First Blowout Experience

[ttocsmi]

Didn't happen at a blow dry bar (which is good, because I have very little hair on the topside & it would have been awkward for me to be there) but on I75 near Berea KY Sunday morning.

The first indication something was wrong came from the people in the vehicle next to us, pointing and honking. In the side view mirror I could see chunks of rubber start coming off the doomed tire. Castle Rock ST205 75R14.

New Rockwood Mini Lite 2019S, 1960 miles on the trailer at the time, 400 miles from home. TPMS available, but we didn't have the head unit installed/configured in the truck.

Pulled off the highway safely in a little turnout, evaluated the situation, and (once my heart rate relaxed & I told myself I (most likely) wasn't going to get obliterated by a 75mph semi) understood it wasn't a big deal.

I used my X-style tire iron to loosen the lug nuts on the sad little rim, backed the good right-side tire up onto a stack of leveling boards, swapped bad wheel with good spare, lowered, final-tightened the lug nuts, & checked all tire pressures. Stopped for maybe 20 minutes, max.

Ordering new Goodyear replacements today.

Here's my advice for anyone who hasn't (yet) had a similar experience:

(1) If you have a TPMS for your travel trailer, install & make sure it works
(2) Make sure you carry a spare (it would have been a long afternoon waiting for AAA to bring us a spare, or driving around rural KY looking for a tire shop open on a Sunday)
(3) And a tire iron you've checked beforehand (what if your TV has different size lug nuts?)
(4) And a means of lifting the poor shredded tire off the ground

How many dropped trailers have you seen on the side of the interstate with missing wheels? Think ahead, don't let this be you, and don't make a long day even longer.

[DSMURPHY]

Very good advise.

[wanderingbob]

Yes , try your 4 way before ya need it . The wall thickness on my 4 way was to fat , luckily I had a socket and bar that fit .

[The Evil Twin]

Excellent words!
I might add- when you say test your TPMS, that means test it. Bleed pressure from a tire and make sure it registers the loss. Also, change a tire at home so you know how to do it and what else you might wish you had.