Let me preface this with "Yes, I did search, however, I didn't find what I was looking for". Most of the recommendations so far are beyond what I'm looking for (I think, unless somebody can convince me otherwise).

Let's start with the backstory. Winter finally showed up last weekend, and we got our first significant snowfall. We also had plummeting temps down around 0F. As is usual in sudden cold temps, my wife's minivan started throwing low tire pressure warnings. Not much of problem, just needs a little air. Usually I'd use my pancake, but it was all the way out in the shed, and I didn't really feel like navigating the piles of snow to go get it at 10 at night, so instead I popped out to the truck and grabbed my portable unit. This portable unit is one of those cheesy, cheap 12v ones kind of like this randomly plundered google image search turned up:



It was a replacement my wife got me after my much nicer 20 year old I got from Petro-Canada (back when you could exchange your points for tools) died after being knocked off my tailgate. This one worked perfectly fine for quick top-offs on the kid's bikes, but yeah, it sucks on actual tires. I didn't really expect much from it, but it would only get my wife's tires up to 33 psi (from the 30 they were sitting at) before it would quit.

So now I'm searching around for a better replacement. I don't really want onboard air... well, I think having onboard air would be cool, but I don't really need onboard air. Besides, with onboard air I'd have whatever I want to inflate relatively within range of the truck. So I'd rather grab a portable unit. In purely portable units, the Viair 400P (or 450P) seems to be the one coming up the most on here, and on couple of other sites, but I worry it's too large for my basic needs. I want something that's going to be able to fit under the backseat in the storage bin, and preferably, doesn't need to be connected straight to the battery posts to run. Most of the time, my portable compressor is really only used for:

• Kid's bike tires
• Air mattress, pool toys, etc...
• Topping up the basketball, soccer ball, etc...
• And as an emergency tool for topping up tires (especially the RVs) if something happens away from home.

My current cheapy one does fine on the first 3 use cases, it's the forth one where I'd prefer a little more 'oomph', but don't really need a lot more 'oomph'. Searching through Amazon for alternative Viair compressors I'm turning up the 70P, 77P, 84P 85P 87P, 88P, as options.

Does anybody have any recommendations on a particular model?

 

Viair units are reasonable quality at a fair price. I just bought a 400p RV. Less duty cycle than the 450p RV but higher air flow, which is nice for ca/truck tires. The "automatic" feature is handy.

Direct clamp to the battery is necessary for the larger compressors' power requirements. Having the engine running is often suggested. Basically a trade off between convenience and performance.

The Viair website lists portable compressors by suggested maximum tire size. They also list inflation times for various pressures/tire sizes.

 

I agree that Viair makes good portable air compressors.

I recently purchased the Viair 450p RV - I liked the high duty cycle. I think the 400p would also work (maybe better).

They come with quality hoses and battery clamps. They are a little bit pricy and are bigger than I was expecting (hard to find a good storage place in my truck that is totally out of the way - I don't think it will fit under the rear seat (need to try)).

Either of these Viair products should do what you listed it needing to do.

Jim

 

Third vote for Viair 400p. Will fit under rear seat if you separate the components a little, I keep the gauge/handle outside the bag.

I hard wired in a trolling motor plug on the front of my 5th wheel and spliced in the corresponding part onto the Viair wires after cutting off the clamps. Now I can fill tires on the rig and the truck, as well as my pin box airbag without having to pop open the hood of my truck. I spliced another plug on the clamp wires to allow the unit to revert to the configuration if needed (saw the idea on Love My RV youtube channel).

 

I bought one from Walmart years ago. Spliced in an extra 20 feet of wire so it would reach my boat trailer. It works fine. Just the other day I used it to inflate one of my F250 tires to 65 pounds and it did it in a few minutes.

 

 

Another vote for a Continuous Duty Viair Compressor ..

 

I have the Viair 300P and it does everything I ask it to do.

 

 

if you want to not have to buy another compressor anytime soon, I would suggest the Viair. It's a bit pricey when compared to the cheap compressors out there but it is money well spent if you need to inflate any car or truck tire from half to full pressure in a reasonable amount of time. Plus they are not to loud and are not an irritating pitch either. If you ever need to air down and than bring your tires back up to pressure you will be happy you have a Viair. plus you will be done a lot sooner. get one with the automatic feature. anything that plugs into a cigarette lighter is pretty much a toy and only good for stuff that can be just as easily filled with a hand pump (yes a $20 bike bump is easier to use to fill a bike tire or a ball, get a dual action one that pumps in the push and pull strokes).

 

doesn't your 5ver have a battery?!

and this pump allows for a long hose.. so you don't have to have the pump AT the tire

 

Yep, but it would be easier to use the truck's battery. To get to the battery on mine (Surveyor 275BHSS https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2016-...75bhss-tr26370) I would have to disconnect anyways, to be able to fully open the front basement door, pull out the stuff that's in the way, unbolt the battery box cover, and then clamp onto that battery's terminals. With all of that, I could just turn the truck around and pop the hood.

But, if I could run off the 7-pin, I can just plug into the one on the bumper and should be able to reach the fiver's wheels. Again, it's not really a big use case that's hopefully never needed, so it's not a biggie, but I thought I had read somewhere the 7-pin was capable of providing up to 30A, so it seems feasible to be able to run a compressor of it that's got a bigger draw than the cigarette plug can support.

 

Photo shows driver side under rear seat. Handle with gauge is to the right in photo (towards rear of vehicle):

 

Thanks! So, based on that, I'd have to have it on the driver's side. It looks too big to fit on the passenger side. Not a problem, just helps me plan accordingly.

 

sorry, hadn't seen any with a battery buried like that.. mine is in an easily accessible side compartment.