[A/S] Flat tire experience with 2001 Excella

["Dan McAnulty" <maison1306@xxxxxxxxx>]

Being new to Airstream trailers and not remembering all the 
info I read in the reference manual, I recently had a bad experience 
with a flat tire.  On our way to Florida, the left rear tire on our 
30' Excella started losing air.  It got too late to find a repair 
shop open so we limped into a tire store lot to spend the night.  I 
had wanted to take the tire off myself but discovered:

(1) a $57,000 (list price) trailer doesn't come with a spare tire

(2) this same trailer doesn't even come with an $8 lug wrench that 
would allow me to remove it and take it somewhere to get repaired.

Hope this helps you to be prepared better than I was.  I'm buying a 
spare and an electric impact wrench. I've already picked up the lug 
wrench.

PS: When the tire shop jacked up the trailer (using the marked 
diamond spot) to change the tire, The door panel on left side 
overhead bin in the bedroom split completely in half.  The trailer 
was raised just enough to get the tire off.  I spoke with an 
Airstream tech in Ohio who said he'd never heard of this happening.

Am I being unreasonable or is Airstream holding back on the 
consumer?