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I did see in another thread about TPMS for trailers, some users were having valve stem failures because the valves were not steel and the excess weight of the sensor on the stem was causing the rubber to fail.
One of the reasons I went with internal sensors. I didn't want somebody walking off with one of my sensors as a souvenir, I didn't want the sensor falling off for whatever reason and I didn't want a valve stem failure.
Internal sensors are a PITB on initial setup if you are putting TPMS on an existing trailer, but no big deal for a new trailer or if timed to coincide with tire replacement time.
You could also use the Tire Minder TPMS. We've had a lot of success with that product. Being able to program you're alerts is the way to go if you're traveling long distances too. Wouldn't tow without it. The security of knowing is worth it.
One of the reasons I went with internal sensors. I didn't want somebody walking off with one of my sensors as a souvenir, I didn't want the sensor falling off for whatever reason and I didn't want a valve stem failure.
Internal sensors are a PITB on initial setup if you are putting TPMS on an existing trailer, but no big deal for a new trailer or if timed to coincide with tire replacement time.
The Tire Minder sensors we offer on the Aerovaults have a lock so they can’t be removed. If a person has the Aerovault’s standard moon wheel covers the sensors are behind the covers and there’s no stress on the stem.
for those that have high end TPMS, if your cool trailer tire press is 80, what are you seeing after an hour or so on the highway? Where do you set the alarm? Also, how much does the temp change?
Been there. what was the build date on the tire? the one that blew out on me was 3 years old. I'm going to chuck them every 3 years regardless of tread left.
Been there. what was the build date on the tire? the one that blew out on me was 3 years old. I'm going to chuck them every 3 years regardless of tread left.
+3 years. Power King Towmax tires. Absolute POS tires. Lucky for me I was close to home and pumped the tandem tire up to max pressure and limped the last 10 miles. I checked the other 3 and was in horror at the separation lumps on the inside walls. Replaced all 4 and an inspection less than a year later showed 3 of the 4 had separation on the inside walls. Power King Towmax are dangerous and not even good for a dock boat bumper. I have Carlisle tires not. Twice as much $ but in the short run, well worth it.
They one year left as I will replace every 3 years, just not worth it.
This one was a Carlisle 10-ply that let loose in Atlanta on I-75 two weeks ago in rush hour traffic. I didn't even realize it. The open Featherlight trailer felt fine. People kept pulling up next to me and pointing at the trailer. It took me two miles to finally get to the side of the road and stop. The blown tire was the right rear. Looked like a road hazard puncture that slowly tore itself apart and eventually blew.
A monitoring system would have given me a heads up. I just bought an EEZ T515 system and will install it this weekend.
It's pretty clear that the driver can't see the right rear tire.
Looking at this with renewed interest. I run truck tires on the trailer. 4AM last Saturday I stop at a gas station less than 1 mile from the house to buy ice and I hear this hissing. It was the left rear trailer tire. Drove it back home and changed it there in the dark. If I hadn't noticed it, it would have gone flat in the middle of nowhere as it took a good 15-20 minutes to go down. Never felt it or heard it in the truck.
After the weekend, I pulled the blade of a pocket knife out of it. From how scraped up it was, it was lying in the road for some time.
for those that have high end TPMS, if your cool trailer tire press is 80, what are you seeing after an hour or so on the highway? Where do you set the alarm? Also, how much does the temp change?
Pressure wise, expect about a 2 psi increase for every 10 degrees of temperature. Under normal circumstances, after being on the road for a while and the tires are up to temp, I see a 40 to 55 degree
differential from ambient OAT depending on what speed I elect to cruise at that day (65 or 70 mph). I preset the high pressure alert to 150 and the high temperature alert to 175.
IMO, while pressure is important, temperature is the reading I hawkeye. While some trailer tire failures are caused by debris and other normal causes for punctures, etc, most are caused by excess heat.
Misallignment, brakes dragging, bad bearings, excess speed, over loaded, you name it. Heat damage to a trailer tire can occur as low as 200 degrees (probably lower on chinese made crap tires). This
damage is cumulative so every time you venture into the "bad temp" range, more damage is done until tire failure occurs.
Another thing I highly recommend to give your trailer tires a fighting chance is to only fill them with Nitrogen. In addition to the good things everyone already knows about being more stable, larger
molecules, etc., Nitrogen eliminates Oxygen from the equation and Oxygen when mixed with heat causes thermo-oxidation in rubber, one of the chemical degradation threats to a tire.
Like most others, I change my tires out every three years regardless, but monitoring the heat and pressure to keep them in the "safe" range will greatly reduce the number of surprises between those changes.
If those interested in TPMS for their trailers had not yet heard, the 2017 Ford Super Duty is available with TPMS for trailers being towed. This system is tied into the vehicle info system just like the TPMS for the truck tires. Check it out.
08-29-2016, 08:37 PM
