Changing a flat

[GermanDawg]

So we just finished out maiden voyage in our new to us motorhome (3400 mile round trip) and everything worked like a charm except for having 2 blow outs on separate incidents on either side of the rear of the camper. The first time I thought I had hit something and only replaced the two tires on that side. The second time it happened I could see that the tire tread had separated....probably due to age (tires were manufactured in 2010) so I replaced the four remaining tires (6 new shoes all the way around now!).

My question is this. I saved the two tires from the front end as they "look" brand new. They are 7 years old but my thinking is that I will keep them for spares and buy two E450 Steel wheels and have enough spares to get the camper off the road in case of a blow out. I have a 120V impact wrench that I can keep in the camper, a drop cord and I will buy a 12 - 20 tone bottle jack. Has anyone ever changed a tire on their motorhome? It ain't something I really want to do but both times it happened on this trip I was faced with "nursing" the vehicle along on one rear tire on one side. The second time it was 70+ miles at 35-40 MPH...not fun to say the least. My plan is to have enough spare wheels and tire on board to fix this problem should it happen again. Anyone have 2 or more spares on their motorhome and the ability to change a tire on the side of the road?

[Gordon Dewald]

I was told the approximate weight of one of our tires is 300 lbs. I will call road assistance.

[Skip426]

Looks can be deceiving . personally I wouldn't trust them even as a spare.
Finding a safe spot to do your own tire change can be a challenge too.
JMHO: Get your coaches ; loaded for travel ; four corner weights , inflate you new tires properly , sign up for roadside service , and keep your cell phone charged.

[69Stang]

19.5 inch tires? I've removed mine a few times. I only raise the MH tire where it clears the ground by 1 inch. Then when I'm ready to mount it back on the MH I lay 1 inch board down and roll the tire onto the board.

Pretty easy in my driveway. Not sure I'd want to do it on the side of the interstate with semis flying by though.

I wouldn't even use those old tires as spares.

[GermanDawg]

Originally Posted by Skip426

Looks can be deceiving . personally I wouldn't trust them even as a spare.
Finding a safe spot to do your own tire change can be a challenge too.
JMHO: Get your coaches ; loaded for travel ; four corner weights , inflate you new tires properly , sign up for roadside service , and keep your cell phone charged.

We have AAA and GEICO Road Side assistance and they were more than obliging to come tow us to a service provider....the problem was that no one in Houston, Texas was able to tow our motorhome from the rear....at least no one that either AAA, GEICO or our own frantic searching could find. Both services were also more than willing to have someone come out and change the tire with our spare but they both said it would take 3-4 hours....in Houston....imagine how long it would take in a slightly more remote area...

Our motorhome has 16 inch tires so they are about the same weight as the tires on my F250 pick-up. Not something I want to wrestle with on the side of I-10 but if it were my truck I wouldn't think twice about changing a flat. The wheels, as I found out, are all identical. For some reason I thought the duallies on back would be a different wheel than the front one and would also be somehow different from inside to outside....I found that all 6 are identical.

[Matt A]

When I bought my MH almost two years ago I replaced all 7 tires (dated 2010-2012). I had purchased tires through Costco and they can't work with large vehicles, so I took them off in my driveway, threw them in the pickup, and brought them into the store. I've since changed some brakes and rotated the tires, pulled the front tires off to do the spark plugs, etc. I've pulled them off and put them on several times now.

I have 16" wheels with (235/85) tires about the same size as your E450. It's not a lightweight combo, but do-able. I carry a long breaker bar with the correct size socket for the lugs, a 30t bottle jack, a small air compressor, and tire chocks. If out in the wilderness I would change the tire myself. If I was on the highway I'd probably call someone to do it. I have Premier AAA RV but I hear they don't like doing inner duals.
But I do carry the tools to do it myself.

If I were you I'd toss those old tires. They went because you were running expired tires. Keep an eye on your tires, pressures, etc. If you want multiple spares, get multiple spares with new tires.

Was it the inner or outer tire(s) that detreaded?

