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Old 01-29-2010, 08:05 PM   #11
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Re: Extreme Air - In or Out?

Quote:
Originally Posted by beernutmark
If you have the space in your underfloor storage that you are not using, what about permanently mounting it in there? With careful mounting the box would stay waterproof and your compressor would stay protected. Best of both worlds?
Worst of both is more like it- the underfloor is nice and sealed from the outside (at least in my van) and you would have to run wires in and airhose out, not to mention taking up space for the compressor (which gets hot so you have to be careful what you put next to it... it's basically all the cons of a portable except you CAN'T take it out if you want or need to.

Not to mention that in the 50 it's the last place you can get to, requiring opening both back doors and removing most everything from under the bed. There are only specific things I put in there, and they are either emergency only or "last out" for camp setup.

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Old 01-29-2010, 10:46 PM   #12
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Re: Extreme Air - In or Out?

I would strongly encourage you to look at a Powertank. It is THE fastest way to air up tires. I routinely finish all four of my Jeep's tires in the time it takes people around me to air up one tire.

Bonus: it can operate tools. I've used mine to nail up chair rail as well as run an impact wrench.

If you are worried about space, go with a 5 lb tank. Otherwise, 10 lb tank is the way to go. Anything bigger is WAY too big.
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Old 01-30-2010, 10:22 AM   #13
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Re: Extreme Air - In or Out?

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Originally Posted by jessenej
I would strongly encourage you to look at a Powertank.
Tempting. Can you give us a rough idea of how many Sportsmobile-sized tire fills (maybe 30PSI --> 50PSI) you'd expect to get out of a 10lb tank? I'm imagining myself in an extended Baja trip where recharging the CO2 tank would be inconvenient.

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Old 01-30-2010, 10:39 AM   #14
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Re: Extreme Air - In or Out?

I have a powertank for my truck. I run 35 inch Toyo Open Country M/T. I routinely fill with CO2 and I can re-fill 12-16 tires (going from 25/30 PSI to about 45/50 PSI) on one 10 pound tank. Insanely fast. Less than 60 seconds per tire. It's not a scientific test, but should give you an idea of capability. Costs about $17 to re-fill at the local fire suppression equipment store.
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Old 01-30-2010, 11:05 AM   #15
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Re: Extreme Air - In or Out?

Definitely some advantages to compressed CO2, but as was mentioned, if you need a fill in a remote location, you may be out of luck. Fixing one or two major flats will require filling large tires from 0 psi to 50-60 psi, using up a lot of gas.

I like having compressor/tank setups on my SMB and Bronco. I also like being able to use the air to blow the dirt and debris out of my vehicles, not to mention blowing trial dust off many other objects before breaking camp. I would be hesitant to use CO2 for that. I have high flow, 100% duty cycle compressors, but I will say that in terms of speed, a CO2 tank will kick either of my compressor's butt.

If you go with CO2, I would recommend a dual gauge regulator so you actually know how much compressed gas you have remaining, otherwise you'll have to weigh the tank to get a semi-accurate idea of how much is left.


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Old 01-31-2010, 01:13 AM   #16
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Re: Extreme Air - In or Out?

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Originally Posted by Bronco_hauler
If you go with CO2, I would recommend a dual gauge regulator so you actually know how much compressed gas you have remaining, otherwise you'll have to weigh the tank to get a semi-accurate idea of how much is left.
Actually this is a pretty common misunderstanding about dual regulators and co2. As long as there is any liquid CO2 in the tank the pressure shown on the high pressure gauge depends only on the temperature of the tank. As long as the temp of the tank stays relatively constant the tank pressure will remain the same from full of CO2 to only a drop of liquid CO2 left. Once all the liquid CO2 is gone the tank pressure starts dropping fairly rapidly. If you remember your chemistry you are simply measuring the partial pressure of CO2 at a given temperature.

I have sold hundreds of CO2 systems to homebrewers and use them nightly in my restaurant/club. The only real use for the high pressure gauge is as an early warning system. Once the gauge starts dropping you know you need a refill fairly soon. In our club we go about 2-3 weeks on a 50# CO2 tank but once the gauge starts dropping we have only about day's (maybe two) worth of gas left.

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Old 01-31-2010, 04:14 AM   #17
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Re: Extreme Air - In or Out?

The only time I counted, I aired up my 33" on 15's tires 23 times before the tank ran out (that's 23 tires, not all four 23 times). That was going from 12-15 psi back to 32.

The Powertank has a dual reg and it is true, the only way to tell how much is left is to weigh it. It gives virtually zero warning that it is about to go dry. I just got a 5 lb tank without the reg to back myself up (you just unscrew the reg and move it over).

It can be used for anything you would use compressed air for. I've lost count how many times I've used it around the house.

Point is, you said you were looking for faster air-ups. It is eye-wattering fast at airing up tires. For extended trips, my guess is you could depend on it three times for all four tires for sure. Five at the very most. One test run and you would know for sure (it is very consistent). If you need more, either a 2nd tank or back-up compressor would be required.

Hope that helps.
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Old 01-31-2010, 08:06 AM   #18
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Re: Extreme Air - In or Out?

Agree guys (been homebrewing since 1997), but ANY warning, especially if in backcountry, is vital IMO.
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Old 01-31-2010, 10:21 AM   #19
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Re: Extreme Air - In or Out?

I also agree. There are definite advantages to both.

But, to say there is no warning is not accurate. There is a warning with the CO2 tank. It is the weight. 10 lbs is full. 5 lbs is 50%. If full fills all four tires four times, 50% will fill them twice. Like I said, the tank is VERY consistent. It gives you full pressure down to the last drop of CO2.

That being said, I am WAY too lazy to pull the thing out of its bracket and weigh it. That has bit me. No kidding, right after bragging that I would demo how fast it was, I had to ask the guy if I could use his compressor to air up.

Where Herb's point is very well taken, is if you might use it for something else, say to run some air tools. But again, the weight will tell you where you are at.

I should also point out that I'm not advocating one over the other in terms of which is overall the best choice. Just pointing out that there are other options for on-board air. If you are looking for speed, certainly a Powertank is an option that should be considered.
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Old 01-31-2010, 06:11 PM   #20
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Re: Extreme Air - In or Out?

May want to check this out. Specs are better than most 120v home compressors & never have to worry about running out. 50% duty cycle-30 min on-30 min off. With those specs, you could air-up in less than 5 min.

http://www.warn.com/truck/aircompressors_vtc.shtml
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