Portable air compressor to inflate coach tires

[five]

On 4/6/2019 at 5:28 AM, elkhartjim said:

 

....I do carry a 150# rated Porter-Cable compressor to top off my tires when needed.....

 

Same here, more convenient, especially when parked at home.

[desertdeals69]

11 minutes ago, FIVE said:

Same here, more convenient, especially when parked at home.

Be sure to use an inline drier to keep moisture out.

[tireman9]

On 4/6/2019 at 6:28 AM, elkhartjim said:

"You should never re-inflate a tire that has been operated "Flat"   Flat means after losing 20% of the minimum inflation needed to carry the load." Tireman quote.

I guess I need a definition of "operated". Many times I've slowly driven a few hundred feet on a flat tire to a safe area before changing the tire. I have taken the tire in for repair and then safely used it for many more miles.  

What am I missing here? 

I do carry a 150# rated Porter-Cable compressor to top off my tires when needed.

 

The videos were intended to demonstrate the level of force in an inflated tire. Yes they are special set-ups but failures just like these have happened but without a camera running or safety cage and with a real person who actually died instead of a dummy

The steel in a tire sidewall can fail just as a paperclip can from excessive flexing.  Ya how much is excessive?  I don't know. I just did a test on a paperclip. One bend in one direction was enough for it to "fail".

The question of how "Flat" is "too-flat"?  or how far is too far has an infinite number of answers as there are an infinite number of combinations of load, speed, inflation plus the age and use of the tire and the number and size of potholes hit.

Anyone care to bet $10 on exactly how many times I can flex or bend a paperclip before it fails?  See me at Minot

I learned in my 40 years as a tire engineer that if it is possible for someone to do something involving tires the wrong way, someone will.  Sorry that I can't post a video of what can happen with every different situation. The intent of the video was to demonstrate the amount of force involved.

Maybe this is a better video showing what a "Zipper" failure is.

I may tend to err on the "safe-side" but experience has taught me that even when you tell someone to do or not do certain things and they decide they know more than you do, they are still happy to sue if they get hurt. I have spent too many hours in Deposition or reviewing data as an Expert Witness to not to be very careful when offering advice.

Think of the hundreds of posts on RV forums where people have posted " Tire blewout for no reason"  when in fact the reason was the combination of conditions when they were using the tire.

 

OK, getting off my soapbox now.

 

[elkhartjim]

You answered questions in this post you had answered in your previous posts yet you ignored the only question I asked in my quoted post.  "I guess I need a definition of "operated". Many times I've slowly driven a few hundred feet on a flat tire to a safe area before changing the tire. I have taken the tire in for repair and then safely used it for many more miles."

Perfect example: I replaced the tires on my previous motorhome and the installer failed to tighten the metal valve stem properly. I drove the motorhome home and stored it inside my building. Three days later I noticed one front tire was low and measured the pressure to be 65 psi. I aired the tire up to the recommended pressure based on my front weight to 110 psi. Based on your statement, if a tire is "operated" flat after losing 20% of the minimum air pressure then I drove for 5 years and 30,000 miles on a tire that was not safe. Unless and that was my question, since I never operated (drove) the motorhome, was I safe. Can/will you give me your definition of operate. Personally, I would think a tire that needed 110 psi parked for three days at 65 psi would be as dangerous as a tire driven 100 feet at 65 psi pressure, but then again, I'm not a retired tire engineer.

Thanks and I would appreciate your clarification. Oh, and I pray a lot more engineering goes into tire design than paperclip design. LOL

[wildebill308]

I just want to know what is so hard about answering the OPs question? All the OP wanted to know was "Can a portable air compressor properly inflate  coach tires (245/70R19.5 )".

Please enlighten us on what you would do if you went outside to get ready for a trip and the one or more tires on your RV were 5 lbs low? 

Bill

[tireman9]

On 4/7/2019 at 9:46 PM, desertdeals69 said:

Be sure to use an inline drier to keep moisture out.

I did a post on making your own air dryer with parts from Harbor Freight.  Be sure the desiccant is rated for the air pressure you need. Some are only good for 50 or 90 psi. There is a 150 psi unit on eBay

[tireman9]

On 4/17/2019 at 3:05 PM, elkhartjim said:

You answered questions in this post you had answered in your previous posts yet you ignored the only question I asked in my quoted post.  "I guess I need a definition of "operated". Many times I've slowly driven a few hundred feet on a flat tire to a safe area before changing the tire. I have taken the tire in for repair and then safely used it for many more miles."

Perfect example: I replaced the tires on my previous motorhome and the installer failed to tighten the metal valve stem properly. I drove the motorhome home and stored it inside my building. Three days later I noticed one front tire was low and measured the pressure to be 65 psi. I aired the tire up to the recommended pressure based on my front weight to 110 psi. Based on your statement, if a tire is "operated" flat after losing 20% of the minimum air pressure then I drove for 5 years and 30,000 miles on a tire that was not safe. Unless and that was my question, since I never operated (drove) the motorhome, was I safe. Can/will you give me your definition of operate. Personally, I would think a tire that needed 110 psi parked for three days at 65 psi would be as dangerous as a tire driven 100 feet at 65 psi pressure, but then again, I'm not a retired tire engineer.

Thanks and I would appreciate your clarification. Oh, and I pray a lot more engineering goes into tire design than paperclip design. LOL

 

On 4/17/2019 at 7:36 PM, WILDEBILL308 said:

I just want to know what is so hard about answering the OPs question? All the OP wanted to know was "Can a portable air compressor properly inflate  coach tires (245/70R19.5 )".

Please enlighten us on what you would do if you went outside to get ready for a trip and the one or more tires on your RV were 5 lbs low? 

Bill

"Operated" would normally mean driven on. BUT It is also possible to not drive at all and have a dangerous situation if you try and reinflate. 

A tire is OK when you park it but after checking the air pressure the Rv is parked for a few weeks but the valve core was leaking so the tire lost all its air. This would probably kink the steel body ply which could lead to a "Zipper" failure when re-inflated. Sorry, but there are not always simple answers to what seems to be a simple question.

You do know that the paper clip is simply an example of how fatigue can fail steel when simply tension loading does not.

[manholt]

Sorry, we asked.  It's just one big run around.  OP. Jim S. Bill, you will never get a straight answer!  We have a 43hp tractor, all tires was flat, we probably have 50 pounds of green goo in back tires and 20 in front..aired up today and ran it, with bush hog in back & 6' blade in front for about 5 hours today!  No body was hurt or killed.

I understand where Tireman is coming from.  There is caution and there is over kill...I don't buy into this any more!  There is a limit to BS.  Brett, kick me off or not, I have had enough!

[tireman9]

On 4/17/2019 at 7:36 PM, WILDEBILL308 said:

I just want to know what is so hard about answering the OPs question? All the OP wanted to know was "Can a portable air compressor properly inflate  coach tires (245/70R19.5 )".

Please enlighten us on what you would do if you went outside to get ready for a trip and the one or more tires on your RV were 5 lbs low? 

Bill

short answer is yes as long as the compressor can generate a pressure above the pressure needed.

[wildebill308]

36 minutes ago, tireman9 said:

short answer is yes as long as the compressor can generate a pressure above the pressure needed.

See that wasn't that hard. 

Bill

[rayin]

FWIW, when I was in high school I worked for the local Goodyear tire store one summer. I did light work and changed car tires, they would not allow me to work on truck tires citing safety  reasons. One day a man was inflating a truck tire that was inside a pipe cage, the tire exploded and the man lost his right hand.

I see a valid reason for Rogers pictures.