How To Change A Fifth Wheel Tire

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Just as we pulled into our boondocking site we noticed a flat 5th wheel tire. We show how to change a fifth wheel tire, but our tire problems only get worse as issues with a second tire are discovered.

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Changing RV Tires

Flat 5th Wheel Tire

You remember how we said we hope we didn’t have any more eventful things happen on our way to Death Valley? So we got in today, everything was fine. We pulled in. We were getting level in our site here. We’ve got the trailer set up, and that is good. But then as I was walking around while I was getting the levelers all squared away to lift the trailer up just the right way to level it, I noticed one of the tires was really low on the trailer. And then I went to check it, and sure enough it was only at 12 PSI when it’s supposed to be at 80.

And I’m not really sure when the leak started because we have a TireMinder system that’s supposed to tell us when these kinds of things happen, and it never went off. So I’m wondering if pulling in here maybe I ran over something that caused the leak. But I still have to get the tire off just to see what’s going on with it. I was airing it up, and I can hear air just wheezing out of it really fast. So there’s definitely a pretty big leak, and I really don’t think it happened until we pulled in here thankfully. So let’s go check it out. Thankfully I carry spare jacks in the bed of the truck just in case something like this happens.

How To Change A Fifth Wheel Tire

The other couple times I’ve ever had to change a tire on this trailer we were thankfully on some pretty firm surfaces. This is the first time I’ve ended up having to do this at a boondocking site. So I’m working on some pretty loose gravel here. So I’ve put down my leveling blocks to brace the jacks as they go in to lift the trailer. I’ve got two jacks. One is a 12 ton jack I’ll use to lift the frame of the trailer just a little bit to take some of the pressure off the axle. And then I’ve got a smaller four ton bottle jack that I’ll put under the leaf springs to lift this tire up so I can get it off of there.

Lifting the Frame

When you lift the frame of the trailer make sure that you’re actually connecting to the actual frame of the trailer. Actually the very first time I had to have a tire changed I called someone to come out and do it. And they lifted it up by this tubular piece and actually ended up bending it a little bit. So needless to say I’ve been doing this myself ever since.

Right about when I see the leaf spring start to bend a little bit more I know that I’m relieving some pressure off of it. So now it is time to lift the axle. And just because I know I’m working with bottle jacks that can kind of give way a little bit over time, I actually got the jack from my truck out. And I’m going to use it to brace this up as well with the little bottle jack after I get it lifted up.

Ensuring You’re Level

That is actually not quite level so I’m going to dig the ground out a little bit with the set of blocks just until it’s level, and then, oh there’s a giant rock in the ground. But I want to dig this out until it’s level and kind of let the jack press those blocks into the ground. And have this guy as a backup.

Well I definitely found the leak. There’s definitely a crack in the tire. I’m gonna have to get the spare off. And what I actually should have done was loosen up the lug nuts before I got this up off the ground. And honestly it’s starting to get dark, and the mosquitoes are coming out. So I’m going to save this project for tomorrow when it’s more pleasant to work on. And I’m going to go have dinner. So I’ll see you in the morning.

More Tire Problems

I’m actually really glad that I waited another day to do this. It’s a lot more pleasant out today, and it gave us the opportunity to get set up while we’re here because we’re still going to be here for a few days to go visit Death Valley. The other thing is that I was looking at the tire behind this one right here. And I’m starting to see cracking in the rubber on that one too. It just so happens for us it seems like we go through a set of tires on the trailer once every two to two and a half years. And we’re getting close.

Replacement Tires

So actually this morning I called around to a bunch of places to see where I could get replacement tires. We use Goodyear Endurance tires on our trailer, and they weren’t real easy to find. So I’m gonna have to drive an hour away in a few days to go get it. If you can’t tell, it is really really windy today so sorry about that.

Taking Off The RV Tire & Installing The Spare

So I’m gonna get this tire off of here just like I said. I brought it down a little bit so I can get the lug nuts off, but I’m gonna get the spare tire on here. And then in a couple of days I’m gonna have the back one replaced as well. And we’ll be ready to be on the road again. The other funny thing worth mentioning is that I actually have an audience for this. There is a donkey standing about 300 feet away just watching this whole thing.

Tightening Lug Nuts

Ideally you would have a torque wrench and torque everything to the exact proper spec. I’ve never had one that would work for this so I’ve always just used this breaker bar. And I just make sure not to over tighten. Definitely tighten everything in a star pattern so the wheel sits tight on the hub just right. Actually in a few days I’m probably going to be taking this off anyway and putting it back on as a spare and I’ll put the new tire here. But for now I want a tire on here.

All right, at this point we could drive if we had to. But uh I still don’t particularly like the look of this rear tire. So in a couple of days I’m gonna replace both of these. And we’ll take you along for that. Hopefully we won’t have 30 mile an hour winds when I’m trying to do that. Today’s the day I go get a couple of new tires. I got about an hour drive to get there and get them mounted and then bring them back just in time for us to be able to leave. But first I’m gonna make sure I bring this because it’s empty, and it’s just a good idea to fill propane as I can.

Getting New Tires

Well it turns out they have the tires, but they said it’ll take all day to mount them because they’re too busy. So I’m gonna take the tires and find another tire shop in town to get it done. Good news though, I found another tire shop that is able to do it right away. So I’m gonna go drive over there and have them done and hopefully have this done this evening.

All right I am all set. It is just an hour ride back to where the trailer is parked to get these back on. Special shout-out out to Tire Works in Pahrump, Nevada for getting these in so quick. They got it done for me. I’m pretty stoked so let’s get some new tires on that trailer. Almost there. Well that is it.

Hitting the Road Again

We are actually headed out tomorrow on our way to Utah. If you’re a little bit confused, it’s because this video is coming before our Death Valley trip because we didn’t want to leave you hanging on the flat tire saga. I really just got that done today when in reality we went to Death Valley a couple days ago. So as far as right now, we’re actually headed out tomorrow. So today was an adventure as well, but we’re gonna hit the road so we’ll see you all next time.

We hope that helps you if you ever experience similar issues on the road! Be safe!

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How To Change A Fifth Wheel Tire | RV Tire Problems!