I forgot to ask.. Do you carry a spare tire?
Mine doesn't have one... Just asking
Mark,
I don't carry a spare currently. I don't get to travel that much right now but I will carry one in the future. Pierce carries one as do many others but you have to be prepared to change one on the side of the road. If the need arises I have Good Sam roadside assistance for that purpose.
Jerry
Are the wheels in the front the same as in the back?
or does one just carry a non mounted spare tire, letting the road service mount the tire?
Mark,
Very few of us carry spares. We carry emergency road service cards.
We don't move without a spare. I have the tools to change it or can let AAA change it, depending on how I feel. Too many places without cell service here in the west. Pain in the rear to have it in the compartment but we work around it.
Pierce
We and most of the other Foretravel owners I know do not carry a spare. But like Pierce, we too do not move the coach without a current towing insurance policy such as Good Sams Roadside or Coach-Net.com. You should sign up online before moving the coach. I'm too old and feeble to change a coach tire and no diesel mechanic. I have had both policies. They both are good but I currently have Coach-Net.
All of the warnings are well founded and shouldn't be ignored however, I went from a motorcycle and a pup tent to a 36 foot Foretravel. The learning curve was steep but taking every thing slow and easy when I first started I have driven the coach ever since without incident. If I were closer I would come and help. Hang in there. It's worth the effort.
Mark,
First off welcome!!
After we had a blow out on I-75 in the middle of TN on a Sunday and dropping $800 for a new tire and service call we carry a spare. That ORED has no storage for it so we mounted it on the roof. No rim and it sits on pads I made from spare carpet and secured to the grab rails at 4 points. I also made a special cover to keep it protected from dreaded UV rays. Good luck with this great project!!
Congratulations on aquiring your FT. As you're finding, the folks on this board are invaluable.
On the spare tire- take a look under the front- mine is stored there.
Look forward to more posts and pictures :) Take care.
How about a photo of your front spare tire mount? I have looked and measured trying to find a way to mount our spare up front but the frame rails are too close together and was worried the spare would hang down too far even if I moved the air tanks and tow receivers. A VW Vanagon pivoting mount would be perfect.
The bumper folded down on my 4107 bus with a nifty compartment for the slide out spare.
Pierce
Pierce, it's in LT storage now, but will be up there in a couple weeks and get a picture. Hope I'm not dreaming...
No spare tire/no way to change. Roadside assistance and if a tire is needed buy a new one. May cost a little more but why carry something as heavy to lift as a spare tire. If you travel the normal roads ;D OK If you go to a dessert or Alaska where tires are hard to find maybe. DAN
I carfry an unmounted spare for road service to install. I have been stuck without one in 2002 in Yellowstone. they will not let commercial road service in and it was a 300 mile drive to get a spare tire. I have had friends not be able to find a tire on a sunday and had to sit all day. It is very simple to put in the bay and roll up some hoses and extension cords inside and sit my barttery charger on to of all of it.
A lot depends on where you live and go. If we depended on cell service, we would be out of luck as we don't even have reception at home. Some of the most scenic country in the U.S. is in the southwest and covered on AAA's great Indian Country map but not covered by Verizon or AT&T.. We go for days without cell service there as the tribes have their own tower and service.
We have found the coverage maps from most cell providers to be grossly optimistic.
Pierce
Well, I found out that the national parks sell the rights to service all the vehicles in the park to concessions companies and they do not carry our sized tires. I started carrying a spare after I needed one in Yellowstone. I carry a D2 governor as ours kicks in sooner then the trucks version and a couple spare fuel filters as well as fluids. Not too much but it does mean I can cover a lot of stuff that comes up. Oh I also have a spare solenoid that I bought to replace a perfectly good one. So I kept it as a spare.
My recommendation is do not carry your spare on the roof. James said my delamination was caused by previous owner carrying a spare on the roof
When you need one, you may not be able to FIND a new or even used one. If you are on highways in populated areas, it's not a big deal. But you will pay dearly for the spare. Of course, this can be offset by never needing one and having the space. Carrying an unmounted spare seems like it takes a lot of space, but I stuff lots of cords and stuff inside it and it fits in the bay on my joey bed on my 34' (and it has all same size compartments).
