Where will everyone be mounting their new ARB CKMTA12 air compressor from this month's group buy?

How did you go about gaining access? Do you need to remove the entire bumper?
Nope, just drilled it out. There is a plastic layer, an air gap and then the metal piece. I used a stepper bit and finished it up from the backside, which was tight.
 
Alright. I have the compressor mounted and all the plumbing done. I put a quick connect in the fuel door, on the rear bumper and at the compressor itself.

Now I just need some help figuring out the electrical. I have the expedition essentials extension harness, the ARB factory harness, and am not running to a tank or lockers (obviously). I want to use an upfitters as the only switch. Need advice on which battery to mount the harness to, and how to accommodate the harnesses in the engine bay.
 

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Alright. I have the compressor mounted and all the plumbing done. I put a quick connect in the fuel door, on the rear bumper and at the compressor itself.

Now I just need some help figuring out the electrical. I have the expedition essentials extension harness, the ARB factory harness, and am not running to a tank or lockers (obviously). I want to use an upfitters as the only switch. Need advice on which battery to mount the harness to, and how to accommodate the harnesses in the engine bay.
You just need to run the red and black from the one plug to the battery. It's easier to put it on the passenger side as there is already a bolt to attach it to on the positive terminal. You can also just run the black wire to a ground chassis somewhere near your compressor.

Then you only need to connect the purple wire from the other plug to an upfitter switch of your choice. I'd recommend 1-4 and kep 5-6 for something with higher amps or for use without ignition on .
 
Awesome! That indeed sounds like a good choice, and glad my explanation was helpful!


It's a good question! First, to state the obvious, air tanks store a volume of air at a high pressure. It acts as a buffer between the compressor and whatever you're using the air for. The main value of a tank is CFM, but only in bursts until the tank's pressure reduces too much to be useful, then the compressor has to build the pressure back up with time.

A common use case for air tanks is running air tools. Air tools require significant CFM and a compressor that can directly put out that much CFM is quite large. Think shop compressors. It's simply impractical to expect a portable air compressor to put out that much CFM. So instead the compressor builds up pressure in the tank over time, allowing you to have the high CFM to run the tool, just in bursts.

I'm far less familiar with air horns, but it seems like that's the case with them as well.

I personally see less value in an air tank for filling up tires, though I don't have personal experience with it. In my mind you'll, at best, get one tire filled up quickly with the air in the tank, and then the rest will be filled up as if the compressor was directly connected since the tank will be empty. Filling tires isn't a burst operation like many (not all) air tools or an air horn.

But again, I don't have direct experience with an air tank when it comes to portable air compressors* so I'm stating things off of theory not practice. Perhaps the air tank is more beneficial for airing up tires than I realize. :)

* I have a shop air compressor in my garage, so I do have experience with an air tank in that regard. For shop air compressors the tank is useful for two reasons: some larger air tools will exceed the CFM output of even larger shop compressors, so still need the tank as described above. Also noise. The ability to not have the compressor running constantly while using tools is quite valuable.
There are many YouTube videos comparing the speed of inflation of different compressors. Some of those are well done, some are not. One such video measured the time saved by using an ARB tank along with the compressor (probably the twin turbine compressor, but I don't remember which air tank). My take-away was that the air tank they used did not make a meaningful difference in inflation times.

Most likely, the air tank was empty after only getting part-way through the first tire. The good news is that the air tank should be re-pressurizing as you fiddle around and move from tire to tire.

If I was to consider installing an air tank with the objective of reducing tire inflation times, I would do some research on how much difference they actually make and also upsize as much as possible. In fact, I would probably skip a compressor driven tank and carry a high pressure air tank so as to have a back-up method for inflation, and to speed things up when it is raining, snowing, blowing wind, swarming with mosquitos, or too hot and sunny, or too cold and dark - come to think of it, that seems to be every time I inflate my tires.

FWIW, in my case using a single turbine ARB compressor it takes me roughly 3 minutes per tire to inflate from 16 ish to 35 ish pounds. Multiply that times 4 plus fiddle around time, and inflating my tires is always at least a 20 minute exercise and sometimes 30 (my ARB hoses tend to leak). I would not purchase a single turbine compressor in the future if I could make a twin work.
 
My take-away was that the air tank they used did not make a meaningful difference in inflation times.
Correct. The tank has other benefits. Pressure at the required airflow for air tools, system water management, heat dissipation, etc. The filling of larger tires will primarily be dictated by the limits of whatever compressor you are using.

I didn't initially put one in with my ARB Twin but am thinking of adding one to help with winterizing my RV. I used a portable 5 gal plumbed in series this past season and it worked well...
 
Correct. The tank has other benefits. Pressure at the required airflow for air tools, system water management, heat dissipation, etc. The filling of larger tires will primarily be dictated by the limits of whatever compressor you are using.

I didn't initially put one in with my ARB Twin but am thinking of adding one to help with winterizing my RV. I used a portable 5 gal plumbed in series this past season and it worked well...
Yep a person can always add a portable tank in the bed whenever it's needed and just connect to an air chuck in the bed.

As far as tire filling, I really like the idea of an inflation rig for filling all four simultaneously. Hook up all four at the same time, sit in the cab for 15 minutes, comfortable while the system sets all tires to the proper pressure.
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@RedZilla my brother has that morrflate and really likes it
 
@RedZilla my brother has that morrflate and really likes it
I went with the Indeflate, which is two at a time. Works well since the front and rear are two different specs.
 
Alright. I have the compressor mounted and all the plumbing done. I put a quick connect in the fuel door, on the rear bumper and at the compressor itself.

Now I just need some help figuring out the electrical. I have the expedition essentials extension harness, the ARB factory harness, and am not running to a tank or lockers (obviously). I want to use an upfitters as the only switch. Need advice on which battery to mount the harness to, and how to accommodate the harnesses in the engine bay.
May I ask what quick connect that is that you are using in the bumper and fuel door? I like that it has a lid/cap.
 
May I ask what quick connect that is that you are using in the bumper and fuel door? I like that it has a lid/cap.
It's the ARB.
 
Perfect. Thank you.
That dust cap works on all of their quick connects. I have to say that the ARB twin is one of the best accessories I have added to the truck. I use it to adjust pressures for towing/around town/on the trail as well as inflating paddle boards and mountain bike tires. I also use it to blow off dust in the bed of the truck and clean the sawdust off my clothing after using a chainsaw
 
Anybody have the dual pump portable? How long is the power cables?
 
I put an ARB fed five gallon tank in the bed, it does facilitate airing up a bit. I haven’t timed the fills, but definitely quicker when the tank is used. If you want max speed, put in the biggest tank you have space for. Never used one before, saw people putting in 3 gallon tanks ,thought I’d go bigger just for fun. Glad I did. I have room, and I might put in a bigger tank sometime down the road. They’re not that expensive and they’re easy to plumb.
 
Those of you that mounted your compressor tank in front / above the spare tire, did you remove your tire heat shield? It looks like it’s in the way for how several of you mounted it.
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Those of you that mounted your compressor tank in front / above the spare tire, did you remove your tire heat shield? It looks like it’s in the way for how several of you mounted it.
View attachment 132828
I cut out the raised area between the two mounting bolts on the heat shield wide enough to fit the mounting tab of the tank. I then reinstalled it and marked the cross member where I cut the slit and drill a hole in the middle of the marks.
 
I cut out the raised area between the two mounting bolts on the heat shield wide enough to fit the mounting tab of the tank. I then reinstalled it and marked the cross member where I cut the slit and drill a hole in the middle of the marks.
Thanks! Any chance you can snap a pic whenever you get a chance?
 

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