Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

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Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

November 18, 2019, 07:02:22 pm

We are sitting waiting on a tow truck to pick up our u280 as we had a blowout on the interstate.
Manual says drive shaft needs disconnected in order for tow truck to pick it up.
Does anyone know if this is accurate
Thanks

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #1 – November 18, 2019, 07:09:37 pm

Why tow when a tire could be installed at your blow out site? Towing should be avoided at all cost.

Remove dive shaft or axle shafts. Removing both axles may be preferred.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #2 – November 18, 2019, 07:15:34 pm

We had a blowout on the interstate and ended up in a ditch. It's on the passenger side and its been dark for two hours

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #3 – November 18, 2019, 07:15:54 pm

Yup, replace the tire WHERE IS. Much less traumatic for a motorhome than towing.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #4 – November 18, 2019, 07:18:14 pm

I don't know who to call to get the tire replaced on the side of the road. Any suggestions?

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #5 – November 18, 2019, 07:19:03 pm

If you do want our assistance ( and we are happy to help), you will need to tell us WHERE YOU ARE and WHAT SIZE TIRE YOU NEED.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #6 – November 18, 2019, 07:20:34 pm

Quote from: Barry & Cindy – November 18, 2019, 07:09:37 pm

Why tow when a tire could be installed at your blow out site? Towing should be avoided at all cost.
Remove dive shaft or axle shafts. Removing both axles may be preferred.

Best to buy a tire and have it delivered. Tow truck driver will know who to call.
Don't disconnect the drive shaft. Tow drivers may not mark it, may lose parts, may not get installed torqued correctly, etc. If you don't have axle covers, make a couple out of cardboard. Pull both axles unless a short tow. Spider gears don't have ball/roller bearings. You will probably have to remove every other nut to get the big chrome cover off.

Good lesson on never to even move the coach without having a spare tire/wheel. Makes a big hassle into a non-event even if a tow truck driver has to change it. Our sits in the compartment taking up room but it's worth it's weight in gold if needed. We have needed ours once. Twice on our old Greyhound.

Pierce

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #7 – November 18, 2019, 07:24:03 pm

If it's a U280, it's either a 275/80R22.5 (probably a Michelin) or a 295/75R22.5. Both sizes are the same diameter.

Pierce

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #8 – November 18, 2019, 07:40:17 pm

Quote from: Rocky1down – November 18, 2019, 07:02:22 pm

We are sitting waiting on a tow truck to pick up our u280 as we had a blowout on the interstate.
Manual says drive shaft needs disconnected in order for tow truck to pick it up.
Does anyone know if this is accurate
Thanks

The tow truck can tow you a very short distance to a safe spot without dinking with the driveshaft. Then get a tire company to come out.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #9 – November 18, 2019, 07:49:11 pm

I blew a fuel line a while back. The tow company winched ours onto a lowboy semi trailer, I didn't unhook anything. I left the key on for the air ride system.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #10 – November 18, 2019, 09:31:50 pm

Where are ya?

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #11 – November 19, 2019, 12:26:33 am

So sorry you had a traumatic blowout.

And it is way to late, but the situation brings up that blowouts require full press of throttle to offset sudden drag from blown tire, and NO brake pedal. This applies to front, back, left, right, motorhome, auto, truck blowouts. Michelin has a good video on this subject.

Good luck, Cindy says for these problems "we are about to have an adventure"

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #12 – November 19, 2019, 12:43:13 am

BTW, Susan & Bob, When all dust settles, and your adventure is behind you, let us know how it worked out. And let us know the tires DOT date. Along with you, we all wonder why your tire blew out, hit something, older, air pressure, slow leak, etc.

Also wonder if Tire Pressure Monitoring System would help prevent your blowout. And if you had towing service contract and how they responded. And if no contract how you found a tow company phone #.

Wish you a good outcome and soon.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #13 – November 19, 2019, 12:58:17 am

Quote from: Barry & Cindy – November 19, 2019, 12:26:33 am

And it is way to late, but the situation brings up that blowouts require full press of throttle to offset sudden drag from blown tire, and NO brake pedal. This applies to front, back, left, right, motorhome, auto, truck blowouts. Michelin has a good video on this subject.

Learn something new everyday. Just watched the video. Very counter intuitive to me.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed questio

Reply #14 – November 19, 2019, 10:15:14 am

Coach net saved the day for me when we ruined a tire.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

Reply #15 – November 19, 2019, 11:01:18 am

Hope you are past this issue by now but in the future google as well as here can be your friend.. Google makes a smart phone worth having.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

Reply #16 – November 19, 2019, 11:13:18 am

Quote from: DayDreamer – November 19, 2019, 12:58:17 am

Learn something new everyday. Just watched the video. Very counter intuitive to me.

Yes, very counter intuitive. Imagine a front right blowout on a fast downhill turn to the left.

If you are on a straight road like the tire video and have time, then fine. Each blowout is different and excess speed means you have less time to react. If the RV in the blowout video had been traveling at 55, he/she would have had a lot more time to react. Big difference between a professional driver with many thousands of miles a year plus driving the speed limit and an older occasional RV driver well over the speed limit.