I picked up a decent used tire for $60 and tossed in. I have coach-net and the guy can come out and remove the bad tire from the rim and put my spare on it. Before I go out west I'll get a spare mounted on a wheel. I'll probably being towing an enclosed trailer too. I carry air operated jack and a small 20 ton, a small top half of a craftsman box, IR electric 3/8 and 1/2 electric impact guns (the 1/2 will remove properly tightened and lubed lugnuts). And one of these lugnut remover multipler (it's great, and I used it to remove differential yoke as well) Welcome To Our Home Page! (http://lugwrench.biz/)
Boy, am I bitter now. Paid $80 for a good 295.
When we picked up our U300, the owner had taken it to town to wash it. Got a flat that tore out the side and the road service they belonged to got another but was over $600 and not the brand that was on it. Plus, they would not put it on so a couple of hired hands at the farm jacked it up and finally got it on.
Pierce
I haven't carried a spare yet... the U225 has abbreviated stowage due to being lower overall height and 96" wide (not 102"). I think I would mount the spare on the rooftop using VHB tape to secure recessed loops to the fiberglass. These loops fold back down into the fitting and are meant to be mounted flat on a hatch. Several of them could surround a spare and then line could be used to secure it in the middle.
WDR
I did find a tire mount under the front nose.. It's obviously shop made, but done well.
No air Tanks in the front of my rig like yours Pierce, plenty of room for a spare in the 89
I am of the mind, I'll feel better having a complete spare with me whenever I ever hit the roads :)
As far as the added weight, I have 6, whats one more.
It may be a good thing to have a little added weight front for balance.
Mark,
Where are your air tanks located? Yours is the first Grand Villa I've ever heard of with a spare mount under the nose. Maybe Caflashbob can tell us if this is a factory or a prior owner mod. I'd like to see pics of it when you get a chance. Sounds like a good mod if the spare tire doesn't limit access to anything else under there.
Thanks,
Jerry
(fixed quote formatting - Michelle)
Jerry,
I'll get my worker to snap a picture of it next time I'm up there... I cant get down
on the ground anymore.. maybe next year after my needed hip surgeries.. :)
The tanks are located center mid section, all three side by side.. laying parallel to the
length of the coach, between the battery bay and wet bay. no real access to them accept for
a removable panel in the large empty forward bay. Even with that large panel removed, there is still
limited access to my tanks.
Mark
Thanks Guys!
Jerry
I carry an unmounted spare for road service to install.
We are not full timers so we have room to carry it in under storage bay.
But i have an idea to create a swing tire carrier just like Jeep's do ... Our FT has a triple hitch .... So i just need to draw it and get my father-in-law to weld & build it :-) .... Project number 77 :-\
Here's a new spare tire carrier/hitch from Roadmaster. It has a patented lift mechanism, rated at 10000 lbs, powder coated, and a 400 lb capacity. Easy up and down for access to the engine bay doors(s). Roadmaster's New Spare Tire Carrier | MotorHomeAdvice.com (http://www.motorhomeadvice.com/roadmasters-new-spare-tire-carrier/)
It ain't cheap at $600 bucks but at least you can control the cost of a new similar tire and rim that may be hard to locate, save storage space, and easily have it ready to go. Looks like it could save time, money and a lot of headache if the blowout doesn't cause a towing situation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7VEMZSIDCc
Jerry
Nice one Jerry. A little steel and a welder could make something like that. Long arm is something I didn't think about.
Pierce
I like the Roadmaster spare tire carrier but it it something I would like to rent for a specific trip i.e an Alaska tour. Any thoughts on the possibility of that happening?
sounds like an FMCA service - but the weight might make the cost prohibitive to ship - maybe some enterprising person at a jumping off point for Alaska will buy some and rent them out, but I doubt the economics would make sense as a for profit enterprise
agree - all I would want one for is when I knew help was a long way away and tire failure a distinct possibility
The roof of the toad might not be a bad spot for the spare on the trip especially if it has rack mounts. $2-3 hundred buys a new Alcoa wheel to keep weight down over a steel wheel. I bought a nice used one for $100 complete with tire. alcoa wheels 22.5 | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R3.TR10.TRC0.A0.H0.Xalcoa+.TRS0&_nkw=alcoa+wheels+22.5&_sacat=0)
Alcoa wheel offset has to be checked before buying. Correct offset/bolt pattern/etc is available in both polished and matte (machined only) finishes.
