I didn't take my own advice

By Doug McAllister

Several weeks back I answered a question about old trailer tires and taking a trip on them. My advice to the reader was not to travel long distance with old tires, as you risk a blowout.

As I was preparing my ski boat for our vacation to the Nashville area, I took my own advice and put new tires on the trailer. I knew the tires were older and I didn't like the way they looked. What I didn't do was replace the spare tire. I figured with two new tires, what are the chances I will need the spare?

Well, sure enough, one of the new tires blew out over a bump in a road-construction zone. We were on our way home and about three hours away. Not to worry. I put on the spare and we were on our way in no time.

The tire had lots of tread and the right amount of air so I thought we would make it home - and I would deal with the tires when I got back. You guessed it: about an 90 minutes later the spare just disintegrated for no reason.

Well, there was a reason. It was an old tire. I should have changed the spare, too, or looked for a tire immediately after the first one blew out because now I was stuck because it was late in the evening.

I ended up sending the rest of the family home in the other car and I waited two hours for a flatbed truck to come and haul the boat home. I crawled into bed about 2 a.m. with a large tow bill on the kitchen table. That was a lot of time and money wasted for not buying three tires instead of two.

• Douglas Automotive is at 417 W. Main St., Barrington; 123 Virginia Road, Crystal Lake; and 416 Northwest Hwy., Fox River Grove. For information, visit douglasautomotive.com. Send questions to underthehood@dailyherald.com.