July 2011 to August 6, 1011
Cleveland , TN
Tires ain't pretty.
Getting started on this road trip to the Canadian Maritimes... I'm excited. .... gonna get to see Newfoundland ,... where the vikings came into this continent a thousand years ago. I've waited a lifetime to see this and we're now underway.... leaving Birmingham heading northeast up I -59. The interstate roads have worn out.... the washboarding is terrible. bump bump,... bump bump.... relentlous. Horrible road and this is the American interstate icon. Up past Fort Payne, Alabama it gets worse. constant bump bump. On up past the rock escarpments around Chattanooga.... driving under that magnificent Lookout Mountain at Chatanooga. Up I- 75 north of Chattanoga... bump bump. it's getting worse... starting to swerve in the lanes, it's all I can do to hold it straight in the lanes.
I'm sure we've thrown a wheel weight the steering is so bad and exit at hwy 60 Cleveland , TN. a couple of stops... check the tire pressure... seems ok. a wal mart guy says they can mount a tire... not convinced... we head for a KOA camp for the night and re-evaluate ; think it through. a rough start on this journey; we'll think on it overnight. Guy at the KOA says cleveland tire is ok.
Next morning make it to Cleveland business district near the main drag / mall. Up hwy 11 a mile is Cleveland Tire... and we meet Nick. Nick is busy fixing a dozen trucks / 18 wheelers...he's busy... and after sorting out jobs to a stoping place takes some time with us. After inspection and talking a few minutes says,... look... the steel belts have separated... let me get the right tires for this rig.... I don't want you to go up north a thousand miles and have a "Car" tire blow out on you and ruin your trip. This was an honest guy... and his best judgement; We'll stick with him on this.
Nick showed us what had happened.... the steel belts had separated and made a bulge... an anyeurism on the tire.... old age. Nick called around and got the right tires located... then bent over backward to get drivers to pick them up and get them delivered here... late in the day. Nick said ,... look drive up and camp at Grasshopper Creek park for the night... and we'll get you on the road in the morning. Now we had talked with other tire people that would have mounted a regular size car tire and sent us on,... but we trusted Nicks judgement. ... and it turned out to be the right judgement... trusting his knowledge. We drove 7,000 miles on those tires with no problems... they did good! Thank you Nick!
We camped the night at Grasshopper Creek camp... with a thunderstorm during the night. A beautiful sunset.... Next day,... Nick got us squared away on tires and we headed northeast and eventually completed a 7,000 mile journey to the Canadian Maritimes... to Newfoundland and back....without any tire problems. The hard working guys like Nick often get overlooked; not here. Thank you ! This was the journey of a lifetime and you helped make it happen. And when we came back through Cleveland.... Nick checked out everything and made sure all tires were balanced and gopod to go another journey. Nick's a good guy and Im sure one day he;ll have his own store ; I;ll take my truck back to him to get squared away!
Nick and his buddy were good guys ! And Nick,... I know you love that motorcycle... just be careful and ride defensive. I ALWAYS look for the head light on motorcycles and give them leeway; you do too!!!
I think back to ?what would you do up on the Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia if we;d blown out these tires...stranded... out on the edge. The rule we learned from Nick was... when you buy a vehicle... an RV... negociate the cost of replacing all the tires new into your offer. ...then find Nick to get you squared away on tires!
MARNE 2 /3 /58 # 219
July 2011 to August 6, 1011
Cleveland , TN
Tires ain't pretty.
Getting started on this road trip to the Canadian Maritimes... I'm excited. .... gonna get to see Newfoundland ,... where the vikings came into this continent a thousand years ago. I've waited a lifetime to see this and we're now underway.... leaving Birmingham heading northeast up I -59. The interstate roads have worn out.... the washboarding is terrible. bump bump,... bump bump.... relentlous. Horrible road and this is the American interstate icon. Up past Fort Payne, Alabama it gets worse. constant bump bump. On up past the rock escarpments around Chattanooga.... driving under that magnificent Lookout Mountain at Chatanooga. Up I- 75 north of Chattanoga... bump bump. it's getting worse... starting to swerve in the lanes, it's all I can do to hold it straight in the lanes.
I'm sure we've thrown a wheel weight the steering is so bad and exit at hwy 60 Cleveland , TN. a couple of stops... check the tire pressure... seems ok. a wal mart guy says they can mount a tire... not convinced... we head for a KOA camp for the night and re-evaluate ; think it through. a rough start on this journey; we'll think on it overnight. Guy at the KOA says cleveland tire is ok.
Next morning make it to Cleveland business district near the main drag / mall. Up hwy 11 a mile is Cleveland Tire... and we meet Nick. Nick is busy fixing a dozen trucks / 18 wheelers...he's busy... and after sorting out jobs to a stoping place takes some time with us. After inspection and talking a few minutes says,... look... the steel belts have separated... let me get the right tires for this rig.... I don't want you to go up north a thousand miles and have a "Car" tire blow out on you and ruin your trip. This was an honest guy... and his best judgement; We'll stick with him on this.
Nick showed us what had happened.... the steel belts had separated and made a bulge... an anyeurism on the tire.... old age. Nick called around and got the right tires located... then bent over backward to get drivers to pick them up and get them delivered here... late in the day. Nick said ,... look drive up and camp at Grasshopper Creek park for the night... and we'll get you on the road in the morning. Now we had talked with other tire people that would have mounted a regular size car tire and sent us on,... but we trusted Nicks judgement. ... and it turned out to be the right judgement... trusting his knowledge. We drove 7,000 miles on those tires with no problems... they did good! Thank you Nick!
We camped the night at Grasshopper Creek camp... with a thunderstorm during the night. A beautiful sunset.... Next day,... Nick got us squared away on tires and we headed northeast and eventually completed a 7,000 mile journey to the Canadian Maritimes... to Newfoundland and back....without any tire problems. The hard working guys like Nick often get overlooked; not here. Thank you ! This was the journey of a lifetime and you helped make it happen. And when we came back through Cleveland.... Nick checked out everything and made sure all tires were balanced and gopod to go another journey. Nick's a good guy and Im sure one day he;ll have his own store ; I;ll take my truck back to him to get squared away!
Nick and his buddy were good guys ! And Nick,... I know you love that motorcycle... just be careful and ride defensive. I ALWAYS look for the head light on motorcycles and give them leeway; you do too!!!
I think back to ?what would you do up on the Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia if we;d blown out these tires...stranded... out on the edge. The rule we learned from Nick was... when you buy a vehicle... an RV... negociate the cost of replacing all the tires new into your offer. ...then find Nick to get you squared away on tires!
