Re: [A/S] Tire Pressure Monitoring

["Tom Patterson" <pattersontj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have the Smart Tire system and have had it on my trailer for several 
years.  It has warned me of blowouts in the past, and without any doubt in 
my mind, has returned more than the initial cost by alerting me immediately 
of a problem so that I avoided a torn up wheelwell.  I have experienced a 
torn up wheelwell before I got the system and know how much damage a 
flailing tread can cause.

I did have a tire separate from the tread this summer however, and did not 
get any alert from the system.  I am not sure why.  Luckily, the tread 
(which completely separated) stayed intact and wrapped itself around the 
axle, so no damage occurred.

When I bought a new tire from a tire dealer after returning home, he 
mentioned that I could have monitored heat from the tires along the way, and 
probably would have been aware of a tire problem before it ever happened. 
It suggested using a heat gun, kind of a thermometer with a laser beam that 
you can aim at the tires while you walk around the trailer and get the 
temperature readings.  It told me that if a tire was having problems, its 
temperature would be significantly higher than the other tires, even if 
outside appearances showed nothing wrong.

I bought one of these devices from Sears for around $50 and will be using it 
in the future whenever I stop of gas, or whatever.  Meanwhile, the Smart 
Tire system is still there as well.

-Tom