Flat tire for 30 foot Class C

[Jaytalk]

Has anyone ever got a flat tire on a motorhome that's at least 32 ft? If so, how did you handle it? Do you carry a spare or do you just call AAA or some other roadside assistance service? What about other kinds of breakdowns? Have you ever had to have your motorhome towed?

[katiedog]

WE have a spare tire and have changed on the road.
Risky job if you don't have the right jack and impact tools.
We have been towed once in 30 years, bad ignition sensor.
Most things I can fix when needed.
I have tow insurance and used it the one time.
Listen to the coach before things get bad and lots
of pre trips checks.

[Superseneca]

I just purchased a spare. I Plan on doing a dry run in my drive way to see what I need to change a tire..

[pconroy]

This topic gets debated a lot. Plenty of folks won't leave home with out a spare and complete set of tools. Others split the middle and carry around just the spare *tire* (no rim, no tools) so the roadside assistance will mount the tire at a reasonable price.

Me? I make sure there's a 12 pack of beer in the fridge.
If a tire blows on ours, i'm drinkin' beer until the tow guy comes.

[cabinetmaker]

If you plan to tow then you could always just pull the flat and run it into the next town and hopefully find someone to repair or replace it.

Best bet is to call someone. Your Jayco comes with a one year CoachNet road side assistance. You can purchase the same after that or find the flavor of your choice. Good Sam has one. AAA also.

In a pinch you can use the leveling jacks to manually raise the flat off the ground. All you really need is a good lug wrench and some muscle. Throw it in the back of my jeep and run it into town.

Some haul a replacement tire around for fear they won't find a like kind on the road. Problem is where to store it and the added weight.

I will buy whatever tire fits and keep going. When the trip is over I will find the proper tire and replace it.

That being said...I have RV'ed since the 70's and never had a flat. I had a fuel pump act up but made it home and had a alternator go out once but again was able to get home.

Be prepared but don't let it worry you. Travel trailers seem to have the most flats for some reason. I think it's cheap trailer tires and overloading.

[Jaytalk]

Originally Posted by cabinetmaker

If you plan to tow then you could always just pull the flat and run it into the next town and hopefully find someone to repair or replace it.

Best bet is to call someone. Your Jayco comes with a one year CoachNet road side assistance. You can purchase the same after that or find the flavor of your choice. Good Sam has one. AAA also.

In a pinch you can use the leveling jacks to manually raise the flat off the ground. All you really need is a good lug wrench and some muscle. Throw it in the back of my jeep and run it into town.

Some haul a replacement tire around for fear they won't find a like kind on the road. Problem is where to store it and the added weight.

I will buy whatever tire fits and keep going. When the trip is over I will find the proper tire and replace it.

That being said...I have RV'ed since the 70's and never had a flat. I had a fuel pump act up but made it home and had a alternator go out once but again was able to get home.

Be prepared but don't let it worry you. Travel trailers seem to have the most flats for some reason. I think it's cheap trailer tires and overloading.

Cabinetmaker I can always count on you for wise advice. Thank you all for your comments.

[JmsNMar]

"pconroy", your advice is sound. You can't coach that! I fall under the category mentioned by "pconroy"- I carry a nice rimless spare tire in my pass-thru. I willing to eat the mounting and installing fee, and I feel better that I won't be taken by someone in the boonies who offers me an overpriced questionable used tire. I also spare no expense when the time comes to buy replacement tires all around. The priceless cargo is worth the fee! Happy Trails....

[michael.g]

Our Greyhawk came with a full size mounted spare mounted on the rear bumper. I took it off the bumper and stored it under the bed. We had a blow on the interstate. Called AAA, pulled the spare out and let the mobile tire repair guy do the rest.

-Michael

[Jopopsy]

I'm glad to see some Greyhawks are coming w/ the spare. Do they all come with one now? Mine did not, but my current rig does.

[Wertles]

We had a right front blowout on our last Class C. My wife was driving at the time, pulling a car on a tow dolly and going 65 on the highway. The bang scared the crap out of her but she did a great job getting everything over into a turn around. That Class C had a spare. I keep a bottle jack in the unit and that RV also came with a lug wrench. I had the tire changed in under a half hour and we were on our way.

If you are capable of changing a tire safely by yourself, keep a spare. Otherwise, get the appropriate coverage and let someone else deal with it.

