Electric tyre pumps for vans
Discussion
I need to find a good tyre pump for my folks to carry in the van when they are away. 2 key points it seems.
It's got to be man enough to cope with pressures upto 55psi as that is what they run at.
The leads need to be long enough to easily reach from the dash to the rear wheels.
I'm struggling a bit. I've found a ring one but its £70 and attaches straight to the battery. Not a huge issue but a bit more phaff.
Most of the others seem to top out at 50psi and have leads around 3m which on a 6m van is going to mean wending it through windows and doors to reach the back tyres.
What do people use?
Thanks
It's got to be man enough to cope with pressures upto 55psi as that is what they run at.
The leads need to be long enough to easily reach from the dash to the rear wheels.
I'm struggling a bit. I've found a ring one but its £70 and attaches straight to the battery. Not a huge issue but a bit more phaff.
Most of the others seem to top out at 50psi and have leads around 3m which on a 6m van is going to mean wending it through windows and doors to reach the back tyres.
What do people use?
Thanks
Edited by DKL on Wednesday 23 November 12:54
I had exactly the same issue as I couldn't buy one that fitted the bill, I made up a lead using a 12volt socket and a few metres of cable with 2 crocodile clips, similar to the attached pic, cost about £6 for the parts. My standard inflater / compressor never had a problem blowing up tyres.
I have an electric Michelin pump that sees occasional use.
The lead is around 3-4m long, so I connect it to an accessory socket in the front for the front tyres and a rear accessory socket for the rear tyres. It's easy enough to do. I run 60psi in my tyres and the pump copes well. I have twin rear wheels on a Mercedes 410 chassis, so getting to the inner rear tyre or even the backwards-facing valve on the outer ones does require some dexterity and perseverance.
I have a commercial vehicle attachment for my small 240v air compressor at home which makes things easier. That said, my wheels are covered by screw-on stainless hub caps and removing those, plus valve cap removal and securely locking-on for the valve on the rears can consume time and patience in equal measure.
To reduce this 'faff', though, I have installed TyrePal valve caps. This saves me checking the tyres for each trip and allows constant monitoring. It's given me relative peace of mind and some degree of advance warning of any problems. A TyrePal kit isn't ruinously expensive and I highly recommend it. Failing that, and cheaper still, are valve caps that flash red when the pressure inside them drops by 5psi. I use these on one of my cars to good effect. They're around £40 for a set and are a much easier way of checking pressures than doing it manually.
The lead is around 3-4m long, so I connect it to an accessory socket in the front for the front tyres and a rear accessory socket for the rear tyres. It's easy enough to do. I run 60psi in my tyres and the pump copes well. I have twin rear wheels on a Mercedes 410 chassis, so getting to the inner rear tyre or even the backwards-facing valve on the outer ones does require some dexterity and perseverance.
I have a commercial vehicle attachment for my small 240v air compressor at home which makes things easier. That said, my wheels are covered by screw-on stainless hub caps and removing those, plus valve cap removal and securely locking-on for the valve on the rears can consume time and patience in equal measure.
To reduce this 'faff', though, I have installed TyrePal valve caps. This saves me checking the tyres for each trip and allows constant monitoring. It's given me relative peace of mind and some degree of advance warning of any problems. A TyrePal kit isn't ruinously expensive and I highly recommend it. Failing that, and cheaper still, are valve caps that flash red when the pressure inside them drops by 5psi. I use these on one of my cars to good effect. They're around £40 for a set and are a much easier way of checking pressures than doing it manually.
I've got one of these Ring Heavy Duty Tyre Pumps. It's been great. I just use a spare 12v battery with it, which I can charge either at home, or from the vehicle plugs when on mains supply at a site.
It's hassle free and pumps up to 5.1bar (75psi) without any prob's.
It's hassle free and pumps up to 5.1bar (75psi) without any prob's.
Ive had two from Halfords of these for the van - http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-equi...
However both have stopped holding a charge (ie I cant actually charge it) after only a few months which is a shame because when it worked it was a great accessory for the van.
I will take this one back as well for a replacement again as I cant find anything else on the market that gives me high enough pressure.
However both have stopped holding a charge (ie I cant actually charge it) after only a few months which is a shame because when it worked it was a great accessory for the van.
I will take this one back as well for a replacement again as I cant find anything else on the market that gives me high enough pressure.
I had similar issues, so bought one of these...
https://tools.jcb.com/en-gb/home/products/compress...
Yes it needs 240v but I would hope to have access somehow if needed at home or on a campsite.
https://tools.jcb.com/en-gb/home/products/compress...
Yes it needs 240v but I would hope to have access somehow if needed at home or on a campsite.
Edited by size13 on Thursday 24th November 14:47
DKL said:
Thanks all, lots of options.
CC does it no work if its plugged in? I find some rechargable stuff does and some doesn't
yes its rechargeable so perfect for my caravan really - I can top up if needed before I travel.CC does it no work if its plugged in? I find some rechargable stuff does and some doesn't
At the moment it will not charge though, and thats the second one that has the problem. It has a torch, a USB port and tools to blow up airbeds/dingys etc.....
As its got Halfords plastered all over it, Im not expecting much of a fuss when I take it back for an exchange.
EDIT - might have read that wrong - yes it still works when plugged in - its how Ive been using it on site when needed.
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