Emergency tire change on Class A

[Open Roader]

Is it possible to manually remove and change a flat tire in an energency remote location? My Tiffin has big lug nuts torqued to 450psi. Anybody done this? How?

[d23haynes57]

Anything is possible with the right tools. That includes being able to safely jack it up. Cordless impact wrench will make removal easier.

[Ray,IN]

First challenge; a mounted 22.5" tire weighs about 200#. Now where to carry a mounted spare, the supporting jacks, the wrench to remove and re-tighten the lug nuts.
A spare tire ages-out the same as the failed tire ages, so must be replaced when the tires on the ground must be replaced, so that expense must be considered.
I choose to just carry a credit card and a cell phone; IMO the total expense will actually not be much different in the end.
I you are young and strong, you can DIY with enough money and time.

[US1]

Originally Posted by Open Roader

Is it possible to manually remove and change a flat tire in an energency remote location? My Tiffin has big lug nuts torqued to 450psi. Anybody done this? How?

Yes. I carry a mounted spare underneath my RV, just like a pickup truck.
450ft lbs, (not psi) sounds intimidating, buts its not at all. I carry a regular 175ft lb torque wrench and also a approx 3' extension bar to extend the torque wrench. The added extension allows me to set the torque wrench to 155ft lbs (???? dont recall the exact number) to achieve 450 ft lbs. Takes the exact same effort as when I had an RV that needed 150 ft lbs for the lug nuts. All in the leverage (extension). There's a formula for the use of extensions when used with torque wrenches.
I carry a low height 20 ton bottle jack. $30 from Menards that will easily lift a wheel. I could have gone with a 5-10 ton bottle jack, but those require a bit more effort and really only save a couple of inches in storage and just a few pds.

I can have a flat changed out and be back on the road in 30 min. Sure beats waiting hrs for a service truck to show up.

All depends on your ability to do it yourself and your desire to be at the mercy of others. I was at a campground 3 yrs ago when an RV'r pulled in with a flat. Was charged $900 for a tire and the mounting and the tire was a mismatch, so he still had to buy new tire when got back home. No thanks!

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Once, I had a mobile repairman remove a wheel and unmount the tire while the coach was in my driveway. Watching the process I concluded I could not have done the work safely myself, nor would I have use for the tools needed, when the job was done. It cost me about $200 for the service.

For my cars I swap between Summer and Winter wheel-tire sets twice a year, doing the work in my garage. It's enough work for me at my age. I haven't had to change a car's wheel-tire alongside the road for many years now. If I had to, I could. I can't imagine doing that with an RV. That's what the professionals are trained to do safely and well.

To each his own, though. There are folks on iRV2 who maintain all the mechanicals on their coach's chassis, can rebuild an engine, and can fix whole coach frames and underbodies. More power to 'em, I say!

[Open Roader]

We are talking 450ft lbs of torque. I tried removing on lug with a heavy duty breaker bar with 9 " extension and a 4' pipe for extra leverage. It snapped the 1/2 drive extension before the lug nuts broke loose. Even if I have a 3/4" or 1" set can I budge a 450ft lb lug nuts or 10 of them?? Do the make an AC electric impact wrench? I don't think a cordless battery wrench could bust loose that much force! Obviously I don't carry an air compressor on board. We will be traveling in remote areas and getting professional assistance is not a viable option. I simply want to be prepared. I carry a good spare tire and big jacks. I am physically capable but only weight 200lbs.

[PushedAround]

I have mounted and changed plenty of car tires in my time (still have the machines) but a 22.5 x 315 is a heavy sucker. I do have a 20-ton bottle jack and a torque multiplier for the lug nuts with me. I also carry a spare tire so if one needs to be replaced roadside it can be done at that time. I am thinking about getting another wheel so that I can have a true spare.

[PushedAround]

Originally Posted by Open Roader

We are talking 450ft lbs of torque. I tried removing on lug with a heavy duty breaker bar with 9 " extension and a 4' pipe for extra leverage. It snapped the 1/2 drive extension before the lug nuts broke loose. Even if I have a 3/4" or 1" set can I budge a 450ft lb lug nuts or 10 of them?? Do the make an AC electric impact wrench? I don't think a cordless battery wrench could bust loose that much force! Obviously I don't carry an air compressor on board. We will be traveling in remote areas and getting professional assistance is not a viable option. I simply want to be prepared. I carry a good spare tire and big jacks. I am physically capable but only weight 200lbs.

