How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

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How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

August 08, 2012, 09:34:40 pm

Today I went to Nac and had Powers Tires replace all 6 of my 8 year-old 9R tires with a new set of 275-80-22.5 Michelins. I decided to keep one of the old take-off tires in order to try to use it as an unmounted emergency spare. The reason I'm considering carrying an unmounted spare is that my tire size is apparently hard to find. I figure that if I can provide my own spare in an emergency perhaps a roadside service man could mount it and I could get to a safer place.

Now I'm second-guessing myself. The tire won't fit in a storage bay, so if I do carry it I'll have to carry it on the roof. I'm thinking that might cause more problems than it solves. Sounds like a recipe for roof cracks.

So, what do you think? Are there any common sizes readily available that would work well enough to get my coach temporarily repaired in an emergency? Should I even be concerned about failures on a new tire, or is my paranoia showing? Is a roof-mount acceptable?

Thanks,
Glen

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #1 – August 08, 2012, 09:38:20 pm

I fit mine into my 36 foot and my 42 foot bay but the 34 footer would not fit. I have a tire carrier on the hitch and then I can hitch the jeep up behind that. IT carries well that way too.

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #2 – August 08, 2012, 10:11:01 pm

I don't go anywhere without a spare. Would have been so easy to include in the original design of GVs. Have had 3 flats (2 on the Buffalo) so far with a 4th by the seller the day we bought it. I carry the spare mounted in the compartment on the driver's side. Going to move it to the roof. Don't think it will do any harm in the right spot. My 4107 Buffalo had a fold down front bumper so just had to slide it out.

Was also thinking about a hitch mount. Anyone have a good design? Was also thinking about a VW Vanagon style spare holder to fit under the nose. Would want to make sure the tire would clear the ground if I had a front flat.

11.00 x 22.5 tires are an inch too tall.

If you have a little extra cash ($400), the tiny, one hand battery powered impacts will R&R all the nuts without a strain.

Pierce

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #3 – August 09, 2012, 12:46:20 am

First, I HOPE you did not get 275/80R22.5's in place of 9R22.5's. They would not fit properly on your 6.75 rims-- actually would be dangerous.

The correct upgrade for the 9R is the 255/80R22.5. I prefer the XZE, but the XRV will work as well.

And if you want to carry a spare, make a Sunbrella cover for it and put it on the roof, driver's side rear-- unmounted tire. No problem. Use rope to secure to the roof rack.

Brett

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #4 – August 09, 2012, 12:51:05 am

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – August 08, 2012, 10:11:01 pm

I don't go anywhere without a spare. Would have been so easy to include in the original design of GVs. Have had 3 flats (2 on the Buffalo) so far with a 4th by the seller the day we bought it. I carry the spare mounted in the compartment on the driver's side. Going to move it to the roof. Don't think it will do any harm in the right spot.

The roof mount idea seems like a good idea. In the 80's I had a bunch of adventuresome customers that tried everything.

Fun story I remember about a guy getting his spare off the roof and fumbling it so it dropped and bounced and bounced and bounced, down a hill and then I don't remember the end of the story.

I used to setup some coaches with spares if going up the Alcan highway as in the 80's the sharp rocks used to make the road would cut the sidewalls on corners as the tire rolled over.

Most customers could not lift the tire and wheel. The older coaches could lift the tire off the ground with the levelers.

On level ground. Block the tires. Yes I have had coaches fall off the jacks. I have had them slide on down jacks in the winter in an icy non level parking lot. Welded expanded wire screening to the bottom of the jack pad to stop it from sliding.

Some of the older FT's had enough room to bolt the old tires up under the front. Yes you lost ground clearance.

Can't remember for sure but I think spares would fit the foretravel roof pods.

All ancient history I am afraid. And probably no help here.

Having the uncounted tire is the least weight smallest size spare I would think.

