Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: TomHanlon on July 13, 2011, 05:56:53 pm
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This past Sunday on our way home from camping, I stopped for gas and noticed that the drivers side rear tire was flat. I found a nice level parking lot nearby and started to change the tire in the 90 degree heat. First let tell you that I played with the hub caps for about 45 minutes before digging out the owners papers and reading that they just pry off like regular hub caps. The nut caps do not have anything to do with holding them on. Then I had to use the bottle jack to get the PC high enough to lower the HWH jacks and put a 2x4 under them. Then I could raise it the tire enough to change it. All this took me almost two hours in the heat. At my age I am ready to start letting someone else do this type of thing. So I have decided that I need some type of emergency road service. I have started looking at Coach-Net RV and Good Sam ERS. Do any of you know anything about them or any other service? :help
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Tom,
We use the AAA RV plus membership. We do not have any AAA insurance--just their membership. It cost us about $72 dollars a year and they will change a tire or tow you (up to 100 miles) to a facility for major repairs. When we had a travel trailer we had a blown tire and they were out in 15 minutes, changed it and we were back on the road. You also get the added benefit of their trip tiks and travel books/services. The membership money for us is pece of mind when we travel. It covers all your vehicles, not just your RV so if you have a flat on a car, or lose battery or whatever, they'll be there to help. Also gets you three gallons of gas if you run out. Just don't remind my DW of this one!! >( >(
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i have the Good Sam ERS and from what is shown below, the services appear the same. Have not used it for the RV yet but the coverage did extend to my other vehicles and have used it to tow on of them. btw: the Triptik on AAA is a great mapping program and anyone can access it, not just members.
;)
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We have a service through our Geico RV insurance. Have not had to use it though, so we don't know how satisfied we will be if we have to use it.
One thing to remember with AAA is that not all areas can handle Rv's. Our niece is the Asst. Mgr. for a AAA location and they do not offer road service for RVs.
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I had the Camping World ERS for years and it was a great service the 3 times I used it, now it's been sub-let to Good Sam. Last time I tried to get through to GS for a flat; ended up changing it myself, if that is a clue to the wonderful world of GS. At first we could not get through and then we were on hold for about 20 minutes and finally gave up, well not really, I had it almost changed by then. Had a half tank of water and a cool shower felt okay, too. Hope my next experience is better since I paid it forward 3 years.
L. G.
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The first time I used my new Ford F250 7.3 Super Diesel I got stuck in our drive way. :'( Called GS and told them where I got stuck, I heard this little chuckle, and she asked again, "where are you stuck" Well after a good laugh, GS sent help in a short time. I have used them 3 times and very happy. (cheer)
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lghjr,
Did you ever install the Ultragauge?
If so, please respond to the topic.
Thanks.
Bob
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Tom,
We use the AAA RV plus membership. We do not have any AAA insurance--just their membership. It cost us about $72 dollars a year and they will change a tire or tow you (up to 100 miles) to a facility for major repairs. When we had a travel trailer we had a blown tire and they were out in 15 minutes, changed it and we were back on the road. You also get the added benefit of their trip tiks and travel books/services. The membership money for us is pece of mind when we travel. It covers all your vehicles, not just your RV so if you have a flat on a car, or lose battery or whatever, they'll be there to help. Also gets you three gallons of gas if you run out. Just don't remind my DW of this one!! >( >(
We had a similar good experience with AAA. Halfway between Yuma and San Diego my truck blew its ignition coil and stopped climbing the terrain going into San Diego county. Absolutely the middle of nowhere.
AAA dispatched two vehicles. One towed our 5th wheel to the campsite while the other dropped off my truck at a nearby Chevy dealer. We even rode in the one towing the camper.
If you decide to get AAA, definitely opt for the PLUS upgrade. That gives you the 100 mile tow. I think the standard option is only 10 miles. This may vary from club to club and state to state.
