Carry the right equipment

[CUMMINZ]

While traveling from Morehead City, NC to Savannah, Ga. yesterday I passed a 5er on the side of I-95 with a blown trailer tire. It had just got dark and I pulled over and backed up beside their truck. It was two elderly folks. I asked if they needed help changing the tire. They said they had called Onstar several hours ago and were hesitant about getting out out of their truck. I offered again and the man got out. I told him I had tools and a jack in my truck. I asked him to pull as far off the shoulder as he could. For the next hour we struggled to get that heavy 5er jacked up and the tire changed.

Let me tell you something, it is no fun laying on the ground within 6 feet of a busy interstate with truckers and cars whizzing buy at 75mph. This couple were on their way from central NC to Savannah to Florida. He had a small wrench and one small bottle jack. (How incredibly stupid). You guys please go out tomorrow and stock your RV with all the safety equipment and tools you need to change that tire... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 

[TRLRTRSH]

Cumminz, Thanks for stopping and renduring assistance to fellow RV owners. Now you said yourself they were "elderly", I was not there but maybe the ole guy was incapable of changing the tire anyway. He did the next best thing and called his Onstar service.

By the way we are fulltimers and our 5er came with zip, nada, zilch for equipment to change a flat tire. The manufacture recommends doing just what the "elderly" folks did, call emergency road service.

We of course carry equipment to change a flat tire on the 5er, but if stopped along a busy dangerous freeway, I would not hesitate to call road service, better to pay $$$ than with your life.

Thanks again



Bajabill

 

[Sarge]

"our 5er came with zip, nada, zilch for equipment to change a flat tire. "



5vers never do, but CUMMINZ is right, even if you don't do it yourself, you should always carry the right equipment. Dven if you don't change it yourself, someone else could.

 

[kelly4463]

I carry a bottlejack (20 ton) 4 way lugwrench a few pices of 4x4s 2x6 and a crap load of tools :-laf

 

[TRLRTRSH]

Sarge, I agree with you, but if the old folks call emergency road service and that is their desire, THEY should come with the proper equipment to change a tire. As in their case, they may be sitting there for hours for that to happen. If they had the proper equipment someone like CUMMINZ would have a lot easier time giving assistance and they would have been on the road sooner.



BajaBill

 

[kelly4463]

bajabill -you have my vote !!!!!!

 

[jwduke]

I carry all of that stuff in my 5er, but a lot don't. Good job CUMMINZ!!!

 

[Bob Cochran]

Here is another thought. My 14,000 # 5er should not be jacked by the axle as it can bend them. Though I have jack, lug wrench etc. appropriate to jack and change the tire the problem is the height to the frame to get it jacked up. I have a device since I have dual axles you can pull the good tire and wheel on and it will left the bad and it can be changed. Had a guy from road service once try and jack by the axle and had to stop him. Some disagree with this but if you talk to axle manufacturers they won't You can build a pad of sorts that goes arounf the axle to the frame and you can use the jack not putting the weight of the trailer on the one single point of the axle.



Oh by the way CUMMINZ thanks for helping the old guy as it could have been me though I am approaching 60 don't feel a day over 30!!! I have road service too and will use it since I am paying for it and let someone else be in traffic rather than me or you for that matter.

 

[jkalchik]

Actually, this shouldn't be limited to 5ers..... ANYBODY should carry basic stuff to change a tire. I've used my Hi-Lift jack on other people's Jeeps, but never on my own. Heck, I stopped yesterday to give someone a jump start.



Be prepared.

 

[GerryDrake]

Jacks and lumber

We carry two 6 ton and one 20 ton bottle jacks and the very important chunks of lumber as mentioned by Kelly, above. With a 2 axle 5'er, if you have to you can limp on into the next town by just removing the problem wheel, but you have to use some wood (4 x 4's work on ours) holding the frame up off the suspension so it doesn't crive the empty axle stub and brake assembly so low that it drags. We did it for about 6 miles one time about 80 miles south of Albuquerque to a business where we got a new axle installed after hitting some 12 x 12 dunnage in our lane while a trucker passed us, and we had no where to go, and the trucker in front of us really set us up. . Unintentionally, I am sure, but it got us just the same. .

