Crossfire tire pressure equalizers

youngfmly · 05-31-2020, 06:11 PM

We have a 1999 Winnebago 24' Itasca and would like recommendations on Crossfire dually tire pressure equalizers, positive or negative from any member's experience with them? Thanks

be happy · 06-01-2020, 03:35 AM

I cannot remember the brand, I do not think they were crossfire. Anyway first time I experienced them and really like the idea. It was easy to check the pressure as there was a colored gauge letting me know. The system was set for 100 psi. Anyway my coach was at my mechanic for annual oil change etc. I noticed that both tires on drivers side were flat. The system had failed somehow and let air out of all tires. I replaced with solid fill tubes attached to the stem.

NYBobbo · 06-01-2020, 07:04 AM

I chose to go with TPMS and be able to watch the temp and pressure of each tire. Even on very hot days with the sun on one side of my RV the temps wind up being within a few (usually 2 occasionally 3) on each side.

Metal stems make adding a removing air easy enough. With a good digital tire gauge you can get them to the same pressure if you start at sunup before one side heats up.

TPMS also saved a tire- in the middle of nowhere the alarm went off!! got out and used my portable to inflate the tire. I did that every 15 min till I could get someone to repair the tire. I don't believe a crossfire system will alert you if there is an issue and you would be driving on one less tire that could get shredded before you know it or have the good tire burst from excess weight.

That one incident paid for the entire setup, stems & TPMS unit.

Reniram · 06-01-2020, 05:27 PM

On a recommendation from a friend I installed them on my 29VE..cost was about $115.00 I believe...Really didn't notice any change in handling but it's good to know they are equal pressure and adding air is a lot easier now.. Upgrades to the sway bars front and rear is a game changer on the f53 Chassis but quite costly..

bobmac · 06-03-2020, 05:33 PM

Have used them successfully for 10 plus years on my 09 Journey. Had a TPMS prior but the transponders always seemed to leak and are very awkward with the rear duallies. Checking tire pressure is ultra simple, they offer protection against a fault so both tires won't lose air and are ultra reliable. Obviously many successfully use TPMS but I find the Crossfires ultra simple, no batteries required, easy to check the rears when draining the dog, etc, etc. I am sure the TPMS fans think otherwise as to the optimum solution.

powercat_ras · 06-03-2020, 07:18 PM

I have CrossFires on my RV and did it mainly to prevent un-even wear between my inner and outer dual tires. But another huge benefit is the easy access point to check tire pressures and add/release air.

If your wheel cover holes have sharp edges you'll want to sleeve the hoses even tho they are already metal covered they will wear thru if rubbing for many months on a sharp wheel cover edge (I found out the hard way).

The main complication is figuring out a way to mount the head, the brackets provided did not work on my RV, they seem to be made for Semi Truck wheels.

I mounted mine on the wheel cover center cap.

NormD · 06-07-2020, 04:45 PM

powercat_ras, it looks like you have the best of both worlds - a Crossfire equalizer and a TPMS cap on the fill valve. Is that correct?

PartPlan · 06-07-2020, 05:52 PM

Is it possible to have bot TPE and TPMS?

2015 Winnebago Via 25P

PartPlan · 06-07-2020, 05:53 PM

(oops) both

youngfmly · 06-07-2020, 06:22 PM

Thanks for all your replies. I am also concerned that the Crossfires will affect the balance of my dual drive wheels. I'm replacing my current tires. They are way out of date and I think they are the cause for my rig to ride like It's on a huge washboard. Also I would like to know what are the best valve stem extensions?

bobmac · 06-07-2020, 06:41 PM

Youngfmly
They will have absolutely no impact on the balance of your tire. Most just use them on the rear tires where they are substantially protected. Have never seen them on the front tires of an RV as there is really no protection for them on the fronts. Get steel valves installed ..... never get extensions if you are serious about safety .... just adds another unnecessary failure point and very prone to leaking.

powercat_ras · 06-07-2020, 07:14 PM

> TPMS on the Crossfire?

The Crossfire equalizes the 2 tires until the pressure drops to 10 PSI below the Crossfire rating. I set the low pressure alarm about 6 PSI below the Crossfire rating so you know there is pressure loss before the equalizing valve closes.

cptrick · 06-07-2020, 08:10 PM

More question than reply. If you get a blowout does the air go out of both tires?

