5spdman
Elite Explorer
- Joined
- December 2, 2009
- Messages
- 784
- Reaction score
- 129
- City, State
- Stryker, OH
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 91 Explorer XLT
This has been in my mind after going over virtually all of the mod threads in the last two weeks.
I would like to install on-board air, whether it's filled with an on-board compressor or in the shop, to air up tires after hitting the trail. I've thought about using an old air compressor tank that we have laying around (which I might do for time being and just strap it into the cargo area) but those are only good for 150psi at best and would run out rather quickly. I have thought, in the future, if I were to relocate my gas tank to the rear (which I really want to do,) I could just mount the air tank where the original gas tank was located. But with my "side occupation" (firefighter) I started thinking: why not use an air tank from an SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus)?
The tanks we use in our department are rated at 1650psi....other SCBA tank manufacturers make tanks rated even higher than that. I could run air tools off a tank with 1650psi, and for a while too! If I were to mount one or two or more under the truck, don't worry; with that kind of pressure underneath me, there's no way I would go anywhere without some kind of skid plate. I could even just mount them on the floor in the rear for easier access and virtually no chance of being damaged. How would I fill them? Simple: when they're about out of air, dismount the bottles, run up to the fire hall, hook them up to the filling station and then mount them back into place.
Now with that kind of pressure, I would of course need a regulator....at the moment, I can't get a look at or tinker with one from an air pack, but I'm sure the regulator on an air pack could possibly be adjusted to allow me to quickly fill tires or even run an impact wrench for a while, without using all 1650psi...
SO, question #1 is simply this: is there anyone that has done or even thought of something like this before? And what are peoples thoughts on this potential little mod project that is cooking in my brain?
And Q#2: is there a regulator out there on the market that can handle that kind of pressure and regulate it to around 80psi that I could just purchase instead of me having to tinker around with one?
I would like to go ahead with this little project after this coming summer when I can probably acquire a few old steel SCBA tanks from our department in Ohio and possibly an old out-of-service air pack as well, instead of the carbon fiber/currently-in-service tanks and air packs here in AZ, but wanted to see a few others chime in with questions, comments or concerns!
I would like to install on-board air, whether it's filled with an on-board compressor or in the shop, to air up tires after hitting the trail. I've thought about using an old air compressor tank that we have laying around (which I might do for time being and just strap it into the cargo area) but those are only good for 150psi at best and would run out rather quickly. I have thought, in the future, if I were to relocate my gas tank to the rear (which I really want to do,) I could just mount the air tank where the original gas tank was located. But with my "side occupation" (firefighter) I started thinking: why not use an air tank from an SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus)?
The tanks we use in our department are rated at 1650psi....other SCBA tank manufacturers make tanks rated even higher than that. I could run air tools off a tank with 1650psi, and for a while too! If I were to mount one or two or more under the truck, don't worry; with that kind of pressure underneath me, there's no way I would go anywhere without some kind of skid plate. I could even just mount them on the floor in the rear for easier access and virtually no chance of being damaged. How would I fill them? Simple: when they're about out of air, dismount the bottles, run up to the fire hall, hook them up to the filling station and then mount them back into place.
Now with that kind of pressure, I would of course need a regulator....at the moment, I can't get a look at or tinker with one from an air pack, but I'm sure the regulator on an air pack could possibly be adjusted to allow me to quickly fill tires or even run an impact wrench for a while, without using all 1650psi...
SO, question #1 is simply this: is there anyone that has done or even thought of something like this before? And what are peoples thoughts on this potential little mod project that is cooking in my brain?
And Q#2: is there a regulator out there on the market that can handle that kind of pressure and regulate it to around 80psi that I could just purchase instead of me having to tinker around with one?
I would like to go ahead with this little project after this coming summer when I can probably acquire a few old steel SCBA tanks from our department in Ohio and possibly an old out-of-service air pack as well, instead of the carbon fiber/currently-in-service tanks and air packs here in AZ, but wanted to see a few others chime in with questions, comments or concerns!