Yup, but it would sure would be nice to have the extra volume for trail rides in addition to a compressor (added to the post above to claify). I have a viar450 electric compressor with a 1 gallon tank and the first tire fills fast but after that it's just running off the compressor.

I really like my viar. It puts out a lot more than the ARB compressor (which I had on my last truck), is almost as compact, 100% duty-cycle, and costs around $200. I got mine on ebay. As an added bonus BLING factor they are nice and shiny: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2436628787

Of course the ARB has a tiny tank attached and comes with the pressure switch. A tank and pressure switch would add another $60 or more, depending on the size of the tank.

Tanks: http://www.truckn-store.com/product_list.asp?id=1041.
Pressure Switch: http://www.tellico4x4.com/air/v90106.htm

Then add the cost of the switch, relay, quick-connects, hoses, and connectors.

 

I replied to your post at 4x4wire, but maybe you didn't see it. I've got 2 caddies that will fill (1) 32.11.5 tire in 5 minutes. For an air tank I've got a 2.5 gal stainless steel fire extinguisher that has been modified. Roger has the fire ext outlined on his website. Total cost was less than $100 and that includeds the air hose and all the fittings.

Here's, my writeup: http://robinhood4x4.com/compressors.htm

 

i have been looking into this setup for a while now, also. i was wondering, is there a ifference in how many tires that can be filled between an air (scuba) tank and a co2 tank?

 

I've thought about this time and time again, read all these threads about it, seen different methods of inflating tires, and to be honest, even if you went to a gas station to inflate after airing down, assuming $2 to inflate all four tires, it would take 250 trips to make up the money for a $500 inflation system. It's just not worth it to me.

In addition to answer the first thread's question, that tank will most definitely inflate 4 tires up to 33x11.50's if fully inflated to 135 psi. It will easily inflate from 15-40 psi on 4 285/75R16's, because I did it this weekend.

The other thing to think about with that tank is that they are really cheap, and with the additional small (cheap) compressor, you can turn on the compressor, which could be easily connected to the tank to refill the tank while trail riding, so you are ready to go the next time around, or the next day if camping or something. The whole system is effective, cheap, and easy to use.

I personally see no reason to spend 5 times the money just for convenience factor. But, that's just me!

Chris

 

For $300 I got a 15 pound Power Tank that can run my 33x12.5's from 12 to 36 in less than a minute.

For $185 I got the ARB compressor to run my lockers and cover me when the Power Tank runs out. I think I had 12 or so trips on the tank this summer before it was pooped.

A PT or heavy compressor allows you to reseat beads incase you are aired way down.

Where I wheel, airing down is vital and gas stations are not near by. Being self-sufficient is not a choice, it is mandatory.

Running the PT regulator at 150 PSI lets the gas really flow. Perhaps the homebrew unit was not as high flow or could not handle prolonged high flow.

In Colorado, I aired myself, got a hose for Jeff, lent the tank to Mike for all of his tires and still had time to offer air to Lee and Martin while some with light duty compressors were still waiting.

For $20 and fittings, you can run a caddy. Cheap and easy, gets the job done. Combine that with a tank and another compressor as Steve did and you are golden.

 

Don't forget the additional wear and tear on your tires by driving at speed on pavement when they're at low pressure.

Also, using a gas station as a fill-point will keep you from getting into a trail that's too far from a station. For example, most of the trails around here are FAR (like 20 miles) from a station.

 

Yes, quite a bit. You can get more "air" out of a CO2 tank than a scuba tank.

A CO2 system sits as a liquid in the tank and expands to an gas when released from the tank. The amount of expansion, and the resulting amount of gas, is HUGE.

A scuba tank is only holding compressed air.

I don't have a direct correlation for you, the volume of gas between like-sized tanks (say, 10lb) is tremendous.

