OutdoorX4 Magazine sits down with the crew from California-based Power Tank

Advanced Air Systems, Inc. DBA Power Tank®, has been designing CO2 on-board air systems since 1997. Like many great ideas, it came about via necessity after Steve ruined a set of new tires while trying to find a place to air up after wheeling his old 4Runner. 

OutdoorX4 had the opportunity to chat with Steve and Tyler about where Power Tank started, where they’re going, and more.

OX4: After that first trip, what happened to get Power Tank from the initial idea to a reality?

PowerTank: After I got the idea, I immediately went out to build a CO2 air system for my tires.  I went to a local welding supply store and got a huge lesson on regulators from the friendly counter guy there.  He showed me a dozen different regulators and explained the differences.  I settled on one, bought it, and took it home.  It worked better than expected.  At that time, I was simply making an air system for myself.  I had no intention of creating a business around it.  After using it for over a year and having it exceed all expectations, I decided to design it into a sellable product.  

OX4: How has your product line evolved over the last 23 years?

PowerTank: Every part has been improved several times over from the smallest fittings to the entire regulator design.  What started out as a clunky brass diaphragm regulator is now an aluminum and stainless-steel rocket engine.  The tanks are still USA made but are now fully powder coated.  The original off-the-shelf hoses are now custom made to our proprietary specs.  They have double the pressure strength, feature swivel fittings, and were bumped to 30 feet.  With the added stress on the regulators came the need for higher performance couplers which we also designed to our specs.  And back then, I would have never imagined that there would be thousands of Power Tanks in almost every corner of the earth including the US Army motor pool in Pakistan.  

OX4: What has been your biggest “aha” moment, or your proudest accomplishment?

PowerTank:  For the first few years of the business I was always waiting for the “house of cards” to fall.  In other words, I always wondered when the CO2 air system concept would lose its steam and our sales would dry up.  I guess this is what keeps business people pushing so hard.  The harder we pushed the Power Tank the more people we’d meet that had never heard of us.  But then in about 2009 we began to see Power Tank knock-offs pop up.  Direct competition from other companies.  Ironically, this worried me but provided relief at the same time.  This was validation that others in the market saw the Power Tank as a viable idea and soon the “CO2 air system” had its own product category aside from “air compressors”.  We worked hard to always make the best product we could and we quickly learned of the benefits of being the best, albeit the most expensive, brand in the space with few product warranty problems, happy and loyal customers, and requests for Power Tanks from top racers, magazine writers, and influencers. 

OX4: Have you seen an uptick in new customers in recent years and have you noticed any particular trends?

PowerTank:  Our business has grown by double digits every year since our first year.  Even though we sell into so many industries like construction, towing, and others, our growth has almost all come from the growing offroad markets.  Overland and SxS markets have forced us to broaden our product range and boosted our sales while the Jeep and Toyota brands have been pulling more new people into the offroad market through their lifestyle marketing and gadget heavy vehicles.  In a positive shift, the new Jeeps and Toyotas have moved the 4×4 market from DIY backyard mechanics to a growing number of professionals with deep pockets and an ever-growing aftermarket. 

OX4: Do you think the recent popularity boom in the overlanding/offroading hobby has brought about any interesting innovations?

PowerTank: Overall, the new offroad vehicles have become much more capable right out of the box.  Probably the most obvious trend is the RTT and with it came new designs and new ways to mount them to roofs of everything from Subarus to Sprinter vans.  Speaking of Sprinter vans, I never thought I’d see so many ways to outfit 48 sq/ft of floor space with so many creature comforts.  Moreover, I never thought I’d see so many crazy people able to spend the equivalent of a small house on a metal box on wheels. They’re a far cry from the wooden camper my Dad built for our family Ford pickup when I was growing up. 

OX4: What do you feel sets your product line apart from other compressor options?

PowerTank:  There are good compressors out there like the ARB Twin but as tires get larger the need for a Power Tank gets more obvious.  When you get into the 35” and larger tire size many compressors struggle to air them up.  The Power Tank lives for airing up large tires.  We aired up our Mickey Thompson 40×13.50r17’s from 10 psi to street pressure (24 psi) in under 30 seconds per tire through the stock valve stem.  Once we installed our Monster Valves, this time was cut down to 15 seconds per tire.  If you need 120 psi in an RV tire the Power Tank tackles this with ease. There’s no better way to reseat a large tire than with 250 psi and 45cfm.  Our own Jeeps are always equipped with air impacts and die grinders for quick repairs that might not otherwise be possible in the field without them.  So, besides the speed advantage of airing up, the Power Tank does so many things a compressor cannot which makes it an invaluable tool in the backcountry. Not to mention the reliability that comes from not having any moving parts or wear items. 

OX4: That’s incredible. Anyone that has ever aired up a large tire will realize how that’s practically instantaneous. Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions and telling us how Power Tank came to be. 

Editor Note: The Around the Campfire series is brought to you in collaboration with our friends from 67 Designs, proprietors of the finest mounting solutions for your mobile devices whether in the backcountry, around town, and at home. Learn more about 67 Designs by visiting www.67d.com.

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