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Old 09-29-2017, 07:37 PM   #1
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Flat tire, flat tire, flat tire...

In 2.5 years I have used my 17B a lot, mileage somewhere around 25,000 and 113 nights, and I still absolutely love it.

A couple of times I've had that trip where multiple little and big things go wrong but never so wrong there wasn't a fix or a way out. I have dreaded the day when I might have a tire blowout to the point of wondering if I should have picked out a 19 instead.

So, earlier this year the trip included getting flooded out of a campground by a rapidly rising river (the flood a few days before the 1,000 year flood in the Ozarks), the trailer falling off the hitch rounding a weird corner in the next campground, the toilet running, running out of propane, can't remember it all...but that's another story.

This Ozarks trip last week kind of topped it all:
1. My MaxxFan Deluxe quit working at the start of the trip. It was stuck on high and I had to disconnect the batteries to turn it off and it never came back on. No big deal - I don't spend that much time in the trailer during the day and it was delightfully cool at night.

2. The refrigerator door needs adjusting again (when it was fairly new it just fell off one day) and I couldn't figure it out and it continued to work fine until a couple nights before time to go home. No big deal - the Dollar Store was open at 9:15 p.m. and had coolers and ice.

3. I forgot to make a final check when leaving a field trip with the MO Native Plant Society where I had dropped my trailer at a headquarters. My expensive camera flew off the wardrobe and landed on the floor but landed on the flash and that was the only thing broken although it still worked well enough cracked open in several places.

4. I barely missed a deer and braked so hard I was glad the trailer and dogs were not with me at the time. Dogs were spending a couple days with a dog sitter while I was on field trips. I had just got my Jeep back, fixed from the last deer.

5. I got stuck in wet deep gravel on the side of the narrow road that my property is on while trying to pull over for a big-a** motorhome. Fortunately the trailer wasn't stuck too and after several tries I was able to back out using 4WD on the Rock setting.

6. I had a leaking tire in the Jeep while exploring a gorgeous spring 8.5 miles down a hilly, bumpy remote gravel road. I made a run for the main highway so I could change the tire while having cell service in case I needed help. I got the flat off (now down to 15 psi), wrestled the heavy spare out of the back, and then a local couple came along and helped me finish and recommended a nearby place to get the flat fixed and he was still open.

7. On the way home, my passenger side trailer tire completely blew. I heard the pop, some clunking, and watched the trailer bouncing as I pulled off the highway. But it wasn't as drastic as I had imagined it could be! Really didn't feel it all that much. I decided AAA could change this one since I wasn't that remote and he arrived shortly and put on the spare. It did involve his jack which couldn't get it high enough, the trailer stabilizer jack, and my shovel to get some gravel out of the way.

8. I got to a Walmart just 10-15 miles north of the blowout so I could buy a new tire pressure gauge since mine wasn't working all that well and tow rescue guy had nothing, and to buy a tire inflator. Decided to drive across the street to fill the spare since it was a little low rather than unpack the new inflator. Heard a suspicious clicking out my window, stopped to check the other trailer tire and it was hissing and had a screw in it!

Returned to Walmart to just buy two new tires for the trailer. It's around 6:30 p.m. and they were still open and had two tires.

That's my story, maybe there's a lesson in there somewhere, like don't be me! And does anyone else see a face in the screw in my tire??!

Going to my 81 acres nearly every month in the most beautiful part of the Ozarks is totally worth the occasional troubles.
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Old 09-29-2017, 07:46 PM   #2
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And, you're still smiling.
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Old 09-29-2017, 08:40 PM   #3
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And, you're still smiling.
Yes, and I was smiling as I told the Walmart guys to be sure to torque those lug nuts to 95!
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Old 09-29-2017, 08:49 PM   #4
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Not surprised it was the passenger side tire. While changing the same tire on my trailer a few years ago I was amazed how many nails, shards of metal and glass, broken wheel studs, screws, pieces of auto parts, etc were lying along the interstate.
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Old 09-29-2017, 10:59 PM   #5
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Our highways have lots of tire hazards. I would for safety run 8ply tires and change them out every two years. Also run the suggested air pressure that is stamped on the tires. A blow out can do some real damage to the wheel well. I had it happen to a trailer It costs a lot to repair.
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Old 09-29-2017, 11:07 PM   #6
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Yes, and I was smiling as I told the Walmart guys to be sure to torque those lug nuts to 95!
They probably didn't have a clue. You could've showed them!
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Old 09-30-2017, 07:32 AM   #7
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Quite an adventure. Sounds like you took it all in stride. Glad to see you didn’t wreck the trailer rim or hurt the fiberglass wheel well. Bear in mind if you ultimately need to replace the MaxxFan it comes off with 4 screws on the roof. The new one will drop right into the existing frame. So you will not need to mess with resealing anything on the roof.
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Old 09-30-2017, 08:03 AM   #8
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That's my story, maybe there's a lesson in there somewhere, like don't be me! And does anyone else see a face in the screw in my tire??!
Oh man, some folks have all the fun!

Sorry to hear of your troubles, but great to hear you weathered them like a champion.
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Old 09-30-2017, 08:10 AM   #9
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Very refreshing to hear from someone who maintains a positive attitude even going through all those problems. We’ll miss you at the Torque Contest that starts in a couple hours!
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Old 09-30-2017, 08:47 AM   #10
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Old 09-30-2017, 08:51 AM   #11
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"That which does not kill us, makes us stronger"
Very apropos quote. Fits in stride with the one in my signature.
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Old 09-30-2017, 12:20 PM   #12
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Very apropos quote. Fits in stride with the one in my signature.
Jim who’s that bald guy in your avatar picture?. No more Starry Nights?
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Old 09-30-2017, 03:29 PM   #13
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That charming fellow? Just some guy petting my dog.
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Old 09-30-2017, 04:15 PM   #14
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Looks like a nice dog.
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Old 09-30-2017, 05:57 PM   #15
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Looks like a nice dog.
He's a great dog. Many folks here have met Jasper.
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Old 09-30-2017, 06:07 PM   #16
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Better behaved too.
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Old 09-30-2017, 06:52 PM   #17
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I get to retire next year, hopefully I get to meet Jasper at a rally or on the road someday. The
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Old 09-30-2017, 07:10 PM   #18
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Nindy, I really appreciate stories such as yours. Too often people get really upset about things that in the long run don't really matter all that much. Stress is a killer. Laughter is a healer and somewhere between the two a person learns to adapt to the circumstance.

Thanks very much for sharing your story. Safe travels, always.
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Old 09-30-2017, 07:27 PM   #19
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I get to retire next year, hopefully I get to meet Jasper at a rally or on the road someday. The
That would be great. He hasn't missed an Escape rally yet.
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Old 10-02-2017, 11:44 AM   #20
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Quite an adventure. Sounds like you took it all in stride. Glad to see you didn’t wreck the trailer rim or hurt the fiberglass wheel well. Bear in mind if you ultimately need to replace the MaxxFan it comes off with 4 screws on the roof. The new one will drop right into the existing frame. So you will not need to mess with resealing anything on the roof.
That is good to know. I have dropped it off with a local RV place. They're going to check out the switch first and see if it just needs replacing.

I didn't think to look over the wheel well completely. I'll do that when I get it back. The tire did make ugly black marks on the outside of the well.
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