Will Tru-Flate Wall-Mounted Tire Inflator Work if Plugged into AC Outlet in 2013 Toyota Highlander

Published 10/27/2017

Question:

The outlet in my highlander is rated at 400W. This is I believe a 2amp draw at 120v so this should work fine as a semi portable powered compressor/inflator to use out of the back of my car. Right? Most of the 12v compressors need 15amps at least to inflate to 65lbs what my trailer needs and the 12v sockets are all 10amp. So I have to buy battery clamp adapters and extension cords to be able to use one of those and that is a lot of stuff and adds to the cost. This seems simpler if I can power it easily.

asked by: Peter

Expert Reply:

Is the outlet at the back of your 2013 Toyota Highlander a 3-hole? Because the Tru-Flate Wall-Mounted Tire Inflator # 16-250 does require a 3-hole outlet rated for 120 volts at 60Hz. Output is 150 watts. If you do the math that means it pulls 1.25 amps. So if the outlet meets those specs it can power the compressor. But keep in mind that the manufacturer states it is for household use only.

The compressor I keep in my vehicle is the Goodyear Tire Inflator - Analog # GY94FR and I couldn't be happier with it. It plugs into a cigarette lighter or power port which are fused high enough to handle the power draw from items like this. This is the option I would go with since there is no guarantee that the Tru-Flate would work well with an AC plug in a vehicle.

expert reply by: Michael H