Air Compressor

[Ljsydney]

An anyone recommend a good quality Air Compressor...TV and TT both require 65psi in the tires and I've found air availability at service stations sketchy...as in I'm charged for air it doesn't even work. I'd rather be self sufficient . Thanks

[HeavyAssault]

Options depending on your abilities and budget.

POWERTANK - CO2 Air Systems

VIAIR Corporation - 12 & 24 Volt Air Compressors

[lsbrodsky]

Campbell Hausfeld 120 Volt Home Inflation System - Amazon.com

This unit requires 120 vac. I find it works well for the 80psi my tires require. I have not found that any of the 12 v units I have are good for that pressure, although they work for my cars or truck at 30-35 psi.
I use it while the trailer is still plugged into shorepower or I can use my generator.

Larry

[helmsman]

Hello Ljsydney:

I too feel your frustration. I have quite a collection of worthless 12V air compressors which have cost me hundreds of $$$$. My quest began when my tires required 80 psi in them. Yesterday, I purchased a new air pump that works for me.

Bell Air Attack 500 Air Pump, Black: Bikes & Riding Toys : Walmart.com

It has the added benefit of helping me lose weight. No joke, "It works"

Don

[Lothlorian]

Lowes has a Kobalt 150 psi on sale for $89.00. I bought one Sunday for my Son in law

Brian

[PharmGeek]

Originally Posted by Lothlorian

Lowes has a Kobalt 150 psi on sale for $89.00. I bought one Sunday for my Son in law

Brian

I'm lurking for one - that is in my budget - will check it out

Any thoughts in the small senko unit - great reviews on amazon - seems a bit small though

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

I'm lurking for one - that is in my budget - will check it out

Any thoughts in the small senko unit - great reviews on amazon - seems a bit small though

IMHO, a tanked compressor is more than you need for on road use. The ones of the style in post#2 (Viair) are ideal for travel. Small, relatively light, and YES they will inflate to 120psi at least. They aren't too slow either...you can fill an LT tire to 80psi in about 5 - 8 minutes.

Snoop the 4wd off road forums for brands (there are many) and nifty mods to make life easier.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by HeavyAssault

Options depending on your abilities and budget.

POWERTANK - CO2 Air Systems

VIAIR Corporation - 12 & 24 Volt Air Compressors

X2 on the Viair. I bought the 450p I think for around $250? Well worth it! A fellow AirForums member taught me how to convert the battery clip system to a plug for the truck's 7-pin port - that and the LONG yellow air hose means unfettered access to trailer and truck tires (combined truck and trailer are 50' long). Fills very quickly with no oil and no tank. I've used it dozens of times on friend's tires when they visit and their tires look low. One of my favorite purchases!

[PharmGeek]

Kinda want something to blow out water lines as well - I read confusing advice in that subject as well

Basic understanding is that all can do the job - some faster than others

[dznf0g]

IMO, that's really two jobs that need two different tools.
A compressor that is adequate for lines is too big to carry for travel.

[PharmGeek]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

IMO, that's really two jobs that need two different tools.
A compressor that is adequate for lines is too big to carry for travel.

Define adequate for the lines?

[dznf0g]

Weeeellll,I've always held off on this topic because I'm afraid of the backlash....but, to adequately blow the lines you need air VOLUME and 60psi (or so). Even the pancake compressors will not deliver enough volume for long enough to get all the water out.

I will use a comparable job to make my point. If you lived far enough north, you would see homeowners and golf courses blowing out their lines each fall, for the same reason we do our RVs. They don't just blow until the water stops coming out in a stream. They keep the volume of air applied until the MIST stops coming out. If you stop prematurely, the water still in the lines settles back to the low spots in the lines and remains clinging to faucet valves etc. Then they freeze and crack. Don't ask how I know.

If you use antifreeze in addition to blowing, it's no big deal. But if you use antifreeze, you really don't need to blow at all....overkill. Get a small tankless quality compressor for travel and be done with it.

But if you are going to blow lines and not use antifreeze, IMO, you need a MINIMUM of a 20 gallon compressor. That's just a little big to travel with.

[Silverbee]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

X2 on the Viair. I bought the 450p I think for around $250? Well worth it! A fellow AirForums member taught me how to convert the battery clip system to a plug for the truck's 7-pin port - that and the LONG yellow air hose means unfettered access to trailer and truck tires (combined truck and trailer are 50' long). Fills very quickly with no oil and no tank. I've used it dozens of times on friend's tires when they visit and their tires look low. One of my favorite purchases!

Used our 12v Viair on our Thanksgiving trip to check and top up the air in the F250 and Flying Cloud -65PSI in all tires. Quiet and effective. Use a good gauge to verify PSI of the meter on the pump. Would not use anything else on the road.

