Community Forums

cc8375 · 02-28-2009, 02:33 AM

My coach does not have a spare. In over 25 yrs. of motorhoming I have had two flats. Has anyone been out there in the same situation and added a spare?

Korryp · 02-28-2009, 04:50 AM

Nope. Those things are heavy and have no jack.

cc8375 · 02-28-2009, 05:37 AM

In the past after consulting the the JACK Manf. I would use the motohome jack and carry jack stand for safety and a electric wrench. Though I carried a Service for a tire change it was quicker to do it myself. A reminder to NEVER use the jacks for raising without proper jack stands.

Gary RVRoamer · 02-28-2009, 07:55 AM

9 years with motorhomes and one flat, back in 2000. That coach had a spare, which the road service installed for me. Neither of the coaches since then had a spare and I haven't needed one either. When the day comes, we will just wait patiently for the road service and fix lunch or a cocktail or whatever. We know we will pay top dollar for a tire purchased on the road that way, but consider that to be the price of having extra storage space in the interim.

cc8375 · 02-28-2009, 08:31 AM

I read of one RVer who mounted the spare up under the frame like on the Ford truck. He even installed the the bracket with the wind down unit.
I just don't know if it's worth the cost and since I have never used the road srvice.

Bob (WA0MQE) · 02-28-2009, 01:27 PM

Quote:

RVer who mounted the spare up under the frame like on the Ford truck

It depends on the motorhome. My last one had 19.5-inch wheels and it also had a spare mounted up between the frame rails. Our existing moho has 22.5-inch wheels but the tires are too large in diameter to fit between the rails. Also, a tire and wheel is real-l-ly heavy.

And, as already mentioned you won't have the tools or strength to change a tire. The lug nuts are torqued to over 400 ft lbs.

Rick Long · 02-28-2009, 01:29 PM

I carry a 10 ton jack and a spare...

I prefer to be in charge of my own destiny.

Onaqwest · 02-28-2009, 03:16 PM

My situation has really already been covered by others. Since my old Bounder uses the old small 16" wheels, I DO carry a spare. Chances are I would use the road service to change it, but I will continue to carry it. Just gives me the option and the space it occupies would probably go unused if it wasn't there. If I ever get in the league of 22" wheels I'll reconsider.

mkgearhead · 03-30-2009, 10:23 PM

Mine also has the 16" wheels and a spare. Last year on the way home to Colorado from Kansas, one of the rear tires blew. I carry a 6 ton bottle jack and I had it changed and was back on the road in 15 minutes.

Elkhartjim · 03-30-2009, 10:35 PM

What a man Rick. In control of your destiny at 400 ft lbs torque!!!! Where do you store the 30 foot cheater bar? Or is your toad a 250 # compressor with associated impact wrenches?

dveasey · 03-31-2009, 02:56 PM

I just keep one of my 5yr-old tyres & sock it in the trunk of the toad. Have ERS coverage & will have rubber for them to change-out. Spare might be calendar old but comes in handy if I have a unrepairable flat away from the home. No need for jack. Don't need a cheeter bar for the lugs. 450ft# sounds intemidating to the uninformed.

John-D · 03-31-2009, 08:26 PM

Considered it but then looked at the weight of a tire and rim (22.5") and the cargo carrying capacity of my house on wheels and

Re-thunk quickly

RovinOn · 04-01-2009, 06:31 PM

Have a full mounted spare, factory mounted on the underside rear, Had one on my 90 Bounder also..........So far I never needed them!

RVDude · 04-01-2009, 06:45 PM

One thing to consider is do you have an odd-size tire? That is, a tire size that most truck centers do not carry. I know of some folks that have funky sized tires and just carry a tire. At least you can store stuff in the middle of it and if you have a flat, any ERS can change it for you and you won't have to wait (perhaps days???) for them to order that funky sized tire while you sit on the side of the road.

On many rigs the sheer weight of a spare 22.5 tire/wheel will darn near set you over the rig's weight limit. Let alone moving that wheel/tire combo around or just getting it out of the bay will also be interesting.

For those really interested in how to do 475 ft. lbs. w/o a 1" drive mega impact wrench or a mile long cheater bar, there are tools called torque multipliers. Basically a planetary gear set. Input 150ftlbs and output 450ftlbs - typically a 3-to-1 multiplier. Click this for a bunch of them. Northern Tool has a cheaper model.