Viair Compressor

After getting a flat tire on our trip home from the factory, and the resulting saga, I was told by the DW that we would not leave the driveway again without an air compressor on board.

So after considerable research, both as to what a good compressor would be and to what will actually fit on board in the limited outside storage of a 2552 PC I decided on this unit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004B68XGC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1  Many folks recommended one of the small 'pancake' construction compressors, but nothing like that will fit on board a PC except in the right rear storage which I did not want to give up, so I went with the much smaller but more expensive Viair 400.

It gets both great reviews and looked like it would fit in the small storage space just aft of the battery compartment.  This comes in several models and I bought the '400P-RV' model instead of the less expensive '400P' model.  The difference is only in the accessories included.  This turns out to have been of mixed benefit.  Because of the valve extenders used by PC the rather cheap chucks used on the Viair accessories do not work.  So I might have been better with the cheaper model as I had to replace the chucks anyway.  But to the good, the 'RV' package has a slightly larger bag and includes an extra 25' air hose which might come in handy.

When I discovered the chucks would not work I ordered a Milton S-693 dual head air chuck and used the quick connector from the Viair one.  The Milton chuck works perfectly.

The air compressor also works well, as long as it is understood it is a tire inflator, not a commercial air compressor.  It inflated my tires from 65 to 80psi in less than a minute each.  And while it might take a good while to inflate a complete flat it is up to the job as long as you have patience.  The compressor connects directly to the battery, so sliding the battery out on the tray is required.  From there the extension cord is long enough to center the compressor on the passenger side.  And then the 25' air hose easily connects to all four tires.

And best, it fits well in the PC outside storage.  Even with limited usage and the issue with the air chuck I feel confident in recommending this to anyone who feels a need to carry a compressor on board.  But you might save a bit and get the regular 400P model as the 400P-RV includes things that will not work on our rigs anyway.

i have had mine for years. works great,  but my  chucks fit all my tires.

I have the Vair 88P that I ran into similar issues as you mentioned with the rear valve extensions supplied by PC. I also had problems with my TST remote pressure sensors with the PC valve extensions.  Once I changed the valves on the rear tires to Borg brand valves the problems went away.  The pressure/temperature sensors as well as the Vair compressor work well.  The Borg valves eliminates the need for any extensions which eliminated one more potential air leak source.  I experienced a slow air leak on one of the inner rear tires with the braided valve extension. 

Fortunately I have not had to air up a tire from a completely deflated condition.  I didn't time it but to get from 70 to 80 psi only took a couple minutes or so using the Vair unit. 

I had a smaller 12 volt compressor unit from Harbor Freight that I had used in a previous TT but it was extremely slow and started to heat when called on to get to the pressure needed for heavy duty pickup and MH tires.  The quality of the Vair unit seems to be at a higher level than my previous unit.

The Borg valves replace both the valve and extension, is that correct?  And how does that work on the outside dually?  Do they supply a 180 degree bent one?

And I assume you had the replacement done at a tire shop?  Can you say about what that cost?

It is a little aggravating for the PC supplied extensions to not work with many air chucks.  I had to buy a new air gauge as the nice one I bought and had shipped to Elkhart to would not work.  And several service stations I tried had air chucks that would not work with them either.  One of the reasons I decided carrying my own air was necessary.  And then the Viair chucks would not work.  I am happy to say the Milton chuck I bought and added to the Viair works just fine so it is a little confusing as to why some supposedly standard chucks work and some do not.

I found the Borg rear dually tire kit (4 valves) at Camping World on sale late last year.  I don't recall exactly what I paid but my memory was about $70.  It cost me $65 at a local tire shop to install the valves and rebalance the four tires.

I did a quick search online for Camping World Borg Valves but was not able to find the same kit.  These kits are made for specific vehicles.

This a link for a complete 6 tire set http://yourtireshopsupply.com/product/7844/dl1fcfr-chrome-duallyvalve-front-stems-dl1fcfr. I have no experience with this vendor.  One might find the right Borg kit on a local basis at Camping World if not available online.

Another supplier that is reported to have an excellent valve product is Tire Man http://tire-man.iwvisp.com/kit5.html.  I am not sure if this fits your PC so you would need to confirm with the selected vendor.

Many have reported no problems with the braided valve extensions but that was not my case.  The one piece valve and the TST remote sensors gave me much greater confidence the valves were not going to leak and should some issue start to develop with the tires the chances of me knowing it before a catastrophic failure would occur is vastly improved.

In speaking to Earl at PC about a new unit, he told me that they done away with the old braided extensions due to many complaints, me being one of them. They now install a  type of extension that air stops at the top of the tire valve and you push on the top of the extension to fill or check air pressure.

They now install a  type of extension that air stops at the top of the tire valve and you push on the top of the extension to fill or check air pressure.

I'm guessing I have the new style on my 2017.  But the push caps are finicky about the air chuck used on them.  My pressure gauge would not work and had to be replaced as well as the air chucks that came with the Viair.  And several air chucks at service stations would not work.

So if you have the new style be aware.  I am fine with them if they are not going to leak like the old ones but make sure your other gear will work with them before you need it in a bad place.

If I was considering a new motor home today, I would ask the factory if single piece valves such as Borg, Tireman, or similar were available instead of the type typically supplied that requires some type of separate extension.  If not available from the factory I would budget the one piece valves as soon as possible.  Based on my recent difficulties just in checking tire pressure, finding suitable chucks to add air, using tire pressure monitoring systems, and increased likelihood of air loss makes the one piece valve a worthy option for consideration.

After 3 flat tires, all coming out of storage, the extensions went in the trash.  The Tireman stems solved the leakage and access problems - on the front tires too.  This was not an inexpensive repair but it had to be done, I have no interest in dealing with nuisance flats on a trip.  Its a shame that the RV manufactures, PC and others, leave this for us to deal with.

The Viair compressors are good ones, they are popular with the off-road crowd (Jeeps).

Will,

We still have our original braided stainless extenders on our 2007.  I never did anything with them except to add in some air at the beginning of each RVing season.  I figure any disturbance after 10 years will warrant disposing of them.

Either we've been lucky, or you've been unlucky.

I think many have good luck with the extensions, unfortunately we didn't.  I seem to get stuck fixing a lot of this type of stuff which makes me more critical (annoyed) than others.   Need to get in the "lucky" column.....