Hi!

The basic Pressure Pro system is a control unit, which runs about $250, and how ever many sensor/transmitter units you need for your circumstances.  You will need one sensor/transmitter unit for each tire you desire to monitor.  Each sensor/transmitter unit is about $50.  You may also need an additional antenna for the control unit if you have trouble receiveing all of the tire sensor/transmitter units signal.  So you can see that the cost will basically be different for your circumstances.   I have found that there is very little difference in the pricing from place to place, but I haven't looked at the folks Linda suggested above. 

The system is a good system.  It only draw back it that it monitors tire pressure only.  Tire temperature would be nice to know.  Tires will generate more heat due to 2 factors.  One is pressure the other is load.  If your tire is overloaded and heating up due to the overload condition the Pressure Pro system will not tell you. Still, in my opinion, the system is well worth the money for the peace of mind that it offers.

To follow up on aehoweth: I went with Smartire as it does both pressure and temperature. To me temp is as important as pressure as I can tell if a toad brake (or any brake for that matter) is hanging up in route as I'll see the temp rise.  I suspect you might also see trailer tire bearing failure as a temp spike as well. Hence, for me, the temp measurement feature of Smartire provides not only tire protection but vehicle protection in case of a brake issue. I can also detect tire sidewall failure do to excess heating as well.

Bigest cause of high tire temp is under inflation. If your tire is inflated properly it should not have excessive temp.
southwestjudy & Bob & 2blackdogs

Judy you are right. However, in the event a tire shows a temp increase and the pressure sensor says it is properly inflated then I know there is a bigger problem... That's why I like having both pressure and temperature readings.

Thanks again you all. I have freinds who have an Alfa Toyhouse and haul two Harleys. on their last trip two tires blew out  due to over heating, they think. I sent this page to them. Perhaps they will become dream readers! 

Let me add one thing about tire heating issue.  Any tire pressure sensor is only going to alram when the pressure in the tire drops below a predetermined level from the initial set pressure.  If the initial set pressure is too low for the load on the tire, the tire will generate excessive heat without ever seeing a low pressure situation.  With Pressure Pro the sensors alarm at 12.5% below set point.  The set point is determined for the sensor by removing it for 10 to 15 seconds and then reinstalling it.  YOU have to determine what the proper pressure set point is for the load you are placing on the tire.  If you increase the load on your tires and don't reset the initial set point for the sensors you will never see an alarm, even though the tire is heating up.

I'm not knocking Pressure Pro.  I use it and it works great.  You just have to remember to properly pressure your tires to start with and then reset the sensors as tire loading changes.

You have to check that tire pressure but more important than that is your blood pressure! When traveling the mountains or when traveling during rainy stormy nasty weather hook up to a blood preasure checker and keep an eye on it. If you have a blow out on the old ticker your tires will be the last thing on your mind.....

Speed

-- Edited by Speedhitch at 09:12, 2007-07-31

Thank y'all for all of your helpfull comments on the pressure pro. I think tire pressure is extremly important to watch while traveling. I am also concerned about temperature, but I was wondering "if a wheel was heating up wouldn't the pressure in that tire also go up and indicate a problem if the pressure was being monitored."

Yes, but... Pressure and temperature are directly related but, by the time you notice an appreciable high pressure alert (Smarttire has an alarm for high pressure as well as low does PressurePro?) the thing creating the heat will have long since done its damage. Sensing the temp directly seems - at least for this engineer - to be the quickest route to identifying a potential heat related problem.

Both Smartire and PressurePro are great systems, must haves in my mind, but the added features (and cost) of Smartire are well worth it to me as I really do monitor that type of stuff in my travels.

I'm glad everyone is happy with their Pressure Pro but I have a different perspective. In Feb 2007 I purchased a Doran Pressure Pro with 10 sensors. (Dually and trailer with tandom axles). I spent a whole day installing and programing my truck only. It was not easy as I had to dismount my back wheels to install the sensors on the inside rears on the driveway with hand tools. It programed fine but during test drives it alarmed (for no reason) and lost programming many times. After a day of reprogramming, spending time on the phone to Doran and programing again, I gave up. Doran would not take it back. It's in a box in tool box now. I seem to be the exception to the rule, but that's my experience.

Not so Jam man...If I would have done that job the back wheels to the truck would still be off and the truck would be scrap metal... I am like Howard when it comes to those things. I would have to spend the extra for instalation and It still would not work. Don't feel bad there are others out there with that problem. Joe

Speedhitch wrote:

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Not so Jam man...If I would have done that job the back wheels to the truck would still be off and the truck would be scrap metal... I am like Howard when it comes to those things. I would have to spend the extra for instalation and It still would not work. Don't feel bad there are others out there with that problem.

