Here at Adventure Kings, we sell two incredibly powerful portable 12v air compressors – the single-piston Thumper air compressor and the twin-piston Thumper Max Air Compressor. Both of these are amazing bits of gear that allow you to re-inflate your tyres after you’ve been 4WDing, by connect to your car battery. They are both fast and reliable, but it’s pretty obvious that the Thumper Max is double as fast as the Thumper air compressor! Many people wonder what the best 12v air compressor for their use is, so to help you choose a portable air compressor to take offroad as part of your 4WD gear, we’ve put together this handy guide. By no means is this a hard and fast rule though – the information below should be used as a guide only, but everyone’s needs change and what works for one person won’t work for the next. Whichever 12v air compressor you choose, you’ll be getting a powerhouse that will do the job time after time!

Hand in hand with our 4×4 winches and recovery gear are the two air compressors we offer here at Adventure Kings – the Thumper air compressor, and the Thumper Max air compressor. It’s crucial that you deflate your tyres with a Kwiky tyre deflator when you head offroad to prevent getting stuck, but it’s just as important to re-inflate your tyres with a  12v air compressor before you hit the blacktop again. If you drive on flat tyres, you run the risk of rolling a tyre off the rim causing an accident in the worst case scenario, and at best you’ll overheat your tyres and cause massive long-term internal damage. In other words, it’s essential that you pump your tyres back up when you’re done 4WDing – and that’s where Thumper and Thumper Max come in!

THUMPER PORTABLE AIR COMPRESSOR

Both air compressors connect to your vehicle’s battery and let you pump car or trailer tyres back up whenever you need to, wherever you are. The Thumper is our original portable air compressor and features a single-piston design. It is capable of delivering 160 litres per minute and will pump up to a maximum of 150psi. The Thumper Max compressor uses a twin-cylinder design to deliver an insane 300 litres per minute of air – almost double the Thumper! Both 12v air compressors feature the same tough steel and alloy housing, and use the same heavy-duty 60mm alloy piston, cylinder and cylinder head, along with a rubber-mounted base to reduce vibration. To connect to your tyres you get 8 metres of rubber air hose with a built-in pressure gauge and a quick connect fitting.

THUMPER MAX PORTABLE AIR COMPRESSOR

Thumper Max isn’t just double as fast as Thumper air compressor – it has another trick up its sleeve. It features an internal pressure cut-off switch that allows it to work with the optional 3in1 Ultimate Air Tool. That’s important because to measure how much air is in your tyre, you need to turn your compressor off – it can’t properly read tyre pressures while the compressor is hammering air into the tyres. Both 4WD air compressors feature an on/off switch on the body, and with the Thumper you have to physically walk back to the compressor each time to turn it off, then back to the tyre to check pressure, and so on. With the Thumper Max and the optional 3in1, the compressor will only run while you have the thumb lever depressed, giving you workshop style activation. Combine that with it being double as fast as Thumper air compressor, and you can see why Thumper Max is our premium electric air compressor!

Put simply, anyone with bigger-than-standard 4WD tyres should purchase a Thumper Max, as well as anyone who regularly heads offroad, or just doesn’t want to wait in the hot sun pumping up tyres. That’s not to say Thumper air compressor isn’t an excellent compressor. If you only head offroad occasionally and have standard sized tyres, it’s a fantastic money-saving option.

GET MORE FROM YOUR 12V AIR COMPRESSOR!

Most common bundle products with either compressor include the premium canvas compressor bag to store your air compressor and associated tools, and if you tow a trailer then the optional 4m air extension hose gives you a total of 12 metres of reach – perfect for even the longest of trailers. And of course if you purchase the Thumper Max then to get the most from it you need the 3in1 Ultimate Air Tool too – it’ll inflate, deflate and read tyre pressures. Other tyre accessories commonly purchased together include our Kwiky tyre deflator and our 47 piece tyre repair kit.

DEPENDABLE, FAST COMPRESSED AIR FOR TYRE INFLATION – WHEREVER AND WHENEVER YOU NEED IT!

A quality portable air compressor is an essential bit of 4WD gear to carry whenever you head offroad. It’s not only dangerous driving on under-inflated tyres when you hit the tarmac again, but you’ll simply chew your tyres out way too quickly – and you’ll end up at the tyre shop forking out for new rubber again. Whether you choose the Thumper 12v air compressor or the Thumper Max portable air compressor, you’ll get dependable, fast tyre inflation whenever you need it. No more trying to hunt around for a service station or waiting in line in the hot sun on the forecourt for your turn to use the slow servo air compressor – just find a nice shady spot, connect up your electric air compressor, pump up your tyres and you’ll be back on your way. A portable air compressor is simply a must-have for all 4WDers – and luckily they’re available for an unbeatable price here at Adventure Kings!