PlanB
Newbie
Posts: 21
Registered: 1-28-2012
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Blowout on Mex 1
Nice flat road heading toward Guerrero Negro late afternoon, OK, maybe a tad too fast, when the right rear completely disintegrated and no place to
get off the pavement for about 2 km. A Los Pinos truck was about to pass us and on seeing the problem he backed off and held traffic back to give me
time to get the pickup under control and then off the pavement. Then to change to the spare - let it be known that it isn't as easy to change a tire
70 yrs as it was at 23. We limped in to Malarrimos to be sure we had a place to stay before hunting down the good tire shop. The manager took
complete charge of the situation, first by getting me a cold Pacifico, then to call the tire shop to see if they were still open, what they had in
stock, and on getting a quote and my approval, he directed them to come to the hotel, remove the spare and the other rear, (to become the new spare as
the old one was +6 yrs old), take it all back to their shop and return to install the new ones - balanced - for a price that was cheaper than
California prices for the same tires, all in the time it took me to shower and another Pacifico. He then changed by dollars to Pesos at the bank rate
and collected the warranty papers, etc. In all, what could have been a disaster ended up us being most grateful for Baja service in a tradition to
assist folks in need.
Que bueno es descansar despues de no hacer nada
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BajaBlanca
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Posts: 13196
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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Love this post!
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Ateo
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Nice llantera.
I met a guy at San Juanico who had a blow out on that stretch, in the heavy wind that the area is known for, and rolled his rig 6 times. He survived,
but all his stuff was scattered all over the desert.
Glad you're OK!
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bajalearner
Senior Nomad
Posts: 670
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Location: Tijuana
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Mood: in search of more
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No offense, but "narrow road, a little too fast 6 year old spare, late afternoon, put the spare on, 70 years old". I would have done things
differently, I would gone with a Modello.  Good job to you. You handled
everthing.
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DianaT
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Registered: 12-17-2004
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Certainly glad you are okay and it all worked out so well.
It is easy to drive too fast along that road as it appears to be flat and rather safe but it is notorious for accidents caused by speed, blown tires,
cows, passing, etc.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 9-19-2009
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sounds like malarrimo has a new manager, everytime we're there we have to practically beg to buy a pacifico!
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TMW
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Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Glad you are OK. A cold one usually has a calming affect and two is even better.
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Great story and nice to hear good things about the Malarrimo again! I am sure you don't need to be nagged anymore about having only good tires on a
Baja trip! Glad you are safe!
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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Plan B, good report and a nice outcome on what might instead have become a disaster. Nothing like a cool Pacifico to settle thos driving tensions
and what better place to have one at...'Malarrimos' is a favorite with us since forever.
I'd like to add my similar story. This happened just a few days ago while pulling my fifth wheel on an Idaho highway. I had just left a very rough
road and had returned to the major pavement. I had just got up to speed when a pickup truck pulled up next to me and the passenger held up a piece
of cardboard on which he had written in heavy black pen.."Your right trailer tire is going flat!" Wow...I waved my thanks. Now that was a very nice
gesture by some nice folks..and was refreshing to realize that caring people are still to be found everywhere.
I had pulled into a nearby Cenex station and sure enough the fiver's right rear 10 ply was flat and ruined...and would have caused serious grief to
the heavy camper in short order.
My good luck continued when, out of the blue, a tow truck comes by, sees me looking at the flat, and pulls over to me. I'm a little awestruck with
all this when this enterprising good samaritan asks me if I needed help. 'You bet!', I said. I was not looking forward to the hard job of changing
that tire. As it was starting to drizzle...not to mention ruining my manicure. 
Quick as a wink, the mechanic cranks down the spare from underneath the fiver, jacks up the fiver's flat, and changes it all out...throwing my flat
into the bed of my pickup. If it had been a rodeo event, he'd have won a 1st place ribbon.
I was thinking, 'I don't care what this costs me, it's worth it.' I about fell over when I thanked and asked....he said, "Twenty-five will do it. I
was just going home anyway." I gratefully tipped a bit more...and Co-pilot insisted he take some homemade biscotti, too.
And to top that fine day off... the sun came out.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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durrelllrobert
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7393
Registered: 11-22-2007
Location: Punta Banda BC
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Mood: thriving in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
Plan B, good report and a nice outcome on what might instead have become a disaster. Nothing like a cool Pacifico to settle thos driving tensions
and what better place to have one at...'Malarrimos' is a favorite with us since forever.
I'd like to add my similar story. This happened just a few days ago while pulling my fifth wheel on an Idaho highway. I had just left a very rough
road and had returned to the major pavement. I had just got up to speed when a pickup truck pulled up next to me and the passenger held up a piece
of cardboard on which he had written in heavy black pen.."Your right trailer tire is going flat!" Wow...I waved my thanks. Now that was a very nice
gesture by some nice folks..and was refreshing to realize that caring people are still to be found everywhere.
