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Topic: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance (Read 1001 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #25 –
Quote from: Larry W  - 
We own a 23.5’ Front Lounge and carry a good tool kit, lots of spares, along with two sea kayaks and gear. We are not under equipped .

You can store the tire gear and a lot more with planning. Your rig has plenty of potential storage .

Larry
FL owner for 23 years
I had a trailer for a short period of time and one of the few things I liked was I could bring our bikes and kayaks in the back of the pickup. We now bring bikes only but I have seen racks that hold both. It looks like they need to be shorter kayaks than ours though. Are your roof mounted or do they stick straight up in back?

Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #27 –
Quote from: JandS2  - 
I agree AAA has gone down hill in their service.


I have been less than thrilled recently with their phone customer service due to long wait times, giving wrong information, etc. but I must give credit where due.  My little truck recently broke down  and they were Johnny-on-the-spot getting me out of a bad situation. They kept me in the loop regarding arrival time via text message.  I suspect their service varies depending on the area services are needed.  I'm hoping Harold's bad experience was an exception and not the rule.
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #28 –
Hey,

Some things you just can’t leave home without. There’s always space...you just need to be creative. But then again, there are things you just don’t need. Just ask Steve (Martin that is).

https://youtu.be/w2X3vVMdh-s

Kent
2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #29 –
Quote from: Blueox25  - 

. . . When I bought my Lazy Daze, I took a wheel and tire off and put it back on while in the comfort of the barn.  That exercise caused me to buy and carry an old jump suit and gloves, three reflective safety triangles, a 20 ton and a 12 ton bottle jack, . . .

Harold
Question out of ignorance and curiosity: a number of mentions of 10, 12, & 20 ton jacks.  With my GVWR of 14,500, what are your reasons for the apparent lifting capacity overkill?

[humor]
I already have the ladder and the rope, is the beehive supposed to be empty or filled?
[/humor]
joel
Joel & Terry Wiley
2013  31 IB   ORWAN   / 2011 CRV Tow'd LWEROVE
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #30 –
If you're using a jack near its limit, your exertion will be high.  A 20 ton lifting one corner is well within normal strength limits if you're lying on the ground working one-handed.  There is an intersection of actuation strength vs. how heavy it is to wrestle into place.  20 works for me.  I'll even put up with the extra weight of air-actuated jacks in exchange for push-button convenience.
2000 Front Lounge
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #31 –
I have road side assistance but am unable to change a tire by myself. Fix it flat works in an emergency but take cookies to the guys at the tire shop when you change it
1984 Chevy 30 TK Hotel California
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #32 –
Quote from: Teresa  - 
I have road side assistance but am unable to change a tire by myself. Fix it flat works in an emergency but take cookies to the guys at the tire shop when you change it
I've been wondering how well this product works and I'm thinking between it and a tire repair kit a person might be fine in 90% of situations. Have you ever tried fix a flat on your RV?

Fix-A-Flat Ultimate 1-Step Flat Tire Repair Kit - Walmart.com

Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #33 –
I would be cautious about these quik-fix things, especially when you are talking tires that air up to 80 pounds.  Few 12V inflators are designed to get that sort of pressure, and I think that even if it could do that, the process would be anything but "quik".  I do carry a ViAir RV pump, but that is a pricey piece of equipment designed specifically to inflate large RV tires.  Even at that, the instructions do caution you that the pump may shut down if it works too hard and over heats.

I have repaired several tires "in the wild."  I have repaired several motorcycle tires (once, in Death Valley, I plugged a BMW sport tourer and used a small hand pump to inflate enough to limp into a gas station for full air -- about 45 miles! @ 20 mph.)  I have also plugged a tire on an Airstream trailer, as mentioned earlier.   I am a big fan of plug kits, but they are really only practical to use if a) the tire is tubeless and b) the loss of air is the result of a nail or screw/bolt that was picked up and you can see the culprit, mark the tire, extract the object and leave a relatively clean hole when you pull it out.  If both of those conditions exist, plugs are fast and relatively easy, even on a rear inside dual.  The hard part will always be the inflation.

If you are unfortunate enough to experience a blow-out -- as many on this forum have -- then a plug kit will be useless.  Both of my most recent inside dual blows were the result of the tread separating from the casing.  Both were on Michelin tires that were subject to recall for that very reason.  Still -- big problems await you with those sorts of occurrences.   Only a switch out with a spare will get you rolling after such an experience, and that does require a reliable jack and proper tools.   If you "practice" ahead of time, it is really not that daunting of a task to mount a spare, but don't try learning on the job for first time on the shoulder of a highway.   Pull into a safe zone, breathe, count to 25, then roll up your sleeves and get at it.  It can be done.
2017 RB
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #34 –
Something is better than nothing, however the ability for a small compressor/inflator to do much good on our rather large tires may be taxed to the limit. Many here have small compressors costing less than $50 (think Home Depot or Lowes) and they work well enough.

