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Old 05-14-2015, 09:08 AM   #1
Javi
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A question on TPMS

Let me start by saying I never had any until I bought a pickup with them OEM... The new Dually ain't got any and I ain't missed them none.. I grew up checking my tires and hubs every time I stop by walking around the truck and/or trailer and putting a hand on them.. Just how I was raised..

But I see a bunch of y'all that seem to believe in them...


My question is this... Have any of y'all actually had the TPMS system save a blowout while you are driving? Or are they more of a convenience and peace of mind....
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Old 05-14-2015, 09:14 AM   #2
C130
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Not really answering your question but I just bought the Tireminder system for my 5th wheel and did it for peace of mind more than anything. Figured it might prevent damage to the toy hauler if I had a flat and didn't initially realize it and would give a notification of a blowout which might prevent damage or at least any further damage. I'm going to see how I like it then probably add it to my dually. We will be traveling a lot in June and I wanted it before the long trip.
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Old 05-14-2015, 09:47 AM   #3
bsmith0404
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Javi,

To be perfectly honest, they are more of a convenience at this point. I have them on the RV and the dually (rear). I still check the tires at each stop, habit, but it's nice to know/be able to watch what is happening with the pressure as I travel. It's not only the pressure, but the temps that you can monitor. I haven't had a blow out or a slow leak yet. If I ever do, I hope the sensors will give me some warning/knowledge of it before a tire comes apart and tears up the side of my 5er. Most of what I have read about tire failures is that most have an increase in temps before a failure occurs. Maybe by being able to watch the temps, I can get slowed down or stopped before it happens.
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Old 05-14-2015, 10:49 AM   #4
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I think if you have a slow leak it would save you from a flat, but I don't think anything is saving you from a blowout. In my opinion a blowout is fast acting thing, so tpms isn't going to help with that. But if your losing a small amount of air, it could give you time to stop, put on a spare and get the tire repaired if possible.

Now if the unit reads temps as described, that could be helpful. Typically you can get a "feel" for the heat of the tire because as it warms up, its PSI will increase slightly. For instance, in my truck, if I start at 40 psi and drive to work, it will likely be 42 psi when i get there. If I got there and it said 50 psi on one tire or even 32 psi on one tire, that would be out of the "norm" for what I have seen. Indicative of a possible issue.

That said, I'm not sure what you do if it "looks and feels" fine. Keep going? Change it? lower or increase the pressure?

I do know that last year when I pulled into the campground in nashville, I happened to check them on the truck. Noticed one low, driver rear. Checked it and it had a screw in it...started to back out the screw and air was coming out. Next day I went and had it repaired.

Had the screw came out, it might not have been a "blowout" but the air would have been out quickly. This probably would not have gone well if hitched and towing at 60 mph.
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Old 05-14-2015, 11:36 AM   #5
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The bad part about "blowouts" is that it's a rapid loss of air on a unit with more than one foot on the ground. You may notice it, you may not until the tire starts to come apart. The monitors have an alarm that goes off when there is rapid air pressure loss. For a slow leak, they also have an alarm, but you set the parameter for what pressure you want the alarm to go. I have mine set for 65 psi. I also have a high side pressure set for 98 psi. The highest I have ever seen my tires get during hot weather is 94. They say up to 20% is normal increase from cold to hot. That would be 96, so if mine get up to 98, there MAY be an issue. The thing I like about the alarm is that I don't have to watch the gauge all the time. Still give it a glance from time to time to see how everything looks, but if something happens when I'm not watching it'll let me know.
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Old 05-15-2015, 06:00 AM   #6
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One of the main reasons I bought them for the trailer is to hopefully prevent damage to the 5th wheel if I did have a blowout. While I constantly scan the trailer in my mirrors I'm not so sure I'd notice a blowout immediately and have seen how much damage it can do to a trailer. Of course I guess it depends on where you are and how fast you could pull over also. Plus, if it is losing pressure or overheating I'd notice it which might prevent a blowout. Just seemed like cheap insurance, not exactly cheap I guess, but could be much cheaper than trailer damage. While I know any tire could have a blowout I think if the tires are decent, relatively new, not dry rotted, the likelihood of a blowout is pretty small unless it's low on pressure. The low pressure could cause it to overheat therefore leading to a blowout so the TPMS should notify you of the low pressure. So, after saying all of that and know you all already know this, the TPMS will make me feel better and I think that's the real reason I got it.
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Old 05-15-2015, 10:08 AM   #7
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Convenience and peace of mind.

Knock on wood, in the (almost) 3 years I've been pulling this trailer, I've not had a leak (or blow out) to test it on! I got use to the OEM TPMS on my past 1500, the 2013 3500HD doesn't have them. I will add sensors. If Chevy doesn't have a way to display the pressures as it did on my last truck, I will pick up four in-wheel sensors from TST for display on the same screen as with the trailer.
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Old 05-15-2015, 02:45 PM   #8
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heck, may as well go with all 6.
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Old 05-16-2015, 01:44 AM   #9
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Do you need to have a metal vave stem for the TPMS ?

It seems like there is a lot of centrifugal weight added by the sensors.

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Old 05-16-2015, 04:18 AM   #10
TomHaycraft
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rjsurfer View Post
Do you need to have a metal vave stem for the TPMS ?

It seems like there is a lot of centrifugal weight added by the sensors.

Ron W.
Highly recommended. You might get away with the rubber valve stems for a bit, but failures have been reported.

I've done enough business with a local Discount Tire Company store, when I went in to have the metal valve stems, they refused to let me pay for them.
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Old 05-16-2015, 05:34 AM   #11
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You will have two issues with rubber stems, 1) the stems will eventually cut and start to leak, 2) the stem will lay over and the sensor will rub on the rim. The damage is only cosmetic, but leaves a very unsightly wear mark in the metal or paint.
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Old 05-16-2015, 08:59 AM   #12
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Thanks folks, that's what I was thinking.. mostly convenience and peace of mind.
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