Wiring Repeater for TPMS

philbtv · 03-31-2021, 10:10 AM

2018 Cougar 279RKSWE FIFTH WHEEL - I need to hard wire the repeater for the TPMS system I bought. I have the 15A in line fuse cable. I need to know where to wire this in ahead of the battery cutoff switch in the front exterior compartment. The online video shows the repeater placement in the lower pass thru-just over the wall from the battery cutoff switch. Thoughts on a good ground location in the same vicinity? Should I just run it off the battery? Anyone done this little chore?
Thanks. Phil

mikec557 · 03-31-2021, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philbtv

2018 Cougar 279RKSWE FIFTH WHEEL - I need to hard wire the repeater for the TPMS system I bought. I have the 15A in line fuse cable. I need to know where to wire this in ahead of the battery cutoff switch in the front exterior compartment. The online video shows the repeater placement in the lower pass thru-just over the wall from the battery cutoff switch. Thoughts on a good ground location in the same vicinity? Should I just run it off the battery? Anyone done this little chore?
Thanks. Phil

Phil, I'll be the first to say that I sometimes over engineer my projects. That said, there's a lot in this picture you can ignore. But the idea for me was to install a DCV fuse block (by Blue Sea) wired directly to the battery, on it's own fuse. Then I had a source for such things as my TireTraker TPMS repeater. You can see it installed just to the right of the oval light on the wall. Maybe you could implement something like this idea.

PebbleCreek · 04-10-2021, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philbtv

2018 Cougar 279RKSWE FIFTH WHEEL - I need to hard wire the repeater for the TPMS system I bought. I have the 15A in line fuse cable. I need to know where to wire this in ahead of the battery cutoff switch in the front exterior compartment. The online video shows the repeater placement in the lower pass thru-just over the wall from the battery cutoff switch. Thoughts on a good ground location in the same vicinity? Should I just run it off the battery? Anyone done this little chore?
Thanks. Phil

We just connect the repeater to the battery on travel days and unhook it when parked. It is part of our checklist and works for us.

John&Genny · 04-10-2021, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PebbleCreek

We just connect the repeater to the battery on travel days and unhook it when parked. It is part of our checklist and works for us.

I think I would wire an inline switch to make that process a little easier. And the only time you really would need to do something like this is if you are boondocking trying to save every amp of battery life you can. If you are connected up to shore power, you can leave the repeater connected.

dronning · 04-10-2021, 10:00 PM

We drive with the running lights on all the time. I wired a relay to the repeater so when the running lights are on the repeater gets battery voltage and when I disconnect from the trailer the power turns off.

jxnbbl · 04-11-2021, 04:48 AM

I just configured and installed a TST system on my trailer. Following the directions, I just installed the repeater IN the battery box hard wiring it to the battery. When doing this I realized that it will be on all the time, unless I put some switch on it.

So the question - is there a downside to having the repeater active all the time?

**sourdough** · 04-11-2021, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jxnbbl

I just configured and installed a TST system on my trailer. Following the directions, I just installed the repeater IN the battery box hard wiring it to the battery. When doing this I realized that it will be on all the time, unless I put some switch on it.

So the question - is there a downside to having the repeater active all the time?

It depends on how you use your trailer. As was mentioned above, it will be drawing on the battery 24/7 plugged in or not so it will eventually drain the battery if not on shore power.

**chuckster57** · 04-11-2021, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

It depends on how you use your trailer. As was mentioned above, it will be drawing on the battery 24/7 plugged in or not so it will eventually drain the battery if not on shore power.

just like some Furrion rear cameras

**JRTJH** · 04-11-2021, 08:08 AM

IMHO, any time you've got electrical equipment powered on, you're "using up the smoke". As an example, an incandescent bulb has a 2500 hour burn time and an LED may have a 50,000 hour burn time, but they both will "eventually fail"....

It's the same with any electrical system. The average time to failure may be 1000 hours of operation or it may be 100,000 hours, but "when the smoke is gone" it'll stop working.

