A caravan TPMS shows the pressure and temperature of every tyre on the car and the van, on one screen on your dash. Choosing one comes down to four questions, in this order.
Count your tyres
One sensor for every tyre you want watched, spares included:
- Car on its own: 4
- Car and single-axle van: 6
- Car and tandem van: 8
- Car, tandem van and two spares: 10
The sensor count is set by the screen, so count the rig you'll tow, not just today's.
Pick the screen
Aura A6 Tow Pack, $249: 6 tyres, a solar-charged screen and a booster in the box. Suits a car and single-axle van, or anything else on 6 wheels.
Guardian TPMS, from $249: one screen for 6 to 26 tyres, so it suits tandem vans, spares and bigger rigs. External sensors, and a booster add-on for long rigs.
The Sentinel TPMS watches 4 tyres, so it suits a car on its own, not a car and van.
Check the booster
A booster relays the signal from the van's back tyres to the screen when the rig is long, or when a lot of metal sits in between. Whether you need one depends on your rig.
Read do I need a TPMS booster for my caravan for the signs.
External or internal sensors
External sensors screw onto the valves and you fit them yourself. Internal sensors sit inside the tyre and need a tyre shop to fit them and balance the wheel.
flatMATE kits use external sensors. The pros and cons are in internal vs external TPMS sensors. Need internal sensors? Get a quote.
What else to look for
- Temperature, not just pressure. A tyre or hub running hotter than the rest can point to a slow leak, a dragging brake or a bearing on the way out.
- Alarms you can set. You choose the low and high pressure and high temperature levels for your load.
- A pressure range that covers your van tyres. Check the kit's spec table against your placard.
- A screen you can see. On the dash or the windscreen, where a glance is enough.
See every kit by setup on caravan TPMS, or answer a few questions in find my kit.
Not sure what your rig needs? Email us your rig: info@flatmate-tpms.com
