So, I reluctantly didn't make the FAST/FS race at Martin on friday but worked my butt off to get up to Lansing for the Olds Homecoming Show. About 5 miles from the hotel I blew a tire on the trailer. Thought, oh well, a little bad luck. Changed the tire and on my way. However one tire on the trailer has 3 plugs in it and a slow leak, so now with no spare I needed to watch it. In the hotel parking lot I raised that side of the trailer and placed it on a jackstand to take the weight off it. Woke up later that morning, went to the show and set up in the swap area. Had a GREAT time. I'm standing there talking to some people and I hear "When you going to paint the car". I look up and there's Dave H :beer He was with a couple people. They introduce themselves, Dennis Jensen and Dan Jensen and say "oh you're the guy with the car on the internet I've heard about" :shock: cool. We BS'd for a while. Dennis loved the car. And of course I had to try and prod Dan for a ruling on whether the car is acceptable for Stanton :Brow: He said he would talk to Bob, but I understand if the "in process" condition won't fly. It was great meeting you Dan and Dennis and we'll be talking. And of course I will look into making arrangements for Stanton, with or without car. I had an ok day at the swap meet. Finally got rid of those bugly rims I had on my F-85 when I bought it. I was debating on just pitching them the next time I go to the metal recycler since I'm sick of seeing them and tripping over them. I got everything loaded up in the trailer and started the 5 hour trek back to Chicago. I'm heading on I-94 between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo at mile marker 90 when BOOM. Trailer tire blows!!!! Same side as the first one, driver side of the trailer, but this is the forward one where as last night was the rear one. :af: :af: :af: So I'm stranded on I-94 now, 2 flats, the spare that is on the trailer is low. Call the state police, they give me numbers to 2 towing companies. I call the first one explain my situation and say if I can get to a tire store for a tire I should be able to continue on. 20 minutes later they call back and say they've located a tire at Pep Boys. They'll stay open a few extra minutes for me. Tow truck guy arrives, we load up the first blown tire and go on. Get to Pep Boys, got the last tire tech before he left. He was washing his hands. Get my tire mounted and we are on the way. We went to the tow truck office and switched trucks for one that had air on it (needed air in the one tire on the trailer) Back on the interstate, crest a hill and I tell the driver, there I am, but why aren't my hazard lights on anymore Don't tell me I drained my battery. :rant: Park behind the truck and trailer, we get out I walk to the truck, yep, dead battery. :af: We change the tire, air up the other one, charge the battery, I pay for the "tow" and I'm on my way. Made it home fine without any more incidents but a lighter pocketbook. But just to add insult to injury, when I got back home my 70 F-85 had a flat rear tire. :af: It's been "fixed" twice before. Looks like I'll be taking that back to Discount Tire and saying can you fix this permanently this time. :blast: I remember a thread a while back about towing and trailer tires and filed it away in my memory for obvious reasons. That reason being the fact I have those Goodyear Marathon tires on my trailer. 2 years ago, I blew a tire coming back from Byron and a little after that was the tire thread. I replaced the shredded GY Marathon with the same not knowing any better o No: The two tires that I blew yesterday were both GY Marathons on the driver side of the trailer that were on the trailer when I bought it a little over 3 years ago. The GY Marathons on the passenger side of the trailer, one is the one with 3 plugs and a small leak, the other is the new one I replaced after coming back from Byron. The tire I picked up at Pep Boys is a Carlisle Radial Trail. The GY are load range C, the Carlisle is load range D. So this week I get to replace the battery in my truck and purchase some trailer tires :af: since I'm trailering to Byron this weekend. I'll buy either 3 or 4 tires for the trailer and pitching those GY. So, who has some trailer tire recommendations? Is the Carlisle Radial Trail any good? The trailer is a 93 Haulmark 24ft enclosed with 2 3600lb (I believe) torsion axles. 15 inch, 5 lug rims which take ST225/75R15 tires. I figured I would want something with a load range of D. If the Carlisle is a good tire, I can go to the local Pep Boys, get some more but figured I'd ask you guys who have more trailering experience for your recommendations. Thanks in advance and I'm thankful nothing more serious happened.
Rough ride. Glad it all worked out in the end. I took several cars to a show this weekend too. On the way back, one tire started smoking. I stopped and inspected only to find a rubbing tire on the inner wall. Then I noticed 3 out of 4 rubbing. One was about to blow. Tire size was one size too big. I called every tire store in town and none was open. Walmart was open, but told me they were closing in 10 mins. I explained my problem and told them I would be pressed to make it there in 10, so they said they couldn't help out! That's wally world for you not waiting 5 mins extra to help. I had to call a friend who came and hauled 1 of the 2 cars on the trailer for me. Removing 1 car lightened it enough to get me home. Ended up adding 3 hrs to an already horrible trip. We must really love these cars.
Chris, I've had good luck with my GY marathons, but mine are "D" load range, not sure about the carlisle tires. Might be worth checking on the higher load range. :Smarty:
So far me too. The original D load tires on my '98 trailer were trouble free. I replaced the tires in '03 when a stem split with the same tires and steel stems. Hope they do as well.
Chris: I've had good luck with Carlisle Load range D non radials on my open trailer, same with my last open trailer also. Have had horrible luck with the "Nanking" Load range D's they sell at Belle Tire here (so much for load ratings) as I lost 2 of them with less than 250 miles on them. Don't know if you've registered, but there is the "ROP Help" listing with phone numbers of Oldsmobile people to call for help all over the nation if you're out on the road like this. Contact "Mrs Olds" on ROP for info on that. If you're anywhere in mid to Southeast Michigan, call me and bring beer. :laugh: I think you should take my advice and get some baby blue tape and tape over the rusty areas like the Nascar boys. That should keep Dan and Bob happy!
I was not aware of that. beer, nooooo problem :laugh: :beer we'll see what we can do. hell, I have a quart of the exterior paint color, so I could match the tape. you know, blend it in kinda like using that GS-27 or whatever the stuff is :laugh:
