Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Projected.....

[Glenn and Lorraine]

From Good Sam Club...

quote:Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Projected To Become Standard Equipment On Heritage Line

Amid controversy, court battles and revisions, the final outcome of the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (Tread) Act mandates tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) become standard equipment on all new passenger vehicles – with a gross vehicle weight–rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or less – beginning in 2006.

How will this legislation affect the RV industry?…

Read More…

After the tragedies of the 2000 Ford/Firestone issue, Congress set on task to improve tire safety issues. The result is the Tread Act, which outlines nine tire–safety recommendations. Arguably, the most contentious mandate is the requirement of manufacturers to install TMPS systems as standard equipment on all new passenger cars, light trucks and buses with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less, (which excludes most RVs.)

The initial draft of the Tread Act gave manufacturers the option to use either one of two systems:
A direct measurement system uses a sensor mounted inside the tire/wheel assembly to directly measure tire pressure. Using a wireless radio frequency, the sensor transmits a signal to the receiver inside the vehicle if any of the tires become under–inflated or too hot.
An indirect system uses the ABS wheel–speed information and is not as reliable as the direct measurement system. ABS system can only compare the air pressure in all four tires. So if the pressure in all four tires is incorrect, but the difference is still within the programmed range, the ABS-based system cannot determine that inflation pressure is incorrect.
The consumer group Public Citizen – along with others – argued in court that the use of indirect systems would not provide the level of reliable safety intended by Congress. So the Tread Act was revised, and automakers are required to include direct–system TPMS on all vehicles to meet NHTSA requirements.

Impact on the RV industry

Although most RV manufacturers are not directly impacted by the Tread Act, SmarTire Systems Inc. has announced that Fleetwood Enterprises Inc. will install SmarTire's SmartWave tire–pressure monitoring system as standard equipment on its Heritage line of American Coach motorhomes.

This announcement hints that the RV industry may follow in the footsteps of the auto industry, which began installing TPMS as standard equipment on more expensive cars such as the Corvette, Cadillac, Mercedes, Audi and BMW – long before they were mandated by the NHTSA.

As the cost of direct TPMS technology decreases and some of the kinks are worked out with service issues, the future may hold that TPMS will come as standard equipment on more RVs as well.

Until then, there are several aftermarket systems that can be installed on motorhomes, travel trailers or dingy–towed vehicles. With the sensors in the trailer or towed vehicle's tires, the receiver can be mounted in the rear of the towing vehicle with the display panel up front. On some systems, that one receiver/display unit is capable of monitoring tire pressure sensors in both vehicles.

Although the NHTSA expects TPMS can decrease the number of tire–related crashes and casualties, it's important for drivers not to rely completely on the technology. Whether you have an aftermarket or OEM TPMS system on your vehicle, it's still a good idea to manually test the tire pressure on a regular basis.

Glenn
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Glenn and Lorraine
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