Flat tire on travel trailer

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Ginger Princess

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May 2, 2017
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We're very new to RVing. We got our Winnebago Minnie Plus travel trailer 2 months ago. We took a 5 day trip fairly close to home (2 hours from home) to try it out. Few kinks but nothing major. We are on our 2nd trip. This is a work/ vacation trip for my husband, and I'm just tagging along. We are currently parked in a RV park. When we got here, we noticed that one of the tires was flat. Since then, it's really flat. We have 2 wheels on each side. We have another week before we can leave because of my husband's work. My husband thinks he can take the flat tire off without using a jack since it's so flat. He was going to have it fixed (or completely replaced if we have to). Then when we get ready to leave, he was going to hook the truck up and use the leveling blocks (I've seen them called "legos") to raise the good wheel up to put the replacement tire on. This would mean that the trailer would be sitting for a few days with only one wheel on one side. My husband says this will work because essentially the one tire is pulling the weight on that side anyway. Am I worrying for no reason?  Thanks for any help you can give.
 
Welcome to the forum. Go to Walmart and pick up a 6 ton bottle jack to keep in the RV.

You said "My husband says this will work because essentially the one tire is pulling the weight on that side anyway".  I have no idea what that means. Leaving the RV for a couple of days won't hurt. You could also just dig a hole under the flat tire to reinstall it.
 
Yes you could take the tire off without a jack, but then you could not put the new tire back on. It will be full of air and much larger. There are companies that will come to your RV park and change your tire. Google is your friend.
 
Yes, buy a hydraulic bottle jack. Jack up the flat placing the jack under the spring perch.  Jack it up, take the flat off and have it fixed or replace it.  Trailer tires are historically garbage, so dont be surprised if its junk.
 
My question was basically could the RV be ok sitting on one wheel on one side for a few days. We know you can't put a good tire back on without raising it somehow. He was going to hook the trailer up to the truck and roll the good tire onto leveling blocks to raise that side of the trailer to put the new tire on. He just didn't want to have to hook it up until its time to go. I know we need a jack but it's just one more thing to buy currently and we've already spent so much. It's on the list of stuff still to buy.
 
Ginger Princess said:
My question was basically could the RV be ok sitting on one wheel on one side for a few days. We know you can't put a good tire back on without raising it somehow. He was going to hook the trailer up to the truck and roll the good tire onto leveling blocks to raise that side of the trailer to put the new tire on. He just didn't want to have to hook it up until its time to go. I know we need a jack but it's just one more thing to buy currently and we've already spent so much. It's on the list of stuff still to buy.

The trailer suspension is designed to support the weight of the loaded trailer using two axles with tires (4) and a tongue support jack or tow vehicle hitch in your case. Allowing more weight to be supported by only one tire on one side for any extended period of time can weaken the single supporting tire if the weight exceeds its rating. My suggestion is to support the axle with some blocks or a jack until you can remount the tire.
 
You may find that you have quite a stack of lumber to get that axle up high enough to put the tire back on.  I bought one of those Trailer Aide Plus ramps for changing the tire on my Winnie Minnie.  It gives 4-5" of lift.  It doesn't lift it high enough.  I have to use a bottle jack under the frame to lift it.

I'll 2nd the recommendation to get a 6 ton bottle jack at Walmart. 
 
You never know but you may need  a jack on the way home. Remember "Murphy's Law".

Murphy's law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
 
Rene T said:
You never know but you may need  a jack on the way home. Remember "Murphy's Law".

Murphy's law is an adage or epigram that is typically stated as: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Murphy was an optimist.
 
i think you may need to revisit your priorities. Having the proper equipment such as a jack, lug wrench, compressor, SPARE tire, etc., should be one of your first purchases. along with a tool kit, first aid kit, and other such items. What would you do if the flat tire had occurred on a highly traveled road like an interstate or even in a remote area where the nearest town was miles away? Or on a weekend and stores were closed or no tire of that size could be found? Not trying to sound pessimistic, just saying you need to think about "what if's". You can't prepare for every possible problem, but some things, like flats have an extremely high rate of happening.
 
Yes, you can leave it on the one wheel for a week, and yes you can install the fixed flat by pulling the good one up on blocks or a ramp, but naturally you will be in trouble if the good one goes flat.
I had to tow my 25 footer about 30 miles one time after a blow out using just one good wheel.

jack L
 
If possible i"d air up the tire, if not well then it's more work

I woudl put the jack under the axle where the springs attach.. Lift the axle to the point where it is even with the other axle, then remove the wheel (tire and rim) to the tire store.. Lift a bit more to replace and you shoujdl be able to easily remove the jack.

Now, getting the jack UNDER the axle depends on the jack.

Use of a jack stand (while the wheel is off) not a bad idea or build up lumber under the brake drum but I much prefer a jack stand under the axle.
 
My husband is used to towing heavy cargo trailers, so we had a jack at one point. We just couldn't find it when we were packing for this trip. We might just end up getting another one, and then we'll probably find the other. This trip just seems to be testing our resolve. Our senior dog somehow hurt his back, and we had to find an emergency vet this morning which turned out to be an hour away. We'll make it home one way or another in a week.
 
What are you towing your trailer with? Is your tow vehicle a pick-up truck? Most, now days, have bottle jacks.

Because you rolled into your parking site on a tire that was visibly going flat you have in all probability ruined it and quite probably the other one on that side of the trailer.

Tire industry standards say that any tire run at 80% of its recommended cold inflation pressure is in a ?run flat condition? and should be taken off the wheel for an internal inspection. The other one was overloaded because of the flat and may also have internal damage. Those types of damages are cumulative and cannot be repaired. 
 
Do you have a jack in your tow vehicle that will work??

You may be wise to replace BOTH tires on that side.  There is a good chance it will go flat on your way home if not replaced.  You know it has been supporting virtually all of the weight of two tires on your way to the campgrounds.  It is a blowout waiting to happen.
 
IMO you don't fix a trailer tire.....meaning plug I assume.....unless its an emergency.  Trailer tires are stressed when new let alone with a plug or patch.

And get a bottle jack.  They're cheap and effective.

The tire being flat shouldn't be an issue while you're parked. 
 
Ginger Princess said:
And we can't dig a hole because we are on a nice concrete pad.

You will need a jackhammer. Won't have to buy it, just rent since you won't need it again for a long time.  ;D
 

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