Puncture on motorway No Spare Wheel. Rubbish Tyre Inflator

[Notmyvan]

Yesterday I had a puncture on a motorway, In my tow car which did not have a spare wheel, just one of these tiny 12v tyre inflators. And when I used it although it did inflate the tyre it was only to 25psi and should be 40 psi (My caravan is 65)
So set off and within 5 miles had to stop and inflate it again, Got off the motorway and got to a garage and pumped it up again. Then got to a tyre place.
Can anyone recommend a better 12v Tyre Inflater. I certainly feel that if there was one which would go to a higher pressure I could have travelled further, and if it was one of the caravan tyres, just going up to 25psi instead of 65 would not be really of use.

 

[RogerL]

Yesterday I had a puncture on a motorway, In my tow car which did not have a spare wheel, just one of these tiny 12v tyre inflators. And when I used it although it did inflate the tyre it was only to 25psi and should be 40 psi (My caravan is 65)
So set off and within 5 miles had to stop and inflate it again, Got off the motorway and got to a garage and pumped it up again. Then got to a tyre place.
Can anyone recommend a better 12v Tyre Inflater. I certainly feel that if there was one which would go to a higher pressure I could have travelled further, and if it was one of the caravan tyres, just going up to 25psi instead of 65 would not be really of use.

You might find a used inflator from a VW Group car, ie VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda, Porsche - it's very powerful and will go up to 4.5 bar

 

[otherclive]

I swopped both our cars from goo kits to space savers. I sometimes carry a bicycle track pump and that goes to 65 psi with some effort from me. But to answer your question when caravanning I carried an old Michelin 12 v electric air pump. It had no problem topping the caravan tyres up, but came in very useful for reinflating the various tow car tyres prior to leaving a site. This was because the tow car tyres would be reduced in pressure for solo running and then topped up before towing home.

ps the Continental tyre inflators are rated to 7 bar……..patience no doubt required.

 

[JTQ]

Not going to recommend a 12 V job as yet to find one that's sensibly portable, can readily deal with 65psi caravan sized tyres and importantly offers durability, I use a quality track pump. Good example

I have a good 12 volt pump but that due to its bulk and needing access onto the battery, as it is too powerful to use a conventional in car 12 Volt socket, this lives at home RING RAC900
This over the years has proved to be a durable product.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I've never trusted those goo kits.
If it was mine I'd definitely be looking for a spare wheel (spacesaver?) and a jack and wheel brace.
Partially reinflating a tyre is no solution.

 

[otherclive]

I've never trusted those goo kits.
If it was mine I'd definitely be looking for a spare wheel (spacesaver?) and a jack and wheel brace.
Partially reinflating a tyre is no solution.

That’s why I converted our cars to space savers as not ideal but at least they allow you ti continue as there can be non repairable punctures that goo kits will not work on. Also many British tyre depots will not deal with a tyre with goo inside it. Citing heath and safety or environmental concerns. Both not true.

 

[Mr Plodd]

I simply refuse to travel anywhere, let alone abroad, without a spare wheel for both car and caravan. Run over the base of a broken wine bottle at 10 o'clock at night in the middle of the countryside, on a bank holiday weekend, with no mobile phone signal and you will very quickly find out just how useless a can of goo and a pump are.

I have a spacesaver for the car (not ideal but better than nothing) and a full size spare for the caravan along with Jack's for both. I also check the pressure in both on a regular basis, a flat spare is ...... -all use to anyone!

 

[otherclive]

I suspect that if the OP could not get above 25psi then the goo had failed to work on the puncture or possibly tyre bead leakage. The normal compressors that come with goo kits should inflate to well over 25 psi. Continental claim up to 7 bar. Uhm!

 

[Beachball]

We also got space saver wheel instead of the goo kits i did not trust them myself when towing a caravan .
i brought this
Fastcar 12v digital air compressor with auto shut- off and adaptors no problem with car or caravan

 

[RogerL]

If a 12v inflator has a "cigarette lighter" plug, it won't be very powerful - the more powerful inflators need to be connected directly to the battery, with crocodile clips, because of their higher current draw.

 

[Woodentop]

If a 12v inflator has a "cigarette lighter" plug, it won't be very powerful - the more powerful inflators need to be connected directly to the battery, with crocodile clips, because of their higher current draw.

