On-board Air questions
04-21-2019, 10:32 AM
#1
On-board Air questions
Having never had real on-board Air before (used to have a terribly cheap 12V thingy that took forever to top off a tire), I have a few questions about it.
1) Is it pretty easy to hookup (electrically and pneumatically) by oneself?
2) How is it routing air & electrical lines? I presume both the compressor & tank are attached to the frame rails and you have to get the electrical to the battery, a controller to the cab/dash, and the air lines to the tank and wherever you want to access the air.
3) do people keep it on all the time, letting the compressor periodically kick on to keep the tank pressurized and ready to go or do most people leave it off and just wait for the tank to get pressurized before using?
4) what would you think the minimum cfm and tank capacity necessary would be for light duty air tool usage? Is this even realistic (eg. enough space for hardware, enough power for compressor)?
5) are there any safety concerns, other than normal compressed air, due to being on a vehicle and exposed to the environment on a daily basis?
6) do you have buyers remorse doing on board air or are you quite happy with having it?
7) other than tires, what else have you used it for?
1) Is it pretty easy to hookup (electrically and pneumatically) by oneself?
2) How is it routing air & electrical lines? I presume both the compressor & tank are attached to the frame rails and you have to get the electrical to the battery, a controller to the cab/dash, and the air lines to the tank and wherever you want to access the air.
3) do people keep it on all the time, letting the compressor periodically kick on to keep the tank pressurized and ready to go or do most people leave it off and just wait for the tank to get pressurized before using?
4) what would you think the minimum cfm and tank capacity necessary would be for light duty air tool usage? Is this even realistic (eg. enough space for hardware, enough power for compressor)?
5) are there any safety concerns, other than normal compressed air, due to being on a vehicle and exposed to the environment on a daily basis?
6) do you have buyers remorse doing on board air or are you quite happy with having it?
7) other than tires, what else have you used it for?
04-21-2019, 09:17 PM
#2
Senior Member
I do deal with onboard air every day being a truck driver. And, use it to fill tires, run air tools, and other things. Now that is totally different than what you are asking, but here's my take. I have not had onboard air on a personal vehicle. I am waiting to do a system on my truck when I get other projects caught up. I know you do need to be somewhat mechanically inclined. The size of the tank and compressor does depend on what all you can run off the system.
Another big thing is the life of the compressor. If you have a bed cover or tool box that is the best place to put the compressor. The tank can go anywhere. I would use the system to fill tires, train horns, fill my rear air bags, and be able to run an impact to change a flat tire.
Another big thing is the life of the compressor. If you have a bed cover or tool box that is the best place to put the compressor. The tank can go anywhere. I would use the system to fill tires, train horns, fill my rear air bags, and be able to run an impact to change a flat tire.
04-24-2019, 10:32 PM
#3
Senior Member
To minimize the install and to prevent the need for a tank, I have been looking at the ARB Twin. It's a bit pricey, but has a ton of good reviews.
https://www.4wheelparts.ca/Air-Compr..._pn=ARBCKMTA12
https://www.4wheelparts.ca/Air-Compr..._pn=ARBCKMTA12