A few days ago I turned on the tire pressure monitoring system and noticed my driver side outside dually was at 74 pounds of pressure. I filled it up to 105 and the next day it was back down to 80 lbs.
I anticipated the usual suspects, a screw or nail in the tread, so I put some soak in a bottle and sprayed the tire looking for bubbles. I also sprayed around the stem and didn't see any bubbles emerging.
I called out the local tire repairman and he also sprayed soap on the stem and discovered a very tiny slow leak. I decided to have him remove the tire and inspect the tread to make sure there were no embedded screws or nails.
If you've never removed your dually tires there are a few things you should know. First, you should not attempt to remove a tire unless the coach is well supported and you have the right tools. These are big tires and require big tools like this truck size air powered impact lug wrench.
Second, you need to know the threads on the driver side of the coach are left handed threads and are removed by rotating in a clockwise direction. They are the opposite of the threads on the passenger or curb side.
Third, you need to remove the axle hub cap after removing a few retaining bolts.
Finally, you need to respect the weight of these tires. Using a steel bar on the ground under the tire will assist in levering it off the axle.
After removing the outside dually the inside tire is exposed. Notice I used a wooden ramp on the inside tire to raise the coach enough to remove the outside tire. 
This works great on a dually but what happens when a front tire goes flat? No problem, tire repairmen also carry a heavy duty pneumatic truck jack they can use for this purpose.We checked the tread, sidewalls and bead with no indication of a puncture or other abnormality. The tire guy poured soapy water all over the tire inspecting it for emerging bubbles to make sure there were no small holes we failed to catch with the naked eye.
He tightened the metal air stem and remounted the tire with no problem since. It cost me $75 for the procedure, but it's well worth the peace of mind knowing the tire is in good shape.
Sometimes a road hazard will take out a tire and there really isn't anything you can do about it. If you have a tire pressure monitoring system it will alert you immediately of impending trouble. I prefer the monitoring system by Mobile Awareness because it monitors both air pressure and temperature. I love it because it gives me peace of mind about the condition of my tires as I'm traveling and even when I'm camped.
Large motorhomes do not normally come with a spare tire because they are large, heavy and cumbersome. Therefore, we depend on a quality roadside assistance provider for such a contingency.
While I'm on the subject of tires here is some advice about traveling south of the border. If you plan on traveling extensively in Mexico or further south you may want to consider carrying a spare tire (not the rim - just the tire). Many folks tie one on the roof rack of their tow vehicle. You will more than likely be able to get roadside assistance in Mexico and beyond, but finding a quality replacement tire may be more difficult. Having one at the ready will save you time and money.
Depending on the manufacturer you will need to replace your tires every six years (whether you have high miles or not). At the campground where I'm currently staying there are two rigs that were severely damaged by blowouts costing several thousand dollars in structural repairs. A tire pressure monitoring system would have paid for itself in both instances because they would have known to stop. Instead, because one was a 5th wheel and the other a travel trailer they continued towing their rigs after the blowout until they noticed smoke trailing behind and people honking and pointing. It can't be good when people are honking and pointing unless you just got married!
Treading carefully where tire safety is concerned - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing
3 comments:
I wouldn't use a ramp on the inside tire to raise the coach enough to remove the outside tire except in a dire emergency, as that causes the inner tire to be overstressed and probably damaged by supporting excess weight. Neither would I agree to use the coach leveling jacks to raise one wheel. Part of the right equipment to be used is the heavy duty pneumatic jack this tire service guy left in his truck.
Let's think about the above comment for a moment. How many tires are on the front? Two. Are they overstressed? There is less weight directly over the front suspension, yet the front tires endure quit a bit of road punishment and stress.
What happens if you have a blowout in one of the rear tires - do you throw away the remaining tire? It was obviously overstressed running down the road supporting all the weight by itself.
What if your outside rear tire runs over a large rock or a curb? Does it damage the other tire? I mean really - who would run out and replace the tire because of that?
Do you have any proof putting a tire on a ramp will cause damage to the other tire? No because you are obviously not a tire expert.
Do I have proof it will not cause damage? Yes, because I've done it numerous times to change oil, check under the coach, etc. and they run just fine thank you very much.
Please folks, tell us who you are when you make these kinds of claims and share with us your credentials to help us evaluate the veracity of your comments. Anybody can make bogus claims under the "anonymous" heading without accountability.
Jim Twamley
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