We first started camping with a used pop up in the late 70’s. On our second trip with it we were headed to Trough Creek, a distance of about 80 plus miles from our home, with a another family and their camper. This camper had disk brakes with a surge braking system. New with this system, I had adjusted the surge system too tight, unbeknown to me. About 15 mile out at 55 MPH all the sudden I heard a giant bang.
I started pulling over but was not able to get the other family’s attention that something happened for we were following them. I noticed the camper was lower on one side so I knew I blew a tire. Luckily I was right at an exit so off I went and over into a truckers parking area.
Once I got out to look at the problem, I saw the right camper tire was in shreds, the dust caps of both wheels were blown off and smoke was coming from the brakes. The brakes were too tight and got so hot that it blew the tire and dust caps off the wheels. Luckily the other tire didn’t blow. They were so hot that we had to wait at least an hour and a half to let them cool naturally so that we could work on it. About 15 minutes after we pulled in the parking area our friends pulled in and said they lost sight of us and figured we had trouble.
Upon examining the wheels we also noticed there was no more grease in the bearings. While it cooled down we took our friend’s car and went to find grease. After pulling the wheel that the tire was blown on, I noticed the bearings were a little blue. We repacked the bearings, hoping they would stay together, put the spare tire on, and duct-taped dixie cups to the hubs to act as dust caps.
Ok, 2 hours later all was well and I pulled away and after about 10 feet of travel I feel the front tire on the car was bumping up and down like I was running over something big. So I stopped and found a large 3/4 inch bolt straight into the front tire. So again, I had to go to work putting the car spare on. Finally we got going, used up all of my spares but, the rest of the trip with out any further problems.
It was enough to make you turn around and go home and sell the camper. But we stayed on and have been thru that pop up and in our second trailer.
Do you have a favorite RVing or camping memory you’d like to share? Submit your favorite memory here!
GaryM
I have had several flats over the years with my campers but the weirdest one happened on a trip from East Helena MT to Cody Wyo. We were pulling an old Terry Trailer – about a 21 footer with a 1/2 ton Ford Pickup. We had gone about 90 miles when all of a sudden my navigator says “pull over, the rear passenger side trailer tire is starting to go flat.” I’m like “what – are you crazy?” She insisted that I pull over and I have known her long enough to just do it. We safely pulled over and went back to the tire. It looked a little low but not anything that you would really notice. She said, “Listen to it.” I got down on my knees and yep, I could hear air escaping from the tire. I said “How in the world did you know that? She said “Don’t know, just do.” We changed the tire, got the “going flat” tire repaired in Bozeman, turned around and went to Canyon Ferry Lake for vacation. She just didn’t feel “right” about continuing on to Cody. I always listen but we recently had a blow out that she didn’t know about before hand…
John Hinbest
I have not had a flat tire in over fourteen years and never one on our trailers.
Sucie
Our first Pop-up TT had the industry standard and the first trip to Canada and trailers first trip had us finding two new tires, one a radial the other a standard tire with inner-tube to complete the journey home from the wilds of Townsend, MT. Once home I investigated and found out that I needed a dually type tire on the TT. Put them on and never had another problem with tires. Moral of story, when buying a Pop-up tent trailer opt out for the larger dually tires and alleviate problems with blowouts.
Mike
On the trip we are on now within the first 600 miles we had engine troubles about $800 and a flat, a tire go bad about $150 but have put about 2000 more miles on this trip without any more trouble.
Jim Quinn
I had two tires go to pieces on one trip. When I was refueling in a gas station I did my typical “walk-around” inspection and noticed that something looked a bit odd on one of the trailer tires. Sure enough, after getting on my hands and knees I discovered that little “cubes” of tire tread were missing. Luckily, I had noticed a very slight vibration in the wheel of my SUV just prior to getting the gas, so I was determined to find the cause. I changed the tire and continued the trip. On the return leg, again while getting gas, I noticed that my other travel trailer tire had begun to take the shape of a bicycle tire! It was skinnier and taller! Sure enough, I discovered that the inner belts in that radial tire had separated and the tire actually had a zig-zag pattern in the tread, as well as a low spot. The TT manufacturer replaced those Carlisle tires with Goodyears and I never had another problem…
William
Good thing all went OK, I hope you got your spares replaced. At least it didn’t cost you the way it cost me with my first TT. Within the first 500 miles, 2 months after I bout it new, I had the first blowout and then less than 100 miles later the second blowout that ripped thru the wheel well and tore the TT up. Remember this is a Brand New TT. I almost decided to blow it up on the side of the road. I replaced ALL of the tires with radial vice the Bias ply that was on it. Come to find out that they should not have been that type in the first place. I contacted the tire manufacture which just happen to home based in the state I heading to, S.C. I took them one of the bad tires because they looked as if they were Recaps and had them pay for new tires and repair to the TT.
OK I’ll stop now, but good luck in your further tavels.