Also in the market for a arb dual. Hoping that a vendor can do a group buy soon.
OB Approved CO2 vs. Air Compressors
- Thread starter 4xFar Adventures
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- co2 compressor oba on board air
do these medium duty on board air compressors require a second battery? Or can they be run off the starter battery without issue?
Off-Road Ranger I
Not at all. I've only had one battery when I use mine; I just kept the engine running. I will, however be adding a second battery since I am adding a lot of accessories in the future.
Lots of talk about CO2 and electric compressors. Don’t forget about engine driven compressors ! I’m running a York 210 comressor off my engine with a 2.5gal tank and have the air hookup fitting in the bed. My compressor will fill my tank from 0psi to 145psi at idle in less than 20 seconds.
There is a lot of room for these under the hoods of full size trucks and even the Jeeps.
A number of companies offer bracket kits and the compressors can be found at the junk yards. Another source for kits is to find a lowrider shop. The lowriders use air to raise, lower and bounce their cars and the York is the primary compressor they use.
You do need to check the oil in the compressor ocassionally. Not a big deal. They run quieter and longer than any electric or CO2 bottle but do take some time to install.
There is a lot of room for these under the hoods of full size trucks and even the Jeeps.
A number of companies offer bracket kits and the compressors can be found at the junk yards. Another source for kits is to find a lowrider shop. The lowriders use air to raise, lower and bounce their cars and the York is the primary compressor they use.
You do need to check the oil in the compressor ocassionally. Not a big deal. They run quieter and longer than any electric or CO2 bottle but do take some time to install.
Nitrogen , you can't carry enough to use for more than one fill. You have to store it under high pressure and a huge bottle to do any good..
and, as stated previously, if you want stability, go with Air (79% N2) in a Scuba tank. Higher pressure in a gaseous state (3300 psi) but fine if strapped down. I recently moved to a ViAir 450 with a 2 Gal tank and will tell you that, while great for air ups and air downs, it is worth little for running Air tools, even locked down to 80psi. Not a problem for weekends at the beach with simple air ups and air downs. That said, for longer trip or trips into the woods, I will be taking a bottle for any Air Tools.
Influencer I
Just wanted to clear some things up here. Air, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Helium, etc are normally stored in high pressure gas form (yes, I know there are exceptions but not that equate to traveling/Overlanding). Where as CO2 is normally stored as a liquid that vaporizes in the cylinder. This is why when you look at the volume of a normal scuba tank it says something like 80 cubic foot @ 3,300 psi. When referring to a CO2 tank you will see tanks listed as 5lbs., 10lbs., and 20lbs., because you are literally weighing the liquid in the tank.
The conversion rate from liquid to gas from a CO2 tank is one pound liquid = 8.741 cubic ft of gas, so a:
5lb CO2 cylider would hold 44 cu ft. @ 850psi
10lb CO2 cylider would hold 88 cu ft. @ 850psi
20lb CO2 cylider would hold 175 cu ft. @ 850psi
Also, under normal conditions a CO2 tanks pressure will never exceed 850psi. As you use the gas vapor off the top of the liquid, the liquid remaining vaporizes as you go until all the liquid has turned to gas. I find it funny to see 2 gauges (tank pressure & line pressure) on a CO2 system because the tank side will always read 850psi until it's all gone. You can regulate the pressure on the line side via tank regulator conected to the tank valve or with a combination tank regulator and in-line regulator. For example, I have a fixed 150psi regulator on my tank so when filling tires it gets all 150psi line-pressure to the schrader valve, but when using air tools I connect an inline regulator and dial the pressure back to 80-100psi depending on the rating of the tool. I use a digital luggage scale (looks like a handle with a hook on it) to weigh my cylinders to determine how much CO2 I have remaining in each tank. I have also seen people use deep-sea fishing scales with a dial. Any kind of weight scale will work. Just remember to weigh your empty tank with regulator and anything that will normally be on the tank (tare weight) so you can subtract it from what your tank weighs after filling and determining how much you have remaining while on the trail. I always write the tare weight on the tank with a Sharpie.
I just wanted to make it very clear to all that there is a big difference in carrying a 10lb. CO2 tank @ 850psi and a 80 cu.ft. Scuba tank (with Air, Nitrogen, Nitrox, or Argon) @ 3,300psi. While both look similar, both carry about the same cubic feet of gas, and both will scare the holy crap out of you if the valve gets knocked off, the high pressure 3,300psi is more apt to seriously harm or kill you. When I was working as a high-rise welder there are tunnels in New England that you cannot drive your welding truck through because you are carrying high pressure gas cylinders. Believe me, they are no joke if that valve gets hit. Just be careful and do your homework, know what you are putting in and on your rig!! And for goodness sake, have fun.........
Pathfinder III
- 5,200
- First Name
- Kent
- Last Name
- Reynolds
- Member #
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1632
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- K6KNT
- Service Branch
- Retired Firefighter
AWESOME! With your permission I would like to use this info and re-print.
Influencer I
Absolutely, The more we share the more we'll all know, and knowing is half the battle.... Hahaha, have fun & stay safe....
Pathfinder III
- 5,200
- First Name
- Kent
- Last Name
- Reynolds
- Member #
-
1632
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- K6KNT
- Service Branch
- Retired Firefighter
Traveler III
- 4,007
- First Name
- Lucas
- Last Name
- Antes
- Member #
-
7082
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- KE0ZXA
I have both a compressor and a CO2 setup. My issue with my CO2 setup is the matter of the tank I have and the capacity. Old tank and it's small. But the setup is the same size as my Viair 400P and the compressor has attachments for more than just the rig's valve stems. I can air up both schrader and presta bike tires, air mattresses, and sports balls requiring a needle. I like the portability of the compressor over an on-board system since I don't have any other need for it than airing up. This will also save me some $$ when I get my new rig in the next few years.
Influencer I
The advantage that CO2 has always had over a compressor is speed. You can fill your tires in a fraction of the time using a CO2 tank over a compressor. But I also use it to so much more, filling air mattresses, pressurizing my Road Shower, blowing out the tent before closing, running all my air tools, and also filling tires. But the slow compressor will always be a good backup and for those extended trips.
I have Co2 but a;so have a compressor from Pep Boys, under 50 bucks if you buy it online and pick up in store, you get a coupon online. One of the guys on the Wrangler forum turned me onto it, There is a whole tread on the compressor, it's good if you can't afford all costly stuff and it works good....
How big a tank I'd need to air up four 35s? My arb compressor cuts off at 100psi, is that enough to fill the tank for the job?
For air horn, I'd want a train horn. Anything lesser is pimp. Hahaha.
Even a ten gallon size tank alone will not be enough to fill all your 35's back up, But with the compressor refilling the tank at the same time it will work. The train Air horns all depend on how much air you use with each blast. The idea of the tank is act as a capacitor bank to not delete all the air at once that a compressor would have a hard time keeping up with , Volume vs Pressure ...
