A flat tire is never convenient, and even a minor blowout in a car can be downright dangerous. Now imagine it happens while driving or towing your RV or travel trailer. Not only do you have a transportation problem, but a habitation problem. What do you do?
With the average RV tire cost of $300 to $700, not including all the labor and extras, it’s good to be prepared for emergencies. If you purchased tire and wheel coverage for your RV or tow vehicle, your options are much better.
Decide Who to Call
If you’re unfortunate enough to encounter tire damage, your first priority is getting you and your vehicle to a safe place. Do not continue to drive on the tire. It could cause further damage to the vehicle and make it harder for you to control. You’ll need to be able to replace the tire yourself on-site, call a service company to replace it, or call for a tow. If you have roadside assistance through a company like AAA or your insurance provider, now is the time to take advantage of the benefits. However, the time to truly understand those benefits is before you need them.
Understand Your Coverage
You might think the fallout of a blowout would be covered by insurance, but it’s often not. Most RV insurance policies will cover vehicle damage resulting from a tire blowout, but not the cost of replacing the tire. Additionally, many regular roadside assistance policies won’t cover your vehicle while towing a trailer. If you purchased supplemental RV tire and wheel protection, your policy likely covers roadside assistance, towing, tire replacement, and sometimes even brakes and suspension systems when part of a tire incident.
Know Before You Go
Ideally, you’ll never experience a dangerous blowout, but you can minimize the chances and damage with prevention and preparation.
- Make sure the load range of your tires is suitable for the weight of the load they’ll be carrying.
- Visually inspect your tires for damage before setting out. Look for cracks, bubbles, low tread, and foreign objects like nails or screws.
- Check your tire age. Tires should be replaced every six years for safety. You can find the date of manufacture on the tire.
- Pay attention to your RV’s tire pressure monitoring system while driving and make necessary adjustments.
If you do experience a blown or damaged tire while driving, knowing how to handle your vehicle can make all the difference:
- Don’t brake abruptly.
- Accelerate gently to help regain control.
- Try not to swerve, and ease off the gas slowly.
- Attempt to coast to a safe area to stop.
Conclusion
When making a large purchase like an RV, tire coverage might seem like an unnecessary expense. However, tire damage can happen at any time, leaving you stranded with high repair costs. Being proactive with your vehicle coverage means less stressful and expensive reactions in emergencies.