Joe

---

I thought you were describing me! 

We had a bow out a couple of weeks ago while on the way to the Redmond Rally, and the DW asked if we had made a mistake in not getting the Pressure Pro system? There was a Pressure Pro booth at the show, so I stopped by and told them what had happened and asked if their system would have given me notice and help prevent the damage that the tread did to the trailer. Their response was no, it wouldn't have helped, it only notifies you if your pressure gets low. Since I checked the tires before we left the blow out was sudden and catastrophic. My feeling is that the Pressure Pro solves a non existent problem. It's only of value if you don't want to take the 5 minutes it takes to check your tires before you leave. Fred

Luvglass wrote:

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We had a bow out a couple of weeks ago while on the way to the Redmond Rally, and the DW asked if we had made a mistake in not getting the Pressure Pro system? There was a Pressure Pro booth at the show, so I stopped by and told them what had happened and asked if their system would have given me notice and help prevent the damage that the tread did to the trailer.

Their response was no, it wouldn't have helped, it only notifies you if your pressure gets low. Since I checked the tires before we left the blow out was sudden and catastrophic. My feeling is that the Pressure Pro solves a non existent problem. It's only of value if you don't want to take the 5 minutes it takes to check your tires before you leave.
Fred

---

On the other hand, I wonder if it would be of benefit with insurance claims in cases of catastrophic failure like this if you have a tire pressure monitoring system in place. It might make it harder for an insurance company or the tire manufacturer to say that the owner was at fault for negligence. It's possible to pick up a nail or something that causes a slow leak after you have checked the tires and hit the road.

Tire blowouts with RVs is something that concerns me because I keep hearing about it happening, but in all my years of driving a car I've never had a blowout with an automobile tire, and can't say as I've ever known anybody who had it happen to them, so it seems there is definitely something different with RVs. Higher pressures, greater loads perhaps, that make monitoring even more crucial??

I think that Fred hit the nail here. Most of us do not check that tire pressure the way we should. I had a blow out on my rig and it was because I did not check the pressure. I do now and I have a compresser to air them up when needed. PM is the best cure for most problems. We all need to take more time and walk around our rigs, check things out before we head out on that hwy! Having something that monitors the pressure....hey why not, but still check out your tread wear and everything else as often as you stop. Just my thoughts. Joe

No pressure monitor can forewarn of a sudden catastrophic failure - as in a very old tire failing or a physically damaged tire failing. But then if you are running old tires you already know of the potential risk.

However, I would suggest that a slow leak - be it a nail or those pesky dually hose extensions or simply a valve stem that failed to seat after being checked - is a root cause of many “blow outs” for those (like luvglass and myself) that impeccably maintain their rig. A pressure system would definitely show that leak before the low pressure heat causes the blow. I had a dually extension hose loosen and leak on 2 month old tires while driving - I too check my pressure daily - and experienced "a sudden blow out" that in fact was not sudden if I had had a pressure monitor to tell me what was going on. The convenience of not having to manually check all the tires is also a big plus.

This will be a first for me, but I would have to respectfully disagree with luvglass that pressure monitoring solves a non-existent problem. IMHO the most frequent cause of tire blow is not an unforeseeable carcass failure - you generally will know if your tires are old or curb damaged - but a slow to moderate air leak inducing a heat failure.

The question is not can these systems aid in averting some forms of on the road tire failure - but is the safety information these systems provide worth the money to each individual owner?

-- Edited by RVDude at 09:11, 2007-08-02

Well Fred and Dude,

One thing that the pressure pro would do is notify you immediately when the blowout occurs.  I've seen the result of someone continuing to drive after a blowout and it is not pretty.  Once the tire starts to de-laminate it tears up the sides of the fifthwheel.  I've never had a blowout on the rig so have no idea what it feels like but would assume that you'd know it.  However, assumption isn't something I want to rely on.  I own a Pressure Pro and also check my tire pressure every morning before traveling while the tires are still cool.  It also helps to keep the tires clean in order to detect blemishes in the tires.  I know, it won't entirely eliminate blowouts but it will help to minimize the risk.  I would advocate installing and using the Pressure Pro system. 

Sorry I haven't picked up on this thread sooner. I'm supposed to be the Official Pressurepro Guy on this Forum. I'm slipping on my dutys, sorry Howard.

