Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2012 22:10:41 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Checked your spare tire recently? Spare Tire Size
In-Reply-To: <20120226205152.IE3FM.288871.imail@eastrmwml213>
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Of course the tire pressure monitoring system in the glove compartment is of no value if you get a puncture while driving. When that happens you may have to wait until the "blowout" lets you know something is wrong. Seriously, I think TPMS is one of the best warning systems recently added to cars, trucks, etc. I have looked at some aftermarket ones for the motor home. It is common enough that any competent repair-tire shop should be able to handle them and many cars have means to program or reset them without additional tools. Some cars simplify the system giving a warning for any tire. The more complicated ones tell you which tire but these need the most programming especially when wheel positions are changed. By way someone came into the camp area at Daytona today with a Sprinter based motorhome with two flat tires on the left rear. The outer was flat but the inner was destroyed. The date code was 0204. The inner was totally destroyed. My guess is the outer lost air and the inside got finished off carrying that extra load. All the tires had badly cracked sidewalls.
Dennis
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-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Dave Mcneely
Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2012 8:52 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Checked your spare tire recently? Spare Tire Size
I have wondered about the real utility of the TPMS. I have it on one car (not an option). So far as I can tell, being one who checks tire pressure regularly, and looks my tires over at every stop when traveling, it is of no value. I have a manual TPMS in the glove compartment, and it works perfectly when I apply it.
Just seems like an added cost and possible failure point to me. But, I have been diligent about resetting it every time I rotate the tires and adjust the pressure accordingly. Tires run on different pressure front and rear in this vehicle, as they do on many.
mcneely
---- "Mike B." <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET> wrote:
> And now with modern TPMS sensors mounted to each rim, the potential
> for disaster is even greater. I heard of someone who took his vehicle
> to BJ's Club to buy tires, and when they drove away and the light
> wouldn't go out, he had to take it to the dealer. They had broken all
> 4 of his sensors with the tire machine! Those puppies aren't cheap, plus you
> have to pay to 'learn' them into the system. The bill did get covered
> by BJ's after they proved it to them.
>
> Mike B.
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 26, 2012 at 5:58 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
>
> > my 30 year old motorcycle tires irons are in my road kit.
> > I break the tire down off the rim using the stock jack ....weight of
> > the van does a fine job of breaking down both sides of the tire.
> > I have a special trick with a hammer to get the tire fully off the
> > rim when necessary.
> > it's fun.
> > I haven't had to do this on the side of the road in 30 yrs..
> > but I easily could.
> > Don't tell anyone ..
> > but sometimes I mount and balance my own vanagon tires entirely by
> > hand.
> > Most of the time I take about 8 tires and wheels to my tire store
> > and it's 'mount these on these rims, throw these two tires away' etc..
> > I never let any tire shop touch any of my vehicles.
> > I just let them to their sometimes hurried, sloppy work on just my
> > rims and tires.
> > I also tell them I am willing to pay extra for a careful nice good
> > job, not a quickie job. That helps.
> > Now they know me personally anyway after 8 years in my area...
> > that helps get good work done for you too.
> > There is one very popular NW tire chain ..I swear, they never act
> > like they know me when I go there. I think they must have a policy
> > against it. Four years in grim PT, Wa state ...they never once
> > acted like they knew who I was in that 'only tire store' for an
> > hour's drive to
> > somewhere else . Sure glad I escaped that place !
> >
> > I do like to have a full size spare . It might be hours and many
> > miles before I can get to a tire store..
> > I don't want to be stuck anywhere due to lack of a spare that can go
> > safety at 60mph.
> > And generally ...flat tires are not all that common it seems anyway,
> > but it sure is nice to be prepared. when it does happen.
> >
> > Scott
> >
> > On 2/26/2012 10:58 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
> >> ---- Loren Busch<starwagen@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >>> RE: Spare Tires
> >>> In addition to the spare tire/wheel how many carry a tire repair
> >>> in their Vanagon? And is it new enough that the glue will even
> >>> come out of the tube? I ask that because while writing this it
> >>> dawned on me that the repair kit in my rig is over ten years old!
> >>> Maybe time to check it/replace it?
> >>> Someone mentioned the 'little' spare tires provided on some new
> >>> cars, good to get you 50 miles or so. Well, according to a news
> >>> segment on a local TV station last week some new cars are coming
> >>> with NO spare! They showed one new car that had only a small
> >>> battery powered air compressor and a tire repair (plug) kit.
> >> Well, for in town, on pavement driving, which is what most do all
> >> of the time, the small spare is probably perfectly adequate. Fact
> >> is, tires have gotten so good, that if maintained reasonably,
> >> failure is very rare. The last time I had to change a tire because
> >> of a failure while driving was in 1997. I remember, because it was
> >> a Bridgestone tire that was fairly new, and that experienced a tread separation.
> >> Had a lengthy process getting Firestone to honor their warranty.
> >> Had to send the tire to a location in Memphis, TN to have it evaluated.
> >> Eventually did get the new tire paid for, damage to my car (the
> >> tread damaged the wheel well when it flew off) paid for, and the
> >> cost of a hotel and meals for my delay. That was in Kingsville,
> >> Texas. But it took several months of back and forth. Why do
> >> corporations get bad names?
> >>
> >> the repair kit and compressor? Well, plenty of people would be
> >> completely incapable of managing that beside the road. A few years
> >> back one new car was coming with a "spare" that required inflation
> >> at the time of use. I don't remember what car it was, or how
> >> inflation was provided.
> >>
> >> mcneely
> >>
> >> --
> >> David McNeely
> >>
--
David McNeely
