Blowout!

 

We left Michigan on the 3rd and did a nice 300 plus day in 70 degree clear weather. We ran around Detroit to the west on 636 then down 23 until we crossed the border into Ohio ... really a nice road and we made great time.

 

We spent that night at the Indianapolis KOA which is an older style KOA but with some nice long gravel pull thrus for about $35 ... not bad. It's right on I-70 to the east of Indianapolis so a very convenient overnight spot.

 

Then for another 300 or so mile day we headed south on I-69 toward Kentucky, planning to stay at the Outback RV resort which we have done before. Another pretty day rolling along 69, crossed the border into Kentucky, and about 40 miles short of the RV park .... Wham!

 

70 MPH on a fairly deserted section of Interstate with about 8 feet of shoulder and we rumbled to a stop. The inner right dually had disintegrated with pieces of rubber strewn down the highway. No problem you say as the outside tire was still fine and we could slowly motor on the 40 miles ... nope.

 



Here's the reason. As the tire blew (our direction of travel is to the right in these pics) it grabbed the mud flap and sucked it up and over the good tire. The flap is made of very rigid plastic and held in place by the piece of metal below with about 8 screws. Normally it would lay flat behind the tire, but as the piece of metal was holding it against the good tire I had to unbolt it and pry the metal frame up to where you see it below.

It took about an hour to get the screws loose and pry the thing off the good tire. The Kentucky State Patrol stopped by to make sure we were OK which was nice. Before my modification started we called the Good Sam Roadside Assistance number and they said that they would get us some new rubber.

After we limped into the Outback RV park using the back roads, the Goodyear guy showed up and by 8pm that night had replaced both tires on that side for $1535. The Outback park has some nice paved pull thrus which made the replacement easier and the bus, Indy style, raises itself up off the ground on the levelers which is handy. Super service by both Goodyear and the Good Sam folks who had arranged everything. The above pictures obviously were taken later on a good piece of concrete ... and oh yeah, that's a piece of shredded steel belted radial which I later found in the front of our car.

Off down the road the next day singing to Willy Nelson's "On the Road Again"!!