Summer Trip Events

[N5IIG]

Have had a eventful summer traveling so far. Went to Kansas mid May for a couple of weeks to pick up two grandkids. On the way up my Evenbrake started to act up - a mind of all its own. Made it up anyway and started back and it worked just fine. On the way my front AC developed a mind of its own but we made it home anyway. Mowed grass in 98 degree temps and left again for Mena Arkansas. Thirty five miles from the house on a Sunday morning had a inside left dual blow. Good Sam sent Nolens Towing from Minden LA with a 90,000 lb wrecker to change a tire. Donny was a real nice young man and two hours from call we were on our way to the mountain. I did ask him if the wrecker was large enough to handle a flat and he just laughed. My Evenbrake just quit this time. Called them a few days later and since there wasn't enough time to get one to me at the park there was one on my doorstep when we got home. Total replacement and old one was out of warranty - can't ask for better service. By the way the AC quit on the way home - and it was HOT that day. Had to mow grass again and tore up my left shoulder on the tractor and now I can't drive to dealer to get AC fixed. The coach performed flawlessly on the 2200 miles and averaged about 6.8 with genny running on the road. Chandler would you consider mowing my grass in 100 plus temps till I get healed..... Temps above 100 for 8 out of the last ten days. Its tough. Had a blast on the trip with grandkids and played music 8-10 times also. Hope all have or had a great summer and please be safe. Thanks for listening to me ramble.................Jim

[N5IIG]

Have had a eventful summer traveling so far. Went to Kansas mid May for a couple of weeks to pick up two grandkids. On the way up my Evenbrake started to act up - a mind of all its own. Made it up anyway and started back and it worked just fine. On the way my front AC developed a mind of its own but we made it home anyway. Mowed grass in 98 degree temps and left again for Mena Arkansas. Thirty five miles from the house on a Sunday morning had a inside left dual blow. Good Sam sent Nolens Towing from Minden LA with a 90,000 lb wrecker to change a tire. Donny was a real nice young man and two hours from call we were on our way to the mountain. I did ask him if the wrecker was large enough to handle a flat and he just laughed. My Evenbrake just quit this time. Called them a few days later and since there wasn't enough time to get one to me at the park there was one on my doorstep when we got home. Total replacement and old one was out of warranty - can't ask for better service. By the way the AC quit on the way home - and it was HOT that day. Had to mow grass again and tore up my left shoulder on the tractor and now I can't drive to dealer to get AC fixed. The coach performed flawlessly on the 2200 miles and averaged about 6.8 with genny running on the road. Chandler would you consider mowing my grass in 100 plus temps till I get healed..... Temps above 100 for 8 out of the last ten days. Its tough. Had a blast on the trip with grandkids and played music 8-10 times also. Hope all have or had a great summer and please be safe. Thanks for listening to me ramble.................Jim

[Chandler]

LOL! Sure, Jim! Only 100 degrees? I'm used to hot temps as I work in a power plant where summer temps are in the 130's. Send me some gas money and I'll be right there!

Sorry to hear about your shoulder...hopefully it will heal quickly. We have been full timing it for the summer as we're working on our house and the wife would rather live in the motorhome than put up with the construction. We've been here since before Memorial Day and will be here at least until the beginning of October. So far the coach has help up very well with no mishaps or troubles. We now know we could full time it...full time

Thanks for the update, Jim!

[KC1BUD]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">LOL! Sure, Jim! Only 100 degrees? I'm used to hot temps as I work in a power plant where summer temps are in the 130's. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Chandler, I know what your talking about. I used to work in an assembly plant each assembly line was made of welding machines. While I was there we went through a period where the temps were over 100 during the day and didn't drop below the mid nineties during the night. The plant wasn't air conditioned, the minute you stepped over the threshold your forehead began to run sweat, it didn't bead up but rather it ran instantly. I also was doing a repair on the upper most level of the boiler room of a destroyer while underway. It was a 1200 pound superheated steam system. More than ten minutes up there and you paid more attention to your breathing than the job at hand.

Jim, I hope you heal soon.

[Chandler]

I've learned that as soon as I stop sweating to get out and hydrate...quickly. I keep thinking that I'm too old for this!

I'm at my MIL's house and just got a call from my wife. Our coach just took a very close lightning strike. The AC's were on as was the front TV. Everything is fine except the front TV. I had her switch off the breaker for now. I needed to replace it anyways but I wasn't going to do it now. I guess I'll just make a quick and dirty installation and when I get time, I'll put the hinge and latch on it I wanted in the first place...

[N5IIG]

Got some real good news Friday. The new tire cost $356.00. Mount, balance and tax $427.00. Got a check from Goodyear for #301.00 - man what a good deal - takes some of the pain out of a new tire. Goodyear did good on this one for us.
Chandler sure hope all went well with lightning strike - poor excuse to replace TV. couldn't resist that one!!!!!!!!!
I am 90% healed now - mowed grass Fri and Sat with no ill effects. Used lawn mower not tractor. Everyone take care and travel safe.....Jim

[Chandler]

Hey Jim! I'm glad that Goodyear did the right thing. It's certainly refreshing to see a comapany step up like that.
I'm also glad you are doing better! I know how precious our health is!

