How to Fix Your Camel Compressor

[Frederic]

Many off-road members have the Camel double cylinder heavy duty compressor which is an amazing compressor in terms of affordability vs performance, but as with many Chinese branded compressors, reliability is a bit of an issue sometimes. 
 

Luckily most of the faults are related to wiring and the on/off switch. Occasionally there might be an issue with the circuit board inside which contains the relays but this is less common.

If you have a small multimeter with “ohms” setting you can easily measure the continuity and diagnose the fault.

First things to check if your compressor stopped working:

1) Wiring. Have a look if the wires are not cut or damaged. 
2) Battery clamps: the wires are soldered onto  the battery clamps and sometimes become loose: 

 

3) On/off switch. This is the most common failure as sand gets inbetween the contacts and eventually it will stop working: 

 

in this above case the switch was faulty and was replaced with another model. You’ll find these switches on Amazon or some shops in Deira. 

So if you ever start experiencing problems with your compressor, have a look at the above most common root causes before buying a new model. 

[Chaitanya D]

Another very common issue is the hose attachments heating and breaking or cracking up. Especially at the joint where u remove and connect each time.

These replacement hoses can be found at D.M for around 40 to 50 AED which have around 9m tube to reach all tires.

I am not sure if we can fix these cracked hoses @Frederic ?

[M.Seidam]

Now it’s over 6 months since I have it from DM and so far no issue except at the linking point where the hoses connect the rubber slightly loose otherwise all is good .

[Abdul Rahman AK]

Mine is only 2 months old but unfortunately it's loosing power after working for a while and stops working. I don't think it's due to overheating because sometimes it happens immediately after starting and sometimes after 4 or 5 mins of working... was planning to buy a new one as it doesn't come with warranty. Thank you @Frederic for posting on this topic.

[Frederic]

58 minutes ago, Chaitanya D said:

Another very common issue is the hose attachments heating and breaking or cracking up. Especially at the joint where u remove and connect each time.

These replacement hoses can be found at D.M for around 40 to 50 AED which have around 9m tube to reach all tires.

I am not sure if we can fix these cracked hoses @Frederic ?

Very well said, these hoses can be repaired by cutting off the broken part and using a small hose clamp to attach it again. 
Its always recommended to avoid having that connection piece at angle while using the compresor. It should be relaxed and not bent.

[Niki]

Anyone with experience using the dobinsons compressor below?  I liked the idea of a small tank built in and as a brand it’s welll respected (albeit for other products). 
 

http://offroadmiddleeast.com/product-category/compressors/

Sorry to hijack this thread about repairs ... hopefully still a useful redirection 

[Frederic]

1 hour ago, Niki Patel said:

Anyone with experience using the dobinsons compressor below?  I liked the idea of a small tank built in and as a brand it’s welll respected (albeit for other products). 
 

http://offroadmiddleeast.com/product-category/compressors/

Sorry to hijack this thread about repairs ... hopefully still a useful redirection 

First time I see Dobinsons compressors. Build quality looks good but haven’t heard or seen any reviews about them. If your budget is in that range, consider the Mean Mother compressor and Bushranger models as well, and check which warranty you get (1y vs 5y)

[Hisham Masaad]

1 hour ago, Niki Patel said:

Anyone with experience using the dobinsons compressor below?  I liked the idea of a small tank built in and as a brand it’s welll respected (albeit for other products). 
 

http://offroadmiddleeast.com/product-category/compressors/

Sorry to hijack this thread about repairs ... hopefully still a useful redirection 

I am using Dobinsons compressor, so far good no complains. I bought, since I used to have a smaller capacity compressor, which was taking more time to inflate. 

[Wrangeld]

It's so lucky you had a Camel compressor to work on this weekend

 

[Chaitanya D]

2 hours ago, Niki Patel said:

Anyone with experience using the dobinsons compressor below?  I liked the idea of a small tank built in and as a brand it’s welll respected (albeit for other products). 
 

http://offroadmiddleeast.com/product-category/compressors/

Sorry to hijack this thread about repairs ... hopefully still a useful redirection 

Dobinson offers 1 year warranty whereas meanmother offers 5year warranty.( for similar flow rates of 160L/min for mean mother and 170L/min for Dobinson). Both inflate pretty much in same time.

Cost for Dobinson is higher.

With repeated used it boils to warranty which helps to claim your repair or replacements.

But all said and done there are some basic rules to extend your compressor life

1. Use in a clean flat area if using a removable one 

2. Give small breaks for the compressor to cool down between inflating tires - especially in summer when outside temperatures are soaring. Another alternative to try during summer months is inflating till 25psi so that the car is drivable on tarmac and top it at a near by petrol station.

3. Keep hose pipes straight especially near the attachment to compressor. After inflation do not roll them into very small loops as this tends to crack the heated hose easily 

4. Do all this and "pray" it lasts as much as it can if it is a Camel one from the dragon mart.🤣🤣 Some lucky members have used it for many years here without any problems