Variable road conditions can impact the lifespan of your tyres, with the correct air pressures and travel speeds vital links. But knowing whether you need to adjust the air in your tyres – or your speed – is hard to ascertain behind the wheel.
Tyre pressure monitoring systems reveal the truth. Through the real-time monitoring of your tyre pressures, you’ll be able to identify whether your tyres are at risk of overheating. What you need to look out for is a sudden or unexpected change from the baseline. Commonly, catastrophic tyre failures are a result of too little air in a tyre but can come as a result of over or even uneven inflation.
Two popular tyre pressure monitoring systems include the Inawise system, which positions the pressure sensors on the valve stem and valve-cap systems, like TYREDOG or TPMS, which replace your tyres’ existing air valve caps with those fitted with battery-powered sensors. The advantage of valve cap types is they’re fast to install and maintain.
In the TYREDOG system, the sensors communicate to a transmitter, which can either run on AA batteries or be hard-wired installed to your vehicle.
The batteries fitted to each sensor do wear out, though, and can cost more than $10 each (times this by eight, if you’re towing a two-axle van) but when you consider the cost of replacing all-terrain rubber, it’s small change.
Not only will you prolong the life of your rubber, you also obtain a better understanding of the way tyre pressure and tyre temperature are linked.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Michael Browning
Michael is an experienced writer who has specialised in the RV industry for the past 10 years. A keen traveller who enjoys exploring off-the- grid with his wife Wendy in their own custom-built caravan, Michael has also created events, adventure trips and product launches for the industry and is a regular contributor of news and reviews to leading Australian print and online caravanning websites.
