We were both up and wide awake by 4:30, did a little computer work and hit the road by 7-ish. First sunrise in a LONG time...LOL! The trip was short and we arrived at the condo and got registered before heading to the dealer in Rockwall (the condo is in Flint, TX). We were about 30 minutes away when we heard a POP. Just as we started to ask each other what that was, the Pressure Pro alarm went off. We had blown a tire. (Thanks again to Mike & Pat McFall for helping us get the system up and running while we were all in Mission. The situation could have ended in a fire if we hadn't realized that it was our tire that blew.)
Stu pulled over off the interstate as much as possible and we got out to look. The tire was off the rim, whole but the rubber was melted where it had been on the rim. Smoke was still coming out...something was hot, VERY hot. Stu pulled out the fire extinguisher (just in case) needed tools, took down the spare, got the rig up on chocks and a bottle jack and pulled off the bad wheel. Seems the wheel bearing froze. Fortunately for us it was the center wheel and we weren't all that far from the dealer and we limped in (without mounting the spare). Surprise number two....
Our dealer had told us to bring the rig in without an appointment since they hadn't been busy. Needless to say since Stu had emailed them.....they had gotten VERY busy, in fact there were 8 rigs scheduled ahead of us before they could even look at KaZy. Surprise number three....After taking a very thorough look at what we needed done, they promised to try to get it looked at as soon as possible. We tried not to worry about the unexpected cost of a new wheel & tire, new bearing and hopefully nothing more than that (plus getting all the wheel bearings packed). We headed back to Flint and the condo after a side trip to Tyler and dinner at Outback and grocery shopping at Sam's Club & Wal-Mart. We had tried a new beer at Outback, Newcastle Brown Ale, and both liked it. Since we needed both beer & wine, we figured Sam's would be a good stop. Well, after visiting both stores we realized we were in a dry county. Surprise number four....
Tuesday we slept in (after about 15 hours of travel & "surprises" the day before), spent a leisurely morning and then headed off for a one hour tour (i.e. sales pitch) in exchange for $50. The condo complex is a timeshare and we did really like it, just not buying into anything right now, but hey, $50 is $50. After that we did a little sightseeing of the local area in Freddie since it was still pretty cool. We visited an Atwood's Farm & Ranch store and Stu found several things he was looking for, including an electric winch to help load BRAT onto the BRAT rack. We also found the county line liquor stores and stocked up.
Today the weather was gorgeous and we headed out by 9am, off to find a good breakfast spot before doing more sightseeing. Perfect day for riding, and ride we did...from 9am till 7pm. Good meals, nice Harley stop in Longview where we both found hats we liked and I also managed to snag a great western style shirt in Tractor Supply...50% off. Surprise number five....
We were ready for some pie and ice cream but the first diner we hit in Longview had just closed. As we headed back to the bike Stu checked his phone and saw voicemail from McClain's RV. They had a few questions about some of the items on the list but had already talked to KZ about most of the warranty items as well as the fact that the bearings are sealed....no packing to be done. KZ is shipping out a new axle, wheel & tire...under warranty. Phew! Surprise number six...
Of course there is always the other side of the news....it could take up to three weeks to get the new axle! We have to be in Maryland by April first for Stu's daughter's wedding. Surprise number seven....
Tomorrow we find out if we can extend here at the condo for another week. If not then we'll look into something closer to Rockwall (about 90 miles from Flint). But all in all, the good surprises outweighed the bad!
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Donna & Stu
Stu and Donna
Whew! quite the list of surprises. I'm so glad that your tire issue didn't cause serious damage or an accident and that you are safe to continue whatever "surprises" lie ahead!
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is WOW, you two do not have a boring life!
ReplyDeleteWhat a couple of days! It's all part of the adventure!
ReplyDeleteWOW! and all I can say is "my goodness" and glad you two are "safe and sound"
ReplyDeleteThanks goodness for warranty. How old is the trailer. What a day.
ReplyDeleteI hate surprises like that. I just had warranty work done at Colton Truck and got on the road 2/27. Surprise, Monaco closed their doors 3/2 and not sure how Colton is going to get their money. I'm faxing copy my extended warranty but doubt if they will pay.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was researching the "pressure pro system" on the internet I stumbled upon the "doran 360 system". This system performs the same functions as the "pressure pro" plus it also warns when the pressure goes too high, which usually indicates a heat buildup which could be caused by a dragging brake or failing wheel bearing. I bought the system from Doran mfg co at the same price as the pressure pro sells for. I rate their customer support as very good, when I received the system one of the sensors wouldn't work so I called technical support at Doran. I returned the bad sensor and they sent a good one by return mail.
ReplyDeleteI am not trying to sell you anything, only inform you.
Tim Lawler
WOW!! I don't think it can get any worse. I didn't even know that propane could freeze.
ReplyDeletePropane freezes at -304 Fahrenheit. More than likely you have moisture in the lines that froze up. Glad to see KZ standing up and paying for everything. Having to change a tire on the side of a interstate always scares me. Glad you didn't have to. Now isn't RVing fun?
ReplyDeleteJust to set the record straight, PressurePro has given a HIGH Pressure warning for several years!!
ReplyDeletePlus it also check's the Signal strength of each Sensor. PressurePro Sensors are made in USA,,,not China....
Carry on....:-)
Mike
It's great that KZ is that good about honoring their warranty. We had to haggle with Jayco for 3 weeks in December before they finally decided to fix or floor.
ReplyDelete