We were travelling between Anakie, and Emerald. It is a average narrow road, with the occasional area to pull up, if necessary.
Jennifer was leading, with me following along in my ever faithful little Mazda T 3500. Closeing up on Jennifers m/home, I reckoned I could smell hot rubber. Didn't want to call her up in case she panicked about a possible tyre problem. But, within a second her outsiide left hand rear tyre lost it's tread. Fortunately, there was a pull over area fifty yards ahead ahead. Jennifer pulled in, and I stopped about ten twenty feet behind.
The tyre wasn't flat, but looked a bit like Yul Brinner. I asked where she kept the jack and wheel spanner was stored. The gear was produced. The key my grandfather used to wind his old "Big Ben" in his loungeroom was bigger than the wheel spanner!!
The jack was....Hang on, I'll explain. Jennifers m/home is one of those Winnebago thingos, on a Mercedes Benz chassis. It's a "Leisure Seeker" Now, my little Mazdas body is in line with the wheels. The Winnebagos body sticks about about ten feet each side of the drive axle. (Well, let's say about two feet. As a result, one has to almost climb under the bloody thing to undo the wheel nuts, with the toy spanner!
It took both of us to loosen the nuts. (Next stop, Supercheap for a decent socket and bars.)
I looked at the supplied jack, then went and got two jacks from the Mazda. Jennifer asked as to why two jacks. Reason is, I never trust one jack, even if I'm changing a flat on a push bike. One medium size floor jack, and a heavy duty wind up one.
Right, with a great deal of sliding around under what I now call, "Hitlers Revenge" I get the vehicle off the ground. Do you know, there really isn't anything quite as terrifying as to have semis, B doubles and road trains roaring past, just about two bloody feet from ones head.
Anyway, the Benz is off the ground. Nuts are loose. (Never take the wheels off until the spare is out from under.) Both jacks are in place. Now, the spare. At least the Japanese has the good grace to provide a wind down handle to get the spare from under my Mazda. Not old Hitler. A couple of open enders, and a lot of four letter words, and I get the damned thing loosened. Then it plummets earthward, trying to break one of my legs. Right, it's on the ground. Then I have to slide it out. By this time my almost new, ex "Vinnies" jeans are a mess. Outside wheel is off. Spare is on. Wheel nuts are tightened correctly. Be sure to put the wheel "keepers" on before the nuts. Retighten the wheels. Then comes the job of getting the flat back in the rear rack. Take out wind up jack. Slide floor jack under flat spare that is in rack. Pump up spare into it's holding rack. If you have a vehicle like this, take notes, as it will try to kil you.
We were looking to buy a 'wind down lever' for our under vehicle spare wheel carrier. Guy at the spare parts produced one, said the price, I nearly fell over backwards - $135.00!!!!!! It is a piece if rod similar to what some use for pulling down their awning, but instead of a bend, this one has a thicker bit with two protruding little knobs, to fit in the appropriate slot.
Lucky for us, it was for a Mercedes, not a Fiat. Found ours under the passenger seat.
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
Pipes - I hope Jennifer supplied you with some stiff drinks that night for all that work and trashing your fancy jeans (I bought a pair of Levis from Vinnies for $10 and theyre the best pair of have - far better than the ones Ive bought from Jeanswest.
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Geez Graham, that put a smile on my dial as I have been through that delema before.
Just having a picture in my minds eye of you laying under the M/H, grunting and groaning......spitting the dummy (no not you)
I hope the only four letter words that Jennifer heard from you were the likes of.....holy moly,......good ness.......flip n hell.....etc. etc.
anyway mate, think ya self lucky it wasn't bloomin raining.....
One of the first items i checked when we brought our m/home was the spare as they are often forgotten. Keep air up and check the release works and is not jammed with road grim. Good effort well done cheers.
I have been an annoying advocate insisting that one of the tests required to pass the driving licence test is to pull over, jack up the vehicle, change the spare onto a rear wheel, replace rear wheel as spare, and lower vehicle.
Additionally, it should be a MANDATORY condition of sale that the new owner of a vehicle must jack the vehicle, swap the rear wheel with the spare, and then restore it all ready to drive off. I am probably wrong, but I would suggest 99% of car salesmen/women have no idea how to do it ... or even where the tyre changing kit is stored.
This should be even more critical these days because given the condition of the roads and tyres it is extremely rare to get a flat - and when it does happen, people have no damned idea what to do, how to do it ... and even if there are any tools to do it.
Cheers - calmed down now and stepped orf me soap box - John
PS - Good story Pipes I felt ya pain.
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
Who cooked dinner?? One good turn deserves a another. Your body must be aching from all that effort. I take my hat off to all Gentleman. Its a pitty as they are becoming rarer and rarer commodity.
In Sydney these days, they just drive on by, without a second thought.
Great yarn mate - and like others ^ I can identify 100% with your worldly / wordy descriptions
I agree also that the jacks supplied with most MHs are hopelessly inadequate - more suited to a small car than a 4-tonne MH
Luckily for me, my Sunliner came with both the original Ford scissor jack [in a compartment under the driver's seat] AND a 3-tonne bottle jack supplied by Sunliner
The scissor jack quickly got the shove, and like you, I soon got longer tube/bars to stand on to crack those damn wheel nuts after the tyre-shop heavies have tightened them as tho it's a battleship being worked on
And ... like others ^ I hope you got a good evening meal out of it as well :)
Last time I changed a spare I slipped backwards and sat in some cow dung. Tried washing my jeans but the smell remained so off they went to Vinnie's.....ha
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Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him...