[GermanDawg]

Originally Posted by 69Stang

Pretty easy in my driveway. Not sure I'd want to do it on he side of the interstate with semis flying by though.

I wouldn't even use those old tires as spares.

I definitely don't relish the idea of changing a tire on the RV even in my shop but when you have a blow out and road side assistance is several hours out in a town the size of Houston there aren't a lot of options.

So how many new spares should I carry? I would think at a minimum 2. Ford only has one mounted on the chasis but if you were to hit something and blow out both rear tires on one side I guess technically you could change to only one (I drove on one tire on one side for 70 miles....not ideal but neither is having a blow out) but it seems like it would be better to have two spares.

Ive got new ones all the way around now anyway so I guess it is a mute point. I think I will replace the one spare with a new tire matching the existing ones and carry the stuff to change it myself if it becomes necessary and hope it doesn't.

[GermanDawg]

Originally Posted by SHO Continen

When I bought my MH almost two years ago I replaced all 7 tires (dated 2010-2012). I had purchased tires through Costco and they can't work with large vehicles, so I took them off in my driveway, threw them in the pickup, and brought them into the store. I've since changed some brakes and rotated the tires, pulled the front tires off to do the spark plugs, etc. I've pulled them off and put them on several times now.

I have 16" wheels with (235/85) tires about the same size as your E450. It's not a lightweight combo, but do-able. I carry a long breaker bar with the correct size socket for the lugs, a 30t bottle jack, a small air compressor, and tire chocks. If out in the wilderness I would change the tire myself. If I was on the highway I'd probably call someone to do it. I have Premier AAA RV but I hear they don't like doing inner duals.

If I were you I'd toss those old tires. They went in multiples because you were running expired tires. Keep an eye on your tires, pressures. If you want multiple spares, get multiple spares with new tires.

I think this is the only answer....I have determined that depending on AAA and GEICO roadside assistance is a pipe dream....even in Houston....I can't imagine what it would be like in some remote place like El Paso LOL.....


Now that you mention brakes.....I was very happy to find that the E450 has 4 wheel discs....I can do the brakes on the thing in about 2 hours and for about $200!!!! I would have lost money on betting that it had rear drums and I hate drums.....so that is some good news!

[Waiter21]

A Spare Tire

The best insurance you can have against blowouts and flats is good rubber on the ground. Now that you have it, odds are, you'll never need a spare.

HOWEVER - With that said. I carry one spare, I figure its the best insurance of ever getting a flat.

My spare is also one of my older 8 year old tires that was in the best shape. I have GS road-service and I carry all the jacks and tools I need to replace it.

I have 3512s on the back and 0117s on the front. The backs are 5 years old but no signs of UV cracking in the sidewalls. I'd like to run them 3 years, then put on 6 new tires and move my 2017s as spares

[Mudfrog]

Originally Posted by GermanDawg

I definitely don't relish the idea of changing a tire on the RV even in my shop but when you have a blow out and road side assistance is several hours out in a town the size of Houston there aren't a lot of options.

So how many new spares should I carry? I would think at a minimum 2. Ford only has one mounted on the chasis but if you were to hit something and blow out both rear tires on one side I guess technically you could change to only one (I drove on one tire on one side for 70 miles....not ideal but neither is having a blow out) but it seems like it would be better to have two spares.

Ive got new ones all the way around now anyway so I guess it is a mute point. I think I will replace the one spare with a new tire matching the existing ones and carry the stuff to change it myself if it becomes necessary and hope it doesn't.

You had some bad luck on the trip but realistically, blowouts don't happen all that often. I'd go with the one spare and not worry about trying to carry an additional tire, which equals more weight on your rig.

Also, yours may be different, but an electric impact wrench probably isn't strong enough to break the lug nuts loose. Make sure to carry a good breaker bar and correct size socket if you intend to change a tire yourself. I've R&Red the 19.5 tires on ours a few times during the years we've had it and have found that they aren't that difficult to handle. Do know that my pneumatic impact isn't able to loosen the nuts by itself.

