In a regular car or truck with only four tires, it is pretty easy to know that you have a flat. With tires on your RV, a visual inspection can be deceiving. You can take a look at all of your tires during your motorhome walk around and not know there is a problem with your tire's air pressure. It is even easier to take off on your trip, not knowing that your tire has a slow leak and end up with a dangerous flat while underway.
Did you know that under-inflated tires are the number one way to ruin a tire? Your RV weighs a lot, and with low pressure in your tire, the side-walls on your tire become over-stressed, and they are not designed to withstand such flexing. This over-flexing can cause the tire to overheat and eventually cause a blow-out. Do you tow a car behind your motorhome? This is the most common reason a low tire is not noticed until complete failure occurs.
Installing a TPMS or Tire Pressure Monitoring System is an excellent choice if you plan to travel in an RV or motorhome. By choosing to have a TPMS sensing system in your vehicle, you are able to ensure that your RV has good tires, properly inflated, and you are as safe as possible when underway.
If you are shopping for a sound TPMS monitoring system, here is a list of things to look at before buying one:
Easy to Read Display
If the display has a large clear LED screen, you are more likely to be able to quickly read the screen, even when you are wearing sunglasses. LCD screens are much harder to read, especially when wearing polarized sunglasses.
Battery-Free
If the monitor requires batteries, you may want to consider an alternative item. It can be challenging to stay on top of all of your systems in a motorhome, and one more thing to tend to maybe the reason you end up with a low tire without knowing it. By choosing a unit with a hard-wired system means that you will never have to replace or monitor the battery charge in your display unit.
Sensors with Antenna
Ensuring your sensors themselves are battery-free, you know that your sensors are 100% sealed from foreign objects and water. Having sensors on each tire means mud, grime, guck, and hazards are everywhere nearby. If your sensors on each tire require batteries, you have to tend to them, check, and replace them regularly. If this is the case, each sensor will need to be taken apart. By choosing a sealed version with an antenna system, you know that the unit on your tire is sealed, which means it is watertight and more resistant to foreign objects getting into it.
Supporting Local
You are buying at least six sensors or more when shopping for a TPMS system to install. Where you spend your money, is who you choose to support. We encourage you to consider buying a product made in the USA.
If you are looking to install a TPMS system and would like recommendations, the team at Henderson's Line-Up in Grants Pass, Oregon, knows you love your RV. We want you to have a safe and enjoyable trip. We are here to consult, offer an RV inspection, or take care of any repairs for you. We invite you to book an appointment with us today, and remember, Jesus loves you!
P.S. If you would like to see the first chapter of Robert Henderson’s new book, Living Life One Mile At A Time, click here.