[Ahab]

Do a Google search. I bought a heavy duty !2v compressor rated to 150 psi, several years ago at Costco. You need to hook it up directly to the battery as it takes a bunch of amps to run but it does the job quickly. No, it's not like the run of the mill inflators you see around and yes you can use it to blow out your water lines. It is not like some of the units people recommend that are much like using a diesel to tow a 16' Bambi.

[dznf0g]

My post #12 should say "you would see homeowners and golf courses blowing out their irrigation lines each fall," Sorry for the confusion.

[Lara Me]

I have several ViAir pumps that I keep inside my vehicles and motorcycle trailer. Great pumps for topping off tires, though you have to increase the fuse rating in your car to 15amps, whereas most 12v ports in your car max out at 5-7amps. Otherwise, buy the version with battery clips or install a dedicated line from the battery.

Since I also wanted a compressor to handle blow-out chores, I did a fair bit of research before landing at the Makita Mac2400. It's only 4.5 gallons, but is oil filled with a great compressor engine, unlike the cheaper porter cable pancake units. The tanks refill in under 2 min and the unit is relatively quiet. I used it with good results to blow out the lines this weekend on my 28", and while it would empty the tanks and recharge frequently, the motor kept up fine and I got past the "mist" mentioned in the earlier post to just air. The cheaper units would take more time to recharge the tanks and the motors might heat up more, with risks of failure, but not the Makita. Plus, the size of the unit is much better in my garage than a 20 gallon tank unit.

If you can live with a larger tank, by all means get the largest one you can for the reasons mentioned. But don't shy away from a smaller unit, if you are willing to pay for the quality. The Makita runs $300 from Home Depot, and another unit by Rolair is also similarly priced and well regarded. Be aware that you may have damage if the units are shipped to you: the first one was dented upon delivery, and I had to get a replacement shipped, which seems to be related to poor packing by Makita. But the second was delivered quickly without defect, and I was able to return the first to the local HD store.

I also used the Makita to blow out sprinker lines, and the smaller tanks quickly discharged. Here, a larger tank would be preferable. However, due to the quick recharge, the Makita completed the task, albeit it ran almost constantly.

For other uses, like airing tires, it is perfect, and I now no longer use my ViAir for adding air to the tires; now it's just a back up for on the-road use. If you fancy running air tools and the like, you will probably be better off going with a larger tank, at least 10-15 gallons.

Some have mentioned that the porter cable and Harbor Freight knock-offs do fine for infrequent winterizing, but I have my doubts about their longevity. My personal ethos is not to cheap out on tools, but you may feel differently.

[AIR-Quarius]

Above all, make sure you have a compressor that you would put oil into. The 'oilless' types have what are called teflon parts that eventually break down and cost a fortune to repair. I keep a large enough compressor mounted in the back of my truck with 150 feet of hose with a blower attachment and an air chuck.

[Skater]

I had a decent 12 volt compressor that connected to my battery that I used for inflating tires on the B190, which were spec'd to 80 PSI in the rear. Not a VIAIR but similar. Loved it. Unfortunately, I burned it up by blowing out the lines in the and letting it run too long.

So, there are those who will say a 120 volt compressor is like towing a Bambi with a diesel truck, but there are some of us who have burned up half decent compressors trying to do something it's not meant to do. Make your own decision - it's your money, not anyone else's.

(Also, I know some people that tow a Bambi with an F-250. They do this because they carry a lot of stuff in the bed of the truck. It's all in how you use the rig.)

It all comes down to a duty cycle-type of rating. Even if you blow out the lines in 30 minutes only once a year, that 30 minutes requires the compressor to run quite a bit, relatively speaking. A compressor like my current one, which is really meant to run nailers, isn't really designed to run more than once every couple minutes, so it can overheat if I keep it running too long while blowing out the lines. I make sure to let it take breaks every so often, and I try to keep it out in the cool air to help it cool down between cycles.

The other thing is, you shouldn't need to be adding air to your tires very often. Having to add air frequently means you have a leak that should be fixed. So, a 120 volt air compressor that stays at home should be fine for a large percentage of how people use their Airstreams - there's no need to fixate on the 12 volt compressor option, for most people. And if you do need air on the road for some reason, many gas stations still have air compressors, and you can always use the spare if a tire is too low. (A couple years ago, I was considering buying a VIAIR for a lot of money, then I realized it was unnecessary. A cheaper 120 volt air compressor could do the job just fine AND didn't require running down a battery or starting an engine.)

[urnmor]

I realize this is an old thread, however, I needed a new air compressor as my other one went bad. This time I wanted a portable one and one that was smaller then my 6 gallon pancake. After research I decided to go with the Viair 450 for the RV. I know it is more expensive then others out there, however, Viair gave me a great discount as retired military.