To spare or not to spare

[bikerbye]

Originally Posted by BeckyFe

I have heard arguments both ways. Some say don't bother to carry a spare, but many of you do. What is the definitive answer? Should I carry a spare tire with me? I have AAA roadside assistance and other. My luck, they would not have a spare when they come to rescue me.

The first question AAA ( or other tow services) ask is if you have a spare. Take it from someone who has experienced two blowouts in one trip I was damn glad I had a spare. The first blow out they sent a guy who didn’t have a floor jack or a lug nut wrench. Beware and ask questions

[A32Deuce]

I carry what I would need to change one If the need be! But that's why I have road side assistance. First time I used them, I had the socket that fit the lug nuts. 22MM, he only had standard. First time he hit one that size in metric.

[billbircher]

i have done both and fortunately not needed a spare while on the road. I keep my tires of the ground newer that 5 years old and keep a AAA RV card and a FMCA membership card in my wallet. If I have a flat my only cost would be the cost of a discounted tire. BTW, what type of spare would you carry? (a steering spare or a rear spare). If I were going to Alaska I would probably carry one but here in the lower 48, I'd prefer to leave it to the professionals especially if it occurs in a dangerous situation on the highway. Granted, you have to wait for the tire service but safety and a new tire are worth it in my opinion.

[ThorAce2015]

Our Thor ACE did not come with a spare. I bought a wheel on eBay and a Roadmaster spare tire mount that still allows for towing.

[mrsbonzell]

i have a 2016 Coachman Freelander Micro. Very cheaply made, cupboard doors don't even stay up on their own! And, no spare tire holder. So i had one made, and bought a wheel and spare. It's on the back bumper. Feel much, much better having a spare. Yes, i can call for tire service, but you still need a tire. Glad i did it.

[H Steinhoff]

Originally Posted by Capt Steve

Every car you have ever owned came with a spare and a jack. Hmmm, why do you think that is? So why on earth would you not have a spare on your motorhome?

Not so. Many cars now come with no spare but with a can of goop and a small air pump.
I carry a used tire as a spare, no spare wheel, because my size is not very common and may not be on hand if I ever need it. The tire just fits in the basement but adds about 80 pounds to the weight of the coach.

[DryCreek]

Originally Posted by Sawmill man

I have a 44' DP that weighs 50K. I can't imagine handling the jack that would be needed to raise it. Thus NO spare. My roadside assistance knows what tire/wheel configuration I have. If I need a tire repaired they will bring me a replacement to me.
At 73 yrs young I think this is a great idea. Hope I never need their services.
2018 DISCOVERY 44H

If I had money pouring out my butt I'd just buy a new motor home each time I had a flat. Yup, just dump the old heap with the bad tire where it is and pay cash for a new one.

But(t), since I'm not rich, I carry an inflated spare and enough tools to make it easy for whomever is lucky enough to change that flat. Who knows, it may even be me if it's a holiday weekend and no help in sight. Being old (like me) is no excuse for being unprepared.

[scalawagman]

[QUOTE=Capt Steve;4547941]If you choose not to carry a spare that is your call but the numbers you made up are absurd. My spare {wheel and tire} cost less than $250, it weighs less than 80#, my tools are nowhere near 100# and they don't come close to filling an entire bay, the proper psi is 65 - 75#, and the wheel is torqued to 150# which is easily done with a simple torque wrench.

I sincerely doubt that the weight of the spare and tools has any significant impact on my fuel economy given all the "stuff" we RV'ers tend to lug around.

Who do you use for ERS that charges $69 and have you ever needed them? How long did it take for help to arrive? You are correct in that I have "lugged" it around" for thousands of miles but I would not leave home without it or my tools, and that is my call.

Carry a spare, sure....
100 psi pressure
150 lbs weight
450 ft lbs torque on 8 nuts. Or 100 lbs in tools.
Would take up just 1 whole bay!
Would not fit in any lower bay.
Lug it around for thousands of miles.
Reduced mpg
More fuel consumed.
$1000 for tire and wheel. May never need.

OR $69 for road side assistance.
_
Seems to me that you Captain Steve are talking about a completely different situation than Fiesta48.

