Re: [A/S] Lubbock, TX - October 9, 2000

[hhamp5246@xxxxxxx]

I sent that post when we had that brief period with "Mailmuncher" before I 
moved us to egroups..... here it is.... It was last Aug 22nd.


What a day!!! I got up early and the whole area was totally fogged in.  
Great, I was hoping to have beautiful views today.... I could barely see the 
front of the truck.  I was just wondering why I bothered with 101 and 20 
miles from the campground the sun came out.. I was in a national forest... my 
favorite... and the ocean views were breathtaking.  Cliffs, jagged rocks, 
waves.... stunning.  Feeling much better I stayed on 101 all the way to 
Reedsport...and turned east on highway 38.  The drive on 38 was equally as 
spectacular as the drive on 101.  The first thing I came to was an Elk 
preserve.  I pulled over to watch some elk just, well, just doing what elks 
do.  The preserve was on the right, the Umpqua River was on my left.  The 
river is big and wide and gorgeous.  A thin sand bank runs along both sides. 
The sandy edges quickly turn to forests which shoot straight up on the other 
side of the river.  The road follows the river for the whole trip to 
Roseburg.  I crossed it quite a few times.  

The road is a two lane, which turns to a 3 lane when you go up long hills.  I 
always pull over to let cars by when I come to the passing lanes.  As I was 
almost to the top of a hill, driving in a leisurely fashion I saw a logging 
truck flying up to my left.  I was actually going to get to the single lane 
first, but he was trying so hard to pass me that I let off on the gas so he 
would beat me.... as he drove by he did his horn at me.  Huh?  I thought I 
had been nice to let him pass me.... I was miffed, but got over it.  We got 
to the next passing lane place and he was on the right going slow so I passed 
him... I was booking up the hill at 55 mph (the speed limit).  He beeped at 
me again.  That did it!!! Now I was really pissed. I turned on the CB, 
channel 19, and said, "What are you beeping at me for?"  Nothing back.  I 
yelled... "LOGGER!!!!"  He came on.  "Are you pulling that camper?" He asked. 
 "Yes" I snarled, "Why are you beeping at me? What is your problem?"

He said, "You have a flat tire on the camper, you've been throwing rubber for 
20 miles."  20 MILES!!!!!!  I never felt a thing.  I was so shocked "I have a 
flat tire?" I asked stupidly, not comprehending how I could have a flat.  He 
said we were coming to a town and for me to pull over.... I flashed that he 
was some lunatic and trying to get me out of the truck... but then I 
remembered seeing some rubber fly out from next to the trailer, I thought it 
was something I had run over.

We came around the corner, he said to stop someplace that we would both 
fit...that there was a school.  No room for both of us... he had an 18 
wheeler size logging truck... with a full load!  Finally, I saw it, the 
perfect spot.  Flat for me, in front of a filling station and a big dirt lot 
next door.  

I got out and looked and my jaw dropped.  I was stunned at what I saw.  
http://members.aol.com/hhamp5246/tire.htm    He asked if I had a spare, I 
did.  I had no jack though and no lug wrench... but I did stop in front of a 
service station.  He got the spare out, phew... not flat.  Then he borrowed 
two jacks and a lug wrench.  He changed the tire for me.  What a prince.  It 
was 85 degrees... the inside of the trailer stunk of burning rubber )c:

A guy drove up and saw the tire.... I told him what happened.... he was 
amazed.  I even told him I screamed at the guy on the CB cause I was so 
pissed off.... LOL.... The logger said they don't use channel 19 they use 17 
here..... I was on 19...I bled over to 17.  A friend recently told me I had 
the lungs of a 20 year old Ethel Merman, when he herd me call the dogs... 
guess he wasn't kidding.   Larry stopped lug wrenching and said to the guy, 
"Look at her hair, who wouldn't stop?"  Bahahahaha.

I tried to pay Larry, but he wouldnlt hear of it.  He's my hero.

Things to be thankful for today....  the Airstream, the tandem axle., the 
spare tire, the air in the spare, the CB, the filling station in Elkton, my 
blonde hair and most of all....Larry the Logger. 

With the spare on the rest of the trip to Roseburg/Winston was uneventful.  

When I got to the campground I got on the phone to see about getting a new 
tire.  
I found a place, Big O, with Kelly trailer tires.  8 ply (my Marathons are 6 
ply- C load) The Kellys are D load rated.  I also checked at Walmart, they 
don't sell trailer tires, liability concerns (?) I called a few other places 
and no one had anything better so I'm getting the Kelly, actually I'm getting 
4 new Kellys.... I don't know why that tire failed.... if it's because it's 4 
years old... they all are.  George Tripp mentioned that I would be needing 
new tires soon.... he was right. The Big O place will repack my wheel 
bearings too... which needs to be done. So, it goes in tomorrow morning.