The Viair RV 12 volt compressor comes in a small zippered bag and except for the patch kits, like plugs etc. (Which can be stored in its carrying bag), it is all you will every need to get your LD tires inflated (once the hole is repaired).

They aren’t too expensive at about $200.00 and fit neatly away. Actually the whole system may take up only a little more space than the kit you mentioned.

I purchased our Viair from a reputable vendor mentioned here and paid less than the Amazon prices and had it sitting in the rig within 2 days with free shipping. The Viair is extremely popular.

Something to consider.

Kent

2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #35 –
Also, not often referred to with these fast, smaller 12v pumps is that there are two critical aspects to inflating a tire.   The first, of course, is the amount of pressure needed to drive or even limp off to a gas station.  The second is the volume of air needed, which is the real problem.    The reason I was able to hand pump a motorcycle tire up to sufficient pressure to drive away at slow speed and seek a gas station is because a motorcycle tire is a low volume space to fill, especially when compared to the high pressure, large volume space of an RV tire.  It is the volume that will kill a small pump.
2017 RB
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #36 –
Many of you are familiar with the Safe Jack system (12 Ton RV Jack Kit – Safe Jack), but let me tell you about the way my incredibly handy brother-in-law made for his Jayco 35' moho.

I have bragged about him on other threads, but he is a retired firefighter who for many years operated dozers for CalFire, cutting fire breaks, etc.  He also ran his own dump truck/backhoe business on the side, and made nearly all repairs himself.  He is one of those guys who can weld, fix hydraulics, auto electrics, etc.   I don't know if he is aware of the Safe Jack system, but he fabricated his own similar sytem, custom made for the frame height of his Jayco.  He welded the pipe extension the slips over the bottle jack so that he would only need to pump his jack up a few inches to lift the frame without the need to lift and block, lift and block, etc.  It really works well, and he can use the pipe to slip over a lug wrench if necessary for extra leverage. (But, he also carries a 1/2" corded impact wrench).   They retired to a farm in Oklahoma, and he has a great shop that he filled with tools and machinery.  We go back once a year to visit, and this year I am going to ask him to weld me up a similar custom length extension sleeve for our new LD.
2017 RB
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #37 –
Quote from: Sawyer  - 
I had a trailer for a short period of time and one of the few things I liked was I could bring our bikes and kayaks in the back of the pickup. We now bring bikes only but I have seen racks that hold both. It looks like they need to be shorter kayaks than ours though. Are your roof mounted or do they stick straight up in back?

Larry's are carried longitudinally on the roof (custom rack and lift), or on the roof of their Cherokee toad.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #38 –
Quote from: Sawyer  - 
I've been wondering how well this product works and I'm thinking between it and a tire repair kit a person might be fine in 90% of situations. Have you ever tried fix a flat on your RV?

Fix-A-Flat Ultimate 1-Step Flat Tire Repair Kit - Walmart.com


No I havent, not on an RV. But I have used fix it flat on my car tires. It worked great and got me to the tire shop where I was cursed by the guys lol. They dont like the stuff, somehow it makes their job harder which is why I say take cookies! If a tire disintegrates though, obviously it wont help you but if you run over a nail then it will
1984 Chevy 30 TK Hotel California
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #39 –
Quote from: Teresa  - 
No I havent, not on an RV. But I have used fix it flat on my car tires. It worked great and got me to the tire shop where I was cursed by the guys lol. They dont like the stuff, somehow it makes their job harder which is why I say take cookies! If a tire disintegrates though, obviously it wont help you but if you run over a nail then it will
I recently bought a new to me mountain bike that was 4k new but I got it used for 1k. The guy I bought it from was a pro racer and he had tubeless tires on it to reduce weight.  Tubeless bicycle tires seaI with the help of the same green goo that tire fix kits have I wanted tubes so when I removed the tires I found out why tire shops hate this stuff so much. Green slime everywhere. All over my work bench my hands my clothes my face even, oh and it has a really bad taste too!  Stuff works though.
Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #40 –
The green goo that is often used in bicycle tires is often "Slime".  I discovered another shortcoming of using this product.

I used to commute to work on my bicycle.  In order to ride on the trails with my friends on the weekend and ride to work on the roads during the week, I built another set of wheels for the bicycle.  One set had knobby tires for the trails and a mountain cluster of gears, and the other set was lighter with a set of high pressure slicks and a road cluster.  They both worked with the same brakes and deurailer so I got to use the same bike for both purposes.

