Changing tires in the wild - lessons learned

[John and Jodi]

On our last trip, we had significant tire issues (we replaced two tires, one valve stem, and one wheel), so I wanted to share a little of what we experienced and hope to hear from others on ways to make the next time easier.

What happened: Entering Wichita Falls, TX on US-281 from the south driving around 60-70 mph, we heard an unfamiliar noise that we couldn't place or locate. The noise would come and go. Five miles later we exited the freeway onto the frontage road, stopped on the shoulder, and hopped out to make sure everything was alright. It wasn't. The right (curbside) rear (RR) tire was gone. Its wheel was an aluminum nub.

Some thoughts:

1. Our LE2 handled fine. I think the weight distribution hitch/anti-sway really helped.
2. The noise coming and going was due to us driving near concrete barriers on the side of the road that reflected the noise back to us, such as on a bridge. When we were on straight road, we couldn't hear or feel anything.
3. We were lucky. No damage other than scratched gel coat. There was a considerable amount of steel cable wrapped around the axle and brake area.

   

Taking the tire off: The first task was to get the trailer "jacked up". We pulled forward onto our Andersen Rapid Jack to elevate the right, front (RF) tire. This worked well until the RF tire went flat also. In addition, taking the weight of the trailer off the RR wheel made it more difficult to remove the lug nuts. Fortunately, a passerby stopped to help us and had a powerful impact wrench and an extender since the lug nuts are recessed quite a bit and the center dome got in the way of the wrench. Also, my personal wire cutters were no match for the steel cables. We needed heavy-duty snips to remove all the cables. It was apparent that we were not fully prepared for this situation, so we called a mobile RV repair person. He ended up using a low-profile hydraulic jack to hold up the trailer.

Some thoughts:

1. If we had simply run over a nail, we would have been fine. The Rapid Jack would have been all we needed.
2. I have to upgrade my wire snips and am struggling with choosing a hydraulic jack. A low-profile jack is bulky and heavy, can get into places with low clearance/uneven terrain, and has extended lift range. Bottle jacks are smaller and lighter, but have more limited lift range. Any thoughts on what you use?
3. Where to place the jack? The trailer has a jack point for the frame, but, rightly or wrongly, the repair guy put his jack behind the wheel near where the bolts are in the photo below.

   

Getting to our spare: This wasn't a big deal. We do have the rear bumper receiver but it slid out easily. I was glad that the spare had good pressure since I hadn't checked it in about a year.

Some thoughts:

1. Check your spare. I had even installed a tire valve extension (something like this) to make it easier to check and fill. Put this task on a checklist to do periodically.

Putting a good tire on: A full light truck tire is bigger and heavier than a passenger tire. Also, a full tire has a larger radius than a flat tire which means the tire may need more clearance. Changing it on uneven ground introduces clearance issues if the axle is not up high enough. Since we had lost our tire, once we put the new one on, we spun the tire and checked for brake operation. We found a 3 second delay from the pedal push to the application of the brake on the wheel. This caused us some concern at the time, but both our technician and myself confirmed that the delay was due to the truck's brake controller. It's probably obvious, but put the wheel on and hand-tighten the lug nuts with the wheel off the ground and then tighten the lug nuts to the proper torque (we did have a torsion bar) when the wheel is on the ground and won't spin freely.

Some thoughts:

1. If you are going to check your trailer brake while the wheel is jacked up, use the manual control on your brake controller, not the floor brake pedal.

A second tire went flat: Our hearts sank as we watched the RF tire lose pressure as the RR tire was replaced. We only had one spare. The technician's fix was to pull out a can of fix-a-flat and refill the tire with air. It was enough. Again, we were fortunate to have pulled off the road 2 miles from a great RV park, so we headed over with the technician following us to ensure we arrived safely.

