A day out on the tracks with our VDJ79 gave us a chance to have a play with the NSV Integrated Smart Air Compressor that we had fitted a while back.

This is a compressor mounted under the front passenger seat of the LandCruiser with a control panel on the dash that automatically inflates or deflates the tyre to the set pressure.

It is mounted on a bracket under the seat using the existing seat bolt holes so no need to drill anything and all the hardware is supplied in the kit. Also in the kit is an air hose with tyre valve connection and selection of fittings for inflating balls and so on.

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The digital control panel is simple and easy to use and as an added bonus it has an integrated reading light that comes in handy at night. There’s a similar panel on the driver’s side of the dash with a reading light but no compressor controls.

The compressor itself is a compact unit that is rated to >50L/min@40psi with a maximum working pressure of 150psi and a duty cycle of 20 minutes on/40 minutes off. While that’s not going to challenge the speed of the big twin-pump compressors on the market, this unit offers extremely simple and convenient use.

Pressure test

For our pressure test we wanted to drop the 295/70R17 Maxxis RAZR muddies from the 35psi road pressure down to the 15psi that you might want to use for beach driving, and then pump them back up again.

Setting the target pressure on the control panel takes mere seconds then you just screw the air hose up to the tyre and the system does the rest, deflating the tyre down to the set target. Dropping the 20psi from 35psi down to 15psi took just under three minutes.

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After resetting the control panel to 35psi the compressor cut in and took less than three minutes to inflate to the 35psi road pressure.

Because the NSV Integrated Smart Compressor is automatic, it allows you to step away from the tyre and do other things while it inflates/deflates. These other things could include putting away gear, checking other things on the vehicle, enjoying a cool refresher or swapping stories about the drive you just had… or about to embark on.

Testing two tyres at one

Wanting to make the task even easier we carried out the same test using a Maxtrax Indeflate unit that allows you to do two tyres at a time.

Simply connect the two hoses from the Indeflate unit to two tyres on the same axle and connect the NSV compressor’s hose to the Indeflate unit, and again the NSV control panel will inflate/deflate the tyres to the same set pressure, two at a time.

Dropping from 35psi to 15psi out of the two front tyres took eight minutes while reinflation to 35psi took seven minutes. Sure, it takes longer, but you have better things to do than stand over a tyre while it adjusts individually. Another good thing about using the Indeflate is that you are guaranteed to get precisely the same pressure in the two tyres across the axle.

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Verdict

The NSV compressor is a high quality bit of kit that’s made to OE standards.

In the USA the NSV kit for the Toyota Tacoma is offered as a factory accessory with a Toyota part number. In Australia it is covered by a three-year warranty from NSV. The supplied mounting bracket is powder coated for longevity and the wiring harness comes with OEM-style connectors to plug straight into the factory Toyota harness for power.

It’s compact and as the NSV compressor is mounted under the seat, it’s out of sight and out of mind when you are not using it. The air chuck is mounted in the bracket on the side of the seat where it is super easy to connect to and the supplied six-metre coiled air hose will easily reach all four tyres on the Cruiser.

RRP: $1177 plus shipping