Who uses a TPMS and which one do you recommend?

[bfisher003]

We’ve been using the EEZTire system for over three years and it works great. As previously said, most of the systems are pretty similar and good. The important thing is to have and use one. Here is one example of ours most likely saving us from a blowout and maybe damage to a trailer. We had been up to Alaska and due to a broken spring hanger suffered on a frost heave we had worn one of the trailer tires badly, so we stopped in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory and got a complete new set of tires installed. After the installer had the tires back on the trailer and was done I put all the sensors back on and before heading out I let all of them cycle through on the monitor. When it got to the driver side rear tire the unit immediately alarmed out with a low pressure of 32 psi. Had we not had the system we would not have known we had a problem. Get one. Use it.

[CaptnJohn]

TST 507 for years!

[LewisB]

TST 507 with flow through sensors & metal valve stems.

Most important feature (to me)? Buy a system that does NOT have to have the tires rotating in order to check them. If your system requires rotation to work, then you have to check the tires manually before you leave, or leave and then learn that you have a low tire. So it turns out not all TPMS systems are created equal. The 507 allows you to simply turn on the monitor while you are getting ready to go - it will check your tires and alert you as required.

We actually had this happen on our last trip. Travelled and then camped (boon docking). While the trailer was sitting on the level-up hydraulic system, one of the tires went 50% flat - we figured it was something we picked up on the road into the campsite. The morning before we were getting ready to go, I turned on the 507 monitor and it alerted me to the low tire. The early alert gave me a chance to fix the issue at my convenience BEFORE I drove away. With a rotating system, I would not have known until I came down off the levelors and potentially even started to drive away.

So get a system that transmits even when stationary!

[goodellj]

I have a TST-510 system that I bought in 2012, on all 4 trailer tires and all 4 truck tires. It has served me well! One highway puncture, several slow leaks, and several 'inexplicable' losses of 1-2 pounds of pressure which turned out to be early symptoms of broken belts.

They don't make or sell the 510 system any more, but reconditioned 510 sensors are available from TST at a bargain price! I needed a few replacements and also got a few extra.

[McRod]

I had TST 507 pass through, but kept having issues.

I changed to Eezytire and that system works better for me. I use their TPMS with booster.

[blubuckaroo]

Not trying to hijack this thread, but there's another post on this same topic.
I was wondering if there might be a system available that uses an internal sensor like those on cars? Seems to me that would make a lot more sense.

[takpak]

WOW, I must be the only one out there that is using Pressure Pro. Bought it new in 2008. Original sensors were still working when I decided to replace them in 2017 when we got a new fiver. Still using the original display. Granted, it's a bit cumbersome, but Pressure Pro has been really good about customer service. Side note; they now offer a system that uses your cell phone, however, my display is still working good. So, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by blubuckaroo

Not trying to hijack this thread, but there's another post on this same topic.
I was wondering if there might be a system available that uses an internal sensor like those on cars? Seems to me that would make a lot more sense.

The vehicle-based systems have the advantage of being factory installed; and being able to report to the vehicle-based viewscreen; also, they are government mandated, so the factory can put them in all vehicles knowing you have no recourse but to pay for them.

The trailer-based systems aren't factory-installed because no law requires them, and trailer manufacturers tend to build as cheaply as possible (except for options, and Keystone doesn't do a great job of offering to-order options). Also, they will still require some sort of extra booster to reach the tow vehicle, as well as a separate display, because they can't depend on the truck display.

Here's a link to a Trailer Life article on available TPMSes. I was sort of surprised to find that interior rim-mounted sensors aren't even an current market option for trailers, at any price.

[MattHelm21]

Another for the TST 507 with six flow through sensors. No problems. Used since 2016.

[patyacht]

TireMinder A1A

[blubuckaroo]

Originally Posted by LHaven

The vehicle-based systems have the advantage of being factory installed; and being able to report to the vehicle-based viewscreen; also, they are government mandated, so the factory can put them in all vehicles knowing you have no recourse but to pay for them.

