Almost lost a tire and changing a flat.

Pmedic4 · 10-05-2020, 03:34 PM

Went out for the long weekend on Thursday, and made a stop for one night to see family who are full-timers. Headed out the next day, and everything looked fine, so headed on to our final destination. Stopped at a rest-stop for a break, and noted a low looking tire. I'd brought along my handy Dewalt inflator, and it showed 35 pounds of pressure, and I knew I had a leak, cause I had aired them up before we left. I used the inflator to bring it back up to 80psi, and that exhausted my batteries I had brought. Since we didn't have far to go to our final destination, I thought I would just wait and check when we go to our site. Checked when we got there and down to 65psi, so yep, it's leaking. I procrastinated doing anything right then, and waited until morning to replace with the spare.

In the morning, it was '0'! Damn, so I knew I was going to put on the spare. really wasn't bad, as the auto-leveler had raised that side up quite a bit so I only had to jack up about 2". The real problem was I couldn't budge the lugnuts. I had one of the crossbar lugnut wrenches, and I'm a big guy, and nothing I did could loosen a single nut, another 'Damn' point in time. I told the DW, and she said, check down at the check-in building and see if someone has an impact wrench - and my first thought was, yeah right, that ain't going work, with my fall back being I was heading to a local farm store to buy a good impact wrench. Amazingly, just to show me wrong, the lady at the check-in said, "Tom will head up to your site in a few minutes". Showed up, almost before I got back, and we had the tire changed in 10 minutes. It was too late to get the tire fixed on Saturday and of course Sunday, so I just threw it in the bed of the truck and headed home this morning. Made it home without problems.

So the moral of this story is, check your tires. I do(did) have a TPMS, but it decided it didn't want to work this weekend, showing 'NoS', for no info on the tires. Did change the batteries in the tire sensors, but that didn't help. The sensors are fairly old, so I guess I could buy new ones, but now I wonder if that is a good choice? For $50 more, can get the newer version, which has a signal booster included, or perhaps I should see what everyone else is recommending?

Oh, and a weird thing - so I'm was worried about my RV tires, and then my truck TPMS gives an alert, low pressure in my truck front tire. It shows a pressure of 63psi, and the error message says 'Inflate front tires to 60psi'???? What?

The important take-aways, at least for me, are:
1. Check you tires, before and during your trip,
2. Have a means to check and inflate the tires should you have to put on your spare which has been sitting unused for 3 years,
3. Make sure you have a jack which can lift your RV - at least one wheel,
4. Check you have the tools to remove the lugnuts, 'cause dang, those things are on their tight!

**sourdough** · 10-05-2020, 03:46 PM

Thanks for the post and heads up. You mention a lot of good things I think many don't carry. When new folks talk about loading up for travel you never hear of jacks, tools, wrenches etc. Without them you are pretty much dead on the road - even if you have multiple roadside assistance plans like we do.

I used to always carry a 4way, cheater bars etc. Nowadays I won't take for a good cordless impact. I bought a 24v "Great Neck" impact at Auto Zone in a hurry on one trip...useless. Never leave home without that 12vdc air compressor - I like Viair. Always use that TPMS!

If your sensors are old and you're looking at a new system I use TST 507 and their color monitor is much better than the older one.

rhagfo · 10-05-2020, 03:53 PM

I have VIAIR 150 psi on board air with a 2.5 gallon tank and an pneumatic impact wrench. Along with the other tools.

wiredgeorge · 10-05-2020, 07:01 PM

Perhaps get a breaker bar and they sell an extender that folds up. Break the nuts loose before jacking up and put the socket with the breaker bar and use the extender and stomp on the extender. That will break loose a tightly torqued lug nut and you won't have to use an impact gun. Check your spare for proper inflation now and again.

rhagfo · 10-05-2020, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Perhaps get a breaker bar and they sell an extender that folds up. Break the nuts loose before jacking up and put the socket with the breaker bar and use the extender and stomp on the extender. That will break loose a tightly torqued lug nut and you won't have to use an impact gun. Check your spare for proper inflation now and again.