Some thoughts:

1. Carry a can of fix-a-flat. 

Purchasing tires on a trip: The next morning the tire "repaired" with the fix-a flat was flat again. This time we refilled the tire ourselves and drove the trailer to a Discount Tire for a replacement. This store had a limited selection so we only replaced the one bad tire and risked driving to our destination one hour away with no spare. Before leaving, the store manager offered to "top off" all our tires. In the process of putting in air on the left (street) side tires, the TPMS sensors were very difficult to remove. To make a long story short, they were finally removed, the tires topped off, and we were off to our destination (Lawton, OK). Upon arriving in our campsite, a camper remarked that one of our left tires was low. It was flat. We don't know for how much of our hour-long drive it was flat. The next day I brought that tire into a Lawton Discount Tire where they replaced the damaged valve stem and I bought the only compatible wheel they had and a spare tire.

Some thoughts:

1. Fix-a-flat works for emergencies, but only to the nearest tire shop.
2. Although limited by the store's available tire selection, it will be a cold day in hell before I ever drive the trailer again without a spare tire available.

Lessons Learned:

1. As we pulled away from home, all four of our trailers' tires had TPMS sensors on them. I never pulled out and turned on the monitor. It might not have prevented the blowout (or whatever it was that happened), but the alarm would have told us that there was a problem and we would have pulled over much earlier, reducing risk to ourselves and damage to the trailer.
2. I thought I was prepared for tire issues. In fact, I was only prepared for the simplest, most basic scenario. The next time we go out, we'll have a few more tools. I'm interested to hear from you what's in your tire changing tool kit.

Open issues:

1. Still trying to figure out which type of hydraulic jack to bring with us. I'd appreciate your thoughts.
2. Still trying to figure out the correct jack point. I'd appreciate your thoughts on this as well.

We hope this has been helpful to some and interesting to others. Let us know your thoughts.

[routlaw]

Good grief this is quite a story and horrible experience. Glad you made it through unscathed. May I ask what tires (LT or ST and or brand) you have or had on your Oliver? PSI setting? I can't imagine what would cause so many tire failures in such rapid succession. 

To answer your questions I suspect you will receive a variety of different answers but I do not carry a jack along and use the built in electric leveling jacks if needed for an emergency. Oliver no longer recommends this but people have been doing it for years. If I were to bring an extra jack it would be a bottle jack stacked on platforms if needed. I have used bottle jacks directly under those plates exactly where the tech used his jack. BTW looking at those rubber grommets on you shocks they seem over tightened and cracking pretty bad. Might want to consider replacing those too. 

I have an impact wrench which makes for quick work with tire and wheel work but have never carried it along on trips, though I have thought about it for this very reason. Perhaps I should reconsider this. 

Good luck getting this all figured out. 

Edited Saturday at 04:56 AM by ScubaRx

[jd1923]

2 hours ago, John and Jodi said:

Open issues:

1. Still trying to figure out which type of hydraulic jack to bring with us. I'd appreciate your thoughts.
2. Still trying to figure out the correct jack point. I'd appreciate your thoughts on this as well.

We hope this has been helpful to some and interesting to others. Let us know your thoughts.

1 hour ago, routlaw said:

I do not carry a jack along and use the built in hydraulic leveling jacks if needed for an emergency. Oliver no longer recommends this but people have been doing it for years.

Rob is absolutely correct! Use your onboard Stabilizer Jacks! It's the easiest and safest way to change a tire. Using the labeled "Jack Points" and the trailer weight shifts and then you have other issues. OTT got legal (not engineering) advice on not using the stabilizer jacks. I have posted before what Oliver wrote in the 2017 User Manual, where they detail the tire change procedure using these jacks. I also carry a bottle jack and jack stand, for more major repairs.

Hard to imagine any of this on a 3-year-old hull. I expect and have never seen tires self-destruct in less than 7 years, except for China-made ST tires. If you are original owners, I would think about what may have caused or led to these failures (two tires).

The steel cable must be the cable from the blown radial tire

The shock bushings look awful. Remove one shock to see if it has compression along the full length. My guess is you need 4 new shocks and if I were you, I would be buying four (4) brand new top-of-the-line LT tires, mounted and balanced at a reputable shop.

I'd like to ask again re your tire make-model and running tire pressure. Use your TPMS and "see something, hear something, say something!" When you hear any odd noise, get out immediately and inspect all 8 tires, leaf springs, shocks, etc. Look under to see if you're dragging some road debris, then look again. 😎

[Steve and MA]

4 hours ago, John and Jodi said:

4 hours ago, John and Jodi said:

the TPMS sensors were very difficult to remove. ...they replaced the damaged valve stem...

