JULY 2013: Bathurst, NSW

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What was going to be a fun weekend camping by the river on a friends property nearly turned in to a disaster.  After picking up the trailer last week with its new boots on we headed out along the freeway then up the windy and narrow Bells Line road over the blue mountains.

Heading towards Bilpin all of a sudden there is a large bang from the rear. The wife lets out a yelp and looking in the side mirror something is definitely not right. Washing speed off the rig a small opening on the shoulder opens up and I manage to wrestle us off the road. Hoping out this is what I find........


Yep - one missing wheel



Looking at the hub there are four studs left and two pulled clean out of the hub. Walking back down the road I find the wheel off in a paddock. The wheel has the two remaining studs with nuts still on them. With the hub stuffed only one option and that is a tow.



Luckily we are with the extended care with NRMA who were fantastic and organised everything.

I am always positive and think that:
- i am glad it didn't happen while doing 100km along the freeway
- we are lucky the wheel did not hit another oncoming car
- it was also lucky it was not while we were coming up the windiest narrow part of the mountains and had a spot to pull up well off the road
 - and lucky that we have such a good car that it stuck to the road so well

The most important thing is that the family are safe..

Not wanting to end on a bad note we decided to still head to the property and were kindly taken in to their home for the night. I still even managed to get out and take a few photos.