Pierce
Next item on to make list I guess, but will change a few things to suit my recessed hitch etc.
Like the idea of having spare and already mounted is a plus.
JohnH
What are the wheels of our FT coaches interchangeable with. I see the names of Pete, Freightliner, Volvo, Roadmaster and a bunch of others. Who does FT buy there axels from.
The wheel that will fit depends the age/model of your coach. If you look at one of the wheels, it will have the Alcoa part number close to the studs. It will also list the maximum air pressure for the wheel stamped into the aluminum. Go to the Alcoa site http://www.alcoa.com/alcoawheels/north_america/en/wheels.asp and enter the application and fill in the information. You will need to measure the bolt circle on your coach. Or, you can just enter the Alcoa part number off your wheel.
The Alcoa information should give you the part number for both polished as well as matte finished wheels along with the offset, etc.
Alcoa wheels are super inexpensive when compared to car "mags" or aluminum wheels. Unlike 99% of car aluminum wheels, the Alcoa aluminum wheel is forged not a casting. This means it will not chunk off pieces in an accident or suddenly fail. Forgings just bend. Porsche is the other brand I can think of that uses forged aluminum wheels. About 1/4 the size but many times the cost.
Pierce
The previous owner of my coach was a sheet metal installer who traveled around to boiler plants putting in fancy high temperature steel insulation. He installed steel insulation around the entire inside of both the main engine and generator compartments and did a very professional job that looks like it came from Foretravel. It works very well but it's really expensive stuff so he's probably the only person who would do something like that. He also negotiated a new Michelin mounted on a new Alcoa aluminum wheel into the deal when he bought the coach. He fabricated a fancy aluminum tire carrier thingy to put the mounted tire / wheel inside in the cargo bay and it makes a nice shelf to collect a big pile of junk that I throw into the cargo bay... which means I shouldn't have mentioned it cuz now someone is gonna want me to dig all that junk out so I can photograph the tire carrier... I've never needed the spare tire in all my travels so far, but I'm always traveling in remote areas without cell phone coverage. It's comforting to have options. I think you also need to carry at least one fuel injector with you at all times, at least one set of fuel filters for both the coach and genset, an oil filter for the coach, enough oil to change the engine oil if you blow an injector and it pumps fuel into the oil, a full set of belts for the coach and genset, at least one or two airbags if yours are 15+ years old, a spare domestic water pump, a set of tools (duh), light bulbs, fuses, wire, connectors, silicone caulk, duct tape, baling twine, bubble gum, and service manuals. These are all things I've needed so far in my three plus years of driving and camping all over. So if you're carrying a spare tire you should carry all the other parts you're gonna need too. The other parts are smaller and lighter to carry and more useful, at least in my case so far. Tire problems seem to be kinda rare if you take the time to visually check your tires every morning with an air gauge before you start driving. For extra peace of mind every time you stop driving get out and whop the tires with a hammer and notice the bounce. A lot of people on this forum have fancy computerized tire monitor thingys. Don't rely on those. Get out and visually check your tires every time you stop. I nearly lost a trailer tire earlier this year but caught it just before it blew because I got out and visually checked it. I saw a huge bulge and a split cord in the tire tread. A tire monitor would have informed me of the tire problem immediately AFTER the tire blew, which would have been a big help... not
Went out to the U300 and found the info is on the outside area of the rim very readable on the rear wheels. Sorry about the bad location in the first post.
OK, for a 1993 U300, we take the following wheel from the stamped info:
Alcoa Forged Made in the USA, Date with month/year, part number 88311 2 for the polished, 88311 0 for the matte finished, 22.5"X 8.5" offset 15 degrees D.C. Max load 7200 lbs, Max pressure 120 psi (130 psi cold at Alcoa's site) Note that the 88311 is the general part number with the last number indicating the finish.
This wheel just reverses for the inside/outside. Before a long trip, might be a good idea to remove wheels and studs (with flip socket) clean and Anti-Seize lightly on threads only: Amazon.com: Permatex 80078 Anti-Seize Lubricant with Brush Top Bottle, 8... (http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-80078-Anti-Seize-Lubricant-Bottle/dp/B000AAJTXY/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1438276794&sr=1-1&keywords=anti+seize+lub+wheels)
Everything you ever wanted to know about Alcoa wheels from the official Alcoa site. Use command + to make it readable size: http://www.alcoa.com/alcoawheels/catalog/pdf/HDSM022004_en.pdf
Bench grinder with wire brush cleans the threads nicely.