 

We've had two rubber valve stem failures on our LE2 fitted with TPMS sensors.  Fortunately, both were slow leaks.  Rubber stems can crack due to the flexing from the extra weight of the sensor. Ours are TPMS sensors from TST that they claim can be used on rubber valve stems.  Our TV has metal valve stems also fitted with TPMS sensors, but they're not immune to failure. Even the rubber gasket on a metal stem can leak. I think part of the problem is that the sensors are difficult to remove, so the stems get flexed more than they should when adjusting tire pressure. 

As already mentioned, the electric jacks can be used for tire changing as long as you're still hitched and the TV parking brake is set. It's much more convenient than carrying another jack. 

Also, is the wire wrapped around the axle from the tire's steel belts?  

 

[Townesw]

The wire wrapped around the axle is probably the bead wire. I worked in radial passenger and light truck tire manufacturing for 32 years. 

[Mike and Carol]

Wow, glad you were able to resolve with no accident or damage!  Thanks for the write up, it’s proof how well the Oliver tows.  

General thoughts:  Use the onboard leveling jacks.  We’ve been doing this for years, to include at Discount Tire on a few occasions and at campgrounds to remove wheels.  The TST TPMS shows both pressure and temperature of each tire.  I keep the monitor on the dash and do a visual check every 15 minutes or so.  Whatever TPMS you use, use it and keep a regular watch on tire health.  

Mike

[topgun2]

Glad you guys are OK and that there wasn't any more damage than you had.

I believe that your experience was ( as you mention) partially your "fault" due to not turning on your TPMS. 

However, the extent of your tire issues is very extraordinary.  I don't think that you can prepare for every possible situation while on the road - unless, perhaps, you are ScubaRx 😇.  Yes, checking your spare tire air pressure should be done more often OR simply get yourself another TPMS sensor for that spare and remember to turn that TPMS monitor on.  I also agree with the advice concerning the use of the onboard "leveling" jacks. 

Your experience is yet another reason why we bought an Oliver and believe that everyone should consider before purchasing virtually any other brand.

Bill

[Rivernerd]

15 hours ago, John and Jodi said:

I have to upgrade my wire snips and am struggling with choosing a hydraulic jack. A low-profile jack is bulky and heavy, can get into places with low clearance/uneven terrain, and has extended lift range. Bottle jacks are smaller and lighter, but have more limited lift range. Any thoughts on what you use?

I carry a Safe Jack RV Jack Kit in my tow vehicle.  When testing it, I have jacked from the marked "Jack Point." That said, I plan to use the "stabilizer" jacks as well if I must change a tire by the side of the road.  As jd1923 noted above, the trailer can shift if the ground underneath one jack point is soft.  Three jack points is better than one, and the electric jacks are so easy to use.

We also use our Tireminder TPMS system, with monitor mounted on the windshield, hoping to catch any trailer tire issues early!  The person in the passenger seat checks the monitor regularly.

[BigTexas]

Thanks for sharing your story.  I think you are correct in that we think we're prepared but in reality, we're prepared for the most basic incident.  I think a contributing factor was the Oliver tows so well, you were unaware of the disintegrating tire behind you.  

In the past, I've relied on the Oliver's jacks to raise the tire high enough for removal and replacement. My thought is to use the scissor jack, that came with the truck, as a back-up jack.  I've never had much luck with Fix-a-flat.  Instead I carry a tire plug kit and compressor (12v or 120v if you have an inverter).  Tire plugs can be controversial.  Some feel once you plug a tire, you should replace it as soon as possible. Most tire stores refuse to repair a previously plugged tire.  Others plug a tire and just run it.  The plug kit allows you to deal with as many flats as you have plugs until you get to a position where you can purchase a new quality tire. 

In addition to learning from your experience, I've made a note to bring along my impact driver.

Thanks again for sharing.

[topgun2]

Yes - thanks for sharing your story - even the parts that were not so easy to share.

