Looking for a Tire Pressure Monitoring System for your RV? With so many options, it’s hard to know which system to use. So we’re going to examine 5 Differences between the Truck System Technologies (TST) Tire Pressure Monitoring System and the TireMinder TPMS.
Our First TPMS System & Why We Switched to TST
As RV Newbies we bought a Tire Minder because we didn’t know enough about any other systems. Overall our first year with the TireMinder went ok.
The system stopped working within the 1st year and TireMinder honored the warranty. We think it fried in the dashboard & the sun. Then about a year into RVing, the batteries all died and we had to replace them. We were glad we had the handbook handy to walk us through that process.
But now that we’re in our Sophomore year of RVing, we’re expanding our horizons and learning that we can get so much more from a TPMS for about the same cost!
So when Forest River Sandpiper, Riverstone, XLR, Rockwood, Flagstaff, Prime Time, Columbus, Cedar Creek Divisions, (the manufacture of our RV) started installing TST TPMS systems, we reached out to TST to find out what all the fuss was about.
If we haven’t already met: We’re John & Mercedes, the RV Odd Couple. We sold our house & most of our possessions to RV pursuing freedom, independence, and adventure because life is too short! The following article is our personal experience. We are not safety professionals. There are affiliate links in this post. This means if you purchase and use our links and discount code, it will not cost you a penny more, but we will earn a small commission.
So we reached out to TST and they gave us a system to try out. They walked us through the instal and showed us how to use the system. When they walked us through how to use the TST TPMS, we couldn’t help but notice major differences between TST vs. TireMinder.
1. Differences Between TST TPMS & Tire Minder
Here’s the biggest differences that made us switch from TireMinder to TST. Customizable Sensor Caps
Our TireMinder only has 1 type of Sensor Cap for the tires. TST Offers 5 different types of tire sensors.
So if you want to be able to adjust the air pressure without removing the sensor, you can do that. Whether you have metal valve stems or rubber valve stems, you have plenty of tire pressure sensor options.
The following sensor caps for the following tire types:
-External Cap
This is the most basic sensor type. You have to remove the sensor to adjust the tire’s pressure. You can put these sensors on rubber or metal valve stems, 4 wheelers, side by sides, off road vehicles, just about anything with air pressure and a valve stem.
-External Flow Through Sensor Cap
This sensor allows you add or remove air without removing the sensor from the valve stem, requires a metal valve stem.
-External Hybrid Sensors for Marine Use (saltwater immersion approved!)
Do you have a boat trailer? There’s nothing worse than planning on taking the boat out, only to realize the boat trailer has a flat! Monitor your boat trailer tires with the hybrid sensors that are specifically designed for marine use.
-Internal Banded Sensor
This sensor is banded to wheel before the tire is put on the rim. This is the application that the RV Manufacturers use.
-Commercial Sealed Tire Sensor
While this doesn’t apply to RVer’s, this brings peace of mind knowing you’re relying on the same technology that commercial truck drivers use day in and day out!
All sensors can be used with each other, at the same time! Mix and match the sensor types to suit your application.
2. Simultaneously Monitor Multiple Trucks & Trailers
By far the most impressive feature of the TST TPMS system is that it can monitor multiple vehicles simultaneously! Usually you would have to buy a TPMS system per vehicle.
With an astounding 115 tire position monitoring capability you can monitor up to 5 vehicles at the same time. So if you decide to take the truck and fifth wheel one week, and take the class b the following week, you can monitor the temperature and air pressure of all the tires (including spares!) with just one system.
And if you leave one of the vehicles home, you can adjust the monitor so the alarm is not sounding when you exit the perimeter of the display.
3. Readable Display
John and I were 20 minutes into a 1400 mile trip when our Tire Minder Tire Pressure Monitoring System started beeping and gave us an E5 Error Code. We thought to ourselves, “Oh No… It’s an E5! Now If only we knew what that meant!?!?
Being able to literally read the specific code takes the guess work out of monitoring your tires.
4. Constant Display
The TST Tire Pressure Monitoring System is constantly displaying the pressure and temperature.
Other systems need to be manually switched between temperature and pressure. This means you have to scroll through and press the buttons half a dozen times (while driving) to get a read.
The TST is constantly cycling relaying through each tire to give you the most up to date reading, while monitoring all sensors at the same time..
5. No Sleeping behind the wheel
Other Tire Pressure monitoring systems time out and go into “Sleep Mode,” regardless of whether or not you’re still driving. So you could be on the highway driving 65 MPH and you have to reach over and start pushing buttons to get a read on your tires.
The TST Tire Monitoring System will stay “awake” when you’re moving. So as long as motion is detected, you can visually get a read, without taking your attention off the road.
How to save money on a TST Tire Pressure Monitoring System
We’ve been using our TST for a while now and we love it! In fact, we love our TST so much that it’s one of our top 5 RV Gadgets! There are a lot of places to save money, but don’t skimp on safety!
So we negotiated a 15% off Coupon with TST. Just use code RVOC15 when you check out. You can see all of their RV Kits here.
Why are we sharing about TST TPMS?
When we decided to take this huge leap of faith and RV full-time with our family, so many people offered us help. We’d like to pay it forward. We’ve created a download of our “Top 10 RV Must Haves.” This download has links to ease purchase. You’ll Join our “Odd Squad” and be the first to know about our new adventures, products, and RV living hacks!
Thanks for Joining our Odd Squad,
John, Mercedes, Sage & Skippy