Bob

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #5 – August 09, 2012, 07:37:13 pm

I can see carrying a tire (no rim), that way you have a tire to mount if you had a blow out etc. I do not carry a spare, I will call road service and enjoy the wait. Maybe when I install new tires Might use the best take off and throw it in the slide out tray. I am not full time, meaning I have room for a carcas.
I do not carry the kitchen sink and all my toys, tools and gadgets.
Dave M

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #6 – August 09, 2012, 07:51:32 pm

I carry the spare in my bay unmounted and carried it unmounted on the tire carrier in my 34 footer.

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #7 – August 09, 2012, 09:55:04 pm

Thanks for all the advice. I guess maybe I'm not paranoid after all since so many of you also carry spares. (They really are out to get us!) Maybe if my size (255-80-22.5) were more common I might roll the dice, but I'm afraid that if I were to have a blowout I might have to sit on the roadside for a few days waiting for a special-order tire. Also, sounds like a roof-mount is not a bad thought after all.

I guess I better start proofreading before I hit the "post" button. I accidentally typed 275 instead of 255 for my tire size. I did get the 255-80-22.5 Michelins. By the way, I bought them through the FMCA program, and saved about $250 versus the original OTD price quote. That will buy about 70 gallons of "cat food", so I think it's a good deal.

Glen

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #8 – August 09, 2012, 10:21:39 pm

Interesting that Foretravelers come to a different conclusion than 'Birders. Most of those guys don't bother, on the grounds that even an unmounted tire is pretty heavy and takes up quite a bit of space. I suspect, though, that the four 'Bird couples who are up in Alaska for the summer have at least four spares with them.

I know that there are some long-haul truckers on this forum. What do you guys do? Do you carry a spare, or depend on road service? If you carry a spare, is it mounted?

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #9 – August 09, 2012, 11:31:47 pm

David,

We can't get cell service where we live. Over half of our destinations are also without cell service so we have to be self sufficient and carry more spare parts. In our neighborhood, the topic is more about a menu for road kill instead of road service. If we lived in the other orange juice state where one 100' foot cell tower covers the whole state, things might be different

.

Pierce

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #10 – August 09, 2012, 11:52:55 pm

We carry an unmounted spare in the back of the jeep with the back seat folded down. Fits just right, and when arriving at our destination place it on the ground under the coach. There are only two of us traveling so it does not get in the way even if we leave it in the jeep.

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #11 – August 10, 2012, 12:00:51 am

I do not carry a spare and do not want to as we carry a lot of other more important things, like food and drink. On the old GV we had I used to remove the tyres myself but not on this one. So, as I cannot remove the tyre I may as well wait for someone who does it for a living!
So far never had a flat, touch wood as they say. I look at it this way, if the engine breaks down I need a tow as well so may as well enjoy the scenery (as Dave sort of put it)!!
John H

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #12 – August 10, 2012, 09:02:40 am

Well, let me tell you guys why I carry a spare. In the national parks they contract out repairs. I had one in Yellowstone. They would not let mobile repair in and the guys could not source a tire much less get it off. I had to call the park superintendent to get the ok to use NPS equiptment to remove the wheel so I could drive it out of the park. They have one guy they will let in but only for emergencies, like when something causes lots of flats. So they knew how to change the tire but did not have the skill or tools for our sized rigs. So, I carry a spare and then can use anybody who can come. Of the park guy said drive out on three tires. NOT

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #13 – August 12, 2012, 11:38:55 pm

FWIW We don't carry a spare. When I drove big rigs cross country I did not carry spares then either. Gosh I didn't carry the carcasses of the blowouts I experienced, just had the repair guy take them away. The first time we went to Alaska I carried a spare for the fifth wheel as it was a "rare" tire did not the second time as I had changed out the suspension system and had a much easier to get sized tire. First trip two tire issues, second trip none. My belief is that if you maintain tire pressures and keep your weight within the tire's rating, (we were not on our first trip to Alaska) you should be just fine. Gosh you can't carry a spare something for everything that can go wrong.

