Flat Spots, Margaritas, and Muffulettas

Let me take you back a couple of days. 


After hooking up the Vue to Winne back at Tishomingo State Park I am 99% sure that I followed my normal routine. Run the engine while hooking up the towbar, turn off the engine, push the test button on the Vue's auxiliary brake system (Brake Buddy) 3 times to bleed the vacuum off the power brake booster, put the Tow/Drive switch in "Tow" mode to remove power to the instrument panel, emergency brake off ... ready to tow. Now that step to push the test button to bleed the vacuum off the brake booster is really important. If you don't -- and the brake buddy actuates the brakes --- you will lock up the Vue's front tires. I know --- I've done it before at low speeds.


Well apparently I was 100% wrong because later that day I hit the brakes while doing about 50 mph - the Vue's brakes actuated, the front tires locked up and screeching tires and smoke later ... both vehicles came to a stop. I pulled over and checked things out and all seemed OK so we continued on.


This morning I happened to look at the Vue's right front tire and noticed a really bad spot with ripped rubber and a definite flat spot. The left front looked a little better but also had a flat spot. Later Peggy and I drove to the local laundromat and to WalMart for a grocery run. You could definitely hear and feel the flat spots. On the way home I happened upon a local tire shop in Dickson, TN and stopped in to check on the availability and price on a couple of replacements. They had the tire size I needed but I certainly didn't like the price. 


We continued on back to the rig to unload our groceries and I jumped on the internet and phone to check a few other places as to availability and price. I found that these tires are a somewhat unique size ... but I did find some replacements ... for even more money than the Dickson shop wanted!


Although the tires probably would have been OK to travel back to Maine I decided that they needed to be replaced anyway - and I probably wasn't going to find a much better price - so 45 minutes later the Vue had new front tires. And the new ones are even round!


Lesson learned the hard way. MAKE SURE YOU BLEED OFF THE POWER BRAKE VACUUM BEFORE TOWING.


When we weren't doing chores we did get in a visit with the Curps in the late afternoon and we had them over tonight for a round of Dortha's Margaritas followed by a Muffuletta dinner. 


See ... the day wasn't bad at all (just a little expensive.)

Tomorrow we all hit the road heading east. The Curps are heading to the Smokies and we're heading east to Knoxville and then perhaps a little north to Bristol, TN. We'll have to see how the day goes before determining our stopping point for the night.


See ya next time from the Eastern Time Zone!