Which Style Tire Pressure Monitoring System Is Best?

Updated 02/27/2026 | Published 02/24/2026

Products Featured in This Question

Tuson Towable Tire Pressure Monitoring System - 4 Sensors - Brass Interchangeable Valve Stems

(55)

$483.38

Replacement Tire Pressure and Temperature Sensor for Tuson TPMS - Qty 1

(5)

$44.80

TireMinder i10 TPMS for RVs and Trailers w/ Signal Booster - 4 Flow Through Tire Sensors

(369)

$292.89

TireMinder i10 TPMS for RVs and Trailers w/ Signal Booster - 4 Tire Sensors

(369)

$239.16

Internal Tire Sensor for TST TPMS Systems - Qty 1

(118)

$79.00

TST TPMS - Color Display - Signal Booster - 4 Internal Tire Sensors

(52)

$495.00

Question:

I wondered if anyone could advise me on which TPMS system would be best for my travel trailer. Are internal systems better than the screw on?

asked by: Cindy D

Expert Reply:

Hi Cindy!

Better can be a relative term when it comes to things like this. Internal sensors like those found in the Tuson Towable Tire Pressure Monitoring System - 4 Sensors - Brass Interchangeable Valve Stems # 335TPMS4WIVS and TST TPMS - Color Display - Signal Booster - 4 Internal Tire Sensors # TST34FR are very nice options as the valve stem remains bare with no sensor whipping around. They are basically set it and forget it. I say basically as they are still battery powered though. That means once those batteries in the sensors run out of juice, the tire has to be pulled off the replace the sensors (most don't have an accessible battery to replace). The # 335TPMS-SENS is for the Tuson and the # TST-507-INT-S1 is for the TST. The batteries in those sensors tend to have a pretty long life, but it is something you want to be aware of. They are very nice and easy to use, but they are also going to be the more expensive options.

External sensors, like the TireMinder i10 TPMS for RVs and Trailers w/ Signal Booster - 4 Flow Through Tire Sensors # TM38FR and TireMinder i10 TPMS for RVs and Trailers w/ Signal Booster - 4 Tire Sensors # TM89FR are going to be a lot less expensive, but you typically want to have metal valve stems when mounting something like this. As previously mentioned, these will be whipping around when you are driving and metal valve stems offer much better rigidity than rubber ones do. You can use rubber ones, but metal is definitely preferred. Battery life on these is typically less, but with them being externally mounted, they are easy to get to. The flow-through options will also allow you to keep the sensors on all the time and you do not need to remove them to adjust time pressure. The biggest plus for the external sensors is the price though. They are a lot less expensive.

If it were me, I would go with flow through external sensors due to their lower price and general convenience, but that's just me. You will need to weigh the pros and cons for each set up and if you come up with any specific questions about any of these (or others), just let me know. I'm pretty versed on these systems and will do my best to clear anything up.

Out of curiosity, what kind of travel trailer do you have?

expert reply by: Lazer S

Cindy D.

2/26/2026

We have a 2026 Cougar 26lbw. I looked ar the stems and the appear to be metal, although there is some plastic where it attaches to the rim. Do the flow through and any additional stress to the valve stems?

Lazer S.

2/27/2026

@CindyD Metal is best with that style sensor, but they can be used on rubber ones as well. We have people do that pretty often and I have never actually heard of them failing, so I say you are good with what you have! Cool camper as well! We were at the ST Louis RV show a few weeks ago and there were a bunch of these there. I liked the layout! What's the first trip you have planned?