Check Those Tires

We check the tires before every drive. Set the proper inflation. Look for damage.

On one of our first major trips in our coach, I was checking our tires and found a bulge in the sidewall on the driver’s side front tire. The bulge was about the size of my finger.

A sidewall bulge is a strong warning that the tire could experience a blowout. We used our roadside assistance service to change out the tire. We had to book an extra night as it took a day for the tire to get shipped to our location.

Michelin eventually covered the replacement cost under warranty.

Better safe than sorry.

We do all that we can to reduce the possibility of a blowout while travelling. Along with our circle checks, we run a tire pressure management system that monitors pressure and temperature.

Frequent inspection, proper inflation and a monitoring system. Pretty much a mandatory requirement if you are operating a big rig.

True for other rigs as well.

This accident happened a few days ago in California.

A pickup truck towing a camper trailer crashed on Interstate 680 between Danville and Alamo late Monday morning, hurling debris onto both sides of the freeway and snarling traffic into the evening commute.

The wreck occurred around 11 a.m. Monday on I-680 between Stone Valley Road and El Cerro Boulevard when a truck towing a trailer traveling southbound blew a tire and crashed into the center divider, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The camper trailer flipped over the divider wall and landed in the left-most northbound lanes, while debris flung onto both sides of the freeway, according to the CHP. No injuries were reported.

The crash and CHP investigation caused significant backups on both sides of the freeway, and the lengthy cleanup on the northbound side blocked two lanes into the evening commute, backing up freeway traffic to San Ramon and clogging side streets as drivers looked for cut-through options.

Tire blowouts happen frequently. A story like this one is a reminder to inspect tires and, if the tires are getting long in the tooth, to get them replaced.