Tyre Blowout - be prepared! (1 Viewer)

[foggyparrot]

We had a fabulous week in Brighton at Sheepcote Valley a Caravan Club site which is excellent for RV's of any size!

On the way back, however, the journey was marred by a blowout on the inside wheel on the rear offside. Fortunately we were carrying a spare. Unfortunately, we didn't check to make sure that we had the right equipment to get the wheel off!

The coach is a Monaco Windsor and the rear wheels are attaced to the hub independently. Getting the outer wheel off needs just a standard wheel wrench, getting the inner off, however, is a whole new ballgame. The outers are fitted onto studs and secured with standard hexi nuts. The inners are secured to the hub using the studs but can only be removed using a square headed wrench which should, I understand, be part of the coaches tool kit. Having just bought the coach and not really taken a deal of notice about what we had in the way of tools accompanying it, said wrench proved to be non existent.

The original callout was £250 + VAT (I didn't have a jack either) and they charged me another callout to go and find the right tool.

Moral of the story:

Expect to have a blowout. Be prepared for one eg: have a jack suitable for lifting the coach, carry the right equipment AND make sure that it matches the nuts and studs on your wheels. Otherwise be prepared to part with nearly £500 plus the cost of the new tyre and allow for a 10 hour stopover at the side of the motorway (yep!! 10 hours is what it took before we were on our weary way again!)

Linda! Do you sell the aforementioned wrenches and a big mother of a jack to do the job?

 

[Road Runner]

Have you not got breakdown cover?

 

[Suzy]

Mike,

This is my biggest fear as we don't have a spare! I really must get something sorted out.

On a positive note, how is the new coach? I bet you love it!

 

[olley]

Hi as I understand it as long as you have a spare the callout and replacement would have been free with RAC breakdown.

Olley

PS. Jacks are available from www.machinemart.co.uk

 

[foggyparrot]

We are in the AA, but they only cover you up to 3.5 tonnes.

We do have breakdown cover but, guess what, we didn't have all of our insurance details with us... so no contact number.. no cover!!

Talk about being prepared!!

I'm not whinging about it, it was my fault that we didn't make sure we had everything we needed before we left. But it was a costly mistake and well worth noting if only as a reminder that everyone should make sure they have everything they need before they set off on a journey no matter how short or long!

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[Thepips]

Thanks for the heads-up, I've ignored the thought for 18 months now!
It does raise a couple of questions though. Where on earth could you put a spare wheel? It wouldn't fit in any of my lockers (Monaco Knight), can't go on the back (it's a pusher) so that only leaves the roof. When I had a replacement tyre fitted to my last RV I couldn't even lift it let along climb a ladder carrying it! Once it was mounted on the wheel I could just about stand it upright but put it on the studs? No chance! A jack suitable of lifting an RV is going to be a serious piece of kit as well.
So what does everyone else do?

Regards
Doug

 

[TestPoster]

Hi Mike
What a nightmare mate..... It has happened to me so I do know what it is like and you have my sympathy. It is difficult to undestand how these breakdown people manage sometimes isn't it? I bought a snap on socket (don't ask the price....) to fit a P30 chassis just in case I ever needed it again. I was lucky by the sound of your story mate, only an hour at the side of the road.....
Looking forward to seeing you soon, take care both

Keith

 

[justme AKA Grath]

Supersingle!!!

Thanks for the heads-up, I've ignored the thought for 18 months now!
It does raise a couple of questions though. Where on earth could you put a spare wheel? It wouldn't fit in any of my lockers (Monaco Knight), can't go on the back (it's a pusher) so that only leaves the roof. When I had a replacement tyre fitted to my last RV I couldn't even lift it let along climb a ladder carrying it! Once it was mounted on the wheel I could just about stand it upright but put it on the studs? No chance! A jack suitable of lifting an RV is going to be a serious piece of kit as well.
So what does everyone else do?

