Changing flat tires?

[RAllison]

Getting ready to retire and travel with my travel trailer a lot more. Was thinking about getting another spare tire so I have 2 and a 1/2" impact to change them with. And that got me wondering how many people change their own tires and how many people wait on roadside assistance to show up.

[fj12ryder]

If I had a roadside service, I would call and let them change the tire. But I'd also be prepared to change it myself when/if the roadside service couldn't/wouldn't show up. That has happened to me. Luckily I had the necessary equipment.

FWIW, I used an 8 ton bottle jack on my toyhauler and it was working to lift the wheel. I'd be skeptical of a 3 ton, until I actually had tried it out.

[LIKE2BUILD]

jdc1 wrote:
Use blocks....just drive the good tire up onto 3 2X8's. The flat tire will be high enough to remove and re-install. But, you might want to keep that jack around...in case both tires get mangled.

That or use Lynx Levelers and drive the good tire up on to those, then use the jack to get the bad tire off the ground.

I also really like to use these 3 ton jack with built in jack stand. You get your hydraulic jack, a good wide base, and the safety of a jack stand so you're not completely relying on the seals in the jack.

KJ

[BB_TX]

I have a TPMS to hopefully catch a low tire in time to make it to a tire store before it is too low. But I also have a spare and a bottle jack in case I can’t. On top of that I also have Coach-net ERS, as much for the truck as the 5er. Depending on the situation, I may change it myself or call ERS.
In 13 years I have never had even a low tire.

[JIMNLIN]

I change my own on the side of the road or even the campground.
I use a 12t shorty hyd Truckers Special bottle jack with a long handle that slides under the std round tube leaf spring axle next to the Ubolt. A few pumps lifts that end of the axle and not the whole side of the trailer.
The jack came with a axle tube adapter that fits over the end of the jack.

Or I can use a old 4500 lb rated HD 2 speed scissor jack with a long handle. It also just lifts one end of the axle enough to remove the flat and mount the spare. I keep this jack in my RV trailer along with a 4 way.

[2oldman]

trailernovice wrote:
it was the heat, and the cheapness of the factory-original tires that did us in

Yes, heat is an enemy as are cheap tires.

[trailernovice]

And are not driving across the Arizona desert (in the heat of summer) at highway speeds on foreign tires!! don't forget THAT part!

While doing exactly that summer 2018, shredded one (passenger side) along the interstate...that one shredded so bad it took out the water intake line under the bathroom, so no water until we could get a slap-dash repair the nest day....mounted the spare...limped into the closest national tire chain to replace....get rolling...before getting back onto the freeway, a SECOND one shreds...not merely flat--SHREDDED..limped it the two miles back to the tire store...replaced ALL the tires....This, on a trailer that was at that point less than three years old...wasn't tread life or inflation that cause the 'two blowouts within a few hours...it was the heat, and the cheapness of the factory-original tires that did us in

[CabinetmakerII]

2oldman wrote:
Get a TPMS. At least that way you'll likely know *before* a tire blows. Flat tires are a pretty rare occurrence if you change them when you're supposed to, keep them aired correctly and don't smash curbs.

I just installed a TPMS on our 5er... Looking fwd to ops checking it next month when we head toward Idaho from Arizona.

[2oldman]

Get a TPMS. At least that way you'll likely know *before* a tire blows. Flat tires are a pretty rare occurrence if you change them when you're supposed to, keep them aired correctly and don't smash curbs.

[schlep1967]

Changed my own July 4th weekend on I-695 around Baltimore. Tire blew out, I got to the narrow shoulder just wide enough to get off the road. Waited for an opening in traffic so I could jump out of the truck anf run back behing the 5th wheel. I got back there and saw nothing was horribly tore up that I could not limp down the shoulder to a wider area. Got to an off ramp about half a mile away where the shoulder widened out and I could safely change the drivers side blow-out. Set out my flares and got to work. 30 minutes later I was rolling again.
Important thing is to stay calm and think. Check your surroundings and figure out how to do it safely. If that means limping along on 3 tires to get to a safe spot. That is what you do.

[trailernovice]

Changing your own is all well and good....and I (as I'm sure others have), have had the thrilling experience of changing a shredded tire along the highway...but that was passenger side....we're often on roads with minimal shoulder or no shoulder at all....not sure I'd be comfortable changing a driver-side flat on a trailer alongside a secondary road...my body exposed to any idiot who happens to be texting or drunk or whatever...might, if ever faced with that, consider some sort of roadside assistance...me and my family safe and out of the way

I just keep a four-way and a small hydraulic floor jack under the kitchen table

[time2roll]

I change my own. Seems like about every three years something happens. Never worried enough to add a second spare. I have called for service twice and those did not involve tires. No service contract, just called the local service after a quick search.

[jdc1]

Use blocks....just drive the good tire up onto 3 2X8's. The flat tire will be high enough to remove and re-install. But, you might want to keep that jack around...in case both tires get mangled.

[Old-Biscuit]

Trailer/5th wheel...I carry ONE spare and will change my own flat tire
Have 1/2" drive breaker bar/socket to loosen lug nuts (2' cheater pipe if necessary)
4 way Lug wrench to spin the lug nuts off/back on
1/2" drive Torque Wrench to properly tighten
2 6-ton bottle jacks with 12x12 wood bases

MH with 19.5"---22" tires......NOPE
Call Roadside
Besides most don't carry spare for MH