 

I think a typical Scuba tank is around 80 cu.ft. so that's how much air (at room pressure) is in the tank, usually compressed to 2000-3000 psi. Using my tire filling calculation (posted earlier) would give the number of tires per tank. Assuming a 15 psi air up (15-30 or whatever) on a 33x12.50 tire would give 80/3.2 or 25 tires.

One of my 4Air customers works at a beach/dive shop and uses the 4-way hose with a Scuba tank and fills up his truck's tires several times a day, he reports under 1 minute air up for all 4 tires at once. He uses his pickup to launch and recover jet skis from the rental shop.

Note, most Scuba shops will only fill tanks if you are a certified Scuba diver.

 

Hmmm... okay, I know that physically a scuba tank is much larger than a 10lb PowerTank, but I don't know how "80cuft" relates to "10lbs". I can't find a converter online to help me figure that relationship.

I think that the repeated fill numbers you're quoting are about the same for a 10lb PowerTank. The scuba solution is faster though rate wise.


Good point about a card being required for a fill.

 

See: CO2-101

Working off their weight-volume figure, gives about 2 oz. of liquid CO2 to make 1 cu.ft of gas at 1 atmosphere, or 8 cu.ft. per lb. of gas, so a 10 lb. tank would have 80 cu.ft. of gas capacity. An 80 cu.ft. compressed gas tank is on the order of 6" in dia. and 36" tall (dimensions of my 80 ft. shielding gas tank on my MIG welder).

 

i know that people have been spending about $150, and i found this if anyone's lazy.

http://www.fly-n-hi.com/co2.htm

maybe i have an extra bottle here at work i can "throw away"

 

Has anyone actually bought one of these 5 lb CO2 sets from FLY-N-HI? The price seems very good if it includes everything pictured - tank, regulator, hose and fittings. I am curious if it really includes the regulator since they don't describe the regulator.

 

I just bought a Task Force 10 gallon tank to inflate my tires. It's only $30, and it will inflate all four of my 285's. I'm not going to spend that kind of money just to inflate my tires.

Chris

 

A 10 gallon tank at 150 psi may will be just barely enough to inflate 4 of your tires from 15 to 30 psi. Where do you put a 10 gallon tank?

 

In my back area for right now, but I'm eventually going to come up with something different, but I haven't thought it all through yet.

Chris

P.S. It's not as big as everyone things, and we've even seated a bead with one. I never thought it would have been able to do that.

 

You only get one shot though, and you won't always get the tire situated just right on the first try. With a small electric compressor it would make a passable air setup, but I'm with the engine-driven crowd and will eventually be installing a York under my hood.

 

That's the way to go.
Even the 12 or 24-volt version of the York would be supreme (from Kilby - http://www.onboardair.com/).

I'd agree about only having one chance. I guess if they had a cheapo auto-store tire compressor and the right fittings they could pump up that tank for another go. (after AN HOUR OF NOISE from the little compressor)

On a side note...Schucks had a "new" compressor that looked real good in there advertisement a week ago. It said it could inflate most tires in 1.25 minutes. I figured that was not too shabby, even though my 31" tire is bigger than average. I got to the store and saw the "smallest compressor ever"...the main difference being the lack of plastic crap that all compressors come with. On the side of the box it said "1.5 CFM" of something. Again, I was intrigued...on further investigation, nowhere did it say what PSI that CFM rating was for. It could've been at 0.00000 PSI...but at...oh, say 15-30 PSI, it would've been 0.0000000000000000000000001 CFM. Needless to say, I did NOT buy that compressor. :pat:

Jim

 

I guess that that $170 price from fly-n-hi is reasonable for a complete setup, here is another source:
http://brewersclub.safeshopper.com/63/cat63.htm?703

 

Scott's right. The tank will give you the pressure and volume to reseat a tire, otherwise, a large tank is not required. I have an 11 gallon tank supported by the Extreme Air compressor. The tank gives me the air volume and pressure needed to reseat my 40" tires and the compressor has the air flow that I need to fill up my tires.