We knew our tires would need to be replaced soon, but we hoped to get another year out of them so we would have new tires when we started full-timing. Well, as they say, hindsight is 20/20. We were driving down 95 in North Carolina and a driver next to us motioned to us and was saying something that looked like ‘flat tire!’ So we pulled over to take a look and, sure enough, our right rear tire was not only flat, but totally shredded. It also damaged the fender flare above it.

At first it looked horrible and we had visions of not being able to finish our trip. But, Mike, being the level-headed guy that he is, took a look at it and realized there was no major damage. He had purchased a tire lift ramp thingie that was supposed to get the trailer up high enough to change the tire. But, once he had pulled the trailer up so the front axle was on it, we realized there wasn’t enough elevation to change the tire. It was time to call Good Sam Roadside Assistance.

We have had Good Sam for years and have used them in the past with mixed results. This time they came through with flying colors! We called them at 12:00 and were on the phone with them until 12:15. Fifteen minutes is a long time, but we opted to wait on the phone while they contacted the service company. The service company they called was Anytime Towing & Recovery. Good Sam estimated that the service company would be there in an hour. They actually arrived at 12:28, thirteen minutes later! We had the spare out and everything ready to go, all we needed was a jack that would raise the axle. The tire was changed and we were ready to go in eight minutes! So about an hour after we pulled over we were back on the road and headed to South Carolina. Fortunately, the damage to the trailer is cosmetic and it doesn’t look like it will take too much to fix it, but that will be another story.