Why? Such plugs are fused at 10A in most cars.

 

[RogerL]

Why? Such plugs are fused at 10A in most cars.

120w (10A x 12v) isn't particularly powerful - the more powerful inflators draw more than 10A so need a direct connection.

 

[JTQ]

Why? Such plugs are fused at 10A in most cars.

However, examples of the more HD inflators as I mentioned in post #4, the RING RAC900 pulls up to 23 Amps "Brand owner's website"

Not that power in itself has any direct effect on what pressures these devices can achieve, just how quickly they get there, but also, and importantly, indirectly the ability and better reserves to overcome the internal leakage.
In my experience that was the failing on the lower powered devices, they "wore" over time so ultimately, they ran endlessly not achieving the 65 psi I needed anymore.
Many years in our RAC900 comfortably reaches my required 65 psi, and once when required in France, without issue achieved a motorhomer's 85 psi. As I said, in more recent times I don't take it, my bike's track pump better fits our needs; that I use up to 100psi on a Brompton.

 

[GaryB]

My V90 has no spare, the 48 volt battery is housed in the spare wheel well. This post has prompted me to buy a wheel and jack/brace from here:

18"SPACE SAVER SPARE WHEEL+TOOL KIT FITS VOLVO V90 CROSS COUNTRY II 2016-PRESENT | eBay

VOLVO V90 CROSS COUNTRY II. UNIVERSAL LIFTING JACK AND WHEEL BRACE. SPACE SAVER SPARE WHEEL AND TYRE 18". Can be used on cars with 18",19",20" wheels from factory. TOOLS COVER BAG.

www.ebay.co.uk

Seeing as the boot’s large I’ll keep it in there in a cover. Compressors & glue aren’t much use in the event of a blow out.

 

[otherclive]

My V90 has no spare, the 48 volt battery is housed in the spare wheel well. This post has prompted me to buy a wheel and jack/brace from here:

18"SPACE SAVER SPARE WHEEL+TOOL KIT FITS VOLVO V90 CROSS COUNTRY II 2016-PRESENT | eBay

VOLVO V90 CROSS COUNTRY II. UNIVERSAL LIFTING JACK AND WHEEL BRACE. SPACE SAVER SPARE WHEEL AND TYRE 18". Can be used on cars with 18",19",20" wheels from factory. TOOLS COVER BAG.

www.ebay.co.uk

Seeing as the boot’s large I’ll keep it in there in a cover. Compressors & glue aren’t much use in the event of a blow out.

When it arrives check the wheel brace that it fits the cars wheel nuts. I had one that wouldn’t fit. But I was going to replace it anyway with a telescopic wheel wrench and a good quality socket.

 

[izzy]

I have a full size new spare for the caravan and when I got the new car I ordered it with a spacesaver and not the gunk, I have a jack and brace for both.
I don't go anywhere without the track pump which has never let me down and would if needed inflate to well over 100 psi.
I have over the years tried many 12v compressors even those supplied by our teutonic friends and I have never found one that isn't totally useless and unfit for purpose.
Or maybe I have just been unlucky

 

[Mr Plodd]

Why this apparent obsession with carrying a high pressure pump if you have spare wheels?

I check my spacesaver spare and caravan spare at filling stations on a regular basis and certainly at the start of any trip away with the caravan.

 

[JTQ]

Checking a tyre pressure with intrusive devices, as at "filling stations", conventional "gauges" etc has to unseat the Schrader valve, that very process makes a valve leak way more probable than if it has not been checked.

That particular risk is eliminated by viewing a TPMS, no disturbances there to the sealing.

Hence there was a logic in having a capable inflator; one not capable of reaching the requisite pressure, leaves risks.

Now with TPMS, I still carry a track pump, all our bikes need one, and I am quite happy in knowing its capable of topping any pressure loss my caravan or car tyres might have. Plus, my caravan and car spares are not readily accessible to check their pressures, so it's comforting to know if a spare has to be lugged out and found a bit down, it is no issue to bring it up to pressure.
Anything more. like on route replacing a caravan or car tyre, I leave these days to my recovery insurance.

Edit: coping with a "slow puncture" by topping it up, can be far less hassle and less time exposed to danger than the whole task of an on-route wheel change; again, a pressure capable pump is needed.