So, at least to me, the questions are:

1. Is it advantageous to have equipment powered on when not in use?
2. How much power does the equipment use when I don't need it turned on?
3. If it uses battery power, how will it add to depletion of the charge and a need to recharge?
4. By leaving it powered on, am I actually causing an additional expense when the equipment fails and I need to replace it?
5. Is there an increased risk by having the equipment turned on when not in use?

For me, I prefer to have all my equipment "powered down" when I'm not using it and even more important, I want it all "turned off" when I'm not there and won't be using it for a period of time. To me, there's a difference in leaving it on at a rest stop or maybe overnight and leaving it on during the week while the trailer is in storage....

As for installing a switch vs disconnecting the battery. I prefer not to connect/disconnect the battery terminals repeatedly. That's a great way to get a grain of sand or some moisture under the connection and set up the "perfect storm" for corrosion to start on the terminals. I try to prep them with battery terminal "goop" and connect at the beginning of the season. The less I "interrupt that "goop" the less chance of having corrosion problems on the battery terminals. So, a switch is my preferred means to turn equipment OFF to protect/preserve "the smoke".....

jxnbbl · 04-11-2021, 09:28 AM

Thanks for the responses. Although I'm not going to do it immediately, I think I will wire a waterproof switch into my battery compartment cover to toggle the thing off/on and put in some disconnect between the wiring on the cover and the repeater. The clearance between the sides and the battery are not enough so it would have to be the cover. The connector will allow me to remove the cover when I need to.

travelin texans · 04-11-2021, 12:51 PM

I had the TST507 TPMS on all 10 tires of my CC dually towing a 40' 5th wheel & no repeater was needed. Has TST changed their system in the past 8-10 years so that the repeater is now needed?

**sourdough** · 04-11-2021, 02:02 PM

Danny when I called them to get a new color monitor vs the old mono style they told me I would need the repeater. From what I gathered the new monitor with more glitz doesn't have the same reception as the older unit so now new monitor and new repeater...

Ragermack · 04-11-2021, 09:26 PM

I have the TST 507 co!or monitor in a 2017 28 RKS no repeater necessary. I'm reading the tires now with the monitor in the house charging.

Nickerbuddy · 04-15-2021, 07:31 AM

I just added this to my 5th. I previously added a 2nd battery cut off switch after figuring out the factory was not a true cut off. So I just installed the repeater across my 2nd battery cut off. So it is only powered when I have my battery connected for traveling. Ahh. Just now occurred to me - what about boon docking? well I can just pull the inline fuse while Boondocking to remove the drain for the repeater. Peace. Joe

Javi · 04-15-2021, 07:45 AM

I took the easy way and just attached it to the battery posts... If for some reason I need to turn it off, I'll just take it off the battery posts..

I see no reason to turn it off and on... there ain't no switch on the transmitters..

rlh1957 · 04-15-2021, 07:48 AM

What fuse rating do the specs say for the repeater power?
I wouldn't think it would require a 15A fuse.
Don’t go over what Amperage is recommended.

Richeyb · 04-15-2021, 07:51 AM

I mounted my TPMS relay system on the forward neck of the fifth wheel and wired into the fifth wheel’s light wiring. That way it will only draw or be on when we’re hooked up and TV lights are on. ��

xrated · 04-15-2021, 08:23 AM

Here is my install. Waterproof all plastic hobby box, waterproof switch to turn the unit on/off whenever you need to, and a 12VDC circuit ran over to the box, via the front generator compartment, into the front edge of the streetside propane compartment, then down to the box. Box entry for the cable is through a waterproof connector. The hobby box is bolted onto the front landing gear, using existing holes in the bracket, so no new holes had to be drilled into the landing gear framework or whatever it's called to mount the box

**sourdough** · 04-15-2021, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

I took the easy way and just attached it to the battery posts... If for some reason I need to turn it off, I'll just take it off the battery posts..

I see no reason to turn it off and on... there ain't no switch on the transmitters..

Same here except I just use alligator clips that attach to the pos/neg cables on the distribution blocks. When it goes into storage I unclip it....and if I don't it won't matter because it will be plugged in wherever it is.

Folkie · 04-15-2021, 06:51 PM

I also wired my booster to be powered when the camper lights are on. I wired it to the terminal block on the A-frame for the 7-pin connector so it only has power when the TV lights are on.

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