 

[MCrossley]

You mean like the guy that showed up the day I had a dead battery and my jumper cables were with a friend and the guy showed up with the worlds smallest jump starter pack without cables... . Yup I pay for those services tooo... So like many others have stated I carry just about everything I need, my 5th wheel even has a compressor on board... .

THEY should come with the proper equipment to change a tire.

BajaBill

 

[klenger]

I carry a bottle jack, lug wrench, torque wrench, and have an onboard air compressor in the 5er and a generator to run it. I also have a lightweight floorjack that I plan to take on extended trips.

 

[kelly4463]

I hope the old guy was driving a ford and not a cummins :-laf :-laf

 

[LesStallings]

I joined Good Sams Club ERS (Emergency Roadside Service).



http://www.goodsamclub.com/ers/



You do not have to be a member of the Good Sams Club, which is nice since I'm not a 5er. I also have everything I need to change my trailer tires. It is nice when the weather is bad, the location is bad, its dark, etc. to have an option of emergency road service.



Over the last year of 20,000 miles towing, I changed a trailer tire once and had ERS change a tire once. ERS was quick, setup for big trucks (my 15K gooseneck was not a problem), and very professional. I was on I-40 when I called them, so I understand that others may have had longer waits in more remote areas.



Since ERS covers the entire family, regardless of vehicle, in addition to my truck/trailer, I see it as a reasonable option to AAA, etc.

 

[nps]

I hope the old guy was driving a ford and not a cummins :-laf :-laf

Calling Onstar, suspect it was a cheby.

 

[dtygart]

I lost a wheel bearing on the 5er once, made the brake drag on that wheel, lots of smoke! Took the next off ramp, pulled the tire, blocked the wheel with a chunk of 2 x 4 and drove the remaining 200 miles home on the I-state. Great to see the looks on the faces of those who passed me in the fast lane when they looked at my wheel!

david

 

[DaveK98]

Yup, right after I got my 5ver I bought a bottle jack, 4 way, and put some wood in there. Didn't think I would have to use it but 500 miles into my trip 2 blowouts. Had no problems jacking it on the frame except they ran the gas line on the bottom of the frame on one side in the back so made me jack up more than I wanted to to change the rear axle tire. Needless to say I have 4 brand new tires and will change them out in 4-5 years if they need it or not, because they will need it.



FYI, I got those valve stem pressure indicators from Geno's. Work great hard to tell if I'm 5lbs low but if it's 10lbs low or so then you can see it right away. I look at them ever time I start/stop towing.

 

[Grizzly]

I lost a wheel bearing on the 5er once, made the brake drag on that wheel, lots of smoke! Took the next off ramp, pulled the tire, blocked the wheel with a chunk of 2 x 4 and drove the remaining 200 miles home on the I-state. Great to see the looks on the faces of those who passed me in the fast lane when they looked at my wheel!

david

I know the feeling. The same thing happened to me coming back from Alaska. I drove back to 100 Mile House in BC, Canada near Prince George on one wheel on the driver's side. Such fun.

 

[JStraw]

Don't forget that a couple cans of 'fix-a-flat' can get you out of road traffic danger faster than changing the tire. You can then safely find a garage or rest area to comfortably swap the tire out.

 

[RustyJC]

Here is another thought. My 14,000 # 5er should not be jacked by the axle as it can bend them.

No, but one wheel can be jacked up with a bottle jack under the spring plate (unless, of course, the axles have been flipped. )



I've done the roadside tire change on I-10 with a previous 5th wheel, and it's no fun. I have the tools (including a 12VDC air compressor for the spare) to do the tire change, but I also have Good Sam ERS. Options are nice in a situation like this!



Rusty