Just happened today! I won the 68 Tradewind in an auction yesterday, very nice, mostly original inside, wonderful specimen, looking forward to polishing it up and tinkering/overhauling over the winter to travel the the Wet Coast next summer. The owner was driving it down from the campsite to meet me tomorrow (Monday) and one of the wheels came off. A buddy was helping him grease the hubs for the trip, someone forgot to tighten the lug nuts on the wheel. Wheel popped off in traffic going 80 on the interstate. Now the owner says he'll let me out of the deal because there is a tear in the skin above the wheel well. Who knows what else? The wheel went bouncing back into traffic. Thank G-d no one was hurt. I assume this kind of thing has happened to others because someone described a tear or crease in the skin at the wheel well. Maybe from a flat tire? The tandem axles probably saved some b-tt, too. Any advice? I'll post pictures when the owner sends them. He assumes I will let go of the purchase, but before this the trailer looked really sweet. I wonder if I'll be inheriting some bad karma?
Anne
This has happened to people before, and it usually involves damage to the skin around the wheelwell. Depending how bad the damage is, maybe you and the seller can come to terms (a nice way to say deep discount), and you can still have a pretty nice coach.
Good luck with whatever the final outcome is.
80mph? Trailer tires are only rated at 65mph max. He's lucky he didn't have the other tire on that side fail too! Those panels are repairable, but it's tough to make them look like they've never been damaged.
Good luck!
Roger
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No one got hurt. That is the important thing. Is there insurance coverage?
Maybe time to take another look at the AS and make a much lower offer. If it was sweet, a lower price to cover parts, frustration and repair work, it may be still worth it. Hey 80 MPH is a little fast. Tell em to slow it down.
Well, there's the good luck in that a) no one ELSE was hurt b) it happened before you took possesson of it c) it may not be so bad.
But - I'd wait and look at it myself (instead of pics). I'm assuming you drove to Seattle to get it? Do you have the orginal Ebay # for us to look at? It would depend on how much you bid to buy this one - what type of shape is it in?
I'd offer to look at it for you (if it's close to Seattle), but unless it's in Seattle itself, it would be hard for me to squeeze in a look prior to Tuesday (I work tonight and tomorrow).
Also - where in this area can you DRIVE 80? I5 is mostly 60 mph - 70. I 90 gets 70-75 ish, but what idiot drives 80 with a trailer? Sorry, off soapbox.
Let us know how this works out.
Marc
The trailer is in Grand Rapids, MI, not Seattle. I bid on it on eBay. Here's the item #330027004640. (Gosh, now you know I'm vandygrad1.)
Right, Marc, I may be reading the karma thing all wrong. No one hurt, #1 best news.
Is anybody near Grand Rapids, could take a look? Owner says he has to move it out of the apartment complex tomorrow, either to me or some other local guy who was bidding. I'm waiting now for some pics.
I have zero expertise in bigger, newer trailers, but I can tell you that both 50-year-old trailers sitting in my driveway have obviously had blowouts on BOTH sides at some point. I've sort of assumed it to be a fact of trailering. It's not the end of the world.
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Hi seattlebound--On another thread I indicated that I believed more damage resulted from improper greasing and reassembly, than from bearings infrequently greased. Looks like another case of improper reassembly after greasing.--Frank S
Thanks. I'll take those 2 cents. I'll run up to MI tomorrow and see what's going on. A wise person suggested taking a check plus some cash, for a margin to deal.
Hi, human,
Wise you are, and, indeed, I would be quite chuffed if someone in Grand Rapids or thereabout would trot over and take a look. Would you advise me about how best to find such a kind person?
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