A common problem on road trips, a blowout can cause massive delays if you're trying to meet a deadline. RELATED STORIES Dudley's Journal Breaking Down is Hard to Do

"Learn from experience" is a key phrase on the road.

Prepare for Emergencies

• Since blowing a tire on our first weekend with Murray, we always carry a lug wrench, hydraulic jack, and a good spare tire.
  
• Keep an emergency roadside kit in a vehicle, including flares or flashers, a first aid kit, water, and warm clothing or blankets.
  
• We carry RV emergency roadside assistance. For around $40 a year, several companies and clubs offer this service. We cannot recommend joining one of these services enough—it's a great value.

• The date of manufacture of a tire is stamped on its side. Look for a three- or four-digit number in a small oval; this number indicates the month and year of manufacture.
  
• Tread is not the only indication of a tire's wear. If a vehicle, like a motorhome, is not driven often, the interior of the tire can weaken over time even though the tread looks good.

• Small mechanical problems can, at first blush, look very serious. A blown fuse can appear to be a major electrical failure. A cracked hose connector can create a big gas leak. We look for the simplest explanation to a problem first.

• We found our mechanic by going online and talking to other GMC owners. A personal referral is essential in finding a good mechanic.
  
• In our experience, the best mechanical shops are smaller operations where the head mechanic is in business for himself or herself. Because almost all of his or her business comes by word-of-mouth, he or she has a stake in building a good reputation by doing superior work at a fair price.