Portable, On-Board CO2 Air System From Power Tank – Installing & Using The MOLLE/Pickup Edition On a 3rd Gen Tacoma
Tire pressure is a quite simple but incredibly important topic of discussion in the offroad and overlanding scene. Whether it’s safety, traction, or comfort, tire pressure will always play a key role in your vehicle’s performance. In the offroading market, people usually air up their tires with a portable air compressor or compressed CO2. While they each have their pros and cons, at the end of the day, they help air up our tires!
Power Tank is a leading brand in onboard compressed CO2. In this article, we’re going to review their 10 LB kit and talk about why it just might be the perfect option for you!
Let’s get started.
Find It Online
Why Power Tank?
Let’s imagine a scenario. You’ve just finished a long day of snow wheeling with your crew at 10 PSI on your 35″ tires. Now, you’re getting ready to head home and it’s time to air back up. It’s cold outside, snowing, but you have to wait for your tires to fill back up.
A conventional air compressor, whether single or twin, can take anywhere from a few minutes (3-5) to several (5-10) to air up each tire depending on brand, hose kit, etc.
Power Tank, on the other hand, can typically inflate a tire in way under a minute with a single hose.
At the end of the day, the latter completes the job very fast and in a safe way. As you start to go up in tire size, it takes longer and longer to fill up tires. So, having a quick and easy solution is key.
Specifications
- 45 CFM
- 250 PSI regulator
- Air up 30 tires before needing a refill
- Can remove 360 lug nuts before needing a refill
- ~19 Seconds to fill a 35″ tire (depends on starting PSI)
- 30 ft. straight or coiled hose
Unboxing
My 10 lb. Power Tank kit included…
- HP250i – 250 PSI Regulator
- 30 ft. Coiled Hose
- Super Bracket (For Mounting)
- Overlander Tire Inflator
The Overlander Tire Inflator is digital and made stout to withstand the immense pressure that the tank puts out.
Where/How To Mount
Where and how to mount a Power Tank is really up to you! There are tons of mounting accessories offered, but the kit I got was for mounting to MOLLE panels.
The tank itself has a relatively small footprint. I still have it sitting on the floor of my backseat for convenience! Being able to easily grab it or lend it to a friend is a huge benefit.
Regulator Details
This is the regulator of choice for your run-of-the-mill build with 32-37″ Tires.
The bottom of the two gauges displays different PSI ranges based on the item you’re inflating – air tools, tires, etc. On the side, there’s a silver knob labeled “open” and “closed” to adjust the PSI per item.
The top gauge displays outflow PSI during use.
How To Use It
First, you’ll need to hook up all your connections. Secure the quick disconnect from the hose to the tank and then the inflator to the hose. Ensure they’re secured as having a faulty connection or leaky hose can result in poor performance.
Step 1. Adjust Valve
There are two knobs on the Power Tank. The rear one is the “on/off” valve and the silver one that is labeled “open/close” adjusts the PSI rate per item. Twist the on/off valve counterclockwise to turn the tank on.
Next, turn the silver knob to the “open” position and set the desired PSI range per the bottom regulator. If you’re inflating tires, it’s going to be the farthest right position labeled “tires”. Ensure the second gauge needle is in the normal range before use.
Step 2. Connect Tire Inflator
Next, secure the tire inflator onto the tire valve. Then, hold down the inflator control and watch the tires air up in seconds! You can increase the flow rate by turning the knob to output more PSI for faster inflation or larger tires.
Note: The overlander tire inflator will read “0.0” while inflating and will show the current pressure once the trigger is released.
Repeat this process on all four tires.
Air Up Times
One of Power Tanks’ main selling points is the ability to air up tires in under 30 seconds each depending on the size. I’m happy to report that my real-world testing confirms these claims!
For reference, my Tacoma has 33″ MT tires. I also was able to let a friend use it on their 35″ MTs as well to see how much of a difference there’d be. These numbers are approximate and only serve to provide proof of time required.
33″ Air Up Times
(From ~15-20 PSI to ~30-35 PSI)
- ~15-20 seconds per tire
- ~1:15-2:00 minutes for all four tires (includes walking around and hooking up to each tire)
35″ Air Up Times
(From ~15-25 PSI to ~32-38 PSI)
- ~18-24 seconds per tire
- ~1:50-3:00 minutes for all four tires (includes walking around and hooking up to each tire)
As you can see above, the numbers don’t lie and the air up times with a Power Tank are significantly faster than a traditional air compressor. The ability to be back on the road in a few minutes is quite the luxury. Using the tank is straightforward and quick; there’s no time waffling with a lengthy air hose going around your vehicle.
Review
The Power Tank is awesome! It’s a game-changing product that ultimately gives you more time back and eases the frustrations seen with a traditional air compressor setup.
High-quality materials, fit and finish, customer service, and accessibility to refill stations are what make Power Tank worth the money. This is a product that will likely outlast your vehicle and is a no-brainer investment. There are also replaceable parts and the option to switch out regulators, accessories, and tank size to help tailor the setup to your needs.
In addition to airing up tires, you can also power air tools and anything else that can be run off of compressed C02. It’s like having a mobile shop in your trunk.
Refilling & Pricing
A big question most people have is how often they’ll need to refill a Power Tank. Of the off-roading that I do, I’ll likely have one trip per month where I air down my tires and as a result, need to air them back up. That means I’m only using my Power Tank about a dozen times per year.
As mentioned earlier, a 10lb tank lasts about 30 tires, so I go through about two tanks per year. With the fill-up only being $21 from my local offroad shop, I’m only paying about $40 per year.
Final Thoughts
I think the Power Tank is awesome for those who are looking for a faster and easier air-up solution. The convenience and reliability have earned it a spot in my truck for all my future offroad endeavors! It’s got a ton of uses outside of airing up tires, too.
Being on par in terms of pricing with other high-end air compressors, I highly recommend Power Tank as an option! Its high level of customization, ease of use, and high-quality materials make it a no-brainer for me.
Happy Trails!