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Hi Tom:
I have Good Sam and they do extend to all of our vehicles. I have used them several times and have had no problems. AAA you have to be a member for a year before you can upgrade to rv plan. I have found both to be ok. But, If I am stuck and I want a tire changed, I find it best to call the local tow garage and pay good old Cash and tip the worker too. That always seems to be the ticket....
DJM
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Not yet with my PC, but on our old motor home with rear duel wheels, I fixed the flat once while the rear tire was mounted to the axle. I found a nail pierced cleanly into the tire. I pulled it out, inserted a plug (those sticky rope things), filled up the tire with air, and all was back to normal.
Sometimes the flat is caused by the valve extension going bad. Just remove it and fill the tire with air.
Having a cheap $30 air compressor handy, is not a bad idea. Sometimes the leak is slow enough to get you to a tire shop to make the repair.
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Ron,
What "cheap" air compressor do you use? Is it 120 volt or 12 volt? Does it handle air pressures adequate for PC tires?
Thanks.
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Just a quick followup; I went with nmc Coach Net for three years at $278.50. After reading the a bunch of RV sites I felt this would be the one for me. I got a $20 discount because I belong to FMCA.
Thank you all for the feed back. tymote
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What "cheap" air compressor do you use? Is it 120 volt or 12 volt? Does it handle air pressures adequate for PC tires?
Walmart sells cheap air compressors in their automotive department. Some are 12v, some are 110v. On a PC with a generator or inverter, either voltage works well. The PSI goes high enough as well.
I bought this kit at Walmart a few years ago which stores nice in it's very compact storage bag, and includes the repair kit for $55. It looks big in the picture, but the case is only around 12" across. Click Here (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000YMP1SA) to buy it on Amazon for about the same price. I think Walmart now sells other models, still made by the same company. There are many varieties of it.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Yw5WNwQBL._SS400_.jpg)
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While I have used the rubber and glue plugs myself in the past, most tire shops will no longer do that sort of repair. They will insist on taking the tire off and placing a patch on the inside. I am told that they feel that the internal repair will last forever, but the poke in from the outside type may sometimes blow out at a later date. I have GS road service, but have never had to use it.
Jerry
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Yes Jerry, I agree.
Shops want to use a patch on the inside becasue it is a more reliable method of repair. My suggested roadside tire repair method using the sticky rope gets RVers back on the road quickly. If they are not comfortable with that as a long term repair, then they can get it repaired better at their convenience.
For myself, I have no concern using the sticky rope for a permanent repair, as long as the puncture is clean and in a good spot on the tire. The best place is in thick thread or tight thread area, for more depth for the rope to do it's job.
In the case of RV tires, most get replaced due to age & cracking, not from thread wear. This makes using the rope, less a concern.
Just my opinion on that.
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I, too, carry a tire repair kit having the 'ropes'. It sure works better when in the boonies or between towns than trying to get cell service to call a tow-truck and/or tire repair facility.
Once I get to a reasonably sized town I can have it repaired properly.
BTW, some tire repair facilities snip off the inside bit of rope and then patch over it. I'm told it makes for a good repair.
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I have even seen patches with a rubber finger that gets inserted into and pulled out through the hole of the tire. That seems better yet. But that can be used only when the puncture is at 90 degrees or no so far off.
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Since I used to use the sticky rope method with good results, I did some more "googling" on the topic. It appears a lot of people still use the kits, but no reliable tire dealer will. It seems that two things drive this: first, most tire manufacturers will void tire wear warranties if plugs rather than internal patches are used and second, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association says the plugs are not an acceptable way to repair a tire. One thread also had an assertion that in Florida it was against the law to use plugs on commercial vehicles. I guess the sort of middle of the road consensus as I read it was if you're in the middle of nowhere and a plug gets you going, do it and then get it replaced when convenient at a repair shop. Nobody seemed big on the aerosol inflation and patching mixes (usually refered to as slime) which I also used to use on occasions; I know from experience that tire shops hate it because it can make the tire hard to balance and isobutane is used as a propellant and will blow up the shop when a mechanic with a ciggy in his mouth depressures the tire.