We have been selling PressurePro Systems for over 4 years and was in in the testing of the Beta System before it came on the market. I was looking for a good air pressure monitoring system when I heard about PressurePro. I ended up testing the System for them and was so satisfied with the final product, ease of installation and price that I began selling them. I certianly wasn't looking for a job as we have been retired and full timing for 12 years.....

Now after saying that, let me tell you that it has turned into quite a bussiness. We have sold Hundreds of Systems to fellow Rv'ers.

I will be happy to answer any questions that anyone has or you can call us. We are in Custer, SD. until Sept 15th...........850-294-0281 cell phone.
I will say that we (Pat and I) are committed to service after the sale. We will be here to help you if you have problem. We work directly for PressurePro and not Doran......Doran is simply a salesperson, just as we are.

I would like to make the announcement that all New PressurePro Systems, as of a couple months ago.............NOW give a HIGH PRESSURE warning......If the pressure in your tire gets 33% above the pressure you have "set" for that tire, you will get a HIGH pressure warning.
Therefore if you have sometning causing your Hub, wheel or tire to get HOT and the pressure goes up over 33% it will notify you by giving you the location of the tire and the pressure reading.

Let me or Pat know if we can help you.... www.PressureProSystem.com

Mike

-- Edited by Mike McFall at 17:34, 2007-08-03

Mike will you be at the rally next year? Joe and Sherri

No Joe, unfortunatly we won't be able to be there. Howard has went out of his way inviting us and we would love to come, But............Its at the wrong time of the year for us as we are along way from there. Howard says he will give a PresssurePro Seminar for me............ We'll sure be glad to help you though, in any way we can. I might also say that we give a MONEY back GUARANTEE for 30 days after purchase and a 1 year Warranty.........on ALL Systems we sell.......We jsut shipped out 2 systems to RV Dreams members today... Give us a call.... Thanks for asking Mike

Mike: when you say high pressure warning at +33% is that fixed +33% over the "cold" inflation setting or +33% over a temperature compensated "cold" inflation???? It would seem if not temperature compensated the high alert could produce erroneous alarms (if really hot) and never alarm (if really cold).

The warning is 33% over the SET pressure. What ever pressure you set as your desired "SET" pressure, if it goes 33% over that it alarms. If it does alarm, your tires are running quite warm and it probably would warrant checking as I suggested. it could produce an erroneous alarm I suppose, but quite unlikely. Hasn't seem to yet in any I've seen.

Anyone have a problem with off the wall temp readings on their pressure pros after washing your vehicle at a high pressure car wash? So far it's happened to me every time, first time I removed sensors and waited awhile to replace and everything was back to normal, after that I waited until next day and they were ok. Some were reading ok, some were low and some high, as soon as I exited the car wash.

      "Anyone have a problem with off the wall temp readings on their pressure pros"
 **************************************************************

Dz, I don't understand your question. PressurePro gives HIGH and/or LOW pressure readings, not temp readings........I have to assume you meant pressure and not temp.

No one has ever reported such a problem. I very seldom wash my rig with a HIGH pressure system. I have the Truck a couple times and didn't even check to see what kind of readings the PressurePro gave me immediatly afterwards.

I also have to assume that you are refering to readings and not warnings. So you must have been pressing the buttons immediatly after the wash. Therefore I think that the hot, cold or cool water must be effecting the pressure in the tires causing the different tire pressure changes. I know of course the sun will change them also. I suppose a rain storm might also do it.

I don't really see it as a problem. If I'm missing something let me know. I would just leave everything as is after the wash job and give it time to stabilize. 

Regards
Mike 

Mike McFall wrote:

---

The warning is 33% over the SET pressure. What ever pressure you set as your desired "SET" pressure, if it goes 33% over that it alarms. If it does alarm, your tires are running quite warm and it probably would warrant checking as I suggested. it could produce an erroneous alarm I suppose, but quite unlikely.
Hasn't seem to yet in any I've seen.

---

   

If you were driving across the desert in August outside temp 100+ and the high pressure alarm goes off what should you do? I can see that if one tire is high it could be an overheated hub but, what if all of the tires have high pressure. I have never given any thought to how high the pressure gets inside of a tire on hot asphalt, in the hot desert. I also don't see how pulling over a just sitting in the hot sun would be better than keep going and at least get the looking effect of going 60 MPH.

 

Judy and Bob,
                       Yep, that was Pat and I.......Good BBQ wasn't it?

