Ideas for my "On-Board" Air?

Trying to keep this as simple as possible: looking for any general ideas or advice about this solution so far or if you have a better solution?

I don't hit tough trails, rarely ever need to air down, but this summer my wife and I will be taking a long camping trip with several very easy trail/beach opportunities and I'd like to be able to air down where necessary and for emergencies would like to have the compressor. However, our interior cabin will be packed full of camping things so if possible I like the idea of keeping the compressor in the engine bay because there's room. Any thoughts on this setup? I've installed it and have been test-driving around town and the only concern I really have is the obvious one: heat. My only thought was to add thermal insulation foam inside the metal box? oh and if I stick with this solution I will use high-temp paint for the box as well. So far as for the "mounting", not much concern. I relocated the ground wire to the sidewall so the box is not seated on it, and the fuse that it sort of sits on is metal-bracketed to the body so it seems solid. There's no bouncing can be heard in the cab and every time I open the hood to inspect it doesn't appear to be shifting around, no scratches on anything.

In the photos: air compressor inside one of my grandpas old metal boxes, "mounted" inside the engine bay. (compressor is the Harbor Freight Pittsburgh automotive 12V 150 PSI Compact Air Compressor, I know it's no viair or ARB haha)

 

I wouldn’t worry about heat on the compressor. But I’d worry about the coiled hose becoming brittle over time. I’d also keep tabs on the condition of the rubber strap.

 

those are the two I was more concerned about, however would thermal insulation inside the box help keep the air hose a bit more protected? And as for the rubber strap anything better I should use?

 

I’m a ratchet strap fan.

 

Heat tape is another option

 

Pardon my ignorance, heat tape for internal insulation? I don’t know anything about heat tape, I’ll begin googling!

 

Well, duh, somehow I didn’t think of that one haha definitely going to switch to ratchet strap

 

Bumping this thread hoping for any more ideas/thoughts

 

You know, to be honest I wouldn’t put the compressor in a steel box under the hood. I like the box but maybe fill it with other necessities - straps, shackles, hitch adapter. Stuff that is immune to heat and moisture.

 

I dont care for compressors (of any make). To each their own.

 

You know, that might just be what I needed to hear. The real name of the game is using this area to save interior space for camping and it doesn’t matter if it’s the compressor or anything else. I think you just made me decide to swap it out with other stuff. Thank ya Cap’n.

 

Wow, you mean business! Maybe someday I’ll achieve this level, for now I’m only an amateur car-camper

 

The engine compartment environment is pretty severe. Dusty, humid, cold in the winter, hot operating temperatures reportedly can approach 200°F.

Most consumer products don’t like that. Plastics age and deteriorate more rapidly. Compressors get hot enough when operating and need a cool down period. My

$77 Viair 88P - 00088 Tire Inflator Portable Onroad/Offroad Air Compressor for Car, Truck, SUV & RV | 12V On/Off Road Tire Pump Air Compressor Portable Heavy Duty 120 PSI, Alligator Clips, Twist Chuck

Viair 88P specifies
Max. Ambient Temp: +158°F
Min. Ambient Temp: -4°F
Run time of 25 minutes at 72°F

It’s pretty small. I store it inside, it in its soft case in the back, nestled in that cubby on the passenger side.

 

thank you for confirming, that’s useful about the temps!

 

I just just saying, why carry some expensive "rig" around 100 percent of the time, that you may, or may not even use 10 percent of the time. Also, that space, id put a second battery in that spot. You know for actual use. With a tank,... take it, or, leave it. Simple as that. Was what i was getting at. Also, and 1/5th the cost (NO none of these are power tanks, hell everything you see there, didnt add up to just a single "power tank" cost. Not to mention, on board compressors all suck, despite what you hear from "those". They get hot as hell, run like shit, cost a ton, break down, need their OWN large gauge wiring and, well, a good charging/battery to even run worth a shit, and then, still take forever to put a tire at 12lbs to 28lbs. Was my point. But do you.
(ill sit back and have the 47 members tell me "their onboard air comp has been great"... when they have used it twice,.... in their car port. For me, i do only know around 18 people that have them. When we go wheel with a group, most are sitting by my rig getting back to road psi. But again. Do you.

