RV FEATURE
Picture this : you ’ re on a picturesque road trip , towing your caravan through the rugged outback . The sun is shining , and the adventure awaits . Suddenly , disaster strikes – a flat tyre . Whether you ’ re in the middle of nowhere or navigating a busy city street , dealing with a flat tyre can be a real challenge . But what if there was a way to prevent such situations ? Enter tyre pressure monitoring systems ( TPMS ), the unsung heroes of road safety .
While blowouts are relatively rare , even slightly under-inflated tyres can have a significant impact on fuel economy and tyre life span . Plus , driving on under-inflated tyres compromises handling and stability , especially when towing heavy loads like caravans .
MY PERSONAL WAKE-UP CALL
I learned this lesson the hard way while traveling on the outskirts of Melbourne . My caravan tyre suddenly burst , leaving me stranded . With no safe place to pull over , I had to drive for over a kilometre on a shredded tyre . It was a nerve-wracking experience – one that could have been avoided .
At this year ’ s Victorian Supershow , I had the opportunity to meet Dave Cooper from Safety Dave . He introduced me to the benefits of tyre pressure monitoring systems . Here ’ s how they work :
Simple installation : A TPMS comprises a small batteryoperated transmitter that screws onto your tyre inflation valve stem . This transmitter continuously monitors the exact tyre pressure and temperature . No messy wires – just a clean setup .
Dash-mounted receiver : The transmitted data is received by a dash-mounted screen . This screen is also battery-operated and rechargeable . It provides real-time information about each tyre ’ s status .
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