Regards
Doug

You guys want to change a supersingle on a Artic Trailer!!!!
When ever one went on me, I would be in France or Spain (Hot weather of course) and probably I had just had a shower!!!!
I would change it (on my own) and just as I would be putting the jack away, a mate would turn up!!!!!!

 

[scotjimland]

Thanks for the heads-up, I've ignored the thought for 18 months now!
It does raise a couple of questions though. Where on earth could you put a spare wheel?

See my pic below... see the trailer .. ? that's where ! No way will it go on the roof .. ..
but hopefully I'm having a wind up wheel carrier fitted soon..

 

[foggyparrot]

Thanks for the heads-up, I've ignored the thought for 18 months now!
It does raise a couple of questions though. Where on earth could you put a spare wheel? It wouldn't fit in any of my lockers (Monaco Knight), can't go on the back (it's a pusher) so that only leaves the roof. When I had a replacement tyre fitted to my last RV I couldn't even lift it let along climb a ladder carrying it! Once it was mounted on the wheel I could just about stand it upright but put it on the studs? No chance! A jack suitable of lifting an RV is going to be a serious piece of kit as well.
So what does everyone else do?

Regards
Doug

I have to say that I thought all Monacos were the same. My spare is slung under the front of the RV between the front wheels on a winched hanger.

This seems to be a factory fitted affair. I think I'd be real upset if they no longer fitted them as standard!!

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[Tony Santara]

Like Justme Graham ive been in that situation with trucks
and i've had the obliglatary blowout on my Rv however from past experiance i carry a 10 ton hydraulic truck jack with me and enough tools to start asmall workshop
it's not funny when you get caught out like that

well it is later

 

[olley]

You guys want to change a supersingle on a Artic Trailer!!!!
When ever one went on me, I would be in France or Spain (Hot weather of course) and probably I had just had a shower!!!!
I would change it (on my own) and just as I would be putting the jack away, a mate would turn up!!!!!!

Bragging rights to the biggest tyre change? I will start it with Clark Van/straddle carrier tyres, done to many of these to count, about 6 feet tall and weighing in at over 1/4 of a tonne, we lifted the leg up with a 25tonne capacity toe jack, took two off you plus a fork lift.

Olley

 

[justme AKA Grath]

Bragging rights to the biggest tyre change? I will start it with Clark Van/straddle carrier tyres, done to many of these to count, about 6 feet tall and weighing in at over 1/4 of a tonne, we lifted the leg up with a 25tonne capacity toe jack, took two off you plus a fork lift.

Olley

yea, but had you just had a shower and was it about 100 deg

 

[Tony Santara]

Yeah but me and Graham did it on our own in the desert

 

[olley]

yea, but had you just had a shower and was it about 100 deg

No but I have done it a 2 in the morning on a quayside in the middle of winter in the freezing rain, wished it was 100deg then.

Olley

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[justme AKA Grath]

No but I have done it a 2 in the morning on a quayside in the middle of winter in the freezing rain, wished it was 100deg then.

Olley

Mine is bigger than yours
Mine is colder than yours
Mine was heavier than yours
Who cares

 

[RockieRV]

Mike you have pm!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[justme AKA Grath]

But have you ever done it on a Matchbox toy????

 

[Thepips]

I have to say that I thought all Monacos were the same. My spare is slung under the front of the RV between the front wheels on a winched hanger.

This seems to be a factory fitted affair. I think I'd be real upset if they no longer fitted them as standard!!

Mine's a 2001 so I guess it must be an optional extra. Mind you, given the bits and pieces that the previous owner or the Lazydays or the shippers nicked I wouldn't be surprised if that went as well.


Cheers
Doug

 

[eddie]

If you join the RAC or the AA through one of the schemes there is no maximum weight or height restrictions.

We are members of the Caravan and Camping Club and the cost of our membership is easlily covered by the reduction in fees with the RAC.