I had one blowout in my big van many years ago on the left front tire. (new tires all the way around). A huge noise followed by an instant 2 foot move to the left by the time I reacted. It was over in about a second and I crossed the right lane and parked it.

Pierce

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

Reply #17 – November 19, 2019, 11:28:25 am

Quote from: Rocky1down – November 18, 2019, 07:18:14 pm

I don't know who to call to get the tire replaced on the side of the road. Any suggestions?

Fourteen hours later, if you and your wife haven't killed each other or hired lawyers for divorce proceedings,
and you've hopefully had time to think,
if your problem isn't solved,
regarding your tire problem:

Any tire company that can handle RV (truck) tires has a dedicated service truck and can bring you a new tire and install it or install yours. It's generally more cost effective to bring your own tire but the tire store can bring along one of theirs.

Pierce and Gaylie Stewart are correct when they say that a spare tire is worth its weight in gold, but the gold takes up less space.

BTDT changed a wheel on the side of the road. I was younger.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

Reply #18 – November 19, 2019, 11:40:12 am

Quote from: Old Toolmaker – November 19, 2019, 11:28:25 am

Any tire company that can handle RV (truck) tires has a dedicated service truck and can bring you a new tire and install it or install yours. It's generally more cost effective to bring your own tire but the tire store can bring along one of theirs.
BTDT changed a wheel on the side of the road. I was younger.

Another reason for having a matching spare is when you do have to have the tire store bring out a spare, you are going to be lucky if they have a matching brand. I mix and match on the rear but like to have matching tires up front. In a less traveled area, you could wait several days before a matching tire could be located. A tire service is going to charge more than if you buy the spare at your leisure at home. More than likely, a lot more.

Here in the West, there are many areas without cell reception. So, don't count on your phone to bring the calvary. Without the internet, we don't have cell reception at home where I'm typing this.

Pierce

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

Reply #19 – November 19, 2019, 01:09:31 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – November 19, 2019, 11:40:12 am

Another reason for having a matching spare is when you do have to have the tire store bring out a spare, you are going to be lucky if they have a matching brand. I mix and match on the rear but like to have matching tires up front. In a less traveled area, you could wait several days before a matching tire could be located. A tire service is going to charge more than if you buy the spare at your leisure at home. More than likely, a lot more.

Here in the West, there are many areas without cell reception. So, don't count on your phone to bring the calvary. Without the internet, we don't have cell reception at home where I'm typing this.

Pierce

By now the original poster is back on the road again, but, any tire is better than no tire, and that odd tire can be relegated to "spare" status once you're home.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

Reply #20 – November 19, 2019, 01:18:00 pm

Quote from: Old Toolmaker – November 19, 2019, 01:09:31 pm

By now the original poster is back on the road again, but, any tire is better than no tire, and that odd tire can be relegated to "spare" status once you're home.

Let's hope so, he was last on the forum at 1:56 am.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

Reply #21 – November 19, 2019, 01:22:50 pm

Quote from: craneman – November 19, 2019, 01:18:00 pm

Let's hope so, he was last on the forum at 1:56 am.

That's usually my first personal pit stop.

I've had two front tire blowouts in my life, and if it was his first I can imagine how rattled he may be.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

Reply #22 – November 19, 2019, 02:47:25 pm

I logged 3 1/2 million miles in class 8 diesel rigs and have never had a steer tire blow out.. I figure mine is coming and probably on a Foretravel or other bus.. I give it a lot more thought now than in my younger days.. Don't figure this is hijacking op distress call since it doesn't look like he's coming back anyway.. Drove many a mile at 80 mph plus with 2 fingers on the wheel and the other scrolling thru radio channels.. Someone looks out for the likes of careless young men besides careless young men.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

Reply #23 – November 19, 2019, 03:49:44 pm

Hi everyone. Sorry it took so long for me to get back on.
We didn't make it home till 3:30 am and I had to wok this morning.
I determined I didn't have towing with my progressive policy so called Triple A.
We were a half mile from an exit so he managed to tow us real slow to a BP at the exit.
Then he told us he couldn't tow it because it's a diesel pusher.
I found a tire service that brought a tire out. I think the bill was $660.00.
Luckily my husband carries some cash because his credit card red flagged the transaction.
I'm guessing most people aren't spending that much in a strange city in the middle of the night.
We were south of Columbus OH on I71 heading home from a great long weekend in Nashville.
We were on the side of the road for two hour before a state trooper stopped by.
He drove our friends to the Columbus airport to rent a mini van.
We were going to take the motorhome to a place in Mount Vernon OH that someone in the foretravel owners book that my husband called but just ended up driving home.
Everything is great mechanically but there is some damage to the fiberglass right around the passenger tire area as it scrapped against the guardrail as we were stopping.
We will still probably end up taking it to Mount Vernon unless we find someplace closer.
We had brand new tires put on when we bought the motorhome 2 1/2 years ago.
I think there's a problem with the road there because a little while after ours blew a van went by with a blown tire and pulled off a ways in front of us.
A sheriff stopped by when we were getting the tire on and said they get calls all the time in that area about blowouts.
Lots of road construction going on there.

Re: Tire blowout on 1996 U280 need towed question

Reply #24 – November 19, 2019, 04:26:26 pm

Long night for you.. we are glad your rolling.

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