I'm writing this as a call for help.

As im writing this, I am currently stuck in Lone Pine with a flat wheel and a bent rim. I took the back way out out Vegas heading to NorCal, got lost and hit the Santa Rosa Pass in the middle of the moonless night on sunday and got a flat. Drove around in pitch black with no cell reception, flat tire and no idea where I am for about 30 miles scared shitless until I ran into a truck. The guy escorted me over to Panamint Springs resort where the owners we're extremely kind and let me stay in the parking lot with my Mini for free. Even offered me a free meal. I called the tow company this morning when I woke up and it was a 50 mile tow at 5 bucks an hour. AAA wouldn't help past 7 miles so I decided to stretch my runflats. I made it to Lone Pine where the service station is, but there aren't any tires my size, plus i've got a bent rim. I'm stuck here until I get new tires and a working rim. The service station can get em for me in 2-3 days, at 3-400 dollars a TIRE, plus I can't get the wheel without a Mini Dealership, which the nearest is 180 miles away. Actually there are 3 near me and they are all 180 miles in different directions (LA, Vegas and NorCal)

On the way over to Lone Pine from Panamint, I ran into Howard C who gave me some company and an escort to Lone Pine, he told me of someone who posts here on NAM called Nick (Yellow Mini with White roof) who lives in Bishop and works in Lone Pine. We headed over to Nicks place (across the street from the CHP office) and saw his Mini there, but he was out in a truck or something servicing for GTE. When I went back later his truck replaced the MINI so Im guessing he got off work and took off to go home at Bishop.

I'm trying to get in touch with him or in touch with anyone heading out this way to get some parts delivered or a spare rim I can use to hoof it back to Northern California (where I am now extremely late for work.), until then I am stuck here hemerraging money (this is after getting work done on my car in vegas PLUS losing money gambling) from motel bills and whatnot...can ANYONE help me out? I've got limited internet access here (the motel owner was kind enough to let me us his computer), so you'd have you reach me on my cell (###-###-####). If you are reading this, Nick, please give me a call. If you can help out in anyway, please give me a call! Thank you!

I am currently staying at the Budget Inn Motel in Lone Pine.

(edited to remove phone number :P)

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Avery. I hope you get in touch with somebody who can help you.

Good luck and take care.

 

I just spoke with Avery -- he's got it under control.

 

That's good news! I was kinda worried even though I don't know him. lol

Hurray for runflats by the way, they seem to have helped Avery out a lot. (From what I could tell in the story)

 

What finally happened here?????

DId the gas station have the right equipment to mount a RF?

Why didn't anybody call MINI Roadside service? Aren't they supposed to come anywhere, anytime and TOW you to the nearest MINI dealer AND pay for trip interruption (Including hotels and meals)? What's the point of MINI Roadside service if you can't use it?

I'd really like to know how this worked out since traveling in the middle of nowhere without a real spare tire ended up so bad for the originator ... sorry about the bad experience.

 

I Saved Him .......

Clo e-mailed me & I contacted Avery last night. Mini roadside assistance would take him to the nearest dealer, which is Vegas, he was trying to go home to San Jose. I had just put on new wheels and tires (just before AMVIV) and had my s lites and tyres sitting in my garage. So this morning armed with my floor jack I swapped out all four tires and sent him on his way. We will work out getting the wheels back later, dont really need them till winter.

This isn't a fun area of the states to be stranded in, glad I could help.

Nik

 

EXCELLENT END to the story ... Good Samaritan!

The MINI community should applaud you to know such people exist in the world.

I hope people learn from this that:

1. There is NO cell service in vast parts of the US.
2. Traveling without a real spare in the boonies is a risk and serious tire/wheel damage CAN and DOES occur.

Bravo to you xsmini!

 

I talked with Avery last night and recommended MINI Roadside... Glad xsmini could help. What a trooper...

Just FYI, MINI Roadside will always take you back to the nearest dealer. They'll also cover 50 miles past the nearest dealer, if you're stuck between two dealers... Also they will reimburst for trip interuption! Glad everything worked out! Sorry to hear about the issues Avery. Let us know when you're home safe!

 

Also, MINI roadside assistance doesn't cover you once you are out of warranty (4 years or 50,000 miles).

