air compressor recommendations

[Mr.Anderson]

Hey gang,



I'm in the market for a air compressor for my rig. I'm running 33" tires and looking for a compressor which can fill them back up to 50 - 60 psi after deflating for off roading. not running air lockers or any other pneumatic accessories.



I have a budget of about $300 - $400, does anyone have any recommendations for a descent portable or on board air compressor? I've looked at some with ARB and those are pretty expensive, bulldog was also recommended but I've heard those can be slow to inflate to higher pressures.



I suppose for on-board air vs a portable compressor I don't have too much preference, is there a particular advantage to one over the other?



is it necessary to have an air tank with the compressor? I was figuring that for just reinflating tires a tank probably isn't necessary, but I could be wrong there.



Any advice appreciated!



Cheers


P.S. how low do people go for tire pressure with these heavy vans? My rig weighs about 8500lbs when I'm loaded up with gear.

[WhitH]

I have the ARB single and its been flawless. 100% duty cycle and always gets the job done. Can be had in your price range.

[larrie]

I have the larger single ARB in the van and a Viair 400 series in the Jeep. Both with a one gallon air tank and am running the same size tires in both vehicles. The Viair seems to be able to fill the tires quicker than the ARB.

[bigriver]

There are a number of good ones out there... we have a frame mounted ExtremAaire that has worked flawlessly... slightly above your budget but worth it. Whatever you decide on you'll want one with 100% duty cycle as Whit mentions. Shouldn't need a tank if you're just filling tires.

[rescuejg]

It's hard to go wrong with an ARB. They are a great product with great customer support. The two you should look at are the ARB single and dual compressor. The single is a 50% duty cycle, whereas the dual is basically 2 singles put together and you now have 100% duty cycle with more CFM. For airing up a single vehicle the 50% duty cycle is more than sufficient. The dual will be faster, but I find the single with 33" tires to be sufficient. Here is a chart from ARB with specs.

https://www.arb.com.au/assets/air-lockers/6-07.pdf

[Mr.Anderson]

Awesome! Thanks for the input guys! I just found a kit for the ARB dual compressor for 25% and went for it. Looks like this kit includes a hose and digital tire deflater / pressure gauge in addition to the compressor and wiring harness. For $100 over the single compressor might as well get something that will kickass.



I'll post up some install pics once I get it!

[BrianW]

^^How about sharing the link to where it’s on sale, please?

[Twoxentrix]

Thought I would share: I receive periodic e-mails announcing deals/new items for Overland Vehicles Systems and today they have a compressor that's currently 25% Off
EGOI Air Compressor System 5.6 CFM With Storage Bag, Hose & Attachments Universal
150 PSI maximum output with 120 PSI working pressure, 75% duty cycle
Was: $199.99
Now: $149.99

https://overlandvehiclesystems.com/e...ab-description

[Steve Hunt]

Originally Posted by Mr.Anderson

Awesome! Thanks for the input guys! I just found a kit for the ARB dual compressor for 25% and went for it. Looks like this kit includes a hose and digital tire deflater / pressure gauge in addition to the compressor and wiring harness. For $100 over the single compressor might as well get something that will kickass.

I'll post up some install pics once I get it!

Originally Posted by BrianW

^^How about sharing the link to where it’s on sale, please?

Yes, Do tell !!!

[rescuejg]

Originally Posted by Twoxentrix

Thought I would share: I receive periodic e-mails announcing deals/new items for Overland Vehicles Systems and today they have a compressor that's currently 25% Off
EGOI Air Compressor System 5.6 CFM With Storage Bag, Hose & Attachments Universal
150 PSI maximum output with 120 PSI working pressure, 75% duty cycle
Was: $199.99
Now: $149.99

https://overlandvehiclesystems.com/e...ab-description

This is the same as the Smitybilt 2781. There are a few companies that appear to rebadge this same model. I used one of these for a little bit. They are actually a pretty good little compressor. A few things I didn't like is that it was portable, I wanted a permanently mounted model. Another is that it never shuts off, once you hook up the power. Basically there is no pressure switch, the air simply escapes the end of the hose if you are not filling up a tire. Finally, they get hot when airing up (so does the ARB, but since it is hard mounted it isn't an issue for me) so you need to be careful when touching it.

I haven't timed it, but I feel like the ARB single may air up tires a little quicker. That is not a reason to dislike the above compressor, but a reason to like the ARB.