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Old 08-21-2015, 07:23 PM   #1
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Roadmaster Spare Tire Carrier

Well, we bit the bullet and purchased a Roadmaster Spare Tire Carrier for our coach. Our tires are on 22.5" rims, 8.25" wide. We were carrying an unmounted spare tire in one of the bays, but it took up a LOT of room. Also, I liked the idea of being able to just take one tire off and put another on. I spoke to Don Simpson at length a few weeks ago. He is the original designer/builder of the Simpson RV Spare tire carrier, but Roadmaster courted him, and is now using his patent to sell them (slightly modified) under their brand. Don was hired on to represent them/sell the carriers.

Anyway, it goes into your receiver on the coach. It is load rated for 10,000 lbs, so no worries regarding attaching your toad towing equipment directly into the receiver on the back of the spare tire carrier. The only thing I really don't like is that it drops the receiver for the toad hitch assembly by about 2.5", less road clearance, but probably not a big deal.

Assembly was easy, although the packing was pretty beat up, and the two major assemblies were put into the box with NO barrier material between them, so I had to repaint all over the hitch due to the banging around.

I couldn't find a spare tire cover ANYWHERE that would fit the size of my tires, Don said Roadmaster would sell me one, but when I called them, they said they had only made 4 prototypes so far, but would be glad to either sell me one of those, or have one special made for me. They weren't sure how long it would take though. I ended up calling www.tirecovers.com, and they special made one, I got to choose the color, and they did it for $47.00 including shipping. Well made, quick service.

So far I'm really happy with the hitch. Note: The pic showing the back of the hitch has the wrench attached where the "safety bolt" locks the tire in the vertical position. The latch mechanism does that as well, but the safety bolt is a fail safe. Here's hoping I have the peace of mind knowing that is there, but never have to use it! If anyone has any questions, let me know. Take care and happy motoring!
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Old 08-21-2015, 08:55 PM   #2
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I considered buying one when Mr. Simpson first advertised his. Then I considered cost vs odds of needing one when GS road service couldn't find one. decided against carrying a spare. Now if we go to Alaska again, I may re-consider.
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Old 08-21-2015, 11:26 PM   #3
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Scot,
Thanks for your detailed photos and review on this tire carrier. You have provided the best "knowledge" on this carrier that I have been able to find on the web. I've been curious about this gizmo for a while. Unfortunately, the adds for this carrier have such little detail and info that I've been reluctant to buy one without actually seeing and handling one. (Roadmaster please take note of this. 😉 )

A question: Is there a SECURE LOCKING DESIGN, OR FEATURE, on the carrier that would prevent easy unlatching of the vertical bar that holds the tire, and lowering the tire to ground? In other words, IS IT LOCKABLE? Thanks.
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Old 08-22-2015, 04:58 AM   #4
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If your planning on replacing the tire your self, you need one of these to get the lugnuts off. I can loosen my lugnuts with one hand, and they are torqued to 450 lbs.

HD Torque Multiplier Wrench Lug Nut Lugnuts Remover Labor Saving 8 CR V Socket | eBay
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Old 08-22-2015, 06:36 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pothole View Post
Scot,
Thanks for your detailed photos and review on this tire carrier. You have provided the best "knowledge" on this carrier that I have been able to find on the web. I've been curious about this gizmo for a while. Unfortunately, the adds for this carrier have such little detail and info that I've been reluctant to buy one without actually seeing and handling one. (Roadmaster please take note of this. 😉 )

A question: Is there a SECURE LOCKING DESIGN, OR FEATURE, on the carrier that would prevent easy unlatching of the vertical bar that holds the tire, and lowering the tire to ground? In other words, IS IT LOCKABLE? Thanks.
As it is, it is not lockable, nor are the two bolts that hold the actual rim to the rack frame. It wouldn't be too difficult to run a cable through one of the lug nut holes on the rim, as well as around the spare tire mount and lock it, but anyone with bolt cutters, or a battery powered grinder would make short order of that. I have Don Simpson's number which he told me to give out to anyone who asked. I will PM it to you. I would call him and he can answer any further questions you may have. But for me, I DO have Roadside Assistance, but I still like the idea of having a mounted spare tire!
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Old 08-22-2015, 06:41 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by mgscott4 View Post
If your planning on replacing the tire your self, you need one of these to get the lugnuts off. I can loosen my lugnuts with one hand, and they are torqued to 450 lbs.

