Replacing a tire on a trip + tools?

[myredracer]

It just occured to me the other day that if we get a flat on our TT while on a trip, all the dealer provides is a spare tire. There's no jack or tire wrench anywhere that I can see, unless it's under the tire cover. What should we get for a jack? I have a couple of spare bottle jacks. Would they work? A couple of scissor type jacks or a floor dolly? Geesh, there's more dang stuff to store somewhere.

What is the recommended procedure for jacking up one side of a trailer on the side of a road? Our TT is only about 4,000 lbs. One jack fore and one aft of the tires? How do you stabilize the opposite side? Or, do you jack up underneath one of the tandem axles just enough to lift the tire off the ground?

[SaskCampers]

Use a bottle jack on the frame between the wheels. The trailer will not go anywhere as long as you are attached to the TV. I carry a 20 ton bottle jack but I like equipment I can use for other purposes if need be. You should have a lugnut wrench as well as a torque wrench and proper size socket to set the torque once you have changed the tire.

[jmswms]

We've stopped several times to help fellow rv's out who didn't carry a bottle jack. They thought there car jack would work ok-were they on for a surprise

[caper]

You can use your set of lynx levelers. Just raise the tire that is not flat off the ground the flat tire will go up also.

[GlacierGus]

Does anyone use those plastic ramps to drive up with the good tire which raises the flat tire?

[rschoono289]

also buy a couple of jack stands for safety.
X2 on the torque wrench and a deep socket. Also breaker bar (wrench) to make it easier. Thankfully never had to change tire yet but prepared.

[mrtodds]

Lets see...now you are carrying a lug wrench, torque wrench, jack stands, bottle jack....anything else? lol
I've changed a tire like "caper above post" does before out of desperation years ago...it WORKS great! Bust the nuts loose and roll it up...change, snug, roll it down and tighten and your done just be about 5" high by the time you make a ramp with the levelers. Even a screw on your toaster may need tightened to "spec" but if you have a 14" lug wrench and tighten as hard as you can, you'll find it just as tight if not more than the factory recommended torque of 120ft/lbs. Do yourself a big favor and do this in your driveway at home one time for practice.....and check the torque after your done.
Personally, I don't like carrying my garage just to change a tire "weight and space kept to minimum". I can change a tire as fast as the old man on Christmas story, and I've never lost a lug...let alone a wheel! Except in the snow that time when the hubcap flipped over! F#$%! lol

[buffalohunter]

The lightest thing to carry is an emergency roadside assistance card. ;>)

I do carry all the other stuff too.

[kjoh75]

Getting a flat tire on your TT really sucks. One late Friday afternoon I had two flat tires on my TT on a trip 60 minutes apart from each other. AAA came out the first time and replaced the flat with my spare. The tire pressure was checked on all the tires before he left. So there I was an hour later on the shoulder of a busy freeway with another flat tire. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW. I have NO spare. Tools to fix? Nope. It's also amazing how many business close early on Friday. AAA said I needed a flat bed to haul the camper and are having a hard time finding anyone. What I ended up doing was unhitching the camper and drive up the road 6 miles and found a WalMart. They carried tires. WalMart put a new tire on the rim of the first flat. I also purchased a few tools to have on hand if I should get another flat. It was now dark outside. AAA was nice enough to meet me back at the camper once I had a new tire and put it on the TT. The wife and I made the best out of the remaining weekend at our camping destination. But that being said Saturday morning I drove to a local tire store and got a new tire to have as a spare.

I hope none of you have to go through this. It was a VERY STRESSFULL few hours.

[Triguy]

We have AAA plus RV, which includes services for trailers but we've been lucky and have not used it (yet). I also carry a 6-ton bottle jack (plenty for my Hybrid), a block of wood to go under the jack to keep it from sinking into the soil or warm asphalt, a breaker bar and a torque wrench.

I think its a good idea to practice if you are uncomfortable. You really don't want your first change to be a rushed effort as you are stopped on the freeway somewhere.

[Herk7769]

I have USAA Roadside assistance on the TV and the Camper as part of my car insurance.

Having said that, my only flat so far was a blow out on the beltway around DC right before rush hour.

Since it was on the curb side of the camper and I had all the tools, it only took me 45 minutes to change the tire and get back on the road.

I have to tell you that if it had been on the highway side, I would have waited for the tow dude. Trucks were zooming by at 70 MPH a few feet from the rig.

[h20ski]

Besides the jack, lug wrench and torque wrench, I also have a orange triangle. I have carried that thing since 1986 my first tour in Germany( required there) and have never used it. Until this past summer. Had a blowout on my truck and there wasn't enough room to get off the road because of the guard rail. I could have made it to the end but I would have ruined a good wheel. Did I say it was a 4 lane. 4ways on, put out triange well behind 5th wheel, proceded to change tire. State patrol showed up and parked behind tringle. 20 minutes later I was on my way. Don't forget to retrive warning triangle. HA HA

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by h20ski

Besides the jack, lug wrench and torque wrench, I also have a orange triangle. I have carried that thing since 1986 my first tour in Germany( required there) and have never used it.

So that's why my 1999 BMW has that attached to the inside of the trunk? I never knew it was mandatory. I learn something on here everyday

[kanati]

I picked up a nail as I was pulling into the farm last spring and went ahead and set up anyhow.

I purchased one of those ramps and used it a month later as I was leaving to put the spare on. I plugged the hole just to keep Murphy at bay on the ride back. Went to the tire shop and replaced all four and put the spare back in its place.

The ramp worked just fine for me. The only thing I noticed was that it wanted to settle into the ground a little. If the ground is soft place a small piece of plywood to spread out the weight. Settling should not be a problem on a roadway or inn a campground.

I never occurred to me I could do the same thing with lynx blocks.

[JFM-jr]

There a few different desgins out there based off this concept. Cost about 40 dollars and is light. Does anybody have any input on using one of these?

[Bttravel]

Looks like it works to me!

[mrtodds]

It should work just fine, but stack up your levelers and try it just one time in your driveway. They do the very same thing and serve a dual purpose if you have the ten pack of them.

[HONDAMAN174]

Just a thought to everyone. We recently picked up and installed an Orange Tire pressure monitoring system because we only have a single axle. This way we can see a tire going down before we are in a bad situation when one blows out. Set of 4 was $110 on amazon. There are other systems that can manage more tires. But with us, it watches tire pressure and temp also.

[TexasBBQ]

Originally Posted by GlacierGus

Does anyone use those plastic ramps to drive up with the good tire which raises the flat tire?

I've not used mine yet but have seen it used. Appears to work just fine. I got from Amazon.

[SaskCampers]

Originally Posted by JFM-jr

There a few different desgins out there based off this concept. Cost about 40 dollars and is light. Does anybody have any input on using one of these?

Should work good, assuming you don't have the dreaded double blow out. FWIW, I paid less than that for a 20 ton bottle jack that will work in any situation.