The Kindness of Strangers

Watch for Rocks!

 

Time to head out for another day on the road . . . . we were all ready to go and as we pulled down the hill and around the folks setting up in the picnic area we were greeted by a loud “HSSSSSSSSSS” coming from the trailer. Great, we had hit a rock on the edge of the road and it had bent the wheel, allowing the air to escape from the tire. When we had upgraded the axles on the trailer to heavier ones, we could only get four tires and wheels, so did not have a spare. We have never had a flat on the trailer so were not that worried, but as they say – there's a first time for anything!

Bent Wheel

While I disconnected the trailer again, and removed the tire and wheel, Regis went to the office to get advice about where to get it fixed. I was worried that it might not be repairable – the tire looked fine, but the wheel was badly dented. After a discussion with the campground owner, Regis found out that most RV shops were closed on Saturday (When did they think Rvs were on the road and needed service?), but the owner did find one shop that dealt with farm trailers and utility trailers that was open until 12:00. The owner also said he would go down to a lot where he had some wrecked and abandoned trailers and would look for a wheel and tire that might fit. He also said that he had tools and tire changing equipment and was willing to help me try to beat the old wheel back into shape if all else failed.

We decided to send Dad to get the wheel fixed while I stayed to get these blog posts updated. He went to the office to get directions, but the owner insisted on going with him to make sure he got there. Dad reports that with the twisting roads they had to travel on (See “Off the Beaten Path”), he probably would never have found the spot, and we might not have seen him back for a week.

In the mean time, other campers discovered we had a problem and dropped in to give advice and sympathy. Everyone was interested in what had happened and it provided another opportunity to meet some more friendly Rvers.

Beaver Valley Family Campground - a friendly spot!

We were able to locate another similar wheel that would fit the trailer, and a shop that could change the tire to the new wheel. We had everything fixed and and got on the road by 1:00 pm. We could never have managed this without the help of the kind friendly folks at Beaver Valley Family Campground. We got to know them a bit better and genuinely liked these friendly people. A big “Thank You” to all the staff at this great campground and the friendly guests their campground attracts. They turned a disaster into a positive experience. We will fondly remember their help and friendly attitude.