Here is a PSA about tires. Change them before you need to. These had plenty of tread but were old. As soon as I got home, seven new tires were installed. I have had two tire failures in my life on an RV or trailer. Both were for old tires. I’ve never had a “flat.”

[hoppers4]

I purchased a spare for my Greyhawk and carry it using my hitch. It's a pita when I want to tow. I still have to call for service when I want it changed as I'm not physically capable of making a tire change.

[Jaytalk]

Originally Posted by michael.g

Our Greyhawk came with a full size mounted spare mounted on the rear bumper. I took it off the bumper and stored it under the bed. We had a blow on the interstate. Called AAA, pulled the spare out and let the mobile tire repair guy do the rest.

-Michael

Michael,

Which model Greyhawk do you own?

[jd99336]

I have had multiple RV's and the only flat I experienced was a catastrophic failure of two tires on a travel trailer on I5 during rush hour. Rolled the RV and my Ford on it's side into the median and never touched another card (my Angels WERE working over time). For the Greyhawk I opted to carry a tire (no rim) and since I have a toad, either will wait for roadside assistance (part of my insurance policy) or pull it and run into tow as cabinetmaker notes (you always do give good advice).

As an aside, I was at a very unlevel campsite a couple of weekends ago and was surprised at how easy the duals could be lifted off the ground with the leveling jacks. Pretty neat trick.

[MFalcon]

Originally Posted by pconroy

This topic gets debated a lot. Plenty of folks won't leave home with out a spare and complete set of tools. Others split the middle and carry around just the spare *tire* (no rim, no tools) so the roadside assistance will mount the tire at a reasonable price.

Me? I make sure there's a 12 pack of beer in the fridge.
If a tire blows on ours, i'm drinkin' beer until the tow guy comes.

I agree. Might as well relax and wait for the tow guy. I'm not as young as I used to be, to start changing tires on the road, not to mention I don't need the weight of the extra tools and spare.

[Love To Travel 2]

We have the Greyhawk 29MV (32 feet long) and experienced a flat, but fortunately it happened while the 29MV was parked in the storage lot. It seems that one of the valve extenders for the inside duals was leaking and over time caused all the air to leak out. I, like others, called CoachNet, who had someone there within an hour. At the time, we didn't know the reason the tire went flat, but the service tech did, so the valve extenders were permanently removed. We were preparing for a trip the next morning, so the waiting time wasn't an issue. The tech did bring a spare tire with him, but fortunately it wasn't needed.

The plan is to purchase a TPMS and a spare tire without a rim to have, just in case. It's not as heavy as a tire and rim, so it's a little more weight, but I'll feel better carrying it. If it doesn't fit in the drivers side rear compartment, then it will stay in the toad in a heavy duty trash bag.

And 30 years ago I may have tried to change it myself, but not today. I'll wait for a service truck with the proper tools to do the job. During Hurricane Matthew in South Carolina, I did tree limb and debris removal on our property instead of calling the experts, which led to a shoulder injury and then rotator cuff surgery, so from now on it's 1-800-dial-a-professional.

[Schrimscher]

Originally Posted by Jaytalk

Michael,

Which model Greyhawk do you own?

Just joining in. We just bought a new 2018 Greyhawk 26Y that did NOT come with a spare. I bought a new tire & wheel and had it balanced....then mounted it underneath between the rear rails. Have had my share of blowouts and feel better having the spare, good jack and sockets & breaker bar to change a tire. Can still do it at 82, but will call Roadside Service if available......some take hours to ge to you and no help if off the grid. The choice is what ever you can handle and feel comfortable with.
Paul

[michael.g]

Originally Posted by Jaytalk

Michael,

Which model Greyhawk do you own?

Sorry Jay talk, some how I missed your reply. We owned a 2009 31FS. Back then all Greyhawk and Greyhawk Sports came with spare tires.

-Michael

[Gord60]

Originally Posted by pconroy

This topic gets debated a lot. Plenty of folks won't leave home with out a spare and complete set of tools. Others split the middle and carry around just the spare *tire* (no rim, no tools) so the roadside assistance will mount the tire at a reasonable price.

Me? I make sure there's a 12 pack of beer in the fridge.
If a tire blows on ours, i'm drinkin' beer until the tow guy comes.

X2