A 3/4 breaker bar and socket are essential. Get a 3' piece of pipe to extend it if needed. 450 ft-lbs are easy with that. I used to race, and have a torque wrench that goes up to 600 ft-lbs. It is about 4 feet long.

[tbismeusa]

I've have done it a time or two.. not a terrible task, I use this tool to remove and tighten the lug nuts.

https://www.amazon.com/XtremepowerUS...44&sr=8-4&th=1


It's super easy to use, and takes hardly any effort with the reduction gears in the tool. I use a couple bottle jacks to barley lift the tires off the ground about an inch or less so I don't have the weight to deal with, I also don't carry a spare, I just move one of the rear tires to the front till I can (Slowly) get to a loves, or another tire store in the area. then i move it back (or have them do it there). Hope this helps ya !

[Bob.B]

I’ve had my rear duals off several tires for some maintenance tasks. 35’ Winnebago DP but it’s only 19.5” wheels. It came with a lug wrench which is a approx 12” socket and a straight bar about 2’ long. With a short pipe extension it is easy to loosen the 450 ft lb lug nuts. Since the socket is so long I usually support the outer end with blocks or a jack stand. Then your foot on the end of the bar makes it super easy to break them loose.

You don’t need a huge jack if you use your hydraulic leveling jacks. When you drop air out of the system before you level once you raise at all with the jacks the axles are no longer supporting any of the coach weight. A small 1.5 ton floor jack easily lifts the rear axle.

[dons2346]

I'm with Ray. I choose the credit card and a cell phone. I don't have the correct tools and even if I did, at my age it isn't worth hurting myself.

[VanDiemen23]

Originally Posted by Open Roader

We are talking 450ft lbs of torque. I tried removing on lug with a heavy duty breaker bar with 9 " extension and a 4' pipe for extra leverage. It snapped the 1/2 drive extension before the lug nuts broke loose. Even if I have a 3/4" or 1" set can I budge a 450ft lb lug nuts or 10 of them?? Do the make an AC electric impact wrench? I don't think a cordless battery wrench could bust loose that much force! Obviously I don't carry an air compressor on board. We will be traveling in remote areas and getting professional assistance is not a viable option. I simply want to be prepared. I carry a good spare tire and big jacks. I am physically capable but only weight 200lbs.

I snapped off a Snap-on 3/4 to 1/2 adapter trying to get a hub nut loose on my GMC, but it wasn't an impact rated adapter. The impact rated ones have a smoother transition to the square, eliminating a stress riser. I was using a 3/4" ratchet with 5' of fence post as an extension. Thought the nut was moving until the adapter left the building.

I have a Milwaukee 3/4" electric impact that will do the job, but you have to set it on the highest level and expect to be on the nut for a couple minutes while the hammer does the job.

I'd think the biggest problem with trying to change a tire, especially on the side of the road, maybe not level, etc - is just controlling the mass of the tire, gettin it in place, aligning the lugs, etc. They make tire dollys that can jack up and rotate a tire - something else that needs to be stored, and they won't work well on rough surfaces.

[Unplanned Tourist]

I carry a torque multiplier to loosen the lug nuts(22.5 wheels). Works great. Comes with enough sockets to cover most rigs.

Do a test tire change at home just to be sure you have all the tools you'll need on the road. Don't forget to retorque after 100 miles or so.

We're often out of cell range, so being somewhat self sufficient is the difference between going for help in the toad or being back in action much sooner.

[SafariBen]

You don't have to be able to bench press the spare tire to be able to roll it around, and lift the flat back into the basement compartment. A couple blocks to roll the tire up on, and then some wiggling and handling the tire is not that hard.



A 3/4 or 1" breaker bar or big T bar lug wrench is needed, don't break your 1/2". I do carry a light dewalt 1/2" impact and adapters, but only for after the nuts are loosened, and for installing them, and for the wheel simulators. Some folks use a wood prop to stabilize the extension to make it safer and easier to use a long extension between the socket and breaker bar, then a long cheater pipe on the breaker bar. I haven't found it necessary, but I know it would reduce the hazard, should probably do that before 60.