We have used a tire pressure monitoring system on our RVs for many years. Based on our experience, I would never drive or tow a large vehicle without one. Unlike my previous review, however, I do suggest you invest in a high-quality unit like one from Truck System Technologies (TST) rather than a cheap system you might find at Amazon.
Our current monitor of choice is the TST 507 with cap sensors that we won as a prize from TechnoRV at an RV event. It has been reliable, useful and something I had no intention of replacing or upgrading. But then TST came out with a new touch-screen monitor to replace the original button-controlled model.
When TechnoRV offered us early access to this device, we decided to test it out and so far I’m really glad I did.
The new 770 monitor offers a lot of great features that are missing from the 507. Plus, it’s backwards compatible for both the cap and flow-through sensors.
The 770’s Features
- Full color touch screen. (The 507 used a series of button presses that were often annoying to remember and master.)
- Larger, easier-to-read display. (This is a pro and a con, depending on whether you have room for yet another larger screen on your dash.)
- Monitor 1 tow vehicle and up to 5 trailers. (The 507 could monitor up to 4 trailers.)
- Resettable trip odometer (This is on the 770’s second screen, which doesn’t exist on the the 507.)
- Real-time direction of travel, altitude, and speed readings. (This is on the 770’s second screen, which doesn’t exist on the the 507.)
- Automatic high and low pressure parameters are set based on your baseline cold tire pressure. (This can be over-ridden if you’d like to set your own limits.)
- Tire rotation feature. (This is provided through the easy touch-screen menu. With the previous monitor, you had to make sure you kept the sensors on the correct wheels when rotating them.)
- Suction-cup window mount with magnetic attachment point for the monitor. (The magnet also is compatible with most aftermarket magnetic phone mounts.)
- Sensor battery voltage. (You can monitor the status of your sensor batteries instead of just getting a low-battery warning available on the 507 monitor.)
- Rechargeable internal battery with USB-C power connection.
Pros and Cons
I mentioned in the list above that the larger screen can be a pro or a con. It’s nice being able to see more information at a glance but that extra window or dash real estate may be too much for some people.
Still, the larger unit allowing for the touch-screen capability is a huge improvement. Setting up the unit’s parameters and options is a breeze compared to the previous style.
Plus, a new feature allows you to simply select a tire position on the screen and then hold the unit up near a tire pressure sensor. Boom! Within seconds the monitor connects to the sensor and records its location.
I’ve also found that when you turn the unit on, it is finding the sensors and collecting their current status faster than the 507 does. I have not used the new unit long enough to be able to report on battery life. I assume it might need to be recharged more often than the 507. But the battery also may be larger, which would offset the additional drain on it from the advanced features.
This is a winner
Overall, it’s a great unit and a relatively reasonable upgrade price since you can keep all of your existing sensors.
The unit will be fully available for retail sale in 2023. If you go to TechnoRV now, you’ll see there are limited quantities available now. So check it out soon because I could see these selling out rather quickly.