By Ed H on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 12:19 am: Edit

Is it really good?

By Robert Mann (Oldscout) on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 12:49 am: Edit

It's a rip off. You can build your own for about 100-120.00

By Ed H on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 12:34 pm: Edit

Robert,

You can buy this kit "SFRK-01 SuperFlow Regulator Kit" for $199.99 and get your own tank. My understanding is that this is a special regulator. Are you saying that this is not true? I would love to save some money but can you point me the way. Thanks.

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 01:11 pm: Edit

The concept is great. You can roll your own steel tank for 100-120 if you can find the parts. Or, you can go here:

http://www.trail-air.com

This is the same one I mounted in my truck (aluminum) for $273 shipped with top of the line regulator, hose, AND mount. Less if you don't want the mount. Much better price than powertank. I think he still has some steel tank kits available for $135 shipped w/out the mount.

Here's my setup: http://www.discoweb.org/trailair/

Tom

By Ed H on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 01:44 pm: Edit

Tom,

Thanks alot.

By Robert Mann (Oldscout) on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 02:10 pm: Edit

Call your local fire extinguisher company and ask for a used 5lb (same size as P.T.) Co2 tank. They come in aluminum and steel. Check to see the date that it was last tested. They need to be tested every 6 years. It's ~10.00 to test a tank. In my neck of the woods I pay $15-20 for a used 5lb steel and 20-30 for a aluminum one. 10lbs are +10.00. New ones are 2x the used price. The regulator is easy. The larger the diaphragm on the regulator, the less likely it is to freeze ups. Victor has VERY nice Co2 regulators, available at any welding shop. There a little on the pricey side and I have had good luck with my Perlick draft beer regulator.

Here are a few links:
http://www.brwelder.com/victor/regulators.htm

http://www.ih8mud.com/tech/co2tank1.html

By Ed H on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 04:35 pm: Edit

What is the difference between steel and aluminum tank? Is just the weight? And how saft it is to store the tank in the car? Thanks.

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 04:54 pm: Edit

Steel & Aluminum. Yep, only difference is the weight. And the looks, I guess, if you even care about that. As far as safety is concerned, I don't worry about it. The tanks are hard to puncture, and if they do leak, about the worse that can happen is they spit out VERY cold CO2 that makes ice where it hits. Maybe if you stood in front of it it would be bad, cause you would get cold.

Basically, compare it to storing a fire extinguisher in the car, something we are all happy to do.

Tom

By Ron on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 05:00 pm: Edit

"about the worse that can happen is they spit out VERY cold CO2 that makes ice where it hits."

Or like shoot across the room at 80mph

But yes, very safe as it is hard to do.

Ron

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 05:06 pm: Edit

Well, if it is mounted down (as it should be) it won't shoot away. ;)

By Mike B. on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 09:08 pm: Edit

In my opinion, the PowerTank is fantastic and it is definately worth the money. The regulator allows you to adjust the pressure from 0 to 160 lbs. I crank it up to run my power tools and to air up my tires quickly. After using the PowerTank, I'd have a hard time settling for any of the other systems that are not as adjustable. Also, there are two pressure guages; one for the tank and one for the air pressure going to the hose. It's pretty easy to get spoiled.

Thanks,
Mike B.

By Robert Mann (Oldscout) on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 09:39 pm: Edit

Mike there is nothing special about the Power Tank regultor. Here is the Victor one:

By joshua on Wednesday, October 31, 2001 - 10:46 pm: Edit

Just to second what ron was saying...

In a roll over situation, or collision this tank can be very deadly.

I saw a New guy on the ambulance drop a o2 tank from 3 feet, and it blew through a concrete wall after snapping the stem off.....

It seems like a good thing to have this trail air...but please guys, buy it with the mount. Without it you risk a missle being launched at you or someone else...

By Mike B. on Thursday, November 01, 2001 - 07:57 am: Edit

Thanks for the pictures of Victors regulator. More information is always better than less.

Can you explain the numbers on the dial to me? It looks like the max pressure is only 30 lbs out the hose and the max tank pressure is 400 lbs. However, that sounds way too low for me, so I must be missing something.

Thanks,
Mike B.

By Mike B. on Thursday, November 01, 2001 - 08:05 am: Edit

The PowerTank system comes with an aluminum handle to protect the regulator and valve. I think that it would do a pretty good job of protecting the weak points in an accident. However, I am not really anxious to put it to the test!

I am glad that there are alternatives to the PowerTank system out there. Competition is always good for us (the consumers)! I am going to the Fall Rally for the Florida Land Rover Club this weekend. Hopefully someone there has one of the Trailside Air Systems so I can get a really good look at one.

Thanks,
Mike B.

By Mike B. on Thursday, November 01, 2001 - 08:09 am: Edit

Tom:

Nice write-up on mounting the tank. I am seriously thinking of mounting my tank in the same manner!

Thanks,
Mike B.

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Thursday, November 01, 2001 - 08:39 am: Edit

Mike -- The trail-air tank is just as adjustable and has the plastic handle as well. One thing about the trail-air tank is that you can adjust hose pressure up to 300 psi. With powertank, you can only go to about 160 or something. Of course, NONE of the curly hoses can support 300 psi, you need a regular high pressure rated hose for that. Are you totally sold on powertank or just the concept? I can't see spending more money for the powertank.

Of course - some folks can see spending the money on the trail-air either. I just didn't want to start hunting down everything and build a hokey-looking system. That is one huge regulator in that pic above. Looks like the "old style" regulator that trail-air first started using that was too big and ugly. Smaller the better - less chance of it getting broken off by something.


Tom

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Thursday, November 01, 2001 - 08:41 am: Edit

UGH!

By Ed H on Friday, November 02, 2001 - 07:26 pm: Edit

Robert,

Same question.

Can you explain the numbers on the dial to me? It looks like the max pressure is only 30 lbs out the hose and the max tank pressure is 400 lbs. However, that sounds way too low for me, so I must be missing something.

Thanks

By Dean Brown (Deanbrown3d) on Friday, November 02, 2001 - 07:45 pm: Edit

Ed I don't think that reg is the one used for tires - I mean you're gonna need more than that for normal tire pressure. Maybe just a random regulator. The other side shows up to 400psi which is not for normal compressed gas or CO2 which run much higher.

Tom - that is definitely a nice shiny hose and reg. Man, a work of art! I wish my rover were that shiny

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Friday, November 02, 2001 - 08:10 pm: Edit

LOL!!! Yeah, it does look all greased up for the photo! Grabbed that off the trail-air site, I'll have to ask if they rubbed it down first!

Tom