 

[Hutch]

I have a Ring Compressor, that I carry in the. Car along with lots of emergency kit that thankfully I have never needed to use. But my full size spare wheel for the car, I inflate to 50 psi, so that If I need it I can deflate it to the pressure that I need, the same with the caravan tyre, inflate to 70 psi .

 

[otherclive]

Checking a tyre pressure with intrusive devices, as at "filling stations", conventional "gauges" etc has to unseat the Schrader valve, that very process makes a valve leak way more probable than if it has not been checked.

That particular risk is eliminated by viewing a TPMS, no disturbances there to the sealing.

Hence there was a logic in having a capable inflator; one not capable of reaching the requisite pressure, leaves risks.

Now with TPMS, I still carry a track pump, all our bikes need one, and I am quite happy in knowing its capable of topping any pressure loss my caravan or car tyres might have. Plus, my caravan and car spares are not readily accessible to check their pressures, so it's comforting to know if a spare has to be lugged out and found a bit down, it is no issue to bring it up to pressure.
Anything more. like on route replacing a caravan or car tyre, I leave these days to my recovery insurance.

Edit: coping with a "slow puncture" by topping it up, can be far less hassle and less time exposed to danger than the whole task of an on-route wheel change; again, a pressure capable pump is needed.

Not all cars have TPMS, or even if it is fitted not all give pressure readings. For years prior to TPMS motorists have been checking tyre pressures using gauges that disturb the valve and the statement “makes a valve leak way more probable “ is an exaggeration particularly if the baseline probability is not quantified. I’ve checked tyres regularly from my days with motorbikes and can’t recall ever having a valve leak. What I can do though is sometimes spot a slow puncture prior to TPMS warning me. I had one some weeks back. The tyre depot couldn’t find a leak but when I took it back again two weeks after reinflation sure enough they found a small metallic splinter in the shoulder. Non repairable due to its position. £180 for new Continental.

 

[Hutch]

The Tyrepal TMPS system and a similar system on my motorbike tyres, unseat the shrader valve, to be able to give you almost instantaneously monitored tyre pressures.

 

[Jcloughie]

50 or so years ago I checked my Ford Anglia tyres on a garage forecourt. It took a lot longer than I expected, but I just thought the compressor was poor. On driving out of the forecourt onto a wet busy city road paved with cobbles and with tram lines. I might as well have been on ice. Very frightening.

Later, when I checked, I found I had around 70lbs instead of the expected 32.

I had a spacesaver in my Volvo. But the new MG has a goo system. It will take a full spare. But I don't think I will bother. With my poor health I really don’t want to try to change a wheel. I will hope I have a mobile signal and trust in the recovery.

John

 

[RogerL]

50 or so years ago I checked my Ford Anglia tyres on a garage forecourt. It took a lot longer than I expected, but I just thought the compressor was poor. On driving out of the forecourt onto a wet busy city road paved with cobbles and with tram lines. I might as well have been on ice. Very frightening.

Later, when I checked, I found I had around 70lbs instead of the expected 32.

I had a spacesaver in my Volvo. But the new MG has a goo system. It will take a full spare. But I don't think I will bother. With my poor health I really don’t want to try to change a wheel. I will hope I have a mobile signal and trust in the recovery.

John

Forecourt pressure gauges were notorious for being inaccurate - and yet a simple "pencil-type" gauge has always had good accuracy.

 

[otherclive]

I’ve always tried to avoid forecourt air stations. Much prefer to check and adjust my own tyre pressures. Done when cold generally every couple of weeks. I can then check for sidewall damage too, especially with the state of todays roads. My grandson has lost three run flat tyres on his BMW 5 series this year due to road conditions. Fortunately when he had the car he took out tyre insurance. One deflated and two developed sidewall bulges.

 

[otherclive]

Forecourt pressure gauges were notorious for being inaccurate - and yet a simple "pencil-type" gauge has always had good accuracy.

I use PCL pencil gauge. Not sure what its absolute accuracy is but I have consistency and don’t suffer uneven tyre wear so it must be pretty good. . I also have a Tire Tek mechanical gauge with bleed down facility, and a Ring digital electronic too. All are within 2 psi across the readings at 33 psi.