After a spell, I used the mountain tires for commuting as well as weekend fun.  I hung the road wheels in the garage for over a year.  One day, I decided to mount the road wheels and take a fast spin.  When I pumped one up to 100psi, it exploded throwing rubber and green slime all over me, the garage door and my ears run for about 20 minutes.  I figured I had pinched a tube, growled, checked the tube position of the next tire and proceeded to pump up the other.  Same thing happened. Both tires exploded off their rims.  When I took the wheels and tires to my trusted bicycle mechanic, he said he had seen this before, but only with high pressure, lightweight tubes and tires that hadn't been used for a while and the slime had sat for an extended period in one part of the tire. Apparently the slime created a weak spot in the tube and it comes apart under pressure.

No more slime for me in anything except the wheelbarrow and hand trucks.

Harold
2014 27 MB
Towd: Either the Jeep Wrangler or trailer containing the BMW R1200GS and 2 E-bicycles
Happy wife=Happy life
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #41 –
I carry the Fix-A-Flat goo with my LD tire fix kit, but have no personal experience with its use. Now, I may never have the pleasure. I’ll keep it in the rig, however, just in case I get a bit crazier than I already am.

I do have experience with exploding high pressure bike tires, however. Last year while LDing in Yellowstone, I had topped off my Relic 10 Speed tires to their max 110 psi and enjoyed a nice bike ride with my DW. Her Townie tires set to 50. Nice ride.

The next morning I was shocked to find my bikes back tire had come off the rim. Very strange. Upon closer inspection I found the inner tube had exploded. After some conjecture on the possible causes, I reasoned that due to the 110 pounds of air in the tire and the higher altitude of Yellowstone the tube had expanded too much and blew up. Yikes!

I no longer inflate my bike tires to maximum psi and settle for some 10-15 pounds lower while at higher elevations. I let the Mother Nature do her best to equalize the pressure.

I’ve never checked out whether this occurs with the LD tires. Maybe one day, but for now it’s lower air pressure and no green goo. When all else fails, my Nishki needs to be ready for a quick getaway.

Kent
2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #42 –
Beautiful bike.  Dura Ace bar end shifters?  Chrome moly frame.  Nice.

HD
2014 27 MB
Towd: Either the Jeep Wrangler or trailer containing the BMW R1200GS and 2 E-bicycles
Happy wife=Happy life
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #43 –
I love those shifters. Big selling point for me at the time. I’ve never seen them on any other bike.

I was told the frame was magnesium alloy if that makes sense. What do I know? 16 pound bike. That’s good enough for me. And the tires still hold air.

Kent
2015 27' RB "MissB.Haven"
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #44 –
Quote from: Kent Heckethorn  - 
I carry the Fix-A-Flat goo with my LD tire fix kit, but have no personal experience with its use. Now, I may never have the pleasure. I’ll keep it in the rig, however, just in case I get a bit crazier than I already am.

I do have experience with exploding high pressure bike tires, however. Last year while LDing in Yellowstone, I had topped off my Relic 10 Speed tires to their max 110 psi and enjoyed a nice bike ride with my DW. Her Townie tires set to 50. Nice ride.

The next morning I was shocked to find my bikes back tire had come off the rim. Very strange. Upon closer inspection I found the inner tube had exploded. After some conjecture on the possible causes, I reasoned that due to the 110 pounds of air in the tire and the higher altitude of Yellowstone the tube had expanded too much and blew up. Yikes!

I no longer inflate my bike tires to maximum psi and settle for some 10-15 pounds lower while at higher elevations. I let the Mother Nature do her best to equalize the pressure.

I’ve never checked out whether this occurs with the LD tires. Maybe one day, but for now it’s lower air pressure and no green goo. When all else fails, my Nishki needs to be ready for a quick getaway.

Kent
Funny you should bring this subject up because just yesterday I put a new tube in my bicycle tire with only 40lbs of pressure. I set it aside and was doing something else for an hour or so and all of a sudden BANG! My wife came running out thinking a gun went off. Just as you said the tire was blown off the rim and the tube was ripped along  6 inces of seam. Made me wonder what kind of wreck I'd get in if I was flying down some trail and that happened. Couldn't end well. This was a cheap Walmart tube as are the rest of the tubes in both our bikes and it's a bit unnerving.
Discuss anything with anyone and disagree agreeably. Always be polite and respectful.
 
Re: Flat tire DIY or call for assistance
Reply #45 –
Some SOBs don’t require to care any items to change a tire because they have no spare! That is crazy!

Ron