While i'm here, have you weighed your rig to make sure you aren't overloaded? Two separate blowouts, on each side, is kind of a rare thing.

[GermanDawg]

Originally Posted by Mudfrog

You had some bad luck on the trip but realistically, blowouts don't happen all that often. I'd go with the one spare and not worry about trying to carry an additional tire, which equals more weight on your rig.

Also, yours may be different, but an electric impact wrench probably isn't strong enough to break the lug nuts loose. Make sure to carry a good breaker bar and correct size socket if you intend to change a tire yourself. I've R&Red the 19.5 tires on ours a few times during the years we've had it and have found that they aren't that difficult to handle. Do know that my pneumatic impact isn't able to loosen the nuts by itself.

While i'm here, have you weighed your rig to make sure you aren't overloaded? Two separate blowouts, on each side, is kind of a rare thing.

I haven't weighed the motorhome but on this trip it didn't have much more in it than it would have had empty. The holding tanks were all empty and other than 2 suitcases and a 27 inch TV there was nothing else in it but the four or us and a dog. I thought about it being overweight though as it is outside of my realm of experience, even in 3300 mile trip, to have two tires blow out.

The second one didn't actually "blow" out...the tread separated at the sidewall...almost like a re-cap will do. The first one blew out due to my hitting something in the road (I think)...something hit the underside of the vehicle very hard and loud and about 30 miles later the tire blew out....but there was a slight vibration from that side the entire time after the loud noise. I think it developed a slow leak from hitting something and then blew out (probably actually just came off the wheel) and beat itself to pieces making it look like it blew out.

Over a 3300 mile trip we averaged right at 8.5 MPG with the generator running, turning about 2200 RPM and staying under 65 MPH. It would surprise me if the camper was anywhere near its weight capacity performing the way it did. It was in overdrive the entire time and even in the rolling hills of the piedmont of Alabama and Georgia it never hunted for gears and in the hill country of Texas and the high desert of West Texas and New Mexico it ran along at 2200 RPM and 63 or so MPH and the temperature gauge never moved. Other than the blow outs it could not have been a less memorable trip as far as driving goes!

[jdyson]

Originally Posted by GermanDawg

I definitely don't relish the idea of changing a tire on the RV even in my shop but when you have a blow out and road side assistance is several hours out in a town the size of Houston there aren't a lot of options.

So how many new spares should I carry? I would think at a minimum 2. Ford only has one mounted on the chasis but if you were to hit something and blow out both rear tires on one side I guess technically you could change to only one (I drove on one tire on one side for 70 miles....not ideal but neither is having a blow out) but it seems like it would be better to have two spares.

Ive got new ones all the way around now anyway so I guess it is a mute point. I think I will replace the one spare with a new tire matching the existing ones and carry the stuff to change it myself if it becomes necessary and hope it doesn't.

Buy a torque multiplier and it makes removing the lug nuts a lot easier. Still need an accurate 3/4in torque wrench to tighten correctly to 140 ft/lbs on the e450.

XtremepowerUS Torque Multiplier Labor Saving Lug Nut Wrench W/ 8 Cr-v Socket https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MI0DOW6..._aYqIzbBF8Z814

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by jdyson

Buy a torque multiplier and it makes removing the lug nuts a lot easier. Still need an accurate 3/4in torque wrench to tighten correctly to 140 ft/lbs on the e450.

XtremepowerUS Torque Multiplier Labor Saving Lug Nut Wrench W/ 8 Cr-v Socket https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MI0DOW6..._aYqIzbBF8Z814

1/2 dr torque wrench will do it. I use this wrench:

Husky 50-250 ft. lbs. 1/2 in. Drive Torque Wrench-H2DTWA - The Home Depot

Home Depot, $85, US made as of a couple of years ago.

[Mudfrog]

Originally Posted by nothermark

1/2 dr torque wrench will do it. I use this wrench:

Husky 50-250 ft. lbs. 1/2 in. Drive Torque Wrench-H2DTWA - The Home Depot

Home Depot, $85, US made as of a couple of years ago.

Or do like me, get a breaker bar and get down on it.