Gerbings Insoles with Tourmaster Liner?

[Woodie]

I have a Tourmaster Synergy heated jacket liner. Sadly, Tourmaster doesn't make a heated insole or sock, so I'm considering the Gerbings insole.

 

But...can I connect the Gerbings wiring (Y) to my Tourmaster power supply?

 

Do I need some sort of temperature controller for the insoles?

 

[T__]

Woodie, the Gerbings heated boot insoles draw very little power so I doubt adding them to your Tourmaster controller will have any effect on it.. Problem will be getting the correct power to the insoles while maintaining the proper heat setting on your heated jacket liner..

If you have a dual controller then all should be good to go..

 

You will probably need some type of controller for the heated insoles as you will probably need to turn them down slightly after riding a while or in warmer weather..

 

I suppose you could just use a simple in-line switch (Gerbings or Tourmaster) as they are cheap & that way you just turn the insoles on & off as your feet get hot & cold..

 

 

Twisty

 

[EffBee]

Gerbing's does not recommend using any of its gear in conjunction with other brands. Therefore, the only way to accomplish what you want, is to connect a Gerbing's Battery Harness (power lead) to your battery, and to run the heated insoles as a completely separate electrical accessory from your TM Jacket Liner.

 

Depending on how cold your feet get, you might want to try the Gerbing's Insoles with just a Gerbing's On/Off Switch. If you find that you are switching the Insoles on and off too often, or that it becomes a distraction, then spring for the Gerbing's Controller.

[JayW]

Gerbing's does not recommend using any of its gear in conjunction with other brands...

 

Why not? Is it because Gerbings wants us to buy only their stuff, or is there a better reason? This sounds like my car owner's manual which recommends not using any accessories or parts except those made by the manufacturer.

 

Jay

[Woodie]

Thanks for the posts.

 

I don't think there's a place to connect insoles *after* the controller, I'm thinking to avoid running yet another wire to the battery. Since that wire is just that, a wire, with nothing on it, is there a reason not to plug it in there? From the comments, it appears that there's no physical reason that would prevent me from doing it.

 

It sounds like another controller is a must, I like the idea of the on/off switch--simple and cheap.

 

[EffBee]

Heavens, Jay, you sound so cynical . But unfortunately your example isn't apples-to-apples. It's not about using third-party items. It's about putting Ford-exclusive parts in your Chevy.

 

The fact is we deal with this every day. Customers sometimes assume that because it's heated clothing, it's all the same.

 

First, design parameters are different from manufacturer to manufacturer. Gerbing's is wired completely different from Tour Master, which is wired differently from Brand Y, etc. Not only are they wired differently, but the heating technologies differ. Some use carbon fiber (which is brittle) and some use copper wire (which works better but is thicker than it needs to be). At Gerbing's we use a substantially more expensive, ultra-narrow-gauge, super-flexible, multi-strand, mil-spec stainless we call Microwire. Simply assuming that because it's electrical that current is designed to flow in a similar pattern from manufacturer to manufacturer is incorrect. And while there are some similarities that may appear to provide the opportunity to mix and match because some of the connectors look the same, they aren't.

 

Second, the coaxial connector plugs that different heated clothing brands use come from different plug manufacturers and are made to different specifications. While they may look alike, they have slightly different measurements, tensions, internal contact points and areas, etc. Therefore, while one plug may "fit" into another, too often the internal contact areas provide inconsistent results. So, we get complaints. And so do our competitors. Customers claim that certain products only work intermittently, and therefore there must be a short internally. In reality, the problem is an intermittent plug connection arising from the mating of plugs from two different heated clothing brands that were sourced from two different plug manufacturers using two different companies' specs.

 

At Gerbing's, we have very tight specifications and we demand compliance from our suppliers. This ensures consistency of product and consistency of performance. It also makes it a lot easier to diagnose a problem, should one ever arise.

 

It also means that we get consistent detachment tensions. For example, we have a specified pulling tension at which our plugs disconnect. This is to help you clear your vehicle should you and your bike become separated. Mixing plugs when you mix garment brands can change the detachment tension, possibly for the worse. So it's not just about electrical connectivity. There's a safety consideration in having the same connectivity plugs from the same manufacturer.

 

Is it still electrically possible to mix some garments? Yes it is.

 

Is it still electrically possible for this mixing to work? To a limited extent, yes it is.

 

But for maximum performance and consistency, not to mention the designed-in safety considerations, we don't recommend mixing brands. And it's not about making us money. This does, we believe, COST us money.

 

When someone has a competitors' jacket liner, and they want to add our gloves, we recommend against it. That is a sale we KNOW we didn't make. If they have our liner and want to use a competitors' gloves, we also recommend against it. But that's a purchase we'll never know about because if those competitor's gloves get bought anyway, we'll never be told. So we're pretty sure how often our policy costs us sales, but can't quote the inverse. Ultimately, we figure it's a net loss to us. But in order to ensure customers get consistent performance and the other features and benefits built into our garments and our interconnectivity system, we're willing to take that loss.

 

In the end, our biggest concern isn't the money we lose when we recommend against mixing brands. We're #1 and we're a healthy company with breakthrough patented technology and a 35-year reputation for quality and for taking care of the customer. And it's that latter point that's most important. If we take care of the customer, if we offer them advice that's in THEIR best interest, they'll stay with us forever. THAT, keeps our doors open.

