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Showing content with the highest reputation on 04/05/2018 in all areas

  1. I started this as a PM to GeronimoJohn and it got so wordy, I decided to post it here. I researched these systems a long time and decided on the Tire Traker. They have stellar customer service and are sometimes at (really) big RV shows and places like Quartzite. The sensor batteries are to be replaced annually, but may last longer - they use cheap button cells. I bought a repeater in case the distance was too far but have NOT needed it. I suggest that you buy the four sensor set, an extra sensor for the spare tire, and the maintenance package. The only thing I did not like was that the trim on the perimeter of the display is bright and it reflected sunlight in the windshield. I painted the upper part on mine flat black. Some electrical tape would also work. The display is rechargeable and runs up to a month, and in sleep mode it wakes up when there is a signal from the wheel sensors. They too wake up when moving, to save the batteries. I try to remember to shut my display off every evening. The mount is a suction cup and very nice. There is no case for the display; I use a soft cloth drawstring bag from a set of sport goggles for storage. The system shows individual tire pressures and temperatures. There are preset alarm levels for both. If you get a slow leak, the alarm will come on at a reduced level to let you know that you need to pull over. By watching the display you can tell if it is slow or a big one. If it is a big leak the alarm is more intense. The sensor on the spare tire lets you know that it has not gone flat, since it is a small PITA to check. If one of the main sensors fails, you can swap the spare onto that wheel until you can get a replacement. Or just order an extra sensor now... The temperature display is useful since it shows the temps increasing as the tires heat up during towing, which is completely NORMAL, and if there is one that is abnormally warm, you can stop and see if there is a brake or bearing issue on the hub. NOTE: because the sensors are spinning in ambient air on the end of the valve stems, I doubt that the displayed temps are especially accurate. A sensor inside the wheel would be a much more reliable and accurate system. I honestly don't see how the external sensors could read inside temps, but they do to a certain degree (pun intended). I don't think that the display dims, I have never used it at night. I suspect you would want to take it off the windshield and just set it in a low cupholder. It would still alarm if needed. If somebody knows if the lighting dims, please comment. The system gets very good reviews, you can get from Amazon, but I ordered direct from Tire Traker. Setup: Charge the display several hours. After first checking and adjusting your COLD tire pressures (I use 60 psi), it will take you about ten minutes to set it up, there are many videos showing how. You have to set the alarm threshold (enter the cold tire pressure), install batteries into sensors and put them on the wheels one at a time. As each one "wakes up" it will show up on the display and you can adjust its position of the vehicle diagram, for example "left rear" on the trailer drawing. Position of the display: I mount mine at the lower left corner of the windshield. It is easy to see, but neither in my direct line of sight, nor close to my Garmin gps. Aftermarket devices like a gps that use radio signals may possibly cause interference. My RV 660 is mounted along the center of the windshield and I have noted no interference when using my Garmin remote (trailer backup) camera. If you have trouble with the TT-500 signal, you may need to mount their booster inside the trailer connected to an always-on power source. If you have the factory backup camera, the area behind the switch would be a great location, and you can use the switch to power on the booster when you switch on the camera. https://www.tiretraker.com/proddetail.php?prod=TT500-4 https://www.tiretraker.com/proddetail.php?prod=TT50 https://www.tiretraker.com/proddetail.php?prod=TT-MAINT Installation video: If you are driving an older tow vehicle without its own TPMS, you can order extra sensors and use the Tire Traker to monitor those tires also. This system is versatile and mine has been reliable for a year. It gives great peace of mind when towing, especially in inclement weather and in remote areas, which is priceless. Anything you can do to reduce your anxiety level while towing is a good thing. HIGHLY recommended! I towed trailers for 45 years without TPMS, and I am very glad I invested in this. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  2. Open your closet door and carefully check the ends of the bolts that secure the fire extinguisher bracket to the door. Mine had been shortened with a cutoff wheel that left a small burr that snagged some clothes in the closet.
    1 point
  3. This article is a condemnation of a greedy and immoral company that spent decades hiding data and even destroying evidence. Goodyear’s “court sealed” tire failure information has been released and their lawyers are frantically trying to prevent the data from being published. Note, this story is specific to the big 22.5 inch commercial truck tires used in large motorhomes. “Almost universally all of the failures occur at highway speeds,” he wrote. The letter also revealed for the first time how many manufacturers utilized the G159. Goodyear’s disclosures, Kurtz wrote, “reveals G159 failures in what appears to be 17 different motorhome manufacturers and 39 separate motorhome models commencing July 1996 and continuing through September 2015.” For context, Kurtz points to the failure rate of the defective Firestone tires that ensnared Ford in a nationwide scandal nearly two decades ago. Court filings suggest the G159's failure rate is anywhere from 10 to 27 times worse than the Firestone tires deemed defective by NHTSA. Goodyear employees themselves can’t identify any tire made by the company that comes close to the G159's failure rate, Kurtz wrote in the letter. https://jalopnik.com/goodyear-knew-of-dangerous-rv-tire-failures-for-over-20-1824997252 I had a set of Goodyear car tires once and was not terribly impressed. Now there is a seriously valid reason to never buy ANY of their (tire) products in the future. Also, how many of these injuries and deaths would have been avoided if there has been Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems in the affected RVs? Most of them? Makes you think.... The article also reinforces my natural aversion to travelling on Interstates where the heavy trucks are driving 70 or even 75 mph. I will stick to slower roads whenever possible, since my normal towing speed is 60. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
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