HD Torque Multiplier Wrench Lug Nut Lugnuts Remover Labor Saving 8 CR V Socket | eBay

Cool! I like that, kind of like the Powerdyne used to remove the Jesus nut on a rotor head!
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Old 08-22-2015, 06:41 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mgscott4 View Post
If your planning on replacing the tire your self, you need one of these to get the lugnuts off. I can loosen my lugnuts with one hand, and they are torqued to 450 lbs.

HD Torque Multiplier Wrench Lug Nut Lugnuts Remover Labor Saving 8 CR V Socket | eBay
How do you know when you've got the lug nuts torqued correctly? I was thinking I'd need a torque multiplying torque wrench too
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Old 08-22-2015, 12:00 PM   #8
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Hey Scot, great post. One thing I'm not sure of, are the front and rear dual rims interchangeable? This is right up my alley, don't have the patience to wait for poor service.
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Old 08-22-2015, 01:26 PM   #9
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Did you find a better price than the $595 I see listed everywhere?
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Old 08-22-2015, 02:32 PM   #10
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Hello Pirate,
Best price I've found so far is $519.96 at dyersonline.com

Their site is a little confusing to navigate so, don't give up. Their "list price" is shown as $595. To see the $519.96 discounted price you must click on "ADD TO CART". The discounted price will then show up. You can then "back-out", not to continue the buying process.

Please let us know if you find a better price. Good hunting.
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Old 08-22-2015, 10:50 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Autopartsguy View Post
Hey Scot, great post. One thing I'm not sure of, are the front and rear dual rims interchangeable? This is right up my alley, don't have the patience to wait for poor service.
I can't speak for other coaches, but on my 2001 Newmar Dutch Star, the inner, outer, and front tires are all the same rim.

Pirate, I paid the $595 including shipping from etrailers.com. That was the lowest price I could find. It looks like you found a lower one! Good for you.

Bottom line, I'm happy with the purchase, the quality, and the thought and engineering that went into the product, but speaking with Don Simpson is what sold me on the carrier.
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Old 08-22-2015, 10:52 PM   #12
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jondrew, I don't have the torque multiplying device for removing the lug nuts, I will rely on my roadside assistance to remove/reinstall the tires. That said, if I DID have the capability to remove the tires, and reinstall them, I would trust the torque I could put on the lug nuts to get me to the next exit where I could get them properly torqued.
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Old 08-23-2015, 09:59 AM   #13
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Hey Scot, great post. One thing I'm not sure of, are the front and rear dual rims interchangeable? This is right up my alley, don't have the patience to wait for poor service.
If your tires are the same size the rims will be the same. However, something I came across when getting my spare wheel is that the wheel thickness of the mounting surface of an aluminum is double that of a steel wheel. My rear wheel studs were not long enough to mount two aluminum wheels together so my spare needed to be a steel wheel. Before you get an aluminum wheel for a spare make sure your rear studs are lone enough.
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Old 08-23-2015, 02:41 PM   #14
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I met Don in Phoenix this year and purchased the spare tire carrier from him. He even came over and installed it for me and through in a cover. Problem was finding a rim for my Workhorse W24. So I ended up ordering a new steel rim from a Workhorse dealer and bought a new Michelin thru FMCA program. All in all, I'm happy to travel the interstates knowing if I have a flat I can call my road service and be on my way shortly. No attempting to find a tire waiting on the side of the road.
Thanks for posting the pics. Still trying to understand how to do that. Not tech savvy at all.
Tom
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