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  1. #1
    Setting Up Camp
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    Jun 2020
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    My wheel passed me doing 70…

    Potentially very bad/dangerous situation, which happily turned out to be just a big inconvenience. Traveling from West Palm Beach to home in Versailles, KY this past spring, and was making my way across Florida on the Turnpike when I felt a funny rumble in the truck. Pulled off to find the rear left tire on my TV had ballooned up like big marshmallow. It was a newish tire, so thought “That’s odd,” but then started rolling around on the ground to dig out the spare. A couple minutes into the job, one of FDOT’s Road Rangers pulls up to see if I want any help. I wasn’t aware of this service, but apparently they drive Florida’s roads helping motorists with issues. “Great!” I thought … count me in!

    Fast forward 20 minutes, and the very kind Ranger had replaced the wheel with my spare, securing the lug nuts with a cordless impact wrench. Tipped him $20 and was on my way, feeling good about humanity.

    About a hour later, and kawham! TV takes a decided lurch with huge crashing sound, settling out of kilter, nose high. As I was white knuckling to the side of the road again, caught a glimpse of my wheel (now unattached to anything) shooting past me on the left and coming to rest in the median a couple hundred yards in front of me.

    Turns out the entire rear left wheel had come detached from my TV, causing my entire rig to drop onto the brake hub while I screeched to an eventual stop, tearing up a couple hundred feet of pristine Florida asphalt in the process.

    After much discussion with various experienced folks, the best we could come up with is that the Ranger’s impact wrench was not set to the correct torque and that all the lug nuts worked themselves loose while I was blissfully tooling along at 65 mph. I did not think to check or tighten the lug nuts myself, a scary lesson learned.

    In the end, got the TV towed (actually, carried on a flatbed) to a shop, while the travel trailer, I, and Penelope (loving Bernese Mountain dog) caught a ride to the Holiday RV Village park in Leesburg, FL, where we spent a fairly enjoyable week waiting for the repair to TV.

    In the end, all is back in running order, could have been a waaaay worse outcome, and definitely taught me a very valuable lesson learned.

    All the best, and stay safe out there!Click image for larger version. 

Name:	PXL_20210330_193455044.jpg 
Views:	124 
Size:	97.2 KB 
ID:	35768
    Last edited by KY Gentleman Farmer; 07-30-2021 at 12:50 PM. Reason: Added photo
    Dave Gaines
    Kentucky Gentleman Farmer
    1997 F-350 Quad Cab
    2020 Grand Design 315RLTS

  2. #2
    Long Hauler
    Join Date
    May 2020
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    All over - Full-timing
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    Quote Originally Posted by KY Gentleman Farmer View Post
    Potentially very bad/dangerous situation, which happily turned out to be just a big inconvenience. Traveling from West Palm Beach to home in Versailles, KY this past spring, and was making my way across Florida on the Turnpike when I felt a funny rumble in the truck. Pulled off to find the rear left tire on my TV had ballooned up like big marshmallow. It was a newish tire, so thought “That’s odd,” but then started rolling around on the ground to dig out the spare. A couple minutes into the job, one of FDOT’s Road Rangers pulls up to see if I want any help. I wasn’t aware of this service, but apparently they drive Florida’s roads helping motorists with issues. “Great!” I thought … count me in!

    Fast forward 20 minutes, and the very kind Ranger had replaced the wheel with my spare, securing the lug nuts with a cordless impact wrench. Tipped him $20 and was on my way, feeling good about humanity.

    About a hour later, and kawham! TV takes a decided lurch with huge crashing sound, settling out of kilter, nose high. As I was white knuckling to the side of the road again, caught a glimpse of my wheel (now unattached to anything) shooting past me on the left and coming to rest in the median a couple hundred yards in front of me.

    Turns out the entire rear left wheel had come detached from my TV, causing my entire rig to drop onto the brake hub while I screeched to an eventual stop, tearing up a couple hundred feet of pristine Florida asphalt in the process.

    After much discussion with various experienced folks, the best we could come up with is that the Ranger’s impact wrench was not set to the correct torque and that all the lug nuts worked themselves loose while I was blissfully tooling along at 65 mph. I did not think to check or tighten the lug nuts myself, a scary lesson learned.

    In the end, got the TV towed (actually, carried on a flatbed) to a shop, while the travel trailer, I, and Penelope (loving Bernese Mountain dog) caught a ride to the Holiday RV Village park in Leesburg, FL, where we spent a fairly enjoyable week waiting for the repair to TV.

    In the end, all is back in running order, could have been a waaaay worse outcome, and definitely taught me a very valuable lesson learned.

