Flat tire compressor kits

RottieMom · 12-14-2014, 07:57 AM

Does anyone have experience with flat tire compressor kits? I was thinking about buying one before the next time I take my TM out. It worries my that I could be out in the boonies somewhere and end up with a flat tire. I was looking at the Airman ResQ Pro kit (78-080-021).

Thx,

**wbmiller3** · 12-14-2014, 09:05 AM

I like the rechargeable compressors because I can carry them back to the trailer. Here is my history with them.

I started with a Campbell Hausefeld rechargeable compressor. This was a good item and I used it for years. Eventually it got to where it wouldn't hold a charge though.

Then I tried the Black and Decker jumpstarter/compressor. The jumpstarter part was really good but the compressor side was cheaply made. The "head" was plastic and the lever broke off pretty soon. I replaced the head with a metal one, but the compressor itself died after about two years.

Since I used the jumpstarter part of the device a lot, I replaced this with a Stanley jumpstarter/compressor. Unfortunately the compressor part looks cheap like the Black and Decker.

I almost bought the Harbor Freight jumpstarter/compressor, but as far as I could tell, it didn't have the reverse polarity safety feature, and I like that for when my less-electrical-savvy family members use the thing.

Redtail Cruiser · 12-14-2014, 09:13 AM

I carry a Slime tire repair kit. It has a very good compressor, as well as a bottle of green slime for punctures. It has an adaptor to hook up directly to your battery or to a 12 volt outlet.

**Bill** · 12-14-2014, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redtail Cruiser

I carry a Slime tire repair kit.

Tim -

Just as a heads-up, tire repair shops really really hate Green Slime and similar products, and if they suspect that a tire contains Slime, they may refuse to service it. I talked to a couple tire guys about it, and they cited several reasons.

o Slime gets all over the tire-changing equipment, and is very hard to clean.
o When the beadbreaker breaks the bead away from the rim, Slime blows out all over the tech.
o Patches and plugs don't hold well on a Slimed tire, creating unhappy customers and extra work.
o Slime will muck up the TPMS sensor, and customers get really upset when the tire shop tells them they have to replace it.
o At least at one time, the propellant in a can of Slime was propane. Imagine the technician's surprise when the tire explodes and kills him. I'm not sure that propane is used any more, though. The MSDS is hard to read, and propane is not mentioned, but it does warn about "Flammable Gas".

Interestingly, one of the tire guys I talked to was in a WalMart garage. When I pointed out to him that WalMart sells Slime just a few feet away in the tire department, he just said "Yes, they do sell it there. Just don't bring back a tire where you used it."

Bill

['Nuther quick note. The Slime web site emphasizes that Slime will work on "tread-area punctures", which means it won't do anything on even minor sidewall problems.]

RottieMom · 12-14-2014, 11:05 AM

Thanks for the feedback all. The Airman compressor kit has some kind of sealant, too. Don't know how it differs (if it does) from Slime. What I liked was it's supposed to handle to 110 PSI. So, would be good for my TV (40psi) or TM (65psi).

Redtail Cruiser · 12-14-2014, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

Tim -

Just as a heads-up, tire repair shops really really hate Green Slime and similar products, and if they suspect that a tire contains Slime, they may refuse to service it. I talked to a couple tire guys about it, and they cited several reasons.

o Slime gets all over the tire-changing equipment, and is very hard to clean.
o When the beadbreaker breaks the bead away from the rim, Slime blows out all over the tech.
o Patches and plugs don't hold well on a Slimed tire, creating unhappy customers and extra work.
o Slime will muck up the TPMS sensor, and customers get really upset when the tire shop tells them they have to replace it.
o At least at one time, the propellant in a can of Slime was propane. Imagine the technician's surprise when the tire explodes and kills him. I'm not sure that propane is used any more, though. The MSDS is hard to read, and propane is not mentioned, but it does warn about "Flammable Gas".

Interestingly, one of the tire guys I talked to was in a WalMart garage. When I pointed out to him that WalMart sells Slime just a few feet away in the tire department, he just said "Yes, they do sell it there. Just don't bring back a tire where you used it."

Bill

['Nuther quick note. The Slime web site emphasizes that Slime will work on "tread-area punctures", which means it won't do anything on even minor recent sidewall problems.]

Thanks for the heads up, Bill. I have never used it on a truck or trailer tire; however I've used it on my lawn tractor and quad Rancher with good results. I recently put new tires on the Rancher and there was no mention of a problem by the tire shop. I know that two of the tires had Slime in them, but they carry very low tire pressure.

Guess I will rethink the idea of ever using it on my TM.

oldstick · 12-15-2014, 05:55 AM

I had one of the small 12V compressors from Walmart for 10 years and used it countless times on tire repairs and such. I guess I was lucky because when you hear them, they usually sound like they are going to burn up right then and there. Worse than nails on a blackboard.

It finally wore out and starting blowing the in-line fuse after reaching 20psi or so. But they are very slow, probably taking 5-10 min. to inflate a car sized tire.

Now have a very similarly sized Craftsman portable that runs on 120V. Much sturdier looking and all metal case, but it still makes the piercing racket.

As far as the Slime, I have also heard to avoid it, but I do have my mower tires full of it. Got tired of having to inflate every week due to thorns and such. I think they even sell lawn equipment sized innner tubes that are pre-filled with the stuff.

RottieMom · 12-15-2014, 06:55 AM

I had a little holiday dinner party last night and I told one of my neighbors that I was thinking about one of these air compressor kits and he told me that I just need to learn to change a tire. I told him that I can't budge the lug nuts and he told me I need to go buy a hammer/drill (or something like that) with the right socket thing to go on it for both my TV and TM. Do any of you know what tool he's talking about? I have an impact driver, drill, etc. And, I have a spare Harbor Freight drill and socket thing that I use to raise and lower the scissor jacks on the TM.

Thx,

oldstick · 12-15-2014, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmboyd

I had a little holiday dinner party last night and I told one of my neighbors that I was thinking about one of these air compressor kits and he told me that I just need to learn to change a tire. I told him that I can't budge the lug nuts and he told me I need to go buy a hammer/drill (or something like that) with the right socket thing to go on it for both my TV and TM. Do any of you know what tool he's talking about? I have an impact driver, drill, etc. And, I have a spare Harbor Freight drill and socket thing that I use to raise and lower the scissor jacks on the TM.

Thx,

I'm guessing impact driver. They do have th0se that run on 12V. Not sure how long they would hold up, but might be fine if only for on-road emergencies.

ThePair · 12-15-2014, 07:23 AM

Somewhere along the line I picked up some kind of manual geared thing that multiplies your force, to break the lug nuts' hold and let you remove them without needing power or batteries. I keep it in the compartment with the jack for the van I tow with, needed to use it once and it worked like a champ.

If anyone is interested, I can pull it out of the back and see make/manu and post a pic if desired.

The cans/slime type stuff is nice in theory, but I seem to have the luck of always getting a flat that won't work with that stuff (i.e. sidewall puncture) so I just stopped worrying and put on the spare.