EDIT-

 

My solution that I can bring in any of my vehicles (SxS included).
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-Kob...-Air-Inflator-Power-Source-Battery/1002183680

Edit…..Dewalt has one that is capable using multiple power sources.

 

Maybe my response came off wrong, I’m thankful for your input and all respect to your rig. You’ve got an incredible setup! All I’m saying is that I won’t be carrying this all the time, very rarely for our car camping trips, and this only cost me $60, and I may only use it once or twice on a trip. Again, that said, your build out is incredible, just not my needs.

 

thanks for the input! I did find my compressor of choice here, it was just a question of storing it in the engine bay as a possibility since there’s a big space here that could fit it! I’ve decided to use this space to store other things as Captain suggested and I will then fit my compressor inside the cab.

 

You sound a little defensive.

 

How’d the air get into those bottles I wonder?

 

Please tell me more about your tank set up.
Thanks

 

I just carry a Milwaukee M18 compressor with a spare battery. It fills tires super fast and stores nicely in the car. I keep an M12 version in my other car.

 

Blow real hard?

 

I have a York 210, engine driven comp. in my TJ. The engine compartment in the 4R will not accommodate the size requirements for that York, at least not without extensive modifications. So I chose a

$77 Viair 88p - 00088 Tire Inflator Portable Onroad/Offroad Air Compressor for Car, Truck, SUV & RV | 12V On/Off Road Tire Pump Air Compressor Portable Heavy Duty 120 PSI, Alligator Clips, Twist Chuck

Viair 88p because it's compact and 12V.
My only experience with a Power Tank that a friend had was during a night run when the temps were down it the low teens and single digits. He got 2 tires aired up and the regulators (hi & low pressures) froze up and was useless by then.
We aired up his other 2 tires with my 88P.

After the fill up, he took his PT out of its cradle and set it by the tailpipe and thawed it out so it would work again.
That's not something I'd want to deal with, especially standing in the cold.

YMMV

 

York compressor. That’s very esoteric and old school. It’s in the same category as the PTO-driven winch. Both are apex off-road technologies. Everything that came before or after is - less.

While I found Kyblack76’s blanket dismissal to be abrasive and narrow minded, CO2 tanks have their place. They’re superior in terms of speed, aside from the low-temperature issue you pointed out. They are well suited to a weekend outing, but not an expedition. The main deficit of course being that they run out of gas.

 

About to mount a 400p in this spot. Not worried about dirt or heat. Compressors are built to handle high heat and mine has interchangeable filters. Not sure if OPs came equipped with this feature though. Having a pump out of the way and just a switch flip from use, beats even the possibility of eventual failure. If I lived anywhere close to a 4wd playground the CO2 might be the way to go. Just too much bulk to carry on the regular though.

I do have an equalizing inflation system with an extra extension line. So, if I'm aired down and the pump fails, I still have a "tank" of air in the spare I can access. Thats close to 8psi per tire(tested already.) If things get worse off than needing that or fail, let the next adventure begin!

 

I wonder if having been under the hood and already being hot when you start using it will shorten the duty cycle.

 

@Captain Spalding

I imagine it does. Two things. First, I will be keeping the viair's switch. Which necessitates raising the hood for use. Plan would be to raise hood first, take in the scenery or fuckabout for minute, gather and set lines, and then air up. Secondly, this pump has a 20 minute duty cycle(33%). So even if its halved I can still fill all 4 tires from 15 to 34psi in about 4 minutes, twice. At basically sea level and 85 degrees it takes 4 minutes and 10-20 seconds for all 4. Have considered attaching a clip fan to the hood strut in extreme heat. Will see how things go and adjust accordingly. Could be an expensive lesson, or exactly meet my needs.

 

Haha. I’m way too OCD I think. If I had a compressor bolted up under the hood and hardwired I would have to run a factory-looking switch to the instrument panel and plumb an air coupler to the rear bumper or up under the sliders. If you had it to do over again would you go for the 450P (100% duty cycle)?

 

@Captain Spalding
I wouldn't. I got the 400p years ago dirt cheap. If I had of intended on running onboard originally, I'd have gone ARB. And yeah, a "wifey" type system might be in the future. As a fellow compulsionist, I have trouble leaving well enough alone.