Air Compressor Question

[5ForFighting]

So I'm thinking of ordering a Viair 400p air compressor. Good reviews and the price is right. One question, however:

Is it possible to detach it from the base it comes with and bolt it on under the hood, somewhere near the battery? Has anyone done something like this in a 200? I don't want to mess with tanks and such, but would like to have it installed permanently.

 

[2000UZJ]

I have the Viair 380C (200PSI) and you can detach it from the base IIRC. It's very compact compared to ARB's offerings. I have it hooked up to a air tank, but a bypass valve for when I don't need the tank and it airs up 35's very quickly.

 

[Spudman]

I've seen them mounted under the hood on the diesels, but it haven't seen one on a petrol, might need to visit lcool.org or ask a mud member billfish

 

[Desert Nomad]

My plan was installing a compressor on the RHS of the engine bay where they usually install 2nd batteries, lots of space there, and to cut down on opening and closing the hood wire in an on/off switch on the dash and have the valve come out somewhere on the front bumper... I'll try to post pics or get my friend to post pics of his cruiser. Dealer equipped air compressor in the trunk above the jack storage area with the dial and switch on the inner quarter panel.

 

[Desert Nomad]

This is it. Found a picture online, cool setup but you need to go through the trunk to access it.

 

[5ForFighting]

That is pretty sweet! If it came as an option I would have been all over it, but it seems a bit overkill for my use as an aftermarket install.

I had the Viair 400p before but ended up returning it after one trip wheeling. It was in it's case in the back but jumped around a lot, and then was hot after use and we had to wait a while for it to cool down (this after about 20 minutes of airing up). I figure having it installed under the hood would eliminate those two nuisances.

Any other products I should consider? I like the ARB CKMTA 12, but I'm not sure it's worth twice the cost of the Viair.

 

[Desert Nomad]

I think most heavier duty ones would do the job fine. I've had the bushranger for a couple of years and it's been flung around the back quite a few times but still works flawlessly although much louder than when it was new arb should be bombproof although I've always heard great reviews on the viair

 

[Sinister]

I have the 400p that I leave in my beach bag. It's great for what I need it for, of course we all want the fastest possible but for the money it's pretty damn good.

 

[robustbambi]

I have the arb ckmta 12. It's fast as hell and let's everyone know I'm better than them without me actually having to tell them that.


...via IH8MUD app

 

[5ForFighting]

A neighbourly Mud member highly recommended this:

http://shop.air-zenith.com/200psiob2-black.aspx

He makes some good points, especially about it being 100% rebuildable as opposed to the Viairs and ARBs. I think I'll take his advice but will have to save up a bit.

My only concern is finding a place to mount something. There's not much room under the hood, and I would like to get a second battery eventually to power a fridge, etc. I'm not too keen on mounting anything inside the cabin because there's little enough space as there is and with three little kids... The other concern is the noise factor when the compressor is running. I don't fancy having to evacuate the vehicle to air up. Apparently the Air Zenith is very quiet, but that's probably more of a relative statement.

 

[gaijin]

A neighbourly Mud member highly recommended this:

http://shop.air-zenith.com/200psiob2-black.aspx

He makes some good points, especially about it being 100% rebuildable as opposed to the Viairs and ARBs. I think I'll take his advice but will have to save up a bit.

My only concern is finding a place to mount something. There's not much room under the hood, and I would like to get a second battery eventually to power a fridge, etc. I'm not too keen on mounting anything inside the cabin because there's little enough space as there is and with three little kids... The other concern is the noise factor when the compressor is running. I don't fancy having to evacuate the vehicle to air up. Apparently the Air Zenith is very quiet, but that's probably more of a relative statement.

And where can you get the 35 Amps required to run that puppy?

 

[5ForFighting]

The ARB CKMTA 12 has a current draw of 28 Amps under no load and 50 Amps under load...per ARB technical specs...Why the concern about the Air Zenith?

 

[Desert Nomad]

Post up pictures of how you get it installed, I felt space was tight behind the fuse box and only other method of installation I saw was moving the power steering tank closer to the engine to give enough space for the compressor . Do you have wiring running through alongside the fuse box? I might need to put in a heat shield to protect the spaghetti mess I have under the hood if I place a compressor there.

 

[5ForFighting]

I'll definitely post once I make a decision and a purchase. I know that these things should be as close to the battery as possible to maximize efficiency, but is the empty area behind the passenger-side headlight too far? Would it be too tricky running the connection across?

 

[viairryan]

A neighbourly Mud member highly recommended this:

http://shop.air-zenith.com/200psiob2-black.aspx

He makes some good points, especially about it being 100% rebuildable as opposed to the Viairs and ARBs. I think I'll take his advice but will have to save up a bit.

For the record, VIAIR Compressors are rebuildable.

Source: I work at VIAIR.

Thanks

 

[Mago]

For the record, VIAIR Compressors are rebuildable.

Source: I work at VIAIR.

Thanks

Do you sell the parts/kits to rebuild? Where can I find them?

 

[viairryan]

Do you sell the parts/kits to rebuild? Where can I find them?

Call 949 585 0011 to place an order over the phone. They only sell repair parts over the phone.

Since VIAIR only sells through distributors, you won't find an online shopping cart in their website. But they do sell repair parts over the phone since they can't expect their distributors to stock that kind of thing.

I've also seen VIAIR repair parts on various dealer websites in case you'd rather purchase the repair parts online.
http://www.newmaticsinc.com/category_s/416.htm

 

[Newps]

Here is a great video of why Air Zenith is great for the off-road crowd.