Long breaker bars are nice, but can also lead to broken studs. Impact wrench both pneumatic and battery use use rapid impacts to loosen nuts, resulting in far fewer broken studs. Also a lot easier on the body.

I learned this when I was still a teenager, had a alternator pulley I could not get loose with breaker bar and strap wrench on the fan blades. Took to local Ford dealer (good friends with parts person), he took unit to shop. Placed a rag over the fan blades and held in place with hand, and placed impact wrench on the nut, it came off after a few burst and the fan never moved.

**flybouy** · 10-06-2020, 04:31 AM

20v 1/2" drive Dewalt impact gun and a set of "flip over" sockets for the wheels and a set of impact sockets (metric & SAE). I won't leave home without it. Something like 600 ft lbs in reverse IIRC. I prefer to let the tool pull it's guts out rather than pull mine out.

My preference, u'all do what's good for you.

ChuckS · 10-06-2020, 05:40 AM

Four way star lug nut wrenches are junk... I carry and have always carries a 1/2 inch breaker bar with six inch extension and a quality six point socket for tire change out in the road for my truck and my RVs.

A breaker bar won’t break a lug stud ... over torquing and lack of removing the nuts at least once a year will...due to corrosion, etc

Also I use and carry a 1/2 inch torque wrench and properly sequence torque RV lug nuts in 3 stage steps increments as outlined in owners manual

LewisB · 10-06-2020, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

20v 1/2" drive Dewalt impact gun and a set of "flip over" sockets for the wheels and a set of impact sockets (metric & SAE). I won't leave home without it. Something like 600 ft lbs in reverse IIRC. I prefer to let the tool pull it's guts out rather than pull mine out.

My preference, u'all do what's good for you.

Same for me. To your list, I also carry a good torque wrench for re-setting the lug nuts and subsequent checks.

Javi · 10-06-2020, 05:51 AM

300 pound guy using a 36" breakover bar

And I use a torque wrench to tighten the nuts...

**flybouy** · 10-06-2020, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LewisB

Same for me. To your list, I also carry a good torque wrench for re-setting the lug nuts and subsequent checks.

I do as well. I didn't list everything I carry for "show and tell" LOL. But a decent torque wrench is essential for the final step. Not too concerned about that when changing a tire and by "bottom" is exposed to 18 wheelers whizzing by at speed. I'll get the job done, pull over to a safe place and then loosen and properly torque the lug nuts.

One other add since I'm diving in deeper here. A piece of advice for the NEW folks to trailering. Most new trailers come with aluminum wheels and a steel wheel for the spare. The lugnuts on the aluminum wheels MAY NOT WORK ON THE SPARE. The lug nuts on the aluminum wheels may not be open on both ends and may not tighten on the thinner steel wheel.

It's a good idea to physically change a trailer tire BEFORE you need to. Let the air out of a tire first (obviously have a way to inflate it again). Why? Because it changes the height of the axle and frame to accommodate the jack. It's a lot less stressful to find out you need some cribbing, or extra tools while changing a tire on a nice peaceful parking lot apposed to the side of the road where trucks passing a foot away are blowing the trailer around.

Northofu1 · 10-06-2020, 06:12 AM

^^^^^ Mike,,, same here. I just stand on the breaker bar, no nut can withstand that.

Canonman · 10-06-2020, 07:26 AM

For tires I carry a good torque wrench. I always check the lug nuts with the wrench before traveling. I use the same wrench when I do the bearing repacks and brake inspections. I figure if I tighten the lug nuts with that wrench I can remove them with the same tool.
So far no problems

Here is some additional information that may help others with any questions about proper tightening of lug nuts:
http://www.roadkingtrailers.com/LugN...rsKeystone.pdf

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