an external 12V power-outlet on a motorhome, but I've never felt a need for one. Should anyone feel inclined to add this facility to their motorhome, a waterproof 12V 16A socket is available from www.roadpro.co.uk RoadPro also markets a heavy-duty (up to 20A) extension lead that plugs into a dashboard cigar-lighter socket and is 3.6m (12') long. As the majority of 12V tyre-pumps are intended for inflating car tyres, their power cables will usually be too short to reach the average motorhome's rear wheels when the pump is plugged into a dashboard 12V outlet. Graham I'm wary that the external socket on your motorhome would be man enough to power a tyre pump safely. Most submerged water-pumps require well under 2A of 12V power and the most powerful one I'm aware of requires no more than 5A, which is less than half the requirement for the tyre pump I've just bought. As your motorhome's socket is not intended for powering accessories other than a water-pump, there's the risk that the cabling from battery to socket may be insufficiently robust to tolerate a tyre-pump's amperage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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