You have an RV that uses a tire size about that of a normal truck and weighs about the same. Fiesta48 is talking about a tire size comparable to that of a commercial truck.

My old Safari had tires on 22.5 rims that weighed about 200+ pounds and were way too tall to fit in any of the storage compartments. Also, the nut size to hold them in place was something like 1 1/8" and required about 1000# torque (according to Les Schaub) something that someone like me is not going to be able to change any way you want to call it.

Good Sam roadside Assistance has been my constant companion for years and they have come to my rescue a total of four times. Yes, the wait can be considerable, but they always show up and always have been able to handle whatever the issue.

I haven't renewed with them in a few years now as I normally do five years at a time, but it does seem to me that the annual cost has always been somewhere around $100+-.

Seems like to me that most of the folks advocating for carrying a spare have RVs of Sprinter or Class C coaches. I really like to hear from a few more Diesel Pusher owners.

I currently have a 37 foot Newmar DP and do not carry a spare. So far I've avoided any tire issues by checking and double checking my tires, tire pressure and the like before I take the coach for a drive. Hope i've not jinxed myself in saying this!

[bruce2868]

If you travel out in areas of smaller cities and sparce population you better carry a spare. We have traveled a lot out west and have seen RV’s laid up for a week waiting for a tire. If you have a class c you probably have a better chance of getting a tire but with a class A it’s safer to carry a spare. I have had a class C and now have a class A and had a spare with both.

[momcat]

I also have a dp. I would really like to carry a spare. HOWEVER...My tires are also 22.5, heavier than damnit, and too tall to go in any of the basement compartments. I dont think the floors of the compartments are strong enough to carry them if they would fit. I also have the spare mounted up on a new wheel. I look at it every time I walk by it. Any suggestions? I already have a roadside service policy. I keep it paid just like health insurance. MOMCAT

[photobob]

Had a 25 year old class "c" did the USA in 2014 with tires that were old some signs of light rot . Had a older spare mounted. No issues , just lucky (and ignorant).
Purchased a 4 year old class "A" went full time, tires looked great .

Had a blowout on I-95 just outside of Baltimore but had Good Sam roadside assist. Did not have a spare ,couldn't store or change it.
Got great service but the service company only had a expensive tire in stock .

Moral of the story: Blowout probably caused by slow leak or under inflation and I had the Tire Minder System but had not installed it yet. Blow out also took out a storage bay.

Replacing the tire on the road came to $750 + or- . And I replaced the storage bay myself for about $65.00. O yeah I replaced the other tires a few weeks later for $2000.00

I think the better solution if you cant store a tire is to get a tire monitoring system and a electric compressor . It can get you out of trouble if you get a slow leak. Unless your tires a real old you wont likely get a blowout if you have the correct pressure and are not overloaded.

My 2 cents

2011 Newmar Bay Star 2901 , Towing 2016 Nissan Versa, on Acme dolly

[RiverBurt]

What size tires are so rare that AAA/State Farm ERS can’t get them? Is 295/75R22.5 or compatible one of them?

If not, I’ll take my chances, thanks.

Having a rare tire, unmounted, available makes sense, just like it did on a ‘32 Packard. But few people I’ll ever know have any business changing, much less mounting, a 19” or larger tire under ideal circumstances, much less on the shoulder of a road, in even the best of weather and traffic conditions.

[ByeTheWay]

Originally Posted by Fiesta48

Carry a spare, sure....
100 psi pressure
150 lbs weight
450 ft lbs torque on 8 nuts. Or 100 lbs in tools.
Would take up just 1 whole bay!
Would not fit in any lower bay.
Lug it around for thousands of miles.
Reduced mpg
More fuel consumed.
$1000 for tire and wheel. May never need.

OR $69 for road side assistance.

x2 Have not needed a spare in 18 years. Not starting now. I too have road side insurance.

[RV Tinker]

Having a spare tire is good insurance. So is having a proper size jack, socket, torque wrench and compressor. All of these have saved my bacon many times. You haven't had any fun until you had 3 flat tires all at the same time, 75 miles away from the nearest service. I have personally had to change a tire 11 times on my motorhomes in the last 26 years. Also you can't always count on the "help" that you are able to get to have the right size tire for your motorhome.