Stuck in Austin TX with leaky GYM - Options?

[Rocinante]

San Antonio is nice too. We had a great visit there, and hope you have the same. Best of luck with the tire, which sounds like a standard puncture issue and not a GYM-specific problem. No tire is puncture-proof, though I wish they were.

[featherbedder]

Carlisle now makes a load range E in 15 inch trailer tires. {ST not LT} that I pur. last fall for same price as Carlisle load range D. so not all st are load range D

[Rich Jenkins]

If I could ask the hive one more question, attached is a picture of the nail / brad / staple in the leaky tire, now removed.

I am going to a tire store in SA (we are headed there tomorrow) but do y'all think this is repairable?

I suspect not (and of course secretly hope so; I really want to swap to the Michelins) but would be interested in your thoughts.

Rich.

[Rich Jenkins]

A bigger view:

[Rich Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

San Antonio is nice too. We had a great visit there, and hope you have the same. Best of luck with the tire, which sounds like a standard puncture issue and not a GYM-specific problem. No tire is puncture-proof, though I wish they were.

Yes sir; although disappointing, any tire can get a pick up puncture now and then. It's just with the horror stories you read on the GYMs, I was ready to have the tread carcass separate on me driving away from Colonial RV.

Yes, we thoroughly enjoyed our three day stop in SA in our Class B last summer. We've booked 7 days at Traveller's World, same place we stayed before.

[PKI]

Secretly hope it is not? Sounds like the decision is in your hands. You have been given a gift. Normally, I would say it was fixable. But with all the reports of GYM infant mortality, I just would move on. But it's easy for me to spend your money.

That location is about as far toward the sidewall as one might consider as repairable, so I can understand why you ask. So fix it. Put it in the spare rack. Think about it for a while and enjoy your new Michelins. Oh, you are not going to buy them yet. Your call.

PS - went out to the garage to check exactly where on the tire that nail penetrated. So, hint, hint ..... the trailer is not stored here. We are a bit predisposed to being anti GYM. You should consider that in your decision to buy the Michelins.

Travel safe - Pat

[Mrjkq]

I'm totally onboard with the tire change out but my preference is Maxxis E rated 10 ply 15" tires.

[m.hony]

Don't get the 16" wheel and tire upgrade through an Airstream dealer-
They are way overpriced-
Get the upgrade via a local tire store or Internet.


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[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by Llando88

Thanks for the offers of help. At this point we're waiting for the local tire service to arrive to just swap out the spare.

Due to the Rodeo, SXSW and our plan changes, RV sites are impossible to find in Austin.

We booked a week in San Antonio starting tomorrow, so we'll either luck into getting the Michelin swap done tomorrow or we will head to SA with the spare and sort it out down there.

Much obliged all. I will post back when everything is wrapped up and we have a final solution in hand.

Rich

Hope all works out for you!
I was prepared to get you going. There some new Goodyears on Craigslist right now, just up the road from me, in case you just needed 1. I just swapped out to 16" Sendals with Michelin LTX's and still have a new set of 15" rims and Carlisle load range E's sitting in my garage in case we needed to improvise. Airstream central over here

[tjdonahoe]

Fix tire , use it for the spare and run the spare, you are good to go...

[Ed Brownfield]

Congratulations on your new AS! I'm sorry to hear that you are having tire problems. I'll make two suggestions one I am qualified to make the second one I'm not but qualified to make I'll explain. I am a relatively new AS owner myself. We have had to stay over in cities on several occasions due to problems. I have decided that you just have to "bake" problems into your trips and not get too upset about them. I know it's easy for me to say but when I look back at our trip problems they no longer seem so bad. Once we had to stay in TN for five days while AS shipped a new window to an AS dealer in Knoxville to be installed. Now for the unqualified advice, please understand that it is nothing more than my fairly inexperienced opinion. We purchased a 2015 28 FC it came with Marathon Tires. When we were negotiating on the trailer I asked the dealer about switching out the 15 inch Marathon Tires for 16 inch Michelin Tires. He owned the dealership and thought that I should go ahead and do it, he owned an AS and had done it on his own trailer. I think that I read about Michelin 16 inch tires on this forum. I have never regretted making the change I drive with nothing but Michelin on my cars so I trust them. I think that if you switch to Michelin that you should switch all four tires vs. mixing them but check that statement out with a tire expert. Obviously if you go to the 16 inch tire you will have to switch all four tires. Now for more qualified advice ..........breath in.......breath out and enjoy the ride. I hope that you enjoy your AS as much as we are enjoying ours.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by Llando88