This kind of situation helps us all as both a reminder and (perhaps) as a source of other things that we might consider doing (or not doing as the case may be).

Bill

[Tony and Rhonda]

We have a TPMS on our purchase list but, after your story, it's now at the top.

Thanks, Tony

[jd1923]

1 hour ago, Tony and Rhonda said:

We have a TPMS on our purchase list but, after your story, it's now at the top.

If you have rubber, make sure to install high-quality STEEL valve stems first. Buy from Summit or local auto parts store, NOT Amazon China-made. Tire companies do not carry them.
https://www.summitracing.com/search?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&keyword=steel valve stems

There are also TPMS sensors that can be installed inside of the wheel integral to the stem. More expensive and work required in removing the tires/rebalancing but it is the way the industry is going now that all modern vehicles have TPMS built-in.
https://www.discounttire.com/accessories/tpms-catalog

Best to have wheels balanced after TPMS sensors are installed.

Edited September 25 by jd1923

[topgun2]

1 hour ago, Tony and Rhonda said:

We have a TPMS on our purchase list but, after your story, it's now at the top.

Don't forget to get two "extra" sensors - one for the Ollie spare tire and on for you tow vehicles spare tire (all the TPMS systems that I know of that are included on vehicles do not monitor the spare tire on the tow vehicle).

Bill

[Tom and Doreen]

1) Using the stabilizer jack is very helpful 

2) Change valve stems to the metal type especially if you have TST sensors  

3) Invest in an electric impact wrench

4) A locking bottle type jack comes in handy

5) Tire plugs and a compressor can come in handy in a pinch.  

[Patriot]

3 hours ago, Tony and Rhonda said:

We have a TPMS on our purchase list but, after your story, it's now at the top.

Thanks, Tony

Tony, 

I and others on here have been running the 507 TST TPMS. I can’t speak for others, but our system has served us really well for the last 5.5 yrs in. TST I think is based out of Georgia and their customer service is nothing short of stellar. As @Mike and Carol mentioned it measures pressure and tire temp as well. I run the Discount tire rubber stems and have been happy very with this set up. Not to go down the rabbit hole on tire stems, but….metal stems can bend and leak on impact from road debris especially if off pavement. My guys at DCT did NOT recommend metal stems. It’s a personal choice. Go with what your happy with and works.

As @topgun2 suggests get the 6 pack of stem cap monitors so you have a sensor for your spare and have an extra. The rubber mount that the TST dash monitor is cradled in works nice and keeps it from moving around on the dash. I use it all the time. 

For warranty reasons, TST requires you run the repeater which is an easy 12v hook up. I attached mine to the interior of the battery box with velcro. If you decide on this TPMS hit me up with a PM if you have any install questions. It’s pretty straight forward. Once you have your tire caps on and “synch up” with your charged up dash monitor, you are good to go. I think the battery is a 2032 which is installed in each tire sensor. I change these out once per year. This is amazon’s price, shop around you may find it cheaper. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKTH136?tag=track-ect5-usa-1802408-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

Safe Travels! 

Edited Thursday at 11:50 PM by Patriot

[Patriot]

30 minutes ago, Tom and Doreen said:

1) Using the stabilizer jack is very helpful 

2) Change valve stems to the metal type especially if you have TST sensors  

3) Invest in an electric impact wrench

4) A locking bottle type jack comes in handy

5) Tire plugs and a compressor can come in handy in a pinch.  

 

A torque wrench is also handy to have. 😊👍🏻 Tom, it appears you were very fortunate to have a nice flat surface to change out your tire! 

[Rolind]

1 hour ago, Patriot said:

Tony, 

I and others on here have been running the 507 TST TPMS. I can’t speak for others, but our system has served us really well for the last 5.5 yrs in. TST I think is based out of Georgia and their customer service is nothing short of stellar. As @Mike and Carol mentioned it measures pressure and tire temp as well. I run the Discount tire rubber stems and have been happy very with this set up. Not to go down the rabbit hole on tire stems, but….metal stems can bend and leak on impact from road debris especially if off pavement. My guys at DCT did NOT recommend metal stems. It’s a personal choice. Go with what your happy with and works.