[Moto-Moto]

Wow, is everyone at Gerbing as passionate about the company as you? No wonder you are #1.

 

Having just been given a pair of T3 gloves and needing to buy the battery harness, now I understand why mixing brands can cause problems.

 

Thanks

[EffBee]

Wow, is everyone at Gerbing as passionate about the company as you? No wonder you are #1.

 

Having just been given a pair of T3 gloves and needing to buy the battery harness, now I understand why mixing brands can cause problems.

 

Thanks

 

To be absolutely honest, yes, everyone here is passionate about the company and what we do.

 

I was successfully managing at a large BMW dealer in Southern California (and we were also a large Gerbing's dealer), when Gerbing's called me.

 

My wife was a year-and-a-half away from retirement. When I interviewed I found exactly that, a company full of people who were passionate, who LOVED working here. This was a company driven by quality and customer care, working on advanced technology in its military contracts, and about to take that technology and put it in the products it sold to the public. I didn't take the relocation from SoCal to WA lightly, nor did I gloss over the fact that I'd only be seeing my wife once every couple of months. We're maintaining two separate households and the duplications are at substantial personal expense to us. But the passion and commitment I found at Gerbing's, the people, the principles on which the company was founded and on which it operates every single day, were literally irresistible to me.

 

It hasn't been easy, and at times it's been damned hard to be apart. But I love working here, I believe in the product and in our mission ("Warming The World, One Customer At A Time"), and we have assembled a team of quality professionals who always do their best to exceed expectations. As with any imperfect system made up of human beings, we occasionally don't succeed. And we get pretty tense about it when we don't, because we know it means a cold customer at the other end. But that only makes us even more focused and committed.

 

Yeah, I know it sounds like a commercial. But I wouldn't have given up what I had worked 6 years to build at my last job, nor endured an intermittent marital separation, for anything less than what I found here.

 

And I do have to add that I have a wonderful, wonderful wife who has been understanding and tolerant of what this has cost us, knowing full well that in just another year we'll be united again. She will, however, have to adjust a bit to the weather.

[tallman]

"She will, however, have to adjust a bit to the weather. "

 

Buy her a Gerbings, see if that helps.

 

[EffBee]

"She will, however, have to adjust a bit to the weather. "

 

Buy her a Gerbings, see if that helps.

 

 

Even though she no longer rides with me, that's actually possible now with our new line of portable, battery-operated heated clothing for non-riding consumers. We've branded it "Core Heat" and it currently consists of SoftShell Jackets and Vests, Fleece Vests, Camo Vests (for hunters), along with matching gloves in various colors, includng Camo. It is wired differently in that it's designed to operate off 7V rechargeable lithium-polymer battery packs, which are quite small and can deliver up to 4 hours of heat (depending on the heat setting). The temperature controller is a 4-position unit built into the battery. We also make a Heated Stadium Seat Cushion (again, Li-Po battery powered) which my wife loooooves when she goes to see our grandchildren play early Saturday or late evening sports. Keeps her tush toasty.

[JayW]

Heavens, Jay, you sound so cynical . But unfortunately your example isn't apples-to-apples. It's not about using third-party items. It's about putting Ford-exclusive parts in your Chevy....

 

All right, that is a good answer. I was just curious. I have a Gerbings jacket liner, gloves and pants that work together very nicely. However, I find that I don't use the gloves much because they are so bulky and have been tempted to use my Dad's instead, which are another brand.

 

Jay

[Paul Mihalka]

Mix and match usually works, if they plug together. For the longest time I used my Gerbing jacket liner with a Widder temperature control and Firstgear/Warm'n Safe gloves. Waaay back when Gerbing used SAE connections I used Widder plugs because I liked them. My current system is a Widder controller and Gerbing jacket/gloves.

[pokorskij]

Your explanation on the controllers would lead me to believe that previous controllers from Gerbing would not work well with the current high tech micro wiring products (copper or whatever material used previously by Gerbing and now stainless steel?), and new controllers wouldn't work well with the old garments.

 

Just checked the Gerbing website and it doesn't seem to indicate different controllers, etc.

 

Don't argue that Gerbing products are high quality. I have a full jacket liner (and every time I use it I love it even more) but use a different controller manufactured by a local quality company. Employees/owners who have treated me very nicely on minor purchases and even just inquiries. Maybe I am headed for problems, but both items from both companies are very high quality.

 

Understand your passion, but there are other quality products from companies run by dedicated individuals.

 

PS. Gives you another chance to clear up any misunderstanding, and you always offer great information.

[Marcster]

I have a Tourmaster Synergy heated jacket liner. Sadly, Tourmaster doesn't make a heated insole or sock, so I'm considering the Gerbings insole.

I stumbled across this thread searching Google for info on combining Gerbing and Tourmaster, but you should know that Tourmaster does, indeed, make heated electric insoles:

 

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/3/11/442/24017/ITEM/Tour-Master-Electric-Heated-Insole.aspx

 

I didn't see them on the official Tourmaster site, but maybe the didn't get around to adding it yet.

[Woodie]

Thanks Marcster! Very nice to know.

[Marcster]

My pleasure...