timboln
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Re: Rite of passage, first blow out
tinner12002 wrote: I can't believe you had a flat with an LT tire...I hear on here that people never have any issues with LT tires. Glad everyone was safe. Wasn't so much as a flat as it was rapid decompression with complete loss of tread, only the side walls and the first inner layers of rubber under the steel cords remained. I do plan on checking the serial numbers on the rest of the tires to determine age, but that is just out of curiosity as I plan on getting new rubber for the other wheels before my next outing. With our aging and worn out infrastructure, this event has put a new perspective of "watching the road" regardless of vehicle driven. Be safe out there folks.444Views0likes0CommentsRite of passage, first blow out
On the return trip from a successful night of motorcycle Flat Track racing at Tarheel Speedway, near Lumberton, NC, I experienced my first blowout, 70 miles from home. Traveling south bound on I-95 near Summerton, SC, the passenger side, inside tire shredded it's tread. Replaying the event in my mind, I recalled that many miles prior to the blow out, encountering a bad spot in the concrete, not really a pot hole, but a spot broken up enough to make the 2001 Four Winds 31C Funmover shudder a bit. It wasn't too long after that, that I thought I could feel a slightly different vibration through the steering wheel. The tire tread shredding apart confirmed my suspicion that it was a different kind of vibration. Long story short, with it being an inside rear tire, AAA RV roadside assistance was of no use(their policy). However, the company they initially contacted to assist me was outstanding. The rep that called said that AAA's policy of not changing out inside tires on site was ridiculous as they did that regularly. He then offered that even though AAA was of no help, he'd be able to do it as a regular service call. That appeared to be the most expeditious choice, so I gave him my tire info. Fortunately, he had tires in stock and dispatched the service driver to my location. Much to my surprise, he arrived within 15-20 minutes, he told me he would take the wheel back to the shop and mount the new tire and would be back as soon as possible, probably around 45 minutes. He was close to his word and apologetic as he explained he had an emergency delivery of a tow cable to another driver who's cable had snapped and gone through a lady's windshield as he was hoisting it up on the roll back( and I thought I was having a bad day!!!) 15 minutes later, tire mounted, bill settled up, and on my way to a uneventful remainder of the trip home. Should any of you have the need of road side assistance, I would not hesitate to recommend Taylor Made Towing and Rec LLC. Really high marks for their customer service!!! It's an adventure, right?4.3KViews0likes24CommentsThe Fun Never Stops!
Recently acquired a 2001 Four Winds/Thor Funmover with the intent to use it for camping, fishing, hunting, and a return to vintage motorcycle flat track racing(not me, I'll be wrenching). The seller had used it for similar reasons with his son's motorcross racing and this was just what I was looking for. I was really pleased with the RV overall, and the drive from Myrtle Beach to Mount Pleasant went smoothly. The handling was good and the V-10 purred all the way back home. However, there were a few slight cabin noises that were reminiscent of a 727 galley during roll out after landing. First of the list of To Do's was the removal of the advertising wrap on the back half and roll up door before too many neighbors begin to think I'm starting to suppliment my income by doing tattoos! haha My hands and still stiff and sore from the heat gun and tugging!! Now the learning experience. The refrig operates well enough with shore power, but could not get the LP mode to light. Only two of the three eyes on the stove top will light. The roof AC worked really good until the Onan genset shut down and now refuses to run after you release the start toggle. (Fuel flow good, fuses all good, slip rings dirty, will clean those before trouble shooting further to see if the control board is shot) Now, the issue that I find a little more distressing. The rubber roof appeared to be in pretty good shape, no deep rips or tears, although there's a few scuff marks that probably need to be tended to. I went over all the cracks in the lap sealant with a fresh coat and then the next day gave the roof a good cleaning. This was while tropical storm Bonnie was still forming offshore but close enough for the rain to begin as I was finishing up washing the sides. With the steady rain I figured it'd be a good time to check for leaks in the cabin. Everything seemed nice and dry. All the interior panels looked smooth and there appeared to be no bulging or obvious irregularities. Or at least I thought! It had not rained much this morning and it was sunny throughout the afternoon, however, I noticed that there was still drips coming off the cab over section. I had backed the RV into the drive that has a slight downhill grade to the street. I inspected the roof, no standing water behind the seam. Back into the cabin and upon pulling up the padding there was the dreaded drops of water. After removing the padding, there, plain as day was a bulge in the flooring at the left front corner. I removed the flooring across the front and back to the first large aluminium frame tube (about 8 inches) and found water saturating the plywood filler fitted between the front frame member and the aforementioned larger one. I was able to remove the plywood by removing the screws from the outside seam strip(this also allowed the water to drain) Lifting the plywood out exposed the thin bottom plywood sheet that is suppose to be affixed to the fiberglass exterior panel. I'm hoping that thin sheet will dry out sufficiently to save and in the interim, I'll be using batten as a backing to the plywood when I reinstall the rest of the trim strip screws. Now the fun begins! I will be checking all the typical points of water entry, but being a novice in these matters, any suggestions outside the box with be most appreciated! Once the leak is stopped, then I'll deal with the repairs to the berth flooring. Thanks in advance! (also waiting to see how long it takes the HOA to send me a letter saying that the parking of an RV in the drive way is against the covenants!! hehehehe)1.3KViews0likes2Comments
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