Yes sir; although disappointing, any tire can get a pick up puncture now and then. It's just with the horror stories you read on the GYMs, I was ready to have the tread carcass separate on me driving away from Colonial RV.

Yes, we thoroughly enjoyed our three day stop in SA in our Class B last summer. We've booked 7 days at Traveller's World, same place we stayed before.

Sounds like you've a great plan for continuing the trip despite the tire issue. Awesome!

FYI, here's our blog post about our stay in San Antonio. We stayed in a different place, also nice for a few days.

http://www.casarocinante.com/Blog/Sa...nio-TX-03-2015

[SCOTTinNJ]

If you go with P rated 15" tires make sure they have the capacity you need. Plenty of threads on this.

[tevake]

Something I've not seen mentioned in your thread that could be helpful is the use of leveling blocks used to drive up onto with the good wheel to get the one needing to be removed off the ground.
First loosen the lug nuts a little, then drive up onto the blocks just till the good wheel is on the blocks then remove the offending wheel. No jacking, very stable and safe.

Peters offer is very legit, he is very knowledgeable of airstreams and wonderfully willing to help.

I very much enjoyed stopping in at his place on my first trip in my new to me 345 motorhome on the way from Fla to Az. Mahalo Peter.

Cheers Richard

[PKI]

Just a thought. You might consider adding Centramatics with your new tire upgrade install. It is not clear how the factory balances the brake drums and hubs, but a set of Centros will keep you balanced going forward. You might even drop by and pick up a set while you are in Texas. Pat

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by tevake

Something I've not seen mentioned in your thread that could be helpful is the use of leveling blocks used to drive up onto with the good wheel to get the one needing to be removed off the ground.
First loosen the lug nuts a little, then drive up onto the blocks just till the good wheel is on the blocks then remove the offending wheel. No jacking, very stable and safe.

Peters offer is very legit, he is very knowledgeable of airstreams and wonderfully willing to help.

I very much enjoyed stopping in at his place on my first trip in my new to me 345 motorhome on the way from Fla to Az. Mahalo Peter.

Cheers Richard

You are very kind, thank you back to you, Richard. The natives taught you the use of their language well
I even had a set of centramatics for 15/16" trailer wheels laying around. But someone just snatched them up.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

Take it to a Discount Tire dealer in Austin area. Have the tire fixed and don't make a big deal out of it. SXSW party is still going on in Austin... enjoy the stay.

Originally Posted by 7GenTex

+1

Also, if you want to get a bit away from the SXSW crowds, try:

http://www.riverwayrvpark.com/

just outside of Llano - about an hour or so west of Austin


Or, the State Park in Blanco

http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/blanco

Originally Posted by woodfox45

Make sure the tire dealer knows how to jack up your Airstream ''''''''

Originally Posted by Llando88

A bigger view:

Originally Posted by tjdonahoe

Fix tire , use it for the spare and run the spare, you are good to go...

^
Bingo

That is not a sidewall puncture.....get it fixed and Stream-0n.

Bob

[m.hony]

What he said.
Patch plug and roll on.
Any tire store can fix it.
Just know that 3 years from DOT date is all you'll get.


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[cwf]

Oh... if you goop up the inside of your tires, they will ruin the the sensors...

[paiceman]

Switch to the 16" Michelin LT tires. I did it on two previous Airstreams and ordered them on this 2015 we have direct from the factory. AS puts them on the Classics and possible some other trailers now as well. Says something to me at least.