Jeeper · 06-07-2020, 08:47 PM

I ran them on my Tradewinds Cat for 16 years and never had a problem. I have them on my Vista LX 30T now. I had a blow out on the Tradewinds and the Crossfires shut off with the quick loss of air and did not drain the other tire.

JoeC · 06-08-2020, 07:23 AM

I've used the Crossfire pressure balancer for almost 5 years now and 41,000 miles on my Itasca Spirit 27 QP. No issues with the Crossfires so far and the tire wear is excellent. I have an easy 10-15k miles of tread left on the original (Michelin) rear tires. I had to modify my wheel covers to accommodate the device and use 3" extensions (see caution below). I also use Tire Minder TPMS on my RV wheels and towables. The dualies will monitor as one tire.

A note of caution: I had a slow leak in one of the valve extensions last year and it drained both tires to almost nothing. I checked everything the evening before leaving so we'd be ready to go in the morning. The big problem was that the pressure monitor took a few minutes to catch the pressure loss after being turned on at the beginning of our trip. I got about a half mile from home when the pressure alarm went off.

The problem was initiated from topping off the tires the day before our trip which inadvertently loosened the valve extension slightly, enough to allow slow leakage. I still get ready the day before but thoroughly check everything again in the morning and turn on the TPMS well before departure time. I also carry a compact air compressor with me and was able to re-inflate the tires after tightening the valve extension.

HappiHenri · 06-08-2020, 12:46 PM

They seem like a good idea - but the extra pieces required means more fittings screwed together - and potentially more place for tiny leaks to occur.

We have not used them, and I always check all tire pressures before setting off on a travel day. In my experience the only leaks we had were not from the tires but from valve stems and the dually valve stem extensions which came a little loose.

bobmac · 06-08-2020, 12:53 PM

HappiHenri
They are used extensively in the trucking industry so you need not worry about reliability .... they wouldn't be used there if they were prone to leak. Have used mine for 11 years now without a single leak. Since they display the tire pressure and are pressure specific units, they are likely a better alternative for you than the standard valve and pressure tester and you dont have the complexity of testing the inner dually..

JoeC · 06-08-2020, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappiHenri

They seem like a good idea - but the extra pieces required means more fittings screwed together - and potentially more place for tiny leaks to occur.

We have not used them, and I always check all tire pressures before setting off on a travel day. In my experience the only leaks we had were not from the tires but from valve stems and the dually valve stem extensions which came a little loose.

It seems that you understand what the Crossfires are for. They are not convenient monitors or fillers, they balance tire pressure between the dual tires which may vary, depending on road conditions, and help preserve the tires through better wear. Convenient filling and monitoring are just icing on the cake. I would recommend using a TPMS system in addition to the Crossfires. Again, another bonus, you only need one TPMS monitor for each pair of dualies. Monitoring the inner wheel without the Crossfire could be difficult and problematic on its own and will cost more for the additional sensors. The problem that I had was my fault, not the Crossfire setup and you need some sort of extension for the inner wheel anyway which could be just as troublesome as the Crossfire setup. Like everywhere else, there is no free lunch.

sajohnson · 06-08-2020, 08:56 PM

We have used the "Cat's Eye" system on our 2009 View for about 7 years now with no problems. It is very similar to the Crossfire -- in fact, I believe the same guy developed both. Crossfire is newer and indicates *over* pressure as well as under.

As others have said, both Cat's Eye and Crossfire are used by the trucking industry and are very reliable.

They equalize the pressure in the duals.

They allow 'at-a-glance' pressure checks.

They provide one easy access valve to add air and check pressure.

There is a check valve to prevent a leak in one dual from causing both tires to go flat.

The single valve allows one TPMS sensor to monitor both tires.

We mounted ours directly to the hubs -- just removed 1 (of 6) nuts, placed the bracket over the stud, and reinstalled the nut. In order to do that we had to remove the Alcoa center caps.

I hope that's helpful. Good luck!

danhannah · 06-09-2020, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by powercat_ras

> TPMS on the Crossfire?

The Crossfire equalizes the 2 tires until the pressure drops to 10 PSI below the Crossfire rating. I set the low pressure alarm about 6 PSI below the Crossfire rating so you know there is pressure loss before the equalizing valve closes.

So if one dually goes completely flat, would you expect the TPMS to read 10 pounds low?