Roland

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #14 – August 13, 2012, 07:26:51 am

Quote from: Roland Begin – August 12, 2012, 11:38:55 pm

FWIW We don't carry a spare. Gosh you can't carry a spare something for everything that can go wrong.

Roland

I agree. Spare filters and belts are one thing. Flat tires are what I purchased Coach-Net for.
Dean

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #15 – August 13, 2012, 09:30:10 am

You will find that your tire is not as common as most trucks have. It might be a wait or cost a bunch to replace. Call the tire guy and have him put on your spare is much easier. I guess I thought that way till the nearest spare was 300 miles away.

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #16 – August 13, 2012, 09:43:40 am

Quote from: John S – August 13, 2012, 09:30:10 am

You will find that your tire is not as common as most trucks have. It might be a wait or cost a bunch to replace. Call the tire guy and have him put on your spare is much easier. I guess I thought that way till the nearest spare was 300 miles away.

I would agree that if we were traveling to a remote location far from a metropolitan area then it would make good sense to carry one. Of course once you have one then it would probably stay on board.
Dean

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #17 – August 13, 2012, 09:52:18 am

When I needed mine, I was in Yellowstone. I found that the National Parks have a prohibition about letting tire mobile service guys in. SO you will need to carry your spare if you venture into those places often and you can not get out on your own. They have guys who can change the tire but no real easy way to source them.

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #18 – August 13, 2012, 09:56:47 am

The parks sell the concession rights to service vehicles and I also carry a socket and breaker bar. I really carry two sockets one in half inch and on in 3/4 inch too. They have the impacts and the spoons but they did not have the sockets so I had to call the park superintendent to get permission to borrow a socket fromthe NPS to fit.

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #19 – August 13, 2012, 10:20:58 am

When I had my blowout in Gainesville FL about 4 years back I had to pay nearly $600 for a Michelin XZE. It was the same size, but now I had a local rated mismatch. The visit was free due to Coachnet. If I would have had a spare they would have replaced it for free.

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #20 – August 13, 2012, 02:32:50 pm

I'm carrying a new tire mounted on a new rim along with a heavy duty jack and lug wrenches and stuff, because the seller included all of it when I bought my Foretravel. I don't know where the correct jacking point is on the frame. I should probably practice this somewhere other than beside the road with semi trucks roaring past me. How many of you have actually changed a tire on your motor home beside the road? I've changed plenty of car tires over the years but never a large truck tire.

Scott

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #21 – August 13, 2012, 02:57:09 pm

Having crawled around under our coach looking at the framing, the only safe place to jack the beast is right under the axle as close to the wheel as possible. If you couldn't get at that spot because of clearance, a heavy duty tow truck is in order... just my opinion!
Don

Quote from: RRadio – August 13, 2012, 02:32:50 pm

I'm carrying a new tire mounted on a new rim along with a heavy duty jack and lug wrenches and stuff, because the seller included all of it when I bought my Foretravel. I don't know where the correct jacking point is on the frame. I should probably practice this somewhere other than beside the road with semi trucks roaring past me. How many of you have actually changed a tire on your motor home beside the road? I've changed plenty of car tires over the years but never a large truck tire.

Scott

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #22 – August 13, 2012, 03:34:25 pm

I should have asked for a tire changing course when I was at the factory service center in Nacogdoches but I didn't think of it, probably cuz I had so many other questions on my mind as a first time owner.

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #23 – August 14, 2012, 07:53:03 am

Remember that a spare is aging at the same rate as the tires that are rolling. Don't get caught with an old spare ready to fail once mounted.

Re: How can I carry (or should I even bother carrying) a spare tire?

Reply #24 – August 14, 2012, 08:29:39 am

If you have a flat on a front tire and plan on replacing it yourself you will need a very low jack to fit under the axle. I have a 20 ton stubby that works well. Defininetly practice at home before trying it on the road.

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