As @topgun2 suggests get the 6 pack of stem cap monitors so you have a sensor for your spare and have an extra. The rubber mount that the TST dash monitor is cradled in works nice and keeps it from moving around on the dash. I use it all the time. 

For warranty reasons, TST requires you run the repeater which is an easy 12v hook up. I attached mine to the interior of the battery box with velcro. If you decide on this TPMS hit me up with a PM if you have any install questions. It’s pretty straight forward. Once you have your tire caps on and “synch up” with your charged up dash monitor, you are good to go. I think the battery is a 2032 which is installed in each tire sensor. I change these out once per year. This is amazon’s price, shop around you may find it cheaper. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKTH136?tag=track-ect5-usa-1802408-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

Safe Travels! 

We also run the TST and have been very happy with it.  It occasionally alarms with the sensor saying one of the tires is at over 200F. A Quick Look in the side view mirrors confirms this is not correct. I think this occurs because of interference from our cell phones, chargers or other electronics in the cab. We plug our repeater into the 12 cigarette style outlet about the cooktop. 

[Tom and Doreen]

12 hours ago, Patriot said:

A torque wrench is also handy to have. 😊👍🏻 Tom, it appears you were very fortunate to have a nice flat surface to change out your tire! 

Yes, I have a GearWrench torque wrench, 250 ft//lb that we travel with. We were VERY lucky because we had  been on the highway heading out to Yellowstone and had just pulled off to get groceries when the tire stem blew out most likely from the "waggle" affect of the TST sensor.  We changed the tire in the parking lot then found a Discount Tire location near where we were and had the stems replaced on all tires including the spare. 

[Boudicca908]

On 9/24/2025 at 7:10 PM, John and Jodi said:

We hope this has been helpful to some and interesting to others

Thank you for the excellent post, with photos and questions. Thanks also to all those who have replied. There are several peripheral issues in the post that I find interesting, including the fact that the recessed lugs are difficult to deal with (my experience every time I check the lugs with my hand-powered torque wrench.) 

[topgun2]

26 minutes ago, Boudicca908 said:

There are several peripheral issues in the post that I find interesting, including the fact that the recessed lugs are difficult to deal with (my experience every time I check the lugs with my hand-powered torque wrench.) 

What it appears you need is a deep well socket (in the same size as your lugs) and/or an extension for your socket to torque wrench connection.  This extension would allow you to "clear" the center hub cover while still bring able to use the socket that you already have.

Bill

[Boudicca908]

49 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

an extension for your socket to torque wrench connection

I already use this — but still find it difficult. 

[Roger]

I know I have said this before, but I think everyone should get out their jack and practice changing a tire on their trailer as well as the tow vehicle.  You can check everything works as well as to learn where the jack points are etc.  I once had a utility trailer that got a flat and when I went to change the tire learned the truck jack was not tall enough to jack up the trailer.  

When my children got their driver's licenses I sat in a chair in the driveway and watched them change a tire on the car.  Very entertaining.  

I have jacked up my Oliver several times, both at home and alongside the road but I have never used the stabilizer jacks when doing so.  It is time to hit all the zerks with some grease and I will try out the stabilizer jacks when I do the job.

[topgun2]

4 hours ago, Boudicca908 said:

but still find it difficult. 

OK - can you give us a bit more info on exactly "what" it is that you find difficult?

I'd guess that since you are not exactly the biggest person in the world, you might have some difficulty in turning that torque wrench enough to get it to "click" when you have reached the torque setting - but - I'm only guessing.

Bill

[Boudicca908]

1 hour ago, Roger said:

practice changing a tire on their trailer as well as the tow vehicle

This summer I had “practice” changing a truck tire (someone else’s truck) and it was enlightening. None of us were heavy enough to get the lugs off  (I was able to loosen just 2 of them by standing and lightly bouncing my weight on the lug wrench.) I went out and bought 3 sections of galvanized pipe, one for each of us. 

[Boudicca908]

1 minute ago, topgun2 said:

OK - can you give us a bit more info on exactly "what" it is that you find difficult?

The socket gets stuck — no problem getting it ON, no problem turning the wrench (it’s long handled).  And I had help obtaining the correct socket size.