Hope this helps.
Pierce
Have been doing some drawings and some head scratching as our back door does not open like it does on the CC coach shown in video (unless you are Dave M too) and that fact changes the mechanics of holder some what. I am gong to make a mock up of an idea as see how it does. Should not be hard to figure it all out, and no infringement of copyright.
Will post pictures when I get that far along with all the other issues I am dealing with right now! !
Johnh
How about using a 2" receiver extension as a platform for building a spare mount? Here is a guy that made a mount for his "spare tire.": RV NOW: Motorhome tires are huge so where do you carry a spare? (http://rvtravel.com/blog/rvnow/2008/09/motorhome-tires-are-huge-so-where-do.html)
Pierce
With his set up you have to remove the tire to get in engine compartment and I do not want to have to do that. I also want it to be off to one side of door and not use the hitch, and am working on using the large box section tube that is open on both sides of engine mount frame. If my idea works it will drop down and slide out of door way.
Johnh
Our FT have a tripe hitch. I have plans to build a swing arm spare tire carrier, like they have after market bumper spare tire carrier for Jeep Wranglers .... you know project number 7 ... not 77 anymore .. thank God, all must done projects and most of want projects are done, now i can focus on those fancy things like a swing a way spare tire. For now we have the spare tire (only) in under storage bay.
So I have done the wood mockup of what needs to be done for our engine door clearance and it will work. A removable support bracket will be bolted to the large tubular box frame and will allow the tire to be dropped out of way so the door can be opened for any service etc work without having to take the tire off the frame. A sliding pce will fit on "lever" and that will carry the tire so it can be moved out of way to clear corner of door. I will fabricate this slide and use nylon strips inside to make it slide easy. This "slide" will also be able to rotate so wheel when sitting on ground can roll and make it easy to move, and of course this will also incorporate the
tire holding lug bolts. There are a few important bits that I did not put on test piece as I know what they have to be. The last picture shows general location of stored wheel when locked in place.
Due to job load at present I will not get around to actually making unit for at least a fe weeks but hope to have it done before our trip in mid Sept.
JohnH
John,
Are those backup lights hiding behind the grille in the engine door?
I'm hoping this could be mounted on either side. In case you have a ladder on the right.
Looks like a great idea John.
John, great job on the mock up! 8)
David, yes 2 of them.
We have a ladder on the right above the tire carrier (the bottom section was removed years ago. This system can be moved to the left side as there is an identical tube in same location from centre of coach-but to the left.
JohnH
I put my spare carrier in my wrangler trailer hitch. Worked well.
John,
Good idea! The dogs can go in through the back doors. Did you use a cargo carrier in your receiver like HF has in their catalogue?
Pierce
I had one built that would lay flat when I pulled the pin. I could open the back of the jeep that way.
Peirce, I have not made it yet but will be custom making all the parts and using heavy walled tube etc for it. I do not want any vibration/ sloppy fits and rattles. The tube I am using to fit into is 4" x 3" so those hitch parts are no good.
John S- I was thinking of making it flip down but the angle of the door on its upswing made that a tough one and with the weight of a tire- awkward. The slide out style I will be using is just as quick and easy I think?? Again using the hitch would not work out if the car is in tow as said before these doors make things touchy and you have to think around them or you will never get to service etc without taking everything off.
JohnH
I bought a used tire from Herman Power in NAC to take as a spare. It is in good shape and is newer than the tires on the coach. I bought it before we went on North to Alaska 2014 Motorcade. It lies in the joey bed in the storage compartment of our 36' coach. I cleaned it up a bit before putting it in the coach. The tire is not on a wheel, so I am able store stuff in the tire.
Ina e a spare tire mounted on an Alcoa rim, but so far have not carried it when we travel. I might mount it on the back of the Wrangler so I can have it along.
With a lot of measuring under the front I still cant envision mounting a spare under the front of Toby. I had been getting ready to start searching out a picture of a 280 with the spare mounted front and center (watch cars move out of the way then. After seeing the hitch in the link I think I know what I will be doing until I buy a trailer and then that hitch will go on the tongue of the trailer or a new storage in the trailer floor will be fabbed in all the spare time I don't really have.