    All the best, and stay safe out there!
    This exact reason is why I carry a 1/2 torque wrench. I'm anal about this, and I check the torque on my own wheels, personally. Once a true has been removed and remounted, I torque it myself, before I go anywhere, then within the first 30-60 minutes, I'll find a spot to recheck the torque.

    I wasn't towing anything, but the back left tire of one of my trucks did this exact thing, after leaving the shop. They fixed everything at no cost to me, and I bought my first torque wrench that day.

    Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk
    Last edited by MoonShadow_1911; 07-30-2021 at 07:05 AM.
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  3. #3
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    Nov 2013
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    Sounds like you handled the situation quite well. If I saw my wheel pass me my pants would have been either wet or should!!
    Great lesson on why we should check the wheel torque.
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
    2022 GMC 3500 Denali Duramax Longbed SRW
    2015 GMC Denali 3500 - Retired
    2003 F350 - retired
    Michigan
    We're in trouble now, the dog are bloggin'!
    https://3dogsandatrailer.wordpress.com/


  4. #4
    Site Team Ynot4me2's Avatar
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    Wow, definitely an eye opener. I'm amazed how quickly it came off.

    Sent from my SM-P610 using Tapatalk
    Steph & Lise
    2019 F150 Lariat 2.7 EB
    2020 Imagine XLS 22MLE

  5. #5
    Seasoned Camper CaptPicardo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KY Gentleman Farmer View Post
    Potentially very bad/dangerous situation, which happily turned out to be just a big inconvenience. Traveling from West Palm Beach to home in Versailles, KY this past spring, and was making my way across Florida on the Turnpike when I felt a funny rumble in the truck. Pulled off to find the rear left tire on my TV had ballooned up like big marshmallow. It was a newish tire, so thought “That’s odd,” but then started rolling around on the ground to dig out the spare. A couple minutes into the job, one of FDOT’s Road Rangers pulls up to see if I want any help. I wasn’t aware of this service, but apparently they drive Florida’s roads helping motorists with issues. “Great!” I thought … count me in!

    Fast forward 20 minutes, and the very kind Ranger had replaced the wheel with my spare, securing the lug nuts with a cordless impact wrench. Tipped him $20 and was on my way, feeling good about humanity.

    About a hour later, and kawham! TV takes a decided lurch with huge crashing sound, settling out of kilter, nose high. As I was white knuckling to the side of the road again, caught a glimpse of my wheel (now unattached to anything) shooting past me on the left and coming to rest in the median a couple hundred yards in front of me.

    Turns out the entire rear left wheel had come detached from my TV, causing my entire rig to drop onto the brake hub while I screeched to an eventual stop, tearing up a couple hundred feet of pristine Florida asphalt in the process.

    After much discussion with various experienced folks, the best we could come up with is that the Ranger’s impact wrench was not set to the correct torque and that all the lug nuts worked themselves loose while I was blissfully tooling along at 65 mph. I did not think to check or tighten the lug nuts myself, a scary lesson learned.

    In the end, got the TV towed (actually, carried on a flatbed) to a shop, while the travel trailer, I, and Penelope (loving Bernese Mountain dog) caught a ride to the Holiday RV Village park in Leesburg, FL, where we spent a fairly enjoyable week waiting for the repair to TV.

    In the end, all is back in running order, could have been a waaaay worse outcome, and definitely taught me a very valuable lesson learned.

    All the best, and stay safe out there!Click image for larger version. 

Name:	PXL_20210330_193455044.jpg 
Views:	124 
Size:	97.2 KB 
ID:	35768
    Glad you all survived brother, I carry a torque wrench as well coz those who don't drive the vehicle care less that you and I would. I got my RV tires swapped out 5,000 miles ago, I had to re-torque them all since they rushed the job.
    Jeff & Ally
    Started in Colorado Springs, Nov 2020 - full-timers
    Navy CPO ISC (SW/AW)
    RVIA Certified Tech (L1)
    2019 Grand Design - Solitude 377MBS
    2020 Chevy Silverado 3500 Duramax/Allison Standard Bed SRW


  6. #6
    Big Traveler
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
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    Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
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    Wow! Must have been quite a handful. I had a rear tire come off a truck I was driving once, but no trailer attached. That was scary enough for me!
    2018 Dodge 3500 6.7 Cummins SRW w/Aisin
    2021 Reflection 303RLS
    New to RV'ing since 1997

  7. #7
    Seasoned Camper Likes to tow's Avatar
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    Nov 2016
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    Huntington, WV
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    I lost a wheel on my fifth wheel rv once and did not even know it was gone until I got to the campground. All the studs were sheared off. Apparently the lug nuts had been working loose for several trips and miles and I was not aware of it. You can feel it if it's on the tow vehicle but on the trailer there is no sign of it. Now I carry a torque wrench and check my lug nuts to 95lbs very often.

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