I stumbled across a discussion on TPMS on another forum (motorcycle related) and it got me thinking about use when trailering boats and I decided to try one of the suggested units:
https://a.co/d/hbnKUVu (https://a.co/d/hbnKUVu)
I tried it out trailering my Sunfish about 5 hours on a family vacation and I have to say it was a game-changer. I had a lot of concerns about the tiny little tires on that Sunfish trailer on the interstate but being able to monitor pressure and temperature really made it a lot more comfortable. I realize that the temp gauge is not actually measuring temps at the hub, but I figured if the temp on just one wheel was going up out of proportion to the other it would indicate a potential problem. It comes with 4 units so I'm going to put the other set on my Eclipse trailer and swap the first set between my Sunfish and my cargo trailer. For anyone who does a lot of trailering, I would highly recommend something like this.
I've had a TPMS on my travel trailer since the day I bought it and would never be without it on a heavily loaded trailer. Be aware that temps on the side being hit by the sun on a hot summer day will be noticeably warmer than the other side.
I don't have a TPMS on my eclipse trailer but have thought about it. I don't feel its as critical as on the travel trailer because a blowout on the travel trailer can cause thousands of dollars of damage but with diamond plate aluminum fenders on the boat trailer the chances of serious damage from a blowout is minimal.
I do however use an infrared thermometer on both trailers to check actual hub temps periodically when trailering any distance. It gives you a much better indication of how the bearings are doing. I had axle issues when my travel trailer was new and even though tire temps didn't vary much between both axles I had one axle that had hub temps more than 60 degrees warmer than the other.
I agree that having TPMS does give a great deal of peace of mind while running on the interstate.
I would strongly recommend changing to metal valve stems. The extra weight of the sensors on the valve stems causes them to deflect enough that I saw wear on my alloy rims on my travel trailer where the sensors rubbed on the rim because of bending of the valve stem at speed.
Fred
I'll have to take a look at the valve stems; thanks for the tip! I used them on my cargo trailer last week for a 500 mile trip and they seemed to do ok but now I'll look closer at the alloy wheels.