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I have no affiliation with any of the companies mentioned here. I was not asked to review this product. I purchased for personal use and share my experience.
Can the 300P handle 35’s? If so, how long will it take? Let’s find out!
Having used and abused the various VIAIR 400P models over the years, I was about to pull the trigger on another 400P to live in the Bronco when I saw the 300P at Northerntool for $179. The 12V non-RV version of the 400P sells for $216. Not quite $40 difference. Looking at the specs not a whole lot of differences. The 300P is a little smaller and lighter.
300P: 9.06L x 4.96W x 7.51H, 8.7lbs
400P: 10.87L x 5.83W x 7.48H, 10.4lbs
Both are rated at the same CFM and duty cycle. Both draw 30A (max). The basic kits look the same although the 300P comes in a discreet black bag vs the tan bag of the 400P. Same coil hose and 5-in-1 inflate/deflate chuck (more on that later).
VIAIR lists the 300P for up to 33” tires and the 400P for up to 35” tires. Perhaps the larger size of the 400P allows for better heat dissipation, longevity, etc.
I figured if it struggled on 35’s, I would move it to the Escalade (32”) and pick up a 400P or 440P for the Bronco.
No matter where I have purchased VIAIR over the years, they always direct ship from VIAIR in Irvine. As usual, arrived quickly, well packaged. Feels stout like the 400P’s I have owned in the past. A little smaller than I expected. A nice size really. I threaded the air filter on and tucked it all inside the included bag. Incidentally, the bag does not have the VIAIR logo as in the picture.
The design of the bag makes for an odd shape but, fits perfectly under the rear seat of the 4-door. Nice surprise! I stretched a 36” bungee across the seat supports to keep stuff from rolling out if I slam on the brakes.
Black bag under a dark seat difficult to see but if the bag were invisible it would store like this:
Next day at the shop, I inflated an old 33” spare from 10 PSI up to 30 PSI. Seemed fast, got warm but not uncomfortable to touch. Quieter in operation than I remember the 400P being but my last 400P had been well used.
First outing with the Bronco, aired down for sand to 20PSI. On air up, seemed to blast through each of the 35’s but I was chatting with friends, not timing. Compressor got hot but easy enough to handle. One thing for sure, the VIAIR inflate/deflate chuck that comes with these kits does not play well with factory sasquatch wheels.
In the photo above I have already cut off the included air chuck to illustrate the difficulty in getting it straight on. No matter what angle I approach the air chuck with, it does not align well with the valve stem. It can be forced on, but not something I want to fiddle with. It’s a neat design and will work fine for most wheels, but the angles of it are all wrong for the factory sasquatch wheel.
Like most in-line kit pressure gauges, the VIAIR is reasonably accurate +/- 3 PSI but could be better.
Next day I decided to really push it. Using the ¡Cuatro! 4-Way Deflator/ Inflator kit I aired down to 15 PSI in all four tires.
I was using the air manifold connected directly to the 300P and timed the air-up to my usual 36 PSI. 15 PSI is lower than I typically go but, for the sake of science, lets measure! Worth mentioning this makes the brass 4-way manifold really hot. Now I use a hose between the compressor and the manifold. A little distance helps drop air temperature at the manifold and make it easier to stow when finished.
15 -> 36 PSI in 12min
20 -> 35 PSI in 9 min
With the duty cycle being ~ 20min @ 100 PSI, I could air up two trucks in succession for highway driving, figuring in a brief cool down as I move the inflator kit from truck 1 to truck 2, this really shouldn't be a problem.
Using an infrared thermometer, surface temperature after 12min of operation was approx 130F on the fins of the compressor head and as high as 140F on the brass quick connect coupler. Ambient temperature was 84F. I have not measured temps on other air compressors, just know that they all get too hot to touch after a long run. I keep gloves in the compressor bag for this reason.
About that air chuck. While I appreciate the flexibility and design, it just doesn’t work for the sasquatch wheel and I prefer the utility of a quick disconnect at both ends. I decided to cut off the VIAIR chuck and add a female quick connect coupler to the hose that comes with the 300P. I know some people toss the factory hose all together in favor of more flexible options (especially cold weather) but for now this will suffice.
From the factory, the VIAIR chuck is attached to a short length of straight hose along with small t-shape splitter + pressure gauge (see photo at the top of this post). The problem is, that short length of hose does not appear to be a standard size. It is a 5mm ID and 10.5mm OD. A 3/16” barb like this one should do the trick to get a male ¼” NPT end. I had a re-usable brass fitting designed for ¼” hose in my drawer and it was a very tight fit but worked out.
The red X is over the included 300P air chuck. In its place I added a 1/4" male NPT with a quick coupler to accommodate an array of quick connect chucks.
Photo above is the finished version. I can use the VIAIR coil hose in a variety of ways now and the straight air chuck allows it to work easily on sasquatch wheels.
There are many good compressors out there. I have had onboard air systems in the past. Definitely pros and cons to going that route. Everything is a balance of function, size, money and livability.
All things considered this makes for a nice, compact, portable air unit at a great price. Even with the changes I made to the air hose, we’re looking at under $200. Not bad for a compressor that can air up four 35” tires in 10 min and stow easily under the back seat.
