Laughlin to Sidewinder road

Hi
We left Laughlin Thursday morning heading back to the Yuma area. Its only about a 220 mile drive over mostly non descript desert, but on a road that is not the greatest. It is in poor repair with many rough spots and typical of secondary desert roads has lots of dips which makes driving on it like riding a small roller coaster.

A quite uneventful trip until we got about 8 miles from our destination which is out in the desert in California west of Yuma. We heard a big bang which we both knew was a blown tire. I looked in the mirror and sure enough, lots of smoke, the front trailer tire on the driver side went.....the trailer handled very well and luckly for us there was lots of shoulder at this point and I was able to pull over with no problems. There were many spots earlier with no shoulder, so we were lucky in that respect.

The blown tire damaged the sheet metal skirting in front of the tire, the plastic trim piece around the wheel wells, and tore off the motor for my rear stabilizer jacks anong with a gate valve that was on the sewer outlet. We were lucky that more damage was not done. the sheet metal and plastic part are easily fixed, the motor is another story.

Linda got on the phone to call the road service and found out we do not have road service anymore.....the damn agent removed it from the truck and trailer sometime and did not tell us.
Luckily our friends Tom and Nancy Doyle were at sidewinder and Linda called and Tom came out with his 10 ton bottle jack and 4 way lug wrench and we changed the tire. Thank you so much Tom.

Yesterday we found the B.F.Goodrich store and ordered 4 new tires that will be in on Monday. $1196 later. I called about a new motor for the jacks and they want $497 for this special gear motor. I think I can make an adaptor the will allow me to use my electric drill to raise and lower them...I will check with some welding shops in the area today or Monday.
We will be out on sidewinder road, off the grid, until the 7th of March when we go back into Yuma fairgrounds for the Western Gypsy Journal RV rally which last until the 12th. Than on to Tucson area to visit with dear old friends from Knoxville, TN, Sam and Eula who have a son who will be working out with the Colorado Rockys at spring trailing hoping to make the team.

Wow, thats the most I have written in a long time...
see ya
Love to all of you
Jim and Linda