Mark, I don't know whats up with the instructions (re: "steel carcass (belted) tires") but I assure you that the system works PERFECTLY with steel belted radial trailer tires which I too have on my trailer. In fact, I think its hard to find a trailer tire that is not steel belted. Conceptually, there's NOTHING unique about the sensors OR the detection method of this Ford system compared to any other TPMS system. So, a real head-scratcher of why that warning is in the instructions. My advice is to install them - they'll work.

I LOVE the system and it has saved me more than once. The integration into the dash display is seamless. It is very nice to scroll through and see ALL of your tire pressures when you're on a long trip. A previous post cites the hassle of having to leave enough slack in the cable to the truck. This is TRIVIAL, by design. At the truck, the TPMS harness plugs in immediately adjacent to the traditional 7-way plug. You simply zip-tie the TPMS cable to the standard umbilical cord and you're done. 2 minutes max.

 

Thanks for the info on the sensors. When I took them to be installed, the technician pointed out the caveat in the instructions. You are right. If it’s like any other sending unit, it should work. Why the heck does Ford put this in the instructions?? Based on your feedback, I’m gonna try them.

My fifth wheel plug is in my bed,. It’s part of the fifth wheel prep package. Nichols does make the duo plug, which I’ve been looking at. But again, I would need to snake the cable through my fifth wheel hitch tongue. Very, very right on my RV. This is where my existing trailer harness routes. Easier to just have it plug into the bumper plug. But it’s tricky on a fifth wheel. You need to allow enough slack for turning without the cable dragging. I’ve actually looked at cable hanger springs that you see on semi’s, Maybe I’ll just use a bungee cord!

Sounds like you have a traditional trailer hitch. I think that’s what Ford really designed the package for. My RV also has an enclosed under belly. To do this right, I would really need to drop this to run the cable the length of the RV. I may just try snaking along the outside frame rail. But It’s not the best installation. Also have to deal with running the cable down the back of my camper for the camera. Looking at some type of cable race to conceal it. But it’s a lot of hassle.

Thanks for the feedback on the TPMS sending units.

Mark

 

I have the Ford system and so far it has worked flawlessly. Got a great deal on it thru ebay and yes it is wired but really like the fact that I don't have any other screens to mess with. Looked at the Nichols wiring and plug and decided that I could do it all myself and ending up making the plug out of Abs plastic. Here r some pictures of the install. The TPMS works just fine with my tires and I ran the wiring along the bottom of the trailer and up into the front compartment where I secured the TPMS sending unit. Fishing wire thru to the front compartment from the king pin was not that hard to do.

 

Nice installation. Thanks for sharing. Did the bumper harness reach your bed plug or did you have to extend it? Wish I had bought mine on eBay. Could have saved some $’s. My king pin channel is very difficult to access. But I may explore it some more. The only way I see to access it is to drop the panel on the bottom of the fifth wheel overhang compartment. But not sure if I want to go there. Very difficult to try and snake it in from my front storage compartment. I have a Grand Design Solitude.

Mark

 

Had to make a 4ft harness extension to the plug in the truck box. Ordered the plugs on line and was pretty simple to make up the wiring. By doing it myself I saved several hundred$ over what it would have cost getting it from Nichols and having it shipped to Canada. My trailer is a Reflection26RL and all I had to do was undo the centre area screws on the cover to drop it and was able to fish a line thru and pull the wires thru. As stated before I am happy with both the tpms and the camera, originally I only wanted the tpms but when I got the complete set for 300$ I couldn't say no. Camera is actually a nice feature to have.

 

[QUOTE=Brother_Bluto;18727601I opted to go wit a 3rd party TPMS for the trailer - so many more options and much better functionality - pressure & temperature, screw on or flow through sending units, use on multiple trailers, etc.[/QUOTE]

I also went with an aftermarket TPMS for my RV (Amazon). The receiver is wireless and solar powered. Pressure sensors screw on the valve stems. Once the pressure minimums are set on the receiver, you get an audible warning for a pressure drop. The digital readout is easy to see, but, I seldom look at it because of the audible warning function. A low cost, easy to install alternative to the Ford system.

 

Yeah, Mark, I need to learn to READ better! I get it that your 5th wheel install with the cable will be more difficult than my bumper pull. My bad.

The system IS really nice and worth a little pain to get installed.

 

For what it's worth, I do check my TPMS screen about every 15 minutes, or I just leave it on that screen. While watching it on my second tow out of town, I saw that one of the tires had a pressure that was much higher than the other three. Not wanting to tempt fate, I stopped and had that tire replaced. The rest of the trip, that position was the same temp as the other three. I would like to think that I caught a blow out waiting to happen.

 

No problem Petunia. Fifth wheels have their some unique problems. Thanks for the valuable info you gave me on the sensors. I’ll get them installed.

Mark