Community Forums

richard5933 · 10-25-2020, 03:43 PM

There have been a couple of really lengthy threads about this topic over the past 6-9 months. Might be worthwhile to do a quick search up above and read through them.

My two cents' worth?

You talk about going to remote places and/or mountain areas. Carry a spare.

Even if you can't change it yourself, you will likely be able to find others to help you change it. Maybe there's a local garage, maybe another RV owner has some tools, whatever. But, finding the tire/wheel you need in a remote location is not going to be as easy as finding the help to install it.

Check your tires and wheels. Likely your front and rear are the same - both the tire and the wheel. The rear will have one facing in and one facing out, but usually they are the same as the front.

If you have aluminum wheels on your coach, often times the inner rear dual is mounted on a steel wheel.

You can use a steel wheel as a spare and mount it in place of an aluminum wheel. You cannot always use an aluminum wheel in place of a steel one, as the studs will be too short.

I carry a mounted spare. I also carry the basic tools needed to change it (bottle jack, torque multiplier, etc.) I have no plans to do it single-highhandedly unless it's a dire emergency. But, I am ready to go if needed. My hope is to find either a roadside service to come change it, or to gather some assistance from the local area.

BCooke · 10-25-2020, 04:07 PM

Not a motorhome here but have replaced 3 tires on the highway before switching to 10 ply. Then 1 more...
Questions:
How is your luck? (You see mine 😁 )
Common tire size?
How long are you willing to wait?

I have some spare space so one on rim and a spare off rim. My luck has not been that bad as of yet. (where is that piece of wood ?)

twogypsies · 10-25-2020, 04:44 PM

We full-timed 8 yr. in our motorhome without a spare, including the remote backcountry and up to Alaska. As full-timers we weren't giving up any storage space for a heavy tire that we couldn't manage anyway. We inspected our tires before every move; had a tire monitoring system and bought new at 5yr. We had Roadside. Yes, we could have gotten a flat but the probability of that happening didn't warrant carrying a tire that would probably age out anyway.

TexasJeff · 10-25-2020, 09:12 PM

Thanks all. Ive learned a few