Spare Tire For Class A

[jefeblanco]

Hi, newbie has a Spare Tire question. I've recently got a 2006 Monaco SE 30' on a Ford Chassis. Some Class A manufactures have a provision for a spare tire in a compartment or under the chassis behind the rear end. This Monaco does not. It seems there is plenty of room behind the rear axle but no mounting system. Has someone out there has rigged something or pulled another system from a different chassis that would work? I've seen a Winne w/ a Ford chassis that had a system that mounted behind the axle. Any advice would be appreciated!! Thanks!!

[Fred and Bonnie]

Unless you have the proper heavy duty tools you won't be able to safely change the tire yourself. If it makes you feel better, carrying an unmounted tire will give you a margin of safety. A good roadside assistance team will be able to make a onsite mounting.

Knock on wood, in 9 years I have experienced only one slow leak, repaired on site.

Fred

[jefeblanco]

I have the RV Roadside Service thru AAA and didn't want to ever changing it myself, but the Monaco came with a spare 19.5 rim and tire. It seems it would be nice to have a spare and I have the space behind the rear-end. Just no mounting system.

[JOMARFL (FMCA 401058)]

We have roadside assistance, however; I also carry a spare in the toad trunk when we go on lonnnnng trips, for peace of mind.

[J Walker]

After having a blowout I got a mounted spare and put it under my MH. The reason is that although I use Emergency Road Service to change my 22.5" tire there must be a spare or replacement available, finding a replacement tire can be a problem. If there is a space under a MH a way can be devised to store a spare there. It takes some time to design a scheme and then do the work. BTW one of the issues is to raise the spare up to the storage space. I built a special jack modeled after one a friend on another forum built. That makes it a one man job. My mounted spare weight about 200 lbs. I have pictures is needed.

[JOMARFL (FMCA 401058)]

Pictures would be nice J. Walker, thanks

[JimM68]

My Ford chassis class A has a provision for a spare under the rear of the frame. There is a cable and crank arrangement that lets me lower the spare to the ground, and raise it back up again. There is also a separate locking bar that bolts across the frame rails to secure the spare in place.

While a 22.5 is a completely different animal, just too heavy, a 19.5" is very do-able for one fit person. "Expensive special tools" are not needed.

I've had to change mine twice. I've also chosen to remove all 6 tires from the rig (1 corner at a time, off and back on) for general maintenance and ease of access.

My tools are a 10 ton bottle jack, a 150 ft-lb torque wrench with 8" extension and proper socket, and a 3' piece of pipe that fits over the torque wrench handle.

The primary lifting is with the m/h's jacks. Once most of the weight is on the jacks, I break the lugs loose, then 5 or 10 cranks on the bottle jack has the tire off the ground, just enough to slide it off the studs. You really want to avoid having to lift it. Wiggle the new one on (prying with the pipe helps) and tighten the nuts, lower to the ground, and torque em. Torque specs on the 19.5's are reasonale, I think 150 ft-lb's.

Every RVer (except maybe those with 22.5" tires) should be ready and able to change a tire roadside.

[PlayItForwrd]

Changing the tires is the easy part, even the 22.5's, just need a plank to use as a lever... Getting the lug nuts loose is the worst part. Especially on those 6-lug steel wheels--the longer the breaker bar, the easier it bends...

[DAN L]

Originally Posted by JimM68

My Ford chassis class A has a provision for a spare under the rear of the frame. There is a cable and crank arrangement that lets me lower the spare to the ground, and raise it back up again. There is also a separate locking bar that bolts across the frame rails to secure the spare in place.

While a 22.5 is a completely different animal, just too heavy, a 19.5" is very do-able for one fit person. "Expensive special tools" are not needed.

I've had to change mine twice. I've also chosen to remove all 6 tires from the rig (1 corner at a time, off and back on) for general maintenance and ease of access.

My tools are a 10 ton bottle jack, a 150 ft-lb torque wrench with 8" extension and proper socket, and a 3' piece of pipe that fits over the torque wrench handle.

The primary lifting is with the m/h's jacks. Once most of the weight is on the jacks, I break the lugs loose, then 5 or 10 cranks on the bottle jack has the tire off the ground, just enough to slide it off the studs. You really want to avoid having to lift it. Wiggle the new one on (prying with the pipe helps) and tighten the nuts, lower to the ground, and torque em. Torque specs on the 19.5's are reasonale, I think 150 ft-lb's.

Every RVer (except maybe those with 22.5" tires) should be ready and able to change a tire roadside.

My 19.5'' wheels require 475 ft lbs torque. i bought a harbor freight 600 ft lb 42'' long torque wrench and 3/4 drive socket set to accomplish this. this is way too much torque for my 1/2 inch electric or pneumatic wrenches. my lugnuts are 33 mm. i use 1 jackstand to support the wrench and extensions. my dw appreciates that. i use the hwh system to raise the wheel and the other jackstand under the moho just in case. i carry an unmounted spare tire in a basement storage bin. i have good sam emergency service.

[billyb]

i bought a used 22.5 tire which looks like new, and mounted it up under the back of the mh. ialso bought a cable lift unit for a ford truck off of ebay for 20.00 ,and it was new, which i mounted to pull the tire up and then put a chain across it for saftey. i have coach net, but also have the 3/4 inch stuff to change it if i have to. i also bought one of those harbor freight earthquake 1/2 air guns, and it pulls those 450# lug nuts off easily, for use at home.

[DAN L]

Originally Posted by billyb

i bought a used 22.5 tire which looks like new, and mounted it up under the back of the mh. ialso bought a cable lift unit for a ford truck off of ebay for 20.00 ,and it was new, which i mounted to pull the tire up and then put a chain across it for saftey. i have coach net, but also have the 3/4 inch stuff to change it if i have to. i also bought one of those harbor freight earthquake 1/2 air guns, and it pulls those 450# lug nuts off easily, for use at home.

you should buy an inner tube and inflate it loosely in the spare tire to keep the inside clean.

[wa8yxm]

There are a few considerations.. First: I've seen spare tires go bad FASTER than the service tires.. Why you ask? Tires are supposed to roll on pavement under load. That is how they are designed,, The flexing and such releases essential protective oils to the surface of the tire and keeps it feeling young. The worst thing for a tire is storage believe it or not.

Second.. I just helped a friend change a 22.5" on a his Workhorse.. Yes, I have the proper tools. We removed the outer dual from his Workhorse, Rolled it over to his Tacoma.. I hefted it into the bed.. We went to the tire man where two people took it out and one changed it and the other balanced it,, Then they loaded it back up and I took it out and re-attached it.. (He then took the entire motor home to the tire dealer, some 30 miles distant)

That's over 500 bucks by the time you figure tire and rim.. Plus it was right about the limit of what I can swing into a truck bed.. I'd not want to have to slide it into a compartment....

I'm 6'3" by 300 pounds, grew up on a farm and am trained and expierenced in heavy lifting... I routinely lift things others say "I could never pick that up"

And hoisting that tire into the pickup.. Well.. let's just say I would not have wished to hoist two of them up.

Got back, and put the new tire on (As the inside dual) so he could get to the tire store safely.. Here I had to use pry bars to lift the tire (Pry it up off the ground) in order to get it on the lugs

Thankfully my 12 ton bottle jack is very easy to pump (Just apply compressed air and open the valve)

[billyb]

Originally Posted by DAN L

you should buy an inner tube and inflate it loosely in the spare tire to keep the inside clean.

thats a good idea. i did cover it with shrink wrap plastic, but the top is still partially open.