Coping with RV Stress
Everyone deals with fear and stress in their own way. Maybe you’re someone that will just freeze up and do nothing. Well that is not the answer for anything or anyone.
The Right Frame of Mind
Some people have a tendency to think “Well who do we call?” That is not always an option while ten miles deep in a forest. Now add the stress of a flat tire ten miles away from civilization or possibly stuck in the mud like we had another situation here. You went there for peace and quiet and now there is a lot of quiet but definitely no peace, especially after a night of tornado warnings. How do you cope with it?
Nope, this is not some kind of psychobabble life coach kind of thing. It is just a thought of what would you do if this was you? This was our proverbial dung and this is how we handled it. The question is; “What would you have done?”
Leave a comment on your ideas or experience. We would love to hear from you.
The Dreaded Flat Tire
On one of our trips across the United States we got a flat tire. Cruising through Texarkana, in the city, on a major highway and no breakdown lane.
A kind soul informed us that one of our six tires was flat. With nowhere to go and no sizable breakdown lane, we decided to take the very next exit. The big issue, worrying about the risk that might bring.
The Risk of a Possible Bad Decision
The biggest thought running through my head was the fact that we are 62 feet long and 12 foot six inches tall. This combination creates a possible issue in downtown Texarkana. As luck would have it, there was a huge parking lot for what I think is the largest United States Postal service office I have ever seen.
The Big Question
After getting off the main road and in a safe spot, kind of, now comes time for the question. So the question, “Who do We call?” in a slightly stressful voice, comes out of my better half’s mouth. In her defense it was our first major issue with our rig.
Yes we could have called someone to change one of Delta’s tires (Delta is the RV’s name) but what kind of self sufficient person would I be in my mind. Plus this parking lot was gated and we were right in front of the gate. There is no time to wait two or three hours for somebody to assist. Time to roll up the sleeves and dig in.
The Flat-Out Solution
We have gone through multiple scenarios in our thoughts of traveling around the country towing our life behind us. This one was not even a thought. I have changed multiple tires no big deal. Get the jack out and lift up the vehicle and change the tire. Uh oh, where’s Delta’s jack?
Nope there was not a 5th wheel specific jack. Nope didn’t have a floor jack. We had nothing. Then a lightbulb goes off, our truck has a jack, I was hoping and it did anyways. Thank the almighty that it did.
The jack worked great and the tire got changed. We did however have to figure out how to get the tire down from its home under the RV. Another life lesson.
Learn From Our Mistakes
The quick take away from all this is to expect the unexpected and figure the rest out as we go along. Most of all practice changing a tire somewhere safe. Do it a few times. You can even make it a game and pretend you’re in the pit at NASCAR. Maybe even try it in the dirt, soft ground, etc.
Our personal best was the second time we got a flat, thinking in Georgia just outside of Atlanta. Total time seven minutes from hazards on to pulling back onto the desolate highway. Check out the video of it here. In short we learned from our mistakes. We all make them and if we are not learning we’re dying.
Remember to breath and keep it simple.