The trailer-based systems aren't factory-installed because no law requires them, and trailer manufacturers tend to build as cheaply as possible (except for options, and Keystone doesn't do a great job of offering to-order options). Also, they will still require some sort of extra booster to reach the tow vehicle, as well as a separate display, because they can't depend on the truck display.

Here's a link to a Trailer Life article on available TPMSes. I was sort of surprised to find that interior rim-mounted sensors aren't even an current market option for trailers, at any price.

But the units could be mounted inside the rims like the autos get. I'm just wondering if a cleaner system like that is available.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by blubuckaroo

But the units could be mounted inside the rims like the autos get. I'm just wondering if a cleaner system like that is available.

I think there's a compromise between battery size, battery power and the amount of power it takes to broadcast through the steel/aluminum wheels. So far, they haven't developed a system that's strong enough to broadcast a signal from t he wheel to the cab with the batteries currently available in the price range to keep the systems competitive with what's already on the market.

If you think back to the first TPMS in cars, they were a steel band and a "electronics package" close to the size of a hockey puck. Today's systems are much smaller, but the smaller they get, the less power they can package inside the unit. The more power they need, the bigger the battery, so there's a "fine line between small enough, powerful enough and long lasting enough.... As TPMS technology develops, no doubt we'll soon have tires with built in TPMS that won't need any external sensor, but we're not that "evolved" yet.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by blubuckaroo

But the units could be mounted inside the rims like the autos get. I'm just wondering if a cleaner system like that is available.

If you mean someone could invent something to mount the current units available for trailers inside the rims... I'm sure somebody could, but I'm not going to get my tires remounted every year just so I can change the batteries.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by LHaven

If you mean someone could invent something to mount the current units available for trailers inside the rims... I'm sure somebody could, but I'm not going to get my tires remounted every year just so I can change the batteries.

Automotive TPMS units average 5 years or better on the batteries. If you change out your trailer tires as they age out, you could just put in new batteries at that time. I just bought a TPMS scanner and my 2016 Kia shows batteries at or near full charge. So there is potential, but probably not going to happen for RVs.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Automotive TPMS units average 5 years or better on the batteries. If you change out your trailer tires as they age out, you could just put in new batteries at that time. I just bought a TPMS scanner and my 2016 Kia shows batteries at or near full charge. So there is potential, but probably not going to happen for RVs.

Yup, that's true for TMPS units designed for internal installation, but it's not true of the stem-mounted variety which, at this point, is all you can get for trailers (or at least Trailer Life doesn't know of any others). Trailer units have the additional burden of having to transmit a reading some 30' or more to a responder in the tow vehicle, and nobody to my knowledge has engineered an internal unit that addresses this problem.

[chuckster57]

Yeah, just thinking out loud. I’m not looking to invent anything at this point.

[CT Wanderer]

TST 507. Works great.

[blubuckaroo]

Originally Posted by LHaven

Yup, that's true for TMPS units designed for internal installation, but it's not true of the stem-mounted variety which, at this point, is all you can get for trailers (or at least Trailer Life doesn't know of any others). Trailer units have the additional burden of having to transmit a reading some 30' or more to a responder in the tow vehicle, and nobody to my knowledge has engineered an internal unit that addresses this problem.

Thanks. That's what I needed to know. I plan to buy a system, but don't want to buy one of these just to find out there are setups with internal senders available.

[HDroadglide]

I use the TST 507 with flow through caps. It work better than the Tire Minder.

[kenhigdon]

I also am using TST 507 on both truck and 5th wheel trailer. Have had no problem with monitors in the two years of use. Still using the original batteries. I've noticed that the monitor is updated about once every 5 minutes, so it is not a blow-out notifier, but is great for detecting slow leaks and other slow developing anomalies. And yes, I have had two blowouts, and a failed tire stem(not steel) probably caused by putting the tire monitor on the rubber stem of the spare as result of the first blowout.