Hello, So I drove 96 miles from my house, to where my camper is on my land up north. With the intention of then grabbing my camper and bringing to a local dealership 17 miles away. Got out of my dirt driveway and 30 feet down the one way, non maintained narrow dirt road, and checked the camper over.Saw the rear driver side trailer tire was flat. Took a tire gauge and measured 0 psi.I can't back it 90 degrees downhill on a driveway that leaves 6" of room on each side, maybe you guys can, but I can't yet.Long story short I risked it, and drove 40 mpg 17 miles on a flat tire. Made it there and everything was fine.Tires say 2800 lbs max load each. Trailer was probably 7000lbs.So two tires on one side, and one tire in the other, I am sure I was over load limit for tire.Anyone done this before ? Should I have parked and called a tow truck ? Didn't have tools to do it myself, and would have had to walk 5 miles to cell service, or leave the camper blocking the road?Thoughts or opinions ? Is it ok to drive on one tire ? Or do you guys stop driving immediately until it's fixed ?

You did what you had to do but if it were me I'd replace both tires on that side, so it cost you two tires instead of One

I had a flat and didn't know it for a while. No harm..

As long as the tire didn't come apart, you made out ok. But as John said, the other tire was way over loaded and needs to be replaced also.Ron

As long as the one tire was inflated properly I would not change both of them. Speed makes a big difference. I probably would have gone a little slower. Did you feel the tire to see if it seemed over heated once you arrived. JMHO

You overloaded the tire on that side and it is more than likely damaged. I would replace both tires on that side.Hindsight says you should have pulled over at the nearest wide spot and changed for your spare.Ken

Tandem axle camper, driving with a flat | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

Jebby14
Explorer
Jul 13, 2015
replace both on that side. keep the other for a spare that you should have had. also throw a jack and tire iron in the camper.
westend
Explorer
Jul 13, 2015
All of this could have probably been avoided with the use of a 12V tire inflator. The last one I bought was on sale for $9.99.
dave17352
Explorer
Jul 13, 2015
I agree if the tires are old replace them due to age. As another poster said the tire was only overloaded slightly and he drove at 40 mph for seventeen miles. That doesn't seem to me by itself a reason to replace the tire. JMHO
TXiceman
Explorer II
Jul 12, 2015
At the price of a tire compared to the damage that can be done with a tire failure, I do not see a reason to cheap out and not replace both tires. It is false economy.

Ken
Happy_Camper3
Explorer
Jul 12, 2015
Happy.Camper wrote:
RCMAN46 wrote:
Depends on how old the tires are a why the one was flat.

If it was something other than a nail and they are more than 5 years old it may be wise to replace all of the tires.

Trailer tires have a habit of failing one at a time a couple hundred miles apart.

This may be because of the over loading of the other tires when one goes flat.

Interesting point, I also aired down my airbags to try to out as much weight on the hitch as possible, I also did not use my weight fist hitch, to keep more weight on my truck.

If that really is true, than they need to engineer a higher safety margin. So then really if you get one flat, then you essentially need to replace 4 tires !? That is madness
Happy_Camper3
Explorer
Jul 12, 2015
RCMAN46 wrote:
Depends on how old the tires are a why the one was flat.

If it was something other than a nail and they are more than 5 years old it may be wise to replace all of the tires.

Trailer tires have a habit of failing one at a time a couple hundred miles apart.

This may be because of the over loading of the other tires when one goes flat.

Interesting point, I also aired down my airbags to try to out as much weight on the hitch as possible, I also did not use my weight fist hitch, to keep more weight on my truck.
RCMAN46
Explorer
Jul 12, 2015
Depends on how old the tires are a why the one was flat.

If it was something other than a nail and they are more than 5 years old it may be wise to replace all of the tires.

Trailer tires have a habit of failing one at a time a couple hundred miles apart.

This may be because of the over loading of the other tires when one goes flat.
wanderingbob
Explorer II
Jul 12, 2015
I do not believe that you hurt that tire . Tire will safely carry 2800 lbs plus what ever safety measure the manufacturer built in , at least 10 per cent . The hitch carried 4 or 500 lbs. Do the math , half of 7,000 lbs less half the hitch weight !
Happy_Camper3
Explorer
Jul 12, 2015
Thanks guys, I appreciate the help and insight.
TXiceman
Explorer II
Jul 12, 2015
You overloaded the tire on that side and it is more than likely damaged. I would replace both tires on that side.

Hindsight says you should have pulled over at the nearest wide spot and changed for your spare.

Ken