TIRE SENSOR...A DIFFERENT APPROACH

I have never had any way of sensing tire pressures other than the use of tire guages at the beginning of the day and the use of the infrared temperature meters used at rest areas.

I know from many years of screwing with checking tire pressures that most of my problems relate to the Schrader valves not seating properly after checking pressures and since switching to the "fill through cap" tire valve caps that problem has literally gone away. (http://automotive-hardware.com/1-pie...-cap-p-20.html)

Every time I would get the urge to do something about a tire pressure sensing system I couldn't get past the issue of using a sensor that become the valve cap. I considered the inner band type, but I two two different vehicles and so no matter what sensors I had I had another issue to deal with.

So I bought a system that uses a different approach to sensing tire problems. (http://www.tattle-trail.com/) I just completed my first trip with the system and here is my opinion for what it is worth.

There is no set up or programming. I cannot think of anything easier. I stuck the transmitter on the windshield of the toad and plugged it into the lighter socket. I plugged the receiver into the socket in the bus, and turned it on. When I got rolling I adjusted the sensistivity and from then on it was working.

It does not check or report tire pressures or temperatures and the only way to really know if it works is to have a report on its performance when something bad does happen, but from my 1100 miles of experience I have confidence if a tire has a blowout or a leak leading to a flat the device will sound an alert. I traveled over a wide variety of road surfaces and if it is adjusted correctly it sets off a chirp and lights a warning light if there is anything that causes an unusual vibration or a shock. We were on I-59 north of Birmingham and that road sucks. It is a constant thumpity-thump. I had to adjust is for that road, but all other roads an increased sensitivity would only produce an occasional chirp at expansion joints or bridge approaches.

When the road had a string of rough spots the device would chirp quietly, but as the rough section continued its chirping and warning light became very insistent. I believe I will know if it is a rough road caused chirping or a true warning to alert of a vibration caused by a failing tire or a blowout.

For me this is a better alternative to the tire pressure sensing systems. Is it better? No. If I lived in a perfect world I would rather know every tire pressure, but I am not willing to deal with the issues I would face having two tow vehicles, or giving up my double seal valve caps. I posted this in case anyone is not aware of this device and wants something completely portable that can be used to monitor any number of different tow vehicles, or even be used to monitor a boat or motorcycle trailer.

James,

I have added a new section. "Bad Roads..."

I have seen and talked to a couple of Suppliers of this product. Of course my concern was how temperate it might be on rough roads and the other question is signal strength. Some of the Pressure Monitors tout using a "relay device" to ensure strength of the signal from Toad to Head end of bus.

The device I have was the long range version. I mounted the transmitter as specified on the toad windshield.

On my bus the easiest place to mount the receiver is on the driver side fixed window just aft of the windshield post. (Velcro, supplied with the device) I had no problems with signal strength.

As to bumpy roads and various road surfaces I had serious concerns about that. I set the sensitivity to the highest level possible so I would get a faster tire problem alert. There were road conditions encountered that caused me to have to reduce the sensitivity but they were a very small percentage of the total distance. I was afraid changes in the surface texture from smooth to more coarse would be an issue as well as every expansion joint. In actuality a little playing with the sensitivity knob was all it took to find a setting that resulted in a mild chirp at the expansion joints that made a thump. When I would hit a stretch where the resurfacing had broken away from the original surface and the bus and the toad bumped over those stretches I would get an initial chirp, and then as the surface continued broken up the chirping became more insistent as if it was saying I really needed to pay attention. As soon as the road smoothed out the chirping stopped so it does show a proclivity to ignore the little bumps, the changes in road surface condition, but not a continued variation from what the sensitivity adjustment setting decides is acceptable or normal.

As I drove I found the very quiet chirp that accompanied bumps became normal, it was not intrusive, and it was comforting to know the device was sensing vibrations in the toad. They must have some algorithems in the "brain" to alert on some bumps but to ignore what is normal.

Jon,

Have you had a chance to test it during heavy rains or snow? Just wondering what effects those situations might have on the system.

I have already made a commitment to a supplier for this set up. I looked at it as a remote alarm system for the camper shell of my toad as well.

Tuga, No on the snow or rain. I cannot envision them having any affect.

I forgot to mention what Ed just brought up. The device can also function as a car alarm for the toad. Set the receiver up as an alarm and if anyone tampers with the toad, such as in a truck stop when parking overnight it will alert you. I did not use it for that purpose but it does have that feature. Given enough power cord and it could be set on the rear glass of a pick up bed cap and if anyone opens the cap, no matter how quiet or smoothly done it will alarm because the transmitter finds which way is the proper orientation when it is set on the mounting surface and any deviation sets it off.