On board air; alternative mounting locations

I've done more in the last 2 months than I anticipated but I'm not done yet!

Looking to see where you first gen owners are installing your onboard air.

I found a few threads/posts where some have installed it under your hood; I'm open to doing that but I'm wondering if others have installed it in the bed or attached to a bed rack? Maybe even inside the vehicle itself? I've got an extended cab.

I plan on getting a bed rack and an RTT (don't own them yet), which is why I mentioned having it attached to a bed rack.

Thanks!

 

I haven't personally done a full on OBA system (yet), but I've been long considering it. Currently, I have a Viair 400p and a 5 gallon portable tank from harbor freight. Compressor goes in my box or behind the driver seat, and the tank gets strapped in the bed, but I've never actually used the tank - it's pretty useless for filling tires as it will only fill a single tire, and I only run 265/75s currently...

I've seen people install compressors under the bed where the spare tire usually goes, but you need to be able to protect it from the elements. Pretty much anywhere you install it, it needs to have some sort of protection form the elements. That's probably why you see most people put them under the hood, but that also makes wiring a lot easier - everything except the tank is right there under the hood. Aside form inside the cab, under the hood it's the most protected.

I'm no sure where on the bed rack you'd put a compressor, though, without it being kind of obtrusive. Not sure what kind of volume you'd get, but it might be cool to covert the tubing (thinking like the All-Pro one) into an air tank.

 

I've seen setups using a tank too; my plan is to keep it stupid simple so I'd opt for an ARB compressor only.

If I set it up on a bed rack, I can picture a weather tight enclosure that would be mounted in a bracket of some sort. The bracket would sit below where the RTT sits.

Wiring would follow the bed rack/legs and after that well...whatever works to protect it.

Just trying to be as self-sufficient as possible since there is no one to wheel with where I'm located.

 

Stooopid simple for me was tossing my 400P behind the seat, lol

 

Just looked it up; that's a nice one!

I'm just thinking to myself, worst case scenario, I can't effectively connect my compressor up front so I'd want it already set up and able to turn it on/off with the flip of a switch.

 

Yeah, it's served me well so far. Fills my buddy's 35's just fine.

My other problem running OBA is that my under the hood is already pretty full with the ABS and other junk. I don't have a lot of room to spare. I'm also frankly just lazy and don't want to have to rearrange everything under the hood to be able to hard wire a compressor.

I see a lot of people that have those lines they make where they can hook up all 4 tires at once. Seems cool, and convenient until you have to deal with the nest of tubing and fittings. Again, my laziness gets in the way, lol.

 

I have cruise control, so that would get in the way. As I said, alternative locations.

I'm only sporting 31" tires so I don't need a tank, a big ass compressor, and definitely not a bunch of lines for a ton of tires! Just 1 at a time for me.

 

Keep in mind tanks are good for other things, like re-seating a tire bead, which I've done (not with this truck/tires, though).

I have cruise, too, yet another thing that gets in the way.

You could probably make a box for the compressor (it does need to be able to vent the heat, though), and mount it in the middle of your rack near the front of the rack, then have two short lines that go to quick releases on either side of the rack, that way you don't need to cart around 16 miles of tubing. Just enough to reach the 2 tires on each side.

Damn, now you got me thinkin'

 

Right?

I was wanting to keep the engine bay clean/clear for maintenance and repair reasons.

Only thing I've added to my truck are ditch lights, and I tucked the wiring away enough to not be intrusive. Even that is bugging my OCD...

But a weather tight box, with a vent/filter as you suggested, mounted in a small cradle under the bed rack with the quick attach/detach being the only thing sticking out, seems ideal.

Not sure if anyone's done this though?

 

Here was the idea I was talking about -

I would take something like this



and attach it to the rails of the bed rack via bolts or welding



I would use one of the horizontal and one of the vertical bars as mounting points, and it would be on the driver side. The metal "cradle" would hold the weather tight box in which the compressor will be inside of.

 

Passenger side front of bed underneath would work. It's protected from the elements by the inner fender. Mount it directly to the bottom of the bed floor.

 

Is that where you have yours? Would love to see pics if that's the case; definitely an alternative solution for our specific truck.

I was just thinking about creating useable space in an area that otherwise remains unused - was thinking of a small platform below the RTT if I didn't go with the cradle/box method?

 

I don't have a photo handy - and it wouldn't be too obvious - but my compressor is in one end of a cross bed tool box. Power comes from under the hood through a Blue Sea disconnect switch that is wired (6 ga welding cable) to a distribution block inside the box. The compressor is a Viair 450 originally intended for a John Deere planter. It has a Viair pressure switch / relay in the box and 40 amp breaker under the hood for protection.

I fed the output pipe through a check valve and out the side of the box below the bed sill. It turns toward the tail and ends in a quick disconnect that peeks out of the protected space below the box end that extends over the bed rail. With only a 30 ft hose for a receiver and a Milton gauge/filler valve (both Army surplus) it works well. When a tank is required I use a converted bbq propane tank strapped in the bed. It is simply jumpered into the line with a short whip hose.

 

The double cab bed is too small in that area. But I was eyeballing it for my truck. Should be plenty of room under a regular size bed. Of course that als depends on the size of the compressor.

I have a 2000lb ATV winch mounted under the drivers side rear. It feeds up thru the floor and bed crane to pickup my mobility scooter. ( It comes in handy for that one legged thing I have )

 

Not only protecting it from the weather you also need to make sure the heat can be removed as well .

Those little compressors get quite warm

 

Update; friend came by my work and dropped something off that I could borrow for awhile -



If I really like it, I may just give up the air compressor idea altogether.

(ignore the haziness, my phone still has condensation from my outing last week)

 

I have been debating going with, for typically less than $100 difference, a dedicated onboard vs. higher end portable compressor, but with the thought of getting a CO2 setup for a little more than a upper-level portable compressor. My neighbor runs a welding and salvage business, so I'd check with him about filling a 15lb. tank through him...but with a nice onboard air system, you're not tied to "x" amount of tire refills.

I also looked at buying a poly performance tank kit (15lb tank kit for $260), but for the extra ~$100 over diy, you get the mounting bracket and strap, plus a 35' coil hose w/ close ended clip-on chuck.
Again, not sure which way to ultimately go...experiences and pros/cons always welcomed.

 

just a heads up, CO2 is soluble in rubber and will slowly let the tire deflate so you may have to keep them topped up with air.

http://www.exploringoverland.com/overland-tech-travel/2016/3/25/3izopxom72k7p3vxpvjtfuhk7ouscc


that said I have everything except the tank for my own DIY CO2 setup.

 

Thanks guys for the input however, even though a friend let me borrow his 10lb setup, I decided to buy the 5lb setup myself. First time visiting RBX Rockbox Offroad and the owner of Powertank just so happened to stop by. Was really cool chatting with both the owner of RBX and PT and learning a whole lot -

The owner's got a long travel, supercharged FJ. That's the PT JL Wrangler in the background.​

My Taco in the background, damn thing is small compared to the Jeep and FJ -







The shop may be small, but it's got a ton of kick ass shit in there. Check out their trailer!





And my new PT setup! Let's just say, I was taken care of

 

I would get onboard air PLUS a tank, to keep the compressor from working only when it needs to fill the tank.