Author Topic: Flat tire, now what?  (Read 4279 times)

Bill Lampkin

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Flat tire, now what?
« on: October 02, 2015, 04:37:24 PM »
Another nooby question; Lets say I'm on the road and I have a flat tire-now what? Roadside assistance policies say they will come out and put on my inflated spare-who carries a 22.5 in spare tire? So what is the procedure? Do I call a tire shop, arrange to buy a new tire, and then they dismount and mount new tire on the side of the road?
Thanks again for your help!

Jeremy Parrett

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Re: Flat tire, now what?
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2015, 05:08:16 PM »
A call to your Roadside Assistance  should provide either a mobile to replace the tire on the road or to have your coach transported to a repair facility.  Carrying a spare wheel and tire is not practical.  You will need a professional to change the wheel on the road anyhow.
 I might add that having good tires of the correct load rating , inflated to the correct pressures and within the age limits  should prevent you having a blowout.  Overloading and under inflating tires are major causes of flats.
  I run Michelins now and will not buy anything else.  My 5 year old  Bridgestone  steer tires are now on the tag axle.  With 40,000 plus miles over some really terrible roads in Mexico and the US since we bought the BGB we have had no issues !  Inspect your tires frequently, looking for sidewall cracking, cupping, uneven tread wear etc.  Have a full chassis alignment done .....very important.  Josam's in Florida and Henderson's in Oregon and two of the best.
 We have Tyron bands installed on the steer axle that are supposed to allow the flat tire to remain on the rim without disintegrating allowing the driver to remain in control until he is able to pull over safely.  If they work as advertised  they will save enormous amounts of body damage caused by flailing tire debris.
  Hopefully this answers some of your questions. 
   BGB is my Grandson's nickname for the Big Green Bus !!

David T. Richelderfer

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Re: Flat tire, now what?
« Reply #2 on: October 02, 2015, 05:18:06 PM »
I would guess the fix is pertinent to why the tire is flat.  If it's  a nail hole or something similar, then someone can come fix the tire.  But if the tire has blown, thrown a skin, blown out a sidewall and/or is otherwise not able to be fixed, then it becomes a more complex issue.  A new or similar sized replacement tire would need to be located and paid for, and probably shipped to the closest tire dealer of your choice or your roadside assistance firm's choice who could come put it on the wheel.  Hopefully the tire dealer choosen would have a mobile repair vehicle including the expertise and heavy duty jack to lift a heavy coach, and have pneumatic equipment to remove and retighten the lug nuts.

Another piece of this "fix" could be repairs are needed to the undercarriage and/or siding of the coach due to damage from the blown tire, or from running off the road into a bar pit, guard rail, trees or another vehicle.  In this case, your roadside assistance firm necessarily becomes your guide.
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Dan n Lisa Lund

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Re: Flat tire, now what?
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2015, 04:15:08 PM »
Keep in mind that all of the major truck stops will almost always have mobile roadside tire service. Loves does and TA Travel Centers I know do as well as most of the majors. They can take care of any tire service right there roadside except balancing and that would have to be done back at their shop or the shop of your choice.