william1 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I am looking to fit a set of tyre pressure indicators to the MH. From info on the internet it seems that there are two types available - one that gives a visual on each wheel dust cap and another (Maplins) electronic type which gives a read out on a screen in the cab . Obviously there is a big difference in price. I seem to recall a set reviewed in the 3Ms about six months ago which was intermediately priced - Any comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Check the spec carefully most of the visual indicator ones are designed to work at 36 psi the Maplins electronic one has a max of 50 psi not much use for a Motorhome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 William1, Have a look at Tyrepal. They advertise specifically at the MH market and offer multi wheel variations suitable for Tag axles or those towing trailers. I haven't got one but have seen them advertised. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Why bother? Save the money, and just check the pressures yourself now and then at any garage forecourt when filling up with fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBR Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 BGD - 2013-02-13 4:38 PM Why bother? Save the money, and just check the pressures yourself now and then at any garage forecourt when filling up with fuel. I have been on Marjal eco site for 2 mths now-one morn the led on one of my Tyre ressure Monitors was flashing red-that meant I had lost about 2 lbs pressure ! It took me a couple of mins with my bike track pump to sort that out. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBR Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Have a look at this site http://www.tyrepressurealarm.com/ These really are good-work at any pressure-locked onto valve. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 My experience of the dust cap type was that they were rubbish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBR Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 gocro - 2013-02-13 8:10 PM My experience of the dust cap type was thatp they were rubbish. Yes-the cheap ones with the plastic ends that have to be bought to work for a stated pressure are. The ones I gave a link for in my previous post are brilliant !! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Regular checking of tyre pressures is good practice. Tyre pressure indicators of the type Mike has fitted are useful. However, what's going to put your motorhome upside-down in a ditch is tyre failure as a result of a tyre deflating while the vehicle is being driven. Just because your vehicle's tyres are known to be at a suitable pressure when you start your journey (you've carefully checked the pressures yourself, or your valve-cap LEDs aren't flashing) won't remove the possibilty that you'll pick up a puncture (or a tyre-valve fail) soon after. To combat this scenario you'll need a system that provides continuous monitoring of the pressure in each tyre while the vehicle is being driven and warns you if the pressure starts to drop. Don't think that, as you happily bowl down the motorhome at 70mph, you'll easily notice your tyre with a nail in it has dropped in pressure from 65psi to 35psi, because I can assure you (from personal experience) that you won't. Most retro-fit in-cab-warning systems involve a pressure-sensor in each valve-cap that communicates with a display in the cab. As has already been mentioned, before purchasing such a system care should be taken to confirm that it's suitable for motorhome tyre pressures. My Skoda car has a factory-fitted system that exploits the vehicle's ABS and warns if the size of a tyre reduces as a result of its inflation pressure dropping. It avoids having 'smart' valve caps and I've been told that it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike 202 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Derek, I have presumably the same system on my 2010 VW Polo, as your Skoda. I can confirm that it works, picked up a nail and the warning light came on. Needed a new tyre because of position of nail, still thats another story. I have got Puncture Safe (was PunctureSeal) injected, the same as the Royal Mail vehicles, keep an eye on pressures, and check for foreign objects. Although my Hankook tyres look perfect I will be changing tyres next year at 6 yrs old just to be on the safe side. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I agree with Derek Us last post. From personal experience on two occasions, the last being last year, I would totally recommend tyre pressure monitoring equipment from the cab as we now have fitted. http://www.tyresensors.com/product/107/Tyresure_Retro-Fit_TPMS_Kit_-_4_wheel_unit though if you were to want to fit the system without replacing the tyres then National Tyres offer them fully fitted https://www.national.co.uk/tyre-pressure-monitoring.aspx Those ones that you look at on the tyre valve are only good at the time you look at them. Without reitterating the whole chain of events on the last blow out we had. We left a site at Port Grimaud after first checking all tyre pressures, with a guage, they were correct and the tyres in good visual condition (this would have been the point I would have looked at the quite ridiculous valve cap thingies!!). After travelling aproximately fifty kilometres we had a blow out of the UK nearside rear tyre, offside in France, clearly caused by slow deflation until the tyre disintegrated. We must therefore have picked up a puncture shortly after leaving the campsite and the slow deflation went unnoticed until the blow out. Since then we have fitted a Tyresure tyre pressure and temperature monitoring system and can state quite catagorically that this is the definately the way to go. We have used this now for around nine months and can definately say it works well. We have had to adjust the tyre pressures due to changes in temperature as well as for other reasons. We have also had to adjust the system settings to account for the changes in pressure as you drive but this has only been a learning exercise not before realising just how much the pressure increases as you move, the system is very enlightening just for this. We went for this system, where the sensor is on the valve inside the tyre, in preference to the type that you screw on instead of the valve dust cap, as I am not convinced of any system that requires the tyre valve to be held of its seating to measure the pressure being, in my opinion an inherent weakness. Basil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 The natural increase in tyre pressure that occurs while a vehicle is mobile is allowed for when the tyre manufacturer makes a pressure recommendation. Tyre pressures should be set cold and not as a matter of rotine adjusted for temperature variation. Clearly a tyre pressure monitoring system that continiously monitors pressure and warns of any drop is a significant safety feature. However addition of temperature monitoring is to my mind bordering on information overload. I suspect it is offered for HGV operators where there is a wide variation in tyre loading as the payload changes and there are advantages in matching pressures to load in term of tyre life and grip. Systems have long been available that can adjust tyre pressures on the move (WW2 DUKW for instance). Incorporating monitoring as well would be fairly simple but unnecessary for motorcaravans that are always well loaded. Meanwhile I walk around at every stop and feel the tyre temperatures, keep my fingers crossed and St Christopher badge polished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
william1 Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Thanks for all the info - again it seems to come down to 'you only get what you pay for'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 In answer to Georges comments, the system reads the pressure and the temperature of the tyres on all the Tyresure systems (I believe the Tyrepal system as well), whether they are suitable only for cars, up to 38psi, or for heavier vehicles, in the case of ours 88psi, so I don't believe the HGV comment is relevant to this. Re reading my post I realise I was not clear on what I meant by changing the pressures according to temperature, I did not mean that I adjusted the pressure due to increases in temperature caused by moving the vehicle. What I meant was after having the system fitted we found that as the ambient temperature changed and therefore the pressure in the tyres reduced we were getting warnings that their was a pressure reduction and had to pump up the tyres only to find that once we got into the warmer parts of France we were getting an overpressure warning particularly when the sun was playing on one tyre, this being the benefit of having a real time readout. So the first point was that it really drove home the importance of checking your pressures before every journey as it is quite suprising, even though we were aware, the effect that the ambient temperature has, this is probably the biggest benefit as as soon as you turn on the ignition the system reads the sensors and you have a readout of each individual tyre pressure. We also had to adjust the warning parameters to account for this as when travelling in greater heat the pressure increase is more substantial than the system had been set by the installer to warn of so we were getting false warnings. After some time of use it became quite clear what the 'normal' increase was and we have set the system to warn should that be exceeded by more than one degree. Regarding temperature warning, as I had fitted a new set of Avon tyres at the time of installing the TPMS I contacted Avon and asked them what they would consider the appropriate psi for the axle weights and warning temperature would be. They advised of the appropriate pressures but also said the temperature warning was probably not relevant as the increase in temperature would set off the pressure warning long before a dangerous or damaging temperature was reached so the preset 80 degree C warning was fine to be left, so George is correct to say that it is probably a little supurfelous, but interesting to see in real time all the same! Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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