We are on the arrival scheme, designed for caravans and motorhomes, the way that the scheme works is that if we have a problem on the way to our holiday destination, they pick us up and takes us there, and, at the end of the holiday the bring us back home if they have not been able to fix the problem.

We had to use the scheme three years ago when halfway through France we noticed that the tow bar on our brand new Condor was "peeling" away from the chassis. This left us at the services at about 7.00 pm stuck 31' camper with a 27' trailer on the back.

We phoned the RAC suggested that we stayed put for the night, but would need assistance in the morning.

Bottom line was that the trailer was towed away to a local garage, we followed, and within an hour we were driving around a local town in a loan car while the garage sourced the metal needed to brace up and repair the crap american welding.

The end result was that we paid for the parts which was about thirty Euros for the metal, underseal and so welding gas and the RAC picked up the bill for recovery and the repair. I was told that the bill was in the region of six hundred Euros: So well done the RAC

But join through a scheme!:thumb:

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[scotjimland]

But join through a scheme!:thumb:

Hi Eddie.
good info, how do you join through a 'scheme' ?

Cheers

Jim

 

[olley]

Hi Jim RAC arrival purchased direct from the RAC, only covers to 3500kg, but join as a CCC member or through some insurance companies and theirs no limit, as eddie says. Work that one out.

Can't remember the exact amounts but through CCC it cost me £120 through towergate bakers on the insurance less than £60 for the same cover

Olley

 

[scotjimland]

Hi Olley

thank's for the info.. I'll look into it ..

Jim

 

[Parcverger]

We've had two blowouts, both inside rears went within a year of each other, and both whilst in France. We have Arrival cover through CCC, and the scheme worked perfectly - local garages attended, had tools/jack, and in each case we were on our way within two hours. Brilliant value for money, wouldn't be without it!:thumb:

Bob & Di

 

[Geo]

Hi Foggy you have made me a very happy chappie, After Keith's (KandS) escapades it prompted me to go out and buy 6 new tyres, and that hurt I can tell you, but after reading what cost you just shelled out for one tyre ,mine now seem excellent value, just sorry my joy came from your pain
Geo
Ps the 10 ton jacks from Machine Mart are really good bits of kit ,however a tad too long for my front axle beam and a bit short for the chassis so keep a selection of blocks with you, you can drive up one to get jack under the front and use them under the jack for the rear,anyone contemplating carrying the gear to fix a flat should really practice at home rather on the hard shoulder,then your sure to have all th right kit with you, and remember when you jack the rears you may loose the benefit of any parking/transmission brake ,always chock the other wheels
Geo

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[kijana]

Thanks for raising this, Foggyparrot. I am just waiting for the day I get a puncture, having no breakdown insurance. . .

Your point about square inner wheel nuts/studs needing a special wrench (or spanner as I quaintly call them) had me thinking. So I posted on an American RV forum I belong to and the opinion there was that these square fixings are only found on diesel rigs, or older petrol vans.

So that's alright, then

But I suppose I should try a 'dry run' changing a wheel, at a campsite, so I know what to expect when I come to do it for real. Particularly since I will prolly have to use the levelling jacks to raise the wheel

Cheers

Bruce

 

[johnsandywhite]

But I suppose I should try a 'dry run' changing a wheel, at a campsite, so I know what to expect when I come to do it for real. Particularly since I will prolly have to use the levelling jacks to raise the wheel

It's much easier if you have more tools than a pipe wrench and a set of screwdrivers:-

 

[justme AKA Grath]

Green Flag

Hi Eddie.
good info, how do you join through a 'scheme' ?

Cheers

Jim

I think that Green Flag covers over 3500kg:thumb:

 

[Geo]

It's much easier if you have more tools than a pipe wrench and a set of screwdrivers:-

Did that tyre repair Ok John? or did you buy a new one
Geo

 

[johnsandywhite]

Did that tyre repair Ok John? or did you buy a new one
Geo

:Cool: As a matter of fact. I did a Midnight swap with a similar model.



I DID have permission though.

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