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PORTABLE AIR MADE EASY WITH
VIAIR'S 400P PORTABLE COMPRESSOR
By: Brian Goley
ATV enthusiasts who often travel to OHV Parks, their favorite sand
dunes, or down to their local riding spot
sometimes need a source of compressed air.
Especially those off-roaders who need to
traverse across sand with their ATV haulers or
tow vehicles with trailers and have to air down
their tires for adequate traction.
ATVers have a variety of needs for an air
compressor during their outings. From airing up
deflated truck tires, fixing ATV flats, or
wherever a quick shot of air or a lengthy pump
up is required, Viair Corporation of Laguna
Hills, California, offers a wide selection of
heavy duty, hard mounted and portable air
compressors to save the day.
Viair asked us to evaluate their most
powerful portable compressor. Viair's model 400P
is a must have piece of equipment because of its
portability, compact size, sturdy construction
and ratings that should enable it to handle
most, if not all, of your air compressor needs.
The 400P kit comes with a
heavy duty water and dust resistant double
compartment carrying bag. The entire kit
is a small 11.25 × 4 × 7 inch package that
weighs in at only 8.50 LBS and can be easily
stowed away.
The 400P compressor has a gearless direct
drive 1/4 HP motor, a thermal overload protector
with an automatic reset switch, and it is also
moisture and dust resistant. It uses an anodized
aluminum alloy cylinder, hi performance PTFE or
Teflon piston rings and stainless steel valves
that provides for a long life of robust and
corrosion-resistant performance. The compressor
comes with a
dual element air filter, a 35 FT
versatile coiled air hose with an
inflation/deflation valve, a 2 inch diameter
inline pressure gauge that measures up to 100
pounds per square inch (PSI) and a locking tire
valve chuck that also allows for rapid
deflation.
To provide power to the unit, an 8 FT power
cable protected by a 30 amp inline fuse and
battery terminal clamps, is provided. Powering
the Viair from battery terminals rather than the
cigarette lighter or 12 volt DC power
receptacles provides considerably more air
pressure. This makes it possible for the
compressor to pump up larger tires such as those
found on pickup trucks and many trailers. For
optimum performance, the manufacturer recommends
the engine of the vehicle be running when the
compressor is in use.
The maximum reach from the battery source to
the item you’re airing up or down is an
impressive 43 FT. This should allow for easy
reach to all tires on most vehicles and
trailers.
We
tested the unit by deflating the tires on our
Expedition. The tires are P265/70R17 all-terrain
tires which is a common tire size found on most
¾ ton pickups. We did this by attaching the
locking air chuck to the tire’s valve stem and
then simply pushing the system's inline deflator
collar forward and locking it in place to allow
continuous hands free air flow.
Viair's claims that the 400P should "air up a
31 × 10.5 inch tire from 15 to 30 PSI in about 1
minute and 25 seconds or from 0 to 30 PSI in
about 2 minutes and 28 seconds."
Our tires measured in at 31.6 X 10.7 inches which is
of an adequate size to test the unit. Inflating
our tires from 0 to 35 PSI took 2 minutes and 25
seconds per, which seems to more than
substantiate Viair’s claim. We tracked the air
pressure via the inline gauge. For those ATVers
who need to air down their tires when traversing
sand, the Viair should be more than adequate to
both deflate and re-inflate in less than 15
minutes. This includes the time required to hook
up the power cord to the vehicle's battery.
We did notice that our PSI readings via the
inline gauge were off by about 8 PSI when in
operation. To get an adequate PSI reading, you
need to stop inflation and then take a reading
from the gauge. This seems to register an
accurate measurement most of the time. So, to
air up a tire with MAX PSI of 35 you should stop
pumping air into the tire when the gauge reads
43 PSI. We validated our measured PSI using a
Craftsmans 12V portable air compressor and a
standard pencil tire gauge. Our 2
devices reported the same PSI on all tires while
the Viair was a consistent 8 PSI more during
operation and spot-on while powered off.
As
you can read, airing up vehicle tires did not
take long, so care should be taken when using
the unit to inflate ATV tires. It takes only a
matter of seconds to fully fill your standard
ATV tire. We timed a 25 X 12 inch ATV tire from
flat to full in less than 15 seconds.
When we wanted to hook the compressor to our
Kawasaki Brute Force 750i, we found that the
new Kawasaki has a
protective case around the positive post
on the battery. This didn’t allow us any way to
connect the 400P’s positive cable without first
removing the case which supports the battery by
keeping it secure. Of course, a little
modification will quickly remedy the situation,
but we don’t really see the average ATVer taking
this unit on a trail ride with them, but rather
keeping and utilizing the unit at base camp or
in their vehicle.
The 400P is rated with a maximum duty cycle
of 40 minutes at 30 PSI, or 15 minutes at 100
PSI at 72° F. At 30 PSI, the unit delivers 1.77
cubic feet per minute (CFM). Most reasonable
inflation needs should not present a problem
with overheating. If it does, its internal
thermal protection circuit will automatically
shut the system down and reset itself. The
average wait for further use is approximately 30
minutes.
All Viair compressors are covered by a
limited warranty of one year when properly
installed and under normal conditions of use.
Coverage is limited to defects in workmanship
and materials.
ATV Source has been utilizing the
Viair 400P for 6 months now and it has
proven itself to be a high performance quality
product. We have used it to inflate ATV Tires,
SUV tires, truck tires, portable swimming pools,
small inflatable kid’s games and even on a bike
tire. The unit has been flawless every time. We
have set the unit on the ground, in the engine
housing, and on the hood of some vehicles. The
unit has a built in anti-vibration aluminum tray
which keeps the unit from jumping around or
burying itself in the sand during operation.
Having a portable compressor with you while
out riding will make the difference between a
great riding trip or a complete washout. We all
know that tire pressure is the single most
important factor affecting vehicle safety and
performance that can be influenced by a driver.
When it comes to maintaining safe inflation
pressures for any type of on or off-road driving
activity, you need a portable compressor that
won’t let you down.
Contact info:
VIAIR
26072 Merit Circle, Ste. 111
Laguna Hills, CA 92653 USA
Toll Free: (800) 618-1994
Phone: (949) 582-6868
Fax: (949) 582-6866
Web Site:
http://www.viaircorp.com
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