Nitrogen tank question.

RayBob58 · 10-23-2018, 02:18 PM

I'm considering buying a nitrogen tank/regulator/hose set-up to keep the TT tires maintained without the hassle of going to a tire shop. I like the nitrogen, except for the fact that I can't add a psi or two if I want, plus, I'm sure there's a cost involved in having the shop do it. Can't decide what size tank to buy. Looking for advice from someone who is doing this. Thanks.

luvlabs · 10-25-2018, 11:23 AM

Just buy yourself a small compressor. There are zero advantages of nitrogen unless you are a race car owner. Securing a large, heavy high pressure tank is not a simple task.

al1florida · 10-25-2018, 04:43 PM

Have you given any thought to where you will go to fill that nitrogen tank? You won't be able to just stop by a place that fills tires with nitrogen. It takes a special place to fill that tank with nitrogen at some thousand(s?) PSI of pressure. Also that will take a very well built tank to contain that very high pressure.

powercat_ras · 10-25-2018, 05:13 PM

Overall, inflating tires with nitrogen won't hurt them and may provide some minimal benefits.

Is it worth it? No, unless you can get nitrogen for free somewhere somehow.

Rather than pay extra for nitrogen, most RV owners would be better off buying a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and adjusting their tire pressures when indicated by the TPMS.

Kaputnick · 10-31-2018, 05:23 PM

Umm, the air is 78% nitrogen so a compressor is the way to go. Check out Amazon and look for the Viair RV modern works on my class A tires and is in a great kit. Lighter than a tank, less space, and only paid for one time. I get using nitrogen but the trade off is too high in my opinion.

pobstlmo · 10-31-2018, 06:58 PM

I have also been thinking the same thing.

Tanks and Gas you get from your local welding store, every city has at least one, all the mechanics, body shops and welders need one to stay in business.

As for tank size, I would get one your comfortable moving, you can always get it refilled.
(buy a tank from your Gas supplier, the refills are actually a trade in, some only fill their tanks)

I have tanks for my gas welder, 4’ tall but I don’t use it that much so maybe every 5 years, I have a 2’ tall tank with Argon for my wine barrels that gets refilled every year, and I have a 1’ tall tank for the mig welder. The initial tank cost may be $100 ish but refilling is $20 ish depends on tank size.

I haven’t made a decision on the Nitrogen as of yet, but getting and refilling gas tanks is not a problem.

pobstlmo · 10-31-2018, 07:03 PM

Just thought of this, I’m a scuba guy so I have the adapter to turn my 3000psi scuba tank into an air tank for tires and tools, I carry a small tank in the Jeep for when I’m off road.
Little harder to get the scuba tank filled in some towns.

Chetzook · 10-31-2018, 07:54 PM

Hi group!!!! To answer a question about Nitrogen. Nitrogen is used for tire pressure stabilization. Air will change pressure with heat, nitrogen will not. If you add only a couple of pounds of air, it will not affect the stability of the nitrogen. That is why race cars use nitrogen. It really does not help keep tires cooler.

akeagle · 10-31-2018, 11:07 PM

I was not a pilot or an airplane mechanic during my 23 year Air Force career, but I was an air traffic controller and always interested in reading all things about aircraft, particularly about accidents and incidents. One thing I clearly remember reading was that the primary purpose for using nitrogen in the tires had to do with possibility of brake or landing gear fires. If an air-filled tire was either punctured or overheated and exploded it would immediately add a charge of oxygen into a fire or overheated situation which would make it even worse, maybe even catastrophic. A similar situation with a nitrogen-filled tire would not add oxygen to the fire. So far as automobile tires go, my understanding is that nitrogen molecules are slightly larger than oxygen molecules and thus less likely to leak through naturally porous tire rubber.

al1florida · 11-01-2018, 04:30 AM

This is not likely to change the minds of folks who think that replacing only 22% of the air in their tires with nitrogen (78% of what is in the tire is already nitrogen already) is so important.
Here is a link to 5 articles, from a retired tire engineer, debunking the advantages (not) of nitrogen:
RV Tire Safety: Nitrogen
A total waste of time money and energy to fool with having only nitrogen in your tires in my opinion.

RTrider · 11-01-2018, 10:55 AM

Nitrogen and Oxygen have very similar specific gravity, so heat dissipation will also be very similar. Both follow the gas laws, so changes in pressure from heat will be the same. Obviously the oxygen has the potential to be slightly more interactive with the rubber compound, but since the outside of the tire is exposed to the same air, there isn't much advantage there. From what I have been told, the biggest advantage to Nitrogen coming from a compressed tank is the lack of moisture. If you are really concerned you could buy a desiccant dryer and install at the outlet of a standard compressor and get 90% of the advantage which is already very small.

Podivin · 11-01-2018, 01:34 PM

I'm one of the nitrogen non-believers, at least I don't believe it to be a great (or any) value on a motorhome.
I simply carry a pancake style air compressor, fitted with a simple water separator in the air hose to keep moisture out of the tires and stems.