Hi Rocklizard
Sorry but I can't agree with you that it should be mandatory to be able to change a wheel.
There are now quite a few operations that I can no longer carry out on the 4wd or van so that is why I have roadside assist with NRMA.
Over the past 20 years I have had 2 flats one on van and the other on the 4wd and when these occurred I was a bit younger.
If I am on a busy highway and get a flat I will continue driving until it is safe to get far enough off the road to replace the wheel, if I destroy the rim its a small cost compared to what can happen if I'm involved in an accident because I wasn't clear enough from the road.
I have in the past assisted others who have been senior to me, but if I now get into trouble I would be looking for assistance from others.
Cheers
David
Logic suggests that if one has a "medical" reason for the inability to change the wheel on their vehicle - then they should be able to solicit external assistance ... eg motoring organisation.
One could safely assume that those with a "medical" reason would be a considerable minority of the general population. The rest should know what to do and how to do it.
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
What happens if you have a flat where there is no phone service, and you can,t access NRMA? everyone should be able to change a tyre, or have a plan and the tools available to do the change BEFORE IT HAPPENS. Iknow this is a bit harsh , but its just the reality of the road. Luckily, in most places, there are other people to help, but not always.
I think you blokes are trying to start world war three. To insist that drivers should change wheels is totally unrealistic. Why stop at wheels? How about radiator hoses, serpentine belts, fuses as well? How about all drivers demonstrate the ability to hitch and unhitch a caravan? And what do we do with the drivers who can't change wheels? Take away their licences? And who is going to test them all anyway? I think it far more reasonable to suggest that every vehicle sold should carry suitable wheel changing equipment so that at least the driver can say "I have the tools even if I don't have the ability to use them." Even then that would be impossible to control.
If you can demonstrate that my point of view is invalid, then prepare for the biggest discrimination row Australia has ever seen. A licence test will include demonstrating mechanical repair of every type of vehicle the licence covers. A percentage of current drivers will still be allowed to drive, but the vast majority probably not. Future drivers will be faced with extensive mechanical training on vehicles they have no intention of ever driving just because the licence they seek would allow them to.
Hang on, this is getting ludicrous. It's never going to happen. Maybe it will be easier if you blokes who want everyone to be as capable as your good selves, just accept that some folk will never in their lives change a wheel on anything, but there's still a place for them on the roads.
Sorry Kev but why take the discussion to such ridiculous lengths. To implement the knowledge, and ideally the experience, of wheel changing is simple.
There is absolutely no need for everyone to be 'trained' in changing a wheel on EVERY vehicle available.
It would go like this ... front up for the licence test, change the wheel, do the driving test, get the licence. So that covers the vehicle you got yer licence in.
Next .... when a person purchases a vehicle they, just like providing a roadworthy certificate etc, the purchaser needs to be shown where the kit is for wheel changing and how to use it. Each time they change their vehicle they would 'refresh' that knowledge.
Back in the day, when being required to use a RAAF vehicle, it was a requirement BEFORE being given the keys that I needed to complete a check list on the vehicle ... and that included checking the wheel changing kit and its condition. It is simply really.
I do agree that drivers should be taught the 'basic' mechanics during the tuition of licence granting - eg checking the POWER
P - petrol
O - oil
W - water
E - electrics (all lights/indicators working)
R - rubber (visible condition and pressures)
But no - it don't (and won't) happen. All they learn is to make some choices in multiple choice test, drive around streets they know and have practised on without losing too many points.
In perfect circumstances, a related adult (parent etc) will give them a run-down on basic things to check after they have the licence ... and advice on driving on the dirt and various conditions.
Unfortunately, their further experience is gained from what they learn from their mates.
It is definitely a complex and difficult problem ... but a motor vehicle is the most dangerous thing that we regularly have in our hands. It causes more death, injury and trauma than almost anything else in our society ... and we hand control of it to the ill-informed and ill-trained.
Cheers - and sorry for stepping up on that damned soap box agen - JOhn
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
.........and at this point in the story, our threads generally degenerate into being like a cow pat being dive bombed by millions of hell-bent blowies.....some folk can't even change their minds let alone a tyre....the sun will still shine...there will still be nuggets to be found.....all is well on the Western Front....let's enjoy it....another great story Pipes..you are a master Wordsmith/ Our Story' Laureate'...Hoo Roo
-- Edited by goldfinger on Thursday 30th of June 2016 09:05:01 AM
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'The secret of happiness is not in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less'.Socrates BC399.
'Be a Cheerful Nomad, not a Grumpy Gromad, it's the Surly Bird who catches the Germ'!
Hey, I didn't mean to start a "barney". All I meant to tell youse is, that at my age, I was flat "getting it up". Even with Jennifer, on hands and knees, whispering advice, I still had old age "problems", and had to use two jacks.
Safe travelling.
Pipes
I,m sittin here with tears rollin down me dial Pipes. The mental picture of you rollin about under that motorhome is almost too much.
But good onya for helping Jennifer hey....hope she learnt some stuff ......and not just 4 letter words...
2 jacks eh ?!!......well I have 3... 2 windup and 1 hydraulic..plus a toolbox that is almost to damn heavy to lift (you have seen it Pipes)..so if there isn't a tool in there to get the job done...then the axe and a can of diesel with some matches will fix it for sure.
calmed down now and stepped orf me soap box - John
but why take the discussion to such ridiculous lengths. To implement the knowledge, and ideally the experience, of wheel changing is simple.