I've got to sit down and write about our summer too. I can say one thing though. Our Challenger has stood up to the rigors of full timing very, very, well. I just brought it home last night after spending the summer up in the White Mountains since before Memorial Day. I changed the oil, greased it, checked the air in the tires and filled the gas tank. We head out on Tuesday for PA. September will be a busy month. I think we'll be putting about 2000 miles on it. I'll write when we're done...but it's been fun so far.

[KC1BUD]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chandler:
I've learned that as soon as I stop sweating to get out and hydrate...quickly. I keep thinking that I'm too old for this!

I'm at my MIL's house and just got a call from my wife. Our coach just took a very close lightning strike. The AC's were on as was the front TV. Everything is fine except the front TV. I had her switch off the breaker for now. I needed to replace it anyways but I wasn't going to do it now. I guess I'll just make a quick and dirty installation and when I get time, I'll put the hinge and latch on it I wanted in the first place... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Chandler,

Two things, first, your insurance should cover the loss from the storm. I have had 2 claims over many years due to lightening. The first was my fridge on my stick built and the second was a TV, two sewing machines, and an amplifier, and a slew of cordless phones also at my stick built home.

OOPS, had to come back on an edit to write my second point. That is be sure that nothing else that was plugged in, on or off, was effected by the storm.

[Chandler]

Thanks KC1BUD! I will contact my insurance company. I thought that it wouldn't be covered because of my deductable..Good to know! I think I have another casualty. I think my antenna amplifier is fried. Other than that everything works great. I'm happy if that's all...

Chandler

[Chandler]

As I have told you, we spent our Summer in the Challenger from the week before Memorial Day weekend. Everything worked as designed with the exception of the front TV that gave up the ghost after a close lightning strike.

We pulled up stakes and came home so I could get the motorhome ready for our annual trip to Lakewood PA and our annual Goldstock weekend. I changed the oil, greased the chassis and checked the air in the tires. I checked all the systems and we were off. We left Hampton Falls at 3pm hoping to reach Lakewood by 9 or 10pm. The trip was uneventful until we reached the New York border on highway 84. I had just gone past a sign for exit 5A when a huge explosion rocked the motorhome. It took a fraction of a second for me to realize that I had blown a tire. I felt that it was the right front. I was in the middle lane doing about 60 so I put the directional on and eased off the gas. I made my way to the shoulder where I expected to see an area where I could get off the highway. Nope, just a drop off. I moved over as far as I could and put on the emergency flashers. I then called 911 and after telling the dispatcher that this wasn't a life and death emergency, and answering 50 question about owning a motorhome, she contacted the New York State Police who sent a cruiser my way. I then called Good Sam and asked how long it would be before they could get someone to me. They told me between an hour and an hour and a half. I wasn't going to sit by the side of the highway while trucks passed within inches of me for an hour and a half so I decided to change the tire myself.
The cruiser arrived and I explained to the trooper what I wanted to do. He said he would do the best he could to keep me safe. He asked how heavy the tire was and I told him that it was very heavy but I've done this many times and I should be fine. He explained that he would love to help me but if someone driving by saw him lifting a tire, he could get in big trouble with his union. I told him that I belong to a union myself and I totally understood. He told me that if he thought I was having a heart attack, he would jump in.

I managed to get the tire changed in about 15 minutes and we limped to the next exit where there was a Pilot truck stop. I aired up the spare and checked the lug nuts and we were off. We arrived in Lakewood around 12:30 am. The next day I went on line and found that there was a Goodyear dealer 38 miles away in Honesdale, PA. I called and asked about the tires. They didn't have any in stock but they would order 6 of them for me. I told them that I would be there on Tuesday, after my event.
Tuesday came and I left Lakewood and started down the mountain. The speed limit was 35 and I was happy doing that. I was a few miles from camp when I was startled by another loud bang. Another blowout! This time it was an inside dual. After looking at it, I did the only thing I could do. I continued on my way at 25 to 30 mph, pulling over for every car or truck that came up on me. Thankfully, this is a very remote area and traffic is extremely light. I sweated bullets as I watched the miles to my destination tick down on the GPS. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I arrived at Case Tire. They were awesome, getting me in and out in under two hours.
So, what did this little experience cost me? Well, monetarily, it cost $2165. No damage to the coach, thank God. No one was hurt...but I learned a valuable lesson.
My tires had a date code of 2001 on them. It's now 2008. All the talk about the tires looking great but being dangerous, are true. I had 21,000 miles on mine. What gave out was the sidewall. I found out, by reading the Goodyear website, that sitting is what kills these tires. If I drove the coach every weekend, this probably would not have happed, at least not yet. I sat all winter then I sat all summer. This, according to Goodyear, is what kills these tires. I was told that the new tires are made with new materials and should not degrade internally, as these did. By the way, the new tires have a date code of 2008.

I guess my advice to everyone with the 19.5 inch tires, is check your date codes and seriously think about replacing them if they are over 5 years old. What I am not sure of is if any other manufacturers have this problem. Goodyear does and even admits it on their website.

Following are a couple of pictures of the tires.

Info on the date code can be found here

[Chandler]

Let's try this again..

[Chandler]

Ok, seeing as that worked, the previous picture was of my front tire, as is this one.

[Chandler]

Inside dual

[John H...]

Chandler, How did you even manage to get the lug nuts loosened. I've always heard to not even attempt to change a tire on a Class A. Sounds like a nightmare experience. Glad to here you came out of all of it unharmed except for your wallet. John H