Tire monitor thoughts

March 06, 2011, 05:20:38 pm

I installed a Tire Safeguard monitor when they first came out. I hard wired it to the back of my lighter. The good part is that you can check the tire pressure before you start. The bad part is it's on all the time (depending on how you install it) and will eventually deplete your battery if wired as I did. If you just have it "on" when you're using the coach (either using a switch or lighter plug in then, if I recall correctly, you have to recalibrate it each time you put power to it after turning it off. I could be wrong about this on the current models. Of course the sender units are "on" all the time while attached to the valve stem which doesn't enhance the battery life. Also it's a bear to install the sender on the stem of your duals, especially the inside, - at least it was on mine unless you really enjoy crawling under the coach and maneuvering your hand with the sending unit between the tires - not to mention the potential for air leaks in a system that depends on a good seal of a rubber gasket on the threaded stem. I prefer the Smart Tire system with which I started although I can't say much for a company that produced a first generation product that worked OK and then made the second generation incompatible with it. neither system is completely reliable in terms of getting readings on all six tires. SmartTire with an under coach antenna is more reliable in this regard. Tire Safeguard has it's antenna on the dash unit which may or may not work for all tires although I'm sure an under coach antenna is available if you enjoy running wires.
I prefer Smart Tire and will upgrade the next time I replace all six tires. Hopefully, Bendix, which bought out the SmartTire technology will have a tire sender unit compatible with the 1st generation systems at that time or at least an exchange program that doesn't require you to purchase a whole new system from scratch.
I'm totally sold on these gadgets and mine has already paid for itself on two occasions.

Jim M

'02 Intrigue #11410 ISL 400.

Re: Tire monitor thoughts

Reply #1 – March 07, 2011, 08:24:24 am

Yahoo Message Number: 69073

Jim

I had to put on new longer valve stems for the inner dually because my wife said she wasn't going to put the pressure pro sensors on the inner duals anymore.

Dan 2006 Allure 31348

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