Do you understand how essential it’s to keep the correct strain in your RV’s tires?
Many RVers neglect correct tire care, however you need to solely achieve this at your individual peril. Your RV’s tires are its basis – you’ll solely go so far as your tires permit. While we’ve coated suggestions for tire care earlier than, you need to understand how transportable air compressors can assist with tire upkeep.
A transportable air compressor is a compact, light-weight software that gives compressed air for inflating RV tires, performing RV upkeep, and varied different functions.
Here’s the whole lot you’ll want to find out about transportable air compressors on your RV.
Why Do You Need a Portable Air Compressor?
Here are a number of causes to maintain a transportable air compressor in your RV:
- Maintain correct tire strain with out paying for air at fuel stations.
- Blow mud and pet hair out of your consumption and exhaust tubes on the furnace and blower and flue tubes on the water heater.
- Clean off your RV patio mat or campsite pad.
- Inflate your stand-up paddleboard.
- Put air in your bicycle, e-bike, ATV, or grime bike tires.
- Power transportable instruments that require compressed air.
What’s the Difference Between a Tire Inflator and a Portable Air Compressor?
Honestly, there’s not a lot distinction. Tire inflators are meant for the precise goal that their title suggests. Portable air compressors are extra versatile and may be employed for myriad makes use of.
Generally, tire inflators transfer excessive volumes at decrease pressures, whereas compressors transfer a decrease quantity however proceed to take action as much as a lot increased pressures. There’s a broad crossover between the 2, and the efficiency will finally rely upon the fashions you’re evaluating.
How to Use a Portable Air Compressor
Technician Tip: Start by consulting the working guide that got here together with your transportable air compressor. There could also be variations within the precise working procedures really useful by totally different producers.
Here are the essential steps for utilizing most transportable air compressors:
1. Check the really useful PSI for what you’re inflating.
RV tires, paddleboards, bike tires, and different inflatables may have a really useful air strain measured in kilos per sq. inch (PSI). Here are some examples of common ranges for various inflatables:
- RV Tires: 35-100 PSI
- Inflatable Paddleboards: 8-15 PSI
- Mountain Bike Tires: 25-50 PSI
- ATV Tires: 4-8 PSI
- Dirt Bike Tires: 6-18 PSI
Using a tire gauge, verify the present strain of no matter you’re inflating in comparison with its really useful strain. For RV tires, verify the strain when the tires are chilly, which means you haven’t pushed throughout the final three hours.
2. Connect the compressor to its energy supply.
Most transportable air compressors for RV use will include a 12-volt adapter plug. Some additionally include alligator clips to attach on to your RV battery. Others would require a 120-volt AC outlet.
Consult your compressor’s guide to search out the correct energy supply and join it safely.
3. Connect the air hose.
One finish connects to your air compressor if it isn’t completely linked. The different will connect with your RV tire, paddleboard, bike tire, or no matter you’re inflating. This would require the suitable adapter for no matter you’re filling (i.e., tire chuck for RV tires, Schrader or Presta valve for many bike tires, Boston or Halkey Roberts valves for paddleboards, and different watersports inflatables).
4. Turn on the compressor.
You could solely have to run your compressor for a couple of seconds for smaller inflatables. This can be true should you’re topping off RV or bike tires. Getting a compressor with a built-in gauge is the best manner to make sure you’ve reached the really useful air strain. Otherwise, you’ll have to disconnect the compressor from no matter you’re filling and verify with a strain gauge.
5. Disconnect the compressor and retailer it correctly.
Once your inflatables are on the desired strain, disconnect the compressor, cap the valve in your tire or inflatable, and retailer the compressor safely in its case. If yours didn’t include a case, think about using a storage bin that means that you can seal your compressor and shield it between makes use of.
Technician Tip: Portable air compressors can get extremely popular throughout use. Allow yours to chill in a secure place earlier than storing it away.
How Do You Choose a Portable Air Compressor on your RV?
Here are a couple of elements that can assist you choose the correct transportable air compressor on your RV:
Size and Weight
We are speaking about “portable” air compressors, however some fashions are a lot bigger than others. The type you’ll need on your RV should simply slot in one in every of your beneath storage compartments. It should even be gentle sufficient to maneuver and simply arrange wherever wanted.
Cubic Feet Per Minute (CFM)
CFM is outlined as “a measurement of airflow volume, determined by how many cubic feet of air pass by a stationary point in one minute.” For sensible functions, a compressor with the next CFM ranking will fill inflatables extra shortly.
Technician Tip: Remember that CFM can fluctuate relying on temperature, atmospheric strain, and humidity ranges.
Pounds per Square Inch (PSI)
Most producers promote the utmost strain that their compressors can obtain. This is very essential whenever you want a compressor that may fill bigger RV tires, comparable to these on class A RVs. Ensure your compressor can fill tires to the really useful strain said by your RV’s producer.
Duty Cycle and Run Time
This is the size of time a compressor can run at a full load earlier than needing to chill down. Overheating may be problematic with cheaper transportable air compressors, which is why many nicer fashions embody an automated overheating shutoff characteristic.
Power Source
Look intently to make sure you need to use the air compressor in varied settings. The greatest fashions provide a number of energy adapters for 12-volt and 120-volt functionality. When RVing, the principle emergency situation by which you’ll want an air compressor is addressing flat tires on the aspect of the highway.
If you might have a nail in your tire, or a sluggish leak, an air compressor might assist get you to a safer place to evaluate the tire and make a patch or a change. In this case, a compressor with 12-volt functionality is important.
Air Hose and Power Cord Length
The lengths of your compressor’s air hose and energy twine decide whether or not you’ll be able to attain all of your tires. This is very essential for longer RVs, and also you’ll merely want to make sure you can attain each tire to fill them evenly, in keeping with your RV producer’s advice.
What is the Best Portable Air Compressor on your RV?
Because the most typical use for a transportable air compressor amongst RVers is filling tires, let’s begin there. The greatest transportable air compressor on your RV needs to be rated to fill your tires to the producer’s really useful air strain (PSI).
Check out this assessment of the TireMinder RV AIR Compressor.
You’ll additionally need one thing gentle and compact to maneuver simply and retailer in your RV. Most RVers might be high-quality with a tire inflator or a hand-carry air compressor, neither of which is actually meant for air instruments.
If you might have some RV DIY tasks in thoughts, you’ll want a extra highly effective compressor rated for the instruments your venture requires.
Shop transportable air compressors and tire inflators at Camping World.
From maintaining the correct amount of air in your tires to shortly inflating paddleboards so you will get out on the lake, a transportable air compressor is a superb addition to your RV toolkit. Here are another assets that can assist you full your RV software assortment:
Do you might have any questions on transportable air compressors on your RV? Let us know within the feedback beneath.
Tucker Ballister is our Technical Content Writer. He’s a lover of the open highway and the proud proprietor of a 2021 Sunlite Classic journey trailer (his third RV to this point). Check out extra of his RV adventures, gear evaluations, and out of doors recommendation at thebackpackguide.com.