Mike

Sorry about that, must have had a senior moment, of course I meant pressure and not temp. Whats happening is after leaving the car wash I get one or more alarms, and checking pressures find they don't make sense. Note, this is on the truck, never have pressure washed the trailer. The problem is usually on the front tires. Last time the pressure check showed low on left front and high on right front. Also today while driving in light rain, the left front went all the way to 23 lbs. and then several hours later was reading 62. I carry 65 in all tires. It got so annoying today we just unplugged.

Don,
         No problem on the Senior Moment, I can certianly understand.

     Do the tires on the trailer act up like this, or is it just the truck?

Mike

Mike, so far just the truck, yesterday we removed and reset the front left and it did fine all day, unfortunately, we accidently deleted one of the duallys. Sometimes we will show no sensor on the trailer for a while and then it returns. I think most of the problem is us getting used to how this system works.

Your probably right!!!   
I thought it sounded like you might have an installation problem or a low power problem.
If the power to the Monitor is low, it will do some mighty goofey things...

A couple tips;

Press the "F-B" button on the top left ONCE and it will light up ALL the Sensors that you have programed into the system. If any locations are not lit, that tells you that for some reason that location did not get "set" or programed into the system.

If you ever want to change the air pressure in any tire, like add or lower the pressure, you do NOT have to touch the Monitor.    Just take the Sensor off the tire you wish to change and adjust the air pressure as you wish. Then after the Sensor has been OFF for at least 60 seconds ( 1 minute) ( longer won't matter) just screw it back on the valve stem and thats it!!!
In 5 minutes or less the Monitor will read the NEW pressure and that will be your new SET pressure.......

ANYTIME you lose power to the Monitor or unplug it and plug it back in, it will take up to 5 MINUTES to obtain all the tire pressures back.

The Monitor maintains its memory, even if you unplug it. Just plug it back in and in 5 minutes (or less) you will get all the readings again...

Mike

Hi Ellie,
             NO, it is absolutly NOT normal. These two comments on it are the FIRST we have ever had in over 4 years for such a problem. I have never had that happen with ours and we run 16 Sensors on out rig.

      This concerns me greatly and since there are two such happenings at once, I'm going to contact the Engineers in PressurePro's Home Office. Since it is a weekend I may not get it right away, but I will report back on what I find out. They work with thousands of these systems. I will find out if they have any other reports of this happening....

    I know your System was brand new in June.

I'll see what they say. Meanwhile, any one else having this happen to them?

Mike

        I finally caught up with a couple of the Engineers this morning and discussed these problems with them. I was informed that it was not something that was happening with any regularity. 

         The false LOW pressure alerts are most commanly caused due to a faulty interaction between the dill valve and the valve seal in the Sensor. We are just not getting the dill valve open enough to the air in the tire. It is collapsing sometime after you screw it on and closing off the air from the inside of the tire. Some dill valves are screwed into the valve stem too far, or they are too short and are so low in the valve stem that the little seal inside of the Sensor can't push it down far enough to let enough air get into the Sensor. Switching the Sensor to another tire by deleating it and reinstalling it in another location may also solve this faulty dill valve interaction. Doug said that resolves it 90% of the time.

    The solution to this is to make sure the dill valve sets high enough that it is nearly even with the top of the valve stem and the insert in the Sensor can push it down far enough. Second, screw the dill valve out of the stem a ways so it can be depressed fully by the Sensor.(a temporary fix) Third, replace the dill valve with a new one and make sure it is a longer dill valve.  

      This stuff is hard to explain in writing and both the Engineers said it would be best if they were to talk to you direct so they can ask you different questions. That will help them in determining what the problem is and help you correct it. Therfore it is best to call the 800 number on the back of your installation manual and get a direct answer one on one. It is best to call when you have the system close at hand so they can have you run some tests as they talk with you. These answers will be of great assistance to them.

             Another thing that helps with false alerts is airing your tires and setting the pressures in your system when it is COOL!!! If you already have the system installed and it was done later in the day or when it was warm, Its easy to reset the pressures. All you need to do is go out some morning early when it is COOL, unscrew all Sensors and wait at least one minute.(more is OK) Then screw them all back on and in 5 minutes or less the Monitor will re-record all the set new cool pressures. There is NO programing to do on the Monitor....

REMEMBER, when all else fails, read the MANUAL.........

I hope I haven't confused you all to much!!!

Mike

   

    

My head hurts from reading this thread. Somebody straighten me out here:


1) Pressure Pro tells you about your tire pressure, right?

2) Some information about your tire pressure is better than none at all, right?

3) Lots of people recommend Pressure Pro, right?  Why?

4) Is that the be all and end all? Probably not... You are responsible for your safety, nobody else....

Can you tell I had a bad day at work???