It has only been a few months but I will update this thread as to reliability or any issues that emerge.
Can the 300P handle 35’s? If so, how long will it take? Let’s find out!
Having used and abused the various VIAIR 400P models over the years, I was about to pull the trigger on another 400P to live in the Bronco when I saw the 300P at Northerntool for $179. The 12V non-RV version of the 400P sells for $216. Not quite $40 difference. Looking at the specs not a whole lot of differences. The 300P is a little smaller and lighter.
300P: 9.06L x 4.96W x 7.51H, 8.7lbs
400P: 10.87L x 5.83W x 7.48H, 10.4lbs
Both are rated at the same CFM and duty cycle. Both draw 30A (max). The basic kits look the same although the 300P comes in a discreet black bag vs the tan bag of the 400P. Same coil hose and 5-in-1 inflate/deflate chuck (more on that later).
VIAIR lists the 300P for up to 33” tires and the 400P for up to 35” tires. Perhaps the larger size of the 400P allows for better heat dissipation, longevity, etc.
I figured if it struggled on 35’s, I would move it to the Escalade (32”) and pick up a 400P or 440P for the Bronco.
No matter where I have purchased VIAIR over the years, they always direct ship from VIAIR in Irvine. As usual, arrived quickly, well packaged. Feels stout like the 400P’s I have owned in the past. A little smaller than I expected. A nice size really. I threaded the air filter on and tucked it all inside the included bag. Incidentally, the bag does not have the VIAIR logo as in the picture.
The design of the bag makes for an odd shape but, fits perfectly under the rear seat of the 4-door. Nice surprise! I stretched a 36” bungee across the seat supports to keep stuff from rolling out if I slam on the brakes.
Black bag under a dark seat difficult to see but if the bag were invisible it would store like this:
Next day at the shop, I inflated an old 33” spare from 10 PSI up to 30 PSI. Seemed fast, got warm but not uncomfortable to touch. Quieter in operation than I remember the 400P being but my last 400P had been well used.
First outing with the Bronco, aired down for sand to 20PSI. On air up, seemed to blast through each of the 35’s but I was chatting with friends, not timing. Compressor got hot but easy enough to handle. One thing for sure, the VIAIR inflate/deflate chuck that comes with these kits does not play well with factory sasquatch wheels.
In the photo above I have already cut off the included air chuck to illustrate the difficulty in getting it straight on. No matter what angle I approach the air chuck with, it does not align well with the valve stem. It can be forced on, but not something I want to fiddle with. It’s a neat design and will work fine for most wheels, but the angles of it are all wrong for the factory sasquatch wheel.
Like most in-line kit pressure gauges, the VIAIR is reasonably accurate +/- 3 PSI but could be better.
Next day I decided to really push it. Using the ¡Cuatro! 4-Way Deflator/ Inflator kit I aired down to 15 PSI in all four tires.
I was using the air manifold connected directly to the 300P and timed the air-up to my usual 36 PSI. 15 PSI is lower than I typically go but, for the sake of science, lets measure! Worth mentioning this makes the brass 4-way manifold really hot. Now I use a hose between the compressor and the manifold. A little distance helps drop air temperature at the manifold and make it easier to stow when finished.
15 -> 36 PSI in 12min
20 -> 35 PSI in 9 min
With the duty cycle being ~ 20min @ 100 PSI, I could air up two trucks in succession for highway driving, figuring in a brief cool down as I move the inflator kit from truck 1 to truck 2, this really shouldn't be a problem.
Using an infrared thermometer, surface temperature after 12min of operation was approx 130F on the fins of the compressor head and as high as 140F on the brass quick connect coupler. Ambient temperature was 84F. I have not measured temps on other air compressors, just know that they all get too hot to touch after a long run. I keep gloves in the compressor bag for this reason.
About that air chuck. While I appreciate the flexibility and design, it just doesn’t work for the sasquatch wheel and I prefer the utility of a quick disconnect at both ends. I decided to cut off the VIAIR chuck and add a female quick connect coupler to the hose that comes with the 300P. I know some people toss the factory hose all together in favor of more flexible options (especially cold weather) but for now this will suffice.
From the factory, the VIAIR chuck is attached to a short length of straight hose along with small t-shape splitter + pressure gauge (see photo at the top of this post). The problem is, that short length of hose does not appear to be a standard size. It is a 5mm ID and 10.5mm OD. A 3/16” barb like this one should do the trick to get a male ¼” NPT end. I had a re-usable brass fitting designed for ¼” hose in my drawer and it was a very tight fit but worked out.
The red X is over the included 300P air chuck. In its place I added a 1/4" male NPT with a quick coupler to accommodate an array of quick connect chucks.
Photo above is the finished version. I can use the VIAIR coil hose in a variety of ways now and the straight air chuck allows it to work easily on sasquatch wheels.
There are many good compressors out there. I have had onboard air systems in the past. Definitely pros and cons to going that route. Everything is a balance of function, size, money and livability.
All things considered this makes for a nice, compact, portable air unit at a great price. Even with the changes I made to the air hose, we’re looking at under $200. Not bad for a compressor that can air up four 35” tires in 10 min and stow easily under the back seat.
It has only been a few months but I will update this thread as to reliability or any issues that emerge.
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