Flat tire- what's your experience

[Maddawg46]

I don't want to jinx anybody, but was wondering what actually happens when RVs get flats. So here you are rolling down the highway and you get waved over. You have a flat. With my car, I can call AAA and have them put my spare on or do it myself. Then I zip over to Les Schwab and have them fix the flat.

Now I'm in my motorhome. Get flat. Call Good Sam Roadside Assistance. I have Michelin 275/80/22.5 tires. What happens? Just wondering.🤔

[Mr_D]

In all my years of RV'ing I've only had ONE flat tire. That was last November. Outside drivers dual. Limped into the next city (about 10 miles) called Les Schwab. An hour later and $45 lighter I was on my way. Replaced all the tires and internal TPMS sensors the next week at a cost of about $6,000. Would have been more but I used the FMCA Advantage program.
I have 365/70 front and tag, drive tires are 315/80's and I'm no where near their capacity.

[BillJinOR]

You call them they send out a commercial truck service with a tire of the correct size (that you pay for that at the time ) they then remove the flat and mount the tire roadside. Good Sam pays them to come to you and remove and remount the tire you pay for the tire.

[Arch Hoagland]

My Michelin 275/80/22.5 inside dual blew out in central California 10 miles out of Los Banos.

I called AAA and half hour later the first tow truck showed up with the same tire and the guy installed it. Motorhome was undrivable due to all the internal wiring having been ripped out and wrapped around the rear axle so he had ordered a bigger tow truck that showed up and towed me to Fresno.

About $2,000 for the tow trucks and later $10,000 for the repairs. AAA paid the whole thing.

I'm a happy camper.

[wa8yxm]

First: Before you do anything else google or forum search for the phrase "Watching these videos may save your life" Most forums families have a thread like it. Or. Just click this link...Watching these videos may save your life

I've watched, and learned.

What happens when you get a flat tire. Option 1: You roll over and die.. I'm not kidding,, Option 2: You watched that video and learned and thus remain UPRIGHT and alive.. So watch the video.

Now. If you have it, Call coach net and they will find a tire guy and he will call you and ask some quesitons (What tire) and come out and fix you up.

That's more or less what I did (it was close enough he came to me, took tire to shop, fixed, returned)

When I was a police dispatcher

We had a few RVers with flats.. I found two or 3 24x7 Tire guys and I'd call around to find out who was working tonight and send 'em out (I worked the evening shift) I kept a list of 24x7 Truck and Tire folks.

[wildtoad]

Originally Posted by BillJinOR

You call them they send out a commercial truck service with a tire of the correct size (that you pay for that at the time ) they then remove the flat and mount the tire roadside. Good Sam pays them to come to you and remove and remount the tire you pay for the tire.

So if they can do this, can they just fix the flat?

[vsheetz]

Originally Posted by wildtoad

So if they can do this, can they just fix the flat?

If the tire has been driven flat, unlikely a repair is viable. If not driven flat, and repairable, then yes they can/will fix on-site. I went out to prep our coach one morning and found a tire that can come unpumped. Tire service guy found a nail in the tread. Removed the tire, patched from inside, reinstalled.

[Stretch]

On our last coach, an 05 Navigator, blew a right front tire. Before I could stop the tire was shredded, the rim was ruined, the shredded tire ripped out air brake hose and speed sensor wire.
AAA came out and replaced rim and tire. Took air hose to machine shop and repaired.
So point being a flat tire is easily fixed, be glad that is all that happens


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[Chiefly1]

Blew the front passenger side tire and it was destroyed before the beast came to a stop. Rim was surprisingly still good. Good Sam did fine and my mounted spare was installed pretty quick. The advice above about learning what to do with a front tire blowout is really important for your safety and completely counterintuitive. Personal choice on carrying a spare. I travel remote areas and finding a tire to fit in some parts of the country is a challenge and since I have the room I carry it.


Bill & Christine
40 ft Revolution LE Diesel Pusher & Honda Fit Sport
Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

[dix39]

I will simply stop in a suitable place, get the spare down, jack up the MH, change the tire, hoist the flat tire back up to the holder, and be on my way. It took a while to figure out how, and some fabrication to make it work, but for some of the places we go I think it will be worth the trouble. I hope we never have to use it, but..... It seemed the simplest, but possibly not easiest, to me.

We do have roadside assistance, but I would prefer to do it myself if I can. I carry tools with me and the same goes for any roadside repairs I can make. Perhaps it's just that I trust myself more than I trust others to work on my vehicles. It's less expensive and faster too.

I would agree that flats are few and far between, but they do happen.

Steve

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by dix39

I will simply stop in a suitable place, get the spare down, jack up the MH, change the tire, hoist the flat tire back up to the holder, and be on my way. It took a while to figure out how, and some fabrication to make it work, but for some of the places we go I think it will be worth the trouble. I hope we never have to use it, but..... It seemed the simplest, but possibly not easiest, to me.

We do have roadside assistance, but I would prefer to do it myself if I can. I carry tools with me and the same goes for any roadside repairs I can make. Perhaps it's just that I trust myself more than I trust others to work on my vehicles. It's less expensive and faster too.

I would agree that flats are few and far between, but they do happen.

Steve

Don't you have a pickup camper ?

The OP is talking about 22.5 tires.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by wildtoad

So if they can do this, can they just fix the flat?

Yep, that's what they did with mine. It was a Michelin 315/80 and had been driven flat for well over 10 miles when I pulled off the freeway. They also brought a TOYO traction tire since it was the only one they had. The young man (kid to me!) broke the tire down still on the MH. Found the hole, inspected the tire, patched it (internal patch) and popped it back on. Drove it another 300-400 miles. When they installed the new tires I looked them over and there was absolutely NO damage to any of them. They were dated in '07 so 9 years old. No internal damage, nor external cracks. Could probably have gone another couple years on them. But I had already ordered new tires and they came in a week after the flat.

[newmarpusher]

Originally Posted by Maddawg46

I don't want to jinx anybody, but was wondering what actually happens when RVs get flats. So here you are rolling down the highway and you get waved over. You have a flat. With my car, I can call AAA and have them put my spare on or do it myself. Then I zip over to Les Schwab and have them fix the flat.

Now I'm in my motorhome. Get flat. Call Good Sam Roadside Assistance. I have Michelin 275/80/22.5 tires. What happens? Just wondering.🤔

The absolutely best thing you can do is get a TPMS system to ensure that your tires are ALWAYS inflated properly while driving down the road. It will also alert you to a leak.

[Romeo]

Originally Posted by Maddawg46

I don't want to jinx anybody, but was wondering what actually happens when RVs get flats...
Now I'm in my motorhome. Get flat. Call Good Sam Roadside Assistance. I have Michelin 275/80/22.5 tires. What happens? Just wondering.🤔

Well, mine was a blow out on the passenger, rear, inside, dual, and knocked out my trasmission ECM so I was in Limp mode until I found a place to pull over and then shut down the engine to inspect the damage and was not able to restart.... soooo

Since most large coaches do not carry spares, it's roadside service as has been stated. I have installed the type of tires common to semi's so I should not have a problem in locating a replacement tire around Interstate freeways.