I had the great displeasure of having a blowout Friday while traveling 60 MPH on the freeway transporting one of my vehicles. I was towing with a GMC Sierra 2500 on I495 with most of my family in the crew cab delivering a car for repair. The experience is one I hope to avoid in the future. It took a few moments to recognize exactly what was going on. Sudden loss of power, speed, with terrible vibration with the sensation of the truck and trailer bouncing madly. The ride was so uncomfortable that at first I thought I lost a wheel off the truck, not the trailer!. I was almost bouncing out of the seat!!! Looking in the rear view mirror I saw white smoke followed by tire fragments flying from the passenger side of the trailer. The heavy traffic west of Boston to either side and behind me fortunately parted like the Red Sea giving me room to slow and pull off to the right shoulder without incident. Fortunately I think the other drivers recognized my problem before I did!
While I have all the tools and spare trailer tire and wheel, couldn't free my jack for use!
AAA sent a wrecker to give assistance, whom was on seen within 15 minutes on to say" dude we don't do trailer tires/flats, you will need a oversized rollback or two trucks to remove your trailer and car separately!!!!
The Mass State Troopers had a car on seen in less than 5 minutes who recommended mobilizing the Mass Highway authority roadside/curtesy assistance and made the call on my behalf. They arrived within 10 minutes, within a couple of minutes of AAA!
Keeping busy, I noticed the rear edge of the heavy duty diamond steel dual tire fender was actually folded in twice on itself by the spinning steel belted radial trailer tire as it began to throw the tread and steel belt!!!!!
While neither AAA or the roadside assistance gentleman thought it was possible, I was able to unfold and recontour the fender with use of a 7 inch crescent wrench to capture and pry back the edge with the assistance of a 6 foot 4X4 wooden post I brought for loading/ unloading the car do to its low ground clearance.
Total elapsed time from blowout tow back on the road was under 35 minutes!!!!! A little luck went a long way!!!
Thanks to MA state troopers, and MA roadside curtesy assistance whom refused any payment for services, AAA on the other hand (whom I pay in advance), not too helpful this time!! Next time I'll remember to call BoatUS, whom will help with trailer problems on the road!!!!!!
The wheels on the trailer were 3 years old with very little wear/use!!!
While I have all the tools and spare trailer tire and wheel, couldn't free my jack for use!
AAA sent a wrecker to give assistance, whom was on seen within 15 minutes on to say" dude we don't do trailer tires/flats, you will need a oversized rollback or two trucks to remove your trailer and car separately!!!!
The Mass State Troopers had a car on seen in less than 5 minutes who recommended mobilizing the Mass Highway authority roadside/curtesy assistance and made the call on my behalf. They arrived within 10 minutes, within a couple of minutes of AAA!
Keeping busy, I noticed the rear edge of the heavy duty diamond steel dual tire fender was actually folded in twice on itself by the spinning steel belted radial trailer tire as it began to throw the tread and steel belt!!!!!
While neither AAA or the roadside assistance gentleman thought it was possible, I was able to unfold and recontour the fender with use of a 7 inch crescent wrench to capture and pry back the edge with the assistance of a 6 foot 4X4 wooden post I brought for loading/ unloading the car do to its low ground clearance.
Total elapsed time from blowout tow back on the road was under 35 minutes!!!!! A little luck went a long way!!!
Thanks to MA state troopers, and MA roadside curtesy assistance whom refused any payment for services, AAA on the other hand (whom I pay in advance), not too helpful this time!! Next time I'll remember to call BoatUS, whom will help with trailer problems on the road!!!!!!
The wheels on the trailer were 3 years old with very little wear/use!!!