Northeast Overland

Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

Northeast Overland is Maine's leading self reliant adventure travel community in the Northeast Region of the U.S. Led by a Registered Maine Guide, you can be sure that you'll have an unforgettable adventure all while we TreadLightly!


4 posters

    NMW Visit and flat tires

    avatar
    Wilbah


    Posts : 34
    Points : 41
    Reputation : 7
    Join date : 2014-07-09

    NMW Visit and flat tires Empty NMW Visit and flat tires

    Post by Wilbah Fri Jul 11, 2014 7:25 pm

    I am not sure where to put this topic but figured it is worth posting. If the mods want to move it to a better suited area please feel free to do so. As a newbie here I am still feeling my way around a bit.  Rolling Eyes So this is not really a plan for a new adventure (sadly!  Evil or Very Mad ) but a heads up for some folks. And its already a little late in the season for this but for folks planning a trip to the NMW I figure its worth posting (learn from my mistakes....as will become clear).

    So when the ice clears in the NMW the logging companies start to grade the roads to fix the winter damage. This turns up lots of sharp rocks that for a month or so will jump out and attack your tires with a vengeance.....especially at any speeds over 45 mph or so. One year on a trip to my favorite spot we found this out the hard way. Work schedules being what they were (and winter being what it was) 4 of us headed up in late May. We hit the Telos road.....2 vehicles and 3 spares between us. Unfortunately the roads we were on had just recently been graded and we were also pushing to try to get to the campsite before dark. Well three flats later we had no spares but we made it. What we didn't know was one of the remaining "good tires" was on its way out but was holding air when we arrived at the campsite. We had a great time....fished....had some great food....maybe a beverage or three.  Rolling Eyes So now its time to come out.....for some reason I always seem to be packing up in the rain and so it was this trip....anywho....started out....and that last tire found another rock to tear it out completely. Now we had one vehicle with 4 good tires....another vehicle with only three....and four flats. So the one vehicle with good tires took our "best" spare to Millinocket to try to find a repair shop to fix it. That left my buddy and me on the side of the road in the rain....and not just a sprinkle so we could fish...this was a gullywasher that kept us in the truck.  Mad 

    Three hours later our buddies show back up. Not only are tire repair shops not all over Millinocket they especially aren't open on Sundays. And while they did finally find a guy who was able to put two plugs in it didn't completely hold air. It was enough to get us out to the auto parts store where two cans of fix-a-flat later the tire held enough air to attempt the ride home. And it did hold fortunately. But that changed things for us at the time. No more high speed runs over anything remotely resembling a recently graded road....two spares for every vehicle (mandatory)...full repair station grade repair kits (plugs and tools for Load Range E tires not the consumer grade BS) and air.

    So I post this as a "you can learn from my misfortune" kind of thing. If you go early make sure you're prepared and make sure you keep speed to 35 mph or so. It will save a lot of waiting and PITA stuff later. Lord knows I have lots of things that started as a "Hey look at this...." that turned into "Well you can learn from this...." kind of moments.  Laughing 
    MtnClimber
    MtnClimber
    Admin


    Posts : 3918
    Points : 4000
    Reputation : 156
    Join date : 2012-12-20

    NMW Visit and flat tires Empty Re: NMW Visit and flat tires

    Post by MtnClimber Tue Jul 22, 2014 8:10 pm

    Great tire experience! I carry enough plugs, patches, a can or two of fix-o-flat, 2 tire spoons, and a compressor PLUS 2 full-size spares whenever I venture up there. I can't believe that during the entire Moose on the Loose ride that covered a few of these freshly graded roads (including the Golden Road), no one got a flat!  What a Face 
    Barrows
    Barrows


    Posts : 1085
    Points : 924
    Reputation : 31
    Join date : 2012-12-22
    Age : 45
    Location : Union Maine

    NMW Visit and flat tires Empty Re: NMW Visit and flat tires

    Post by Barrows Tue Jul 22, 2014 8:57 pm

    The army guys got a flat, but that was the only one.
    WLFFGreg
    WLFFGreg


    Posts : 207
    Points : 217
    Reputation : 24
    Join date : 2014-01-10
    Age : 41
    Location : Northern NH

    NMW Visit and flat tires Empty Re: NMW Visit and flat tires

    Post by WLFFGreg Tue Jul 22, 2014 8:58 pm

    MtnClimber wrote:Great tire experience! I carry enough plugs, patches, a can or two of fix-o-flat, 2 tire spoons, and a compressor PLUS 2 full-size spares whenever I venture up there. I can't believe that during the entire Moose on the Loose ride that covered a few of these freshly graded roads (including the Golden Road), no one got a flat!  What a Face 

    There was one flat! It was discovered after the trains... I believe it was the one of the Army Boys (sorry I can't remember anyone's names), the pickup.

    MtnClimber
    MtnClimber
    Admin


    Posts : 3918
    Points : 4000
    Reputation : 156
    Join date : 2012-12-20

    NMW Visit and flat tires Empty Re: NMW Visit and flat tires

    Post by MtnClimber Wed Jul 23, 2014 7:02 am

    One flat tire out of roughly 104 tires isn't bad.
    avatar
    Wilbah


    Posts : 34
    Points : 41
    Reputation : 7
    Join date : 2014-07-09

    NMW Visit and flat tires Empty Re: NMW Visit and flat tires

    Post by Wilbah Wed Jul 23, 2014 12:23 pm

    That's great in a group that size. I am guessing for us speed was the biggest downfall. We were hurrying to get in and set up and that's what doomed us.
    MtnClimber
    MtnClimber
    Admin


    Posts : 3918
    Points : 4000
    Reputation : 156
    Join date : 2012-12-20

    NMW Visit and flat tires Empty Re: NMW Visit and flat tires

    Post by MtnClimber Wed Jul 23, 2014 12:40 pm

    Speed was definitely a factor. IMHO, tire pressure and tread design are huge factors as well. Ask Mike how fast I was going in my Tacoma rollin (or spinning) on 33" KM2's aired down to 25psi w mo issues. I've been driving/drifting/sliding/spinning on KM2's for the last 4 years up there with absolutely no problems. I've just been lucky so far as to the spinning/sliding, whereas if a prudent speed and with limited amounts of wheel spin is a win. Of course when I'm bird hunting I usually putz along slower than a snails pace  NMW Visit and flat tires REOutShootinghunter01_zps09f30e19

    But every tire, aired differently under different weight rigs driving different speeds are all variables in the tire eating equation.

    Sponsored content


    NMW Visit and flat tires Empty Re: NMW Visit and flat tires

    Post by Sponsored content


      Current date/time is Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:14 am