Well, here we are again, about 6 miles out a dirt road and the low tire pressure guage comes on. Hop out and see the rear driver-side tire half inflated. After last year, I bought Fix-a-Flat spray-to-fix can, so used that to re-inflate the tire a bit. Then headed back to where we are staying. The tire worked okay to get me there.
So, after pulling into the driveway, I see something very odd, not only is that tire flat .... the driver front tire is also flat!! Yes, TWO flat tires! The front tire must have happened just up the street since is was really flat-flat - could not hold air.
Pulled out my trusty Suburban jack and got to work ... not unlike the spare tire holder (see last years blog for the rant on that: last year's tire story), the #$^%$^% jack is also a POS! It wouldn't jack up high enough. So, after a frustrating 60 minutes, called AAA. The guy got the tire off and the spare on.
I have a puncture repair kit also and put a plug in the hole on the rear tire... well that didn't do the job. ... but luckily the place where we are staying has a compressor... just enough to fill the tire and get to Les Schwab, the tire store.
I was planning on replacing the rear tires, and the front (new last year) tire was not repairable.....
So, right now the Suburban has 4 brand new shiny 10 ply tires -- the kind that "everybody uses out here" (TEN-ply vs the standard 4-ply). It is also outfitted with 2 Fix-a-Flat cans, and a new, hefty 6-Ton hydraulic bottle jack. Furthermore, I sprung for new brakes and shocks, and an oil change. All in all, a very expensive afternoon.
Sheesh, other than armor, I hope that this upgrade will see us through.
But the story gets more interesting. I went to a local gas station to fill up the leaky tire with air, and ran into a woman whom I had asked directions of earlier in the day. She was also using the air... why? ... because she got a flat tire on the same dirt road, just after I did. I helped her with fixing her tire (using the tire repair kit), etc... and she responded by asking me if I would like to join her for some fishing in some private water on the Silver Creek.... not a bad deal.
BUT WAIT --- --- as they say in the those ads.... there is even MORE!!!
The day after buying 4 new tires, I set off for yet more backcountry dirt roads, somewhat confident that I am now protected against rocks, what with new 10 ply tires ... really tough!
So Trail Creek road is, shall we say, not up to perfect standards. But I make it over the pass and continue on a large assortment of rather "good" dirt roads..... HOWEVER, the return trip was "adventurous"
I heard this weird noise... clack, clack, clack, clack
YUP --- GOT ANOTHER FLAT !! Yeeha, Wahoo, Damn Right, Sheesh, WTF!
So now I am sitting on the side of the road, just at the paved part. EVERYONE going by, and there are lot, asks "do you need help" - two guys just stopped and say "OMG you have a Suburban, you WILL need help!" (see rant from last year's blog)
It was a great place to have a flat.... the deal is, that if you are out in the back country, it is all about support for all.
That is a BRAND NEW tire
This time the culprit was this, this thing is 8" long and it is INSIDE my tire!!!!! NO snarky remarks!
So I see this thing sticking to the tire, but all I see is the "fat part" (not the long thin thing). So I start to pull it out of the tire. You can imagine my surprise as I get 1" out.. sheesh.... then 2" - wow, then 3" what? then 4, "come on" .. the long part is almost 8" long and by the time I pull it out I am gob-smacked. WTF, I mean really.... WTF!
Now, with the help of Patty (or Paddy) the fishing guide and his client ( who stopped to help), the tire is changed out ... thanking God each time that last year, we "fixed" the @#$#%@$ suburban spare tire problem. The new bottle jack worked as advertised (6 ton) so it lifted the suburban well. Each time someone drove by, the comment was "Need Help?" - - this must happen regularly, and true supporters know the issue! Thank you true and honest human beings!
Then what?
Took the truck back to Les Schwab, the place that I bought the tires (the day before) and they replaced the tire for free.. "road hazard" warranty ... thank you Les Schwab!!!
Maybe I should have paid more attention to this sign.
So the GOOD NEWS is that I had NO flats today! Yah.
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