I had pulled into a nearby Cenex station and sure enough the fiver's right rear 10 ply was flat and ruined...and would have caused serious grief to
the heavy camper in short order.
My good luck continued when, out of the blue, a tow truck comes by, sees me looking at the flat, and pulls over to me. I'm a little awestruck with
all this when this enterprising good samaritan asks me if I needed help. 'You bet!', I said. I was not looking forward to the hard job of changing
that tire. As it was starting to drizzle...not to mention ruining my manicure.
Quick as a wink, the mechanic cranks down the spare from underneath the fiver, jacks up the fiver's flat, and changes it all out...throwing my flat
into the bed of my pickup. If it had been a rodeo event, he'd have won a 1st place ribbon.
I was thinking, 'I don't care what this costs me, it's worth it.' I about fell over when I thanked and asked....he said, "Twenty-five will do it. I
was just going home anyway." I gratefully tipped a bit more...and Co-pilot insisted he take some homemade biscotti, too.
And to top that fine day off... the sun came out. |
Idaho is known for potatoes, hops and mostly wonderful people. Not that it makes any difference but I'd bet the good Samaritans were Mormon, base on
my experience in similar circumstances there. Last year while I was heading south and approaching Idaho falls my fuel pump went out during a snow
storm. A couple that was headed north saw me parked with my hood up and my flashers on. They continued on about 5 miles to the next overpass and came
back. First they put some gas in my truck to verify that it was my fuel pump. Then they drove me into town and called a friend on their cell phone
that owned a tow truck. Even though it was Sunday he agreed to come tow me in and the couple I was with drove back to my truck and waited there with
me until the tow truck arrived and he towed it to the GMC dealer who's lot he had a key for and locked my truck up. Meanwhile the couple drove me to
the airport so I could rent a car. I tried to pay them for all their trouble but they refused and just said "come by the Mormon visitor center, where
my wife is the manager, on Monday.::
Bob Durrell
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elgatoloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4332
Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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| Quote: | Originally posted by willardguy
sounds like malarrimo has a new manager, everytime we're there we have to practically beg to buy a pacifico! |
Guess they lowered their standards.
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Thank you both for sharing your stories with good outcomes. Glad it worked out well in both cases and that there are still good Samaritans out there
willing to help others.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
Registered: 10-19-2010
Location: el charro b.c.s.
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Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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Hola Plan B
Cool Name... I always tell my guys (& girls) no retreads and NO used tires !!!! New or slightly worn tires are the only way to travel...when U get
a new set of tires it almost feels like a new car/truck/RV........A 6 year old tire is like a 3 yr battery.....OLD,weak failure prone !!!!
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watizname
Senior Nomad
Posts: 773
Registered: 8-7-2009
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Very refreshing to hear good news. Kinda makes you feel good, just reading it. Thanks for sharing. 
I yam what I yam and that\'s all what I yam.
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BAJA.DESERT.RAT
Senior Nomad
Posts: 980
Registered: 11-5-2009
Location: BAJA SUR
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Hola,
in 2011 and on my way north to my home in los angeles from los barriles, pulling a small utility trailer with my small suv, i got a flat on my right
rear suv tire.
this was south of ciudad constitution on the elevated two lane road with no turnouts. i had to stop on the road IN the lane and put my emergency
flashers on. cars just kept wizzing by in both lanes.
i called 066, the 911 in baja and after about 20 minutes of speaking to different staff that only spoke spanish, i don't speak fluent spanish, they
put an english speaking person on the line and i explained my situation. he said there would be someone there in about 20 minutes.
about 45 minutes later, a federal police car with two officers passed by, turned around and parked behind me and put their flashing lights on. one
officer spoke fluent english and said he would call a tire shop. after about another 45 minutes, an old tire shop stake truck pulled up, turned around
and drove off the shoulder beside me. the officer said i was in good hands and promptly left.
the tire shop guys emptied out my trailer to get to my spare that was not mounted on a rim in the front of my trailer. with only hand tools, they took
off the flat tire and mounted my spare tire in all of about 20 minutes. they then replaced all my stuff back into my trailer.
before they started, i did ask how much ? the lead guy said we'll see. after finishing, he said that will be $ 1000.00 pesos, about $ 100.00 U.S.
sounds like a lot but not in my situation.
i got into my suv and...dead battery from having the flashers on all the time.
i called out to the tire guys who were fortunately still by my side and they brought jumper cables and started me up. i gave them another $ 20.00.
if you're in baja, keep the 066 number in the back of your mind just in case. thankfully, they have the 066 information on road signs intermittently
along the way.
made it home safely and went to costco and bought four new tires.
BIEN SALUD, DA RAT
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