 

Good point DiD... if you're out of warranty... you have to pay for the service. I use to work for AAA roadside which MINI Roadside contracts that out through...

 

Very cool! Cheers to Nik!

 

True but I thought his sig said 05 MINI so all is good. He should get reimbursed.

 

Wow! Good job XSMINI.

 

The wild west...

 

Exactly. Something to think about when you see those signs that say no services next 110 miles and even then you'll be lucky if it is anything more than a gas station. :impatient

Reading this account makes me glad I have a MC spare tire now for road trips.

 

Absolutely ... Don't leave home without one!

Desert, outside of Searchlight, NV

 

I think people rely too much on cell phones. I have travelled in several parts of the American west and the vastness and solitude of these places makes you gain a new kind of respect for nature.

I think the runflats worked in his situation best they could, considering he also had a bent rim. While I agree that anyone considering a driving route through hundreds of miles of desolate roads should consider bringing along a spare tire (Which is an oxymoron if you need your boot space to put luggage, etc) I think a CB radio of some sort is not a bad thing to have either. At least truckers nearby can hear you should you find yourself in trouble.

Also, whenever possible, pick routes that take you through more inhabited towns even if it takes you a little longer to get back home.

 

The subject of long distance road trips and geography interests me a lot. I was reading yesterday about US Road 50 titled the "Lonliest road in the US" at least in the Nevada portion. 287 miles of pure nothingness but sagebrush, rocks, desert and mountains. Would love to have the opportunity to experience a drive like that someday but if you get stranded I cringe to think what would I do...

 

Been up there ... but I70 which is just as bad ... nothing but a railroad track, dust devils, tumbleweed and triple-tandem trucks ... Totally boring ... no radio stations ... nuthing. (of course NOW there is Satellite Radio!)

I really get a kick out of all the people saying its no problem, just take some goop and a cell phone ... It amazes me that people still dont understand that a vast part of the nation HAS no Cell Service ... and they aint going to have a tire in your size ... you can take that one to the bank

 

This Cobra HH "Roadtrip" CB radio seems to be a sound safety investment for $80:

 

Nik,

Thanks so much for connecting with Avery. I appreciate you responding to my messages to you to contact him. It's a bit scary to get stranded in such an isolated location.

As for the comments about lack of cell coverage, I've found that lots of Arizona and New Mexico are off the cell grid. I make sure I stop for fuel and pitstops frequently. And my Garmin lets me know where the gas stations, food and lodging options are in the immediate area, too.

The MINI community is a very considerate and helpful one....which never ceases to amaze me.

 

Thank you Nik, super job!
Thank you Clo, for your assistance.

Being on an island I don't have to worry about being stranded in the middle of nowhere.
But I do have AAA plus that allows me to be towed if needed up to 100 miles or something like that. So far the only thing I've called them for is I ran out of gas! Shhhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone.

I was at the track having fun and ran the gas down a bit too low then on the way home I had to go up a long incline and my MINI was running on fumes and sputtered to a stop about 2 miles from the gas station. Nice thing was I got to meet a few people that stopped to ask if I needed any help. I called my wife but she was too busy to bring some gas so I had to wait for AAA.

What happened? My computer froze up and I got four posts when I tried to save. Windoze!

 

Or a satellite phone. Prices are down to about $500 and $1.25/minute. Weren't cell phones that much just a few years ago?

 

That is a very small price to pay IMO if that is something that can get you out of real trouble.

 

Back in Summer 2002 I drove my MCS from Denver to Jasper Alberta (west of Edmonton in the Canadian Rockies). It was roughly 1800 miles as I recall. There were NO MINI dealers in Wyoming, Montana, and Alberta. There is now one in Calgary, but at the time, my closest MINI dealers were in Denver and Vancounver B.C.

As you point out, run-flats, cigarette lighter air compressors, cellphones, and goop only get you so far, if they get you anywhere of any substance at all when you're travelling in some areas of the country.

You might get buy with getting a nail hole plugged out there, but sidewall damage, forget about it. Sure the TireRack and Classic MINI ship overnight, but even then "overnight" sometimes has a little different definition when you're that far out in the boonies.

A spare tire, a lug wrench, a jack, and the knowledge to be able to use them may be the only things that get your MINI off the side of the road and back to civilization without a major interruption to your travel plans, hotel reservations, and vacation time.