What are you using for on-board air?

I've got the Kilby/York system. But my only experience with someone else's compressed air tank setup was back in the mid 90's. It was mid-winter in the Anza Borrego desert, so it was cold, so the regulator ended up freezing shut. Does this still happen with PT in very cold weather?
 
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JeepNWilly said:
you can see it here

View attachment 51755
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Thanks for that. What size are is that tank?

Jerry Bransford said:
This is how my 10 lb. CO2 tank is mounted Chris. That's a Power Tank BKT-2260 holder I found in Amazon that was listed as a 'scratch and dent' but it was perfect, not a single scratch or a dent at all. That extra black object around the top of the tank and rollcage is a bike lock.

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Thanks Jerry. So it will fit after all. I'll probably go with this exact same setup in this case.

With that 10 lb. tank, how many times do you think you could re-inflate your 35" tires from around 8 psi or so? Also, what do you pay on average to fill it back up?
 
Chris said:
With that 10 lb. tank, how many times do you think you could re-inflate your 35" tires from around 8 psi or so? Also, what do you pay on average to fill it back up?
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I can't honestly say how many fill-ups I get from my 10 lb. tank, I'd have to guess 4-5. That's filling my 35x12.50 tires from usually around 8 psi to 26 psi. I fill them to 26 psi after wheeling since I am invariably carrying gear and towing my pop-up tent trailer.

Edit: I forgot to include that my local shop typically charges me around $17 per fill-up. They refill my tank and return it to me. Some air & gas shops want you to trade your tank for one of theirs which I won't do so I had to find one that would refill mine. Shop around, you'll find one that will let you keep your own tank. Make sure to go with an aluminum 10 lb. tank and make sure it has the plastic handle on top. Not all do, that plastic handle makes handing it a lot easier.
 
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I have used a small Power Tank system for some years now. Tanks are the little 20 ounce paintball sized ones. One is in a saddle bracket on the aft starboard roll bar upright in my 2000 TJ (smaller version of the one Jerry shows) and a spare rides in the Mopar saddlebag. Really, I use it only for evening up tire pressures when on the road. The only limitation in my experience is that a tank will sometimes blow it's safety disc when the Jeep has been sun bathing in the central Texas sunshine - that's one reason for carrying two smaller tanks. Oh, and being outside an urban area does make finding refills sort of spotty.

My last ditch air solution is a Serfas FP-100 bicycle pump, supposedly good for 160 psi. In a test, it took 20 strokes to raise pressure in a 31x10.5 BFG AT/KO from 29 to 30 psi.

I went without the Power Tank option for several months, as my original tanks had passed the 5 year life span, and needed either a hydro test or replacement. Before gagging down the cost of 4 new tanks, I picked up an AirArmor M240 12V compressor, the one that comes in a fat fifty ammo can, with power cable and air hose enclosed. Really nice little pump and it works a treat. Completely portable, can be carried in whatever one is driving that day.
 
Mark K said:
I went without the Power Tank option for several months, as my original tanks had passed the 5 year life span, and needed either a hydro test or replacement. Before gagging down the cost of 4 new tanks,
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I know about hydro tests, I've been having that done for nearly 50 years on my scuba tanks. I wouldn't worry about it for a CO2 tank whose pressure is typically no more than around 800-900 psi. Its pressure blow-off plug is designed to blow around 3000 psi So long as your tank has never been completely empty and open so moisture could get in, I wouldn't worry about it..
 
Gotcha, but it's not my call. The fillerup feller refused to service my tanks because they were a month beyond expiration as stamped in the aluminum up at the top. I have very few options hereabouts for CO2, so I just got new tanks. And put a 4 year 10 month reminder in my iPhone.
 
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Chris said:
Where are you going to mount the tank? Also, why have the tank at all? Do you plan on using air tools and such?

Just curious as to what the benefits of having an air storage tank would be.
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So this thread kind of went crazy, but to answer your question. I do not plan on running air tools I run the tank so the compressor doesn't have to run all of the time. I am going to mount the tank under the tub opposite the muffler. I am also considering integrating my rear airbags to the tank. I On my YJ I had front and rear ARB's and I had a kit for the compressor to air up tires, but the compressor would get so crazy hot it would start glowing. It worked good for locking the lockers but that was about it. Course that was 20 years ago so the tech is probably a lot better now, but it sure didn't used to be.

Anyway I am hoping the tank will give the compressor time to cool down. Since this is new I cannot promote it or discredit it. I will let you know how it works out once I get installed and working.
 
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ac_ said:
So this thread kind of went crazy, but to answer your question. I do not plan on running air tools I run the tank so the compressor doesn't have to run all of the time. I am going to mount the tank under the tub opposite the muffler. I am also considering integrating my rear airbags to the tank. I On my YJ I had front and rear ARB's and I had a kit for the compressor to air up tires, but the compressor would get so crazy hot it would start glowing. It worked good for locking the lockers but that was about it. Course that was 20 years ago so the tech is probably a lot better now, but it sure didn't used to be.

Anyway I am hoping the tank will give the compressor time to cool down. Since this is new I cannot promote it or discredit it. I will let you know how it works out once I get installed and working.
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Definitely let me know! I think for my needs, the PowerTank will do the trick and then some. I like the idea of being able to inflate the tires super fast, and I don't mind having to refill it every few trips.

I didn't even know these things existed, so I'm glad I did start this thread!
 
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I also use the Kilby System and have the tank mounted opposite the muffler as @ac. I also carry a little 3/8 drive impact and blow gun. Works great. Runs my ARB and ORO swayloc too.
 
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Mark K said:
Gotcha, but it's not my call. The fillerup feller refused to service my tanks because they were a month beyond expiration as stamped in the aluminum up at the top. I have very few options hereabouts for CO2, so I just got new tanks. And put a 4 year 10 month reminder in my iPhone.
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He was doing what he should have been doing.
Chris said:
Definitely let me know! I think for my needs, the PowerTank will do the trick and then some. I like the idea of being able to inflate the tires super fast, and I don't mind having to refill it every few trips.

I didn't even know these things existed, so I'm glad I did start this thread!
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No need to spend the exorbitant price for the Power Tank product, it really is WAY overpriced for what you can easily put together on your own.

I paid $90 for a 10 lb. aluminum CO2 tank with plastic handle from an online beverage supply company, around $50 for the regulator, and maybe another $50 for the fittings and the hose.

This is what my regulator and quick disconnect looks like, I added the little 45 degree angle from little brass parts from my local Home Depot. Above the 45 is the regulator you can easily find, the rest of it below the 45 I sourced from the Home Depot.

Regulator-2.jpg
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
He was doing what he should have been doing,
No need to spend the exorbitant price for the Power Tank product, it really is WAY overpriced for what you can easily put together on your own.

I paid $90 for a 10 lb. aluminum CO2 tank with plastic handle from an online beverage supply company, around $50 for the regulator, and maybe another $50 for the fittings and the hose.

This is what my regulator and quick disconnect looks like, I added the little 45 degree angle from little brass parts from my local Home Depot. Above the 45 is the regulator you can easily find, the rest of it below the 45 I sourced from the Home Depot.

View attachment 51774
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I was beginning to think this as well Jerry. I was looking at the prices of those PowerTanks, and $700+ is a bit absurd for a tank and some hoses. I'll go with your idea and find a generic aluminum CO2 tank. I'll bet I can build the system for less than half of what a PowerTank costs.
 
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By the way that little shard of tape on the handle holds the spare o-ring I keep taped on the inside of the handle. It'd really suck to be on the trail and lose the regulator's white plastic o-ring and not have a spare.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
By the way that little shard of tape on the handle holds the spare o-ring I keep taped on the inside of the handle. It'd really suck to be on the trail and lose the regulator's white plastic o-ring and not have a spare.
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Good precaution. I'll do something similar. I actually think I have a little box of o-rings in my tool kit I could store an extra in.
 
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Mark K said:
Good way to approach that concern is to weigh the empty tank and stamp that on the tank. Helps the filler, too, who generally fills by weight.
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The empty weight is already stamped on the tank, that's its 'Tare' weight. A full 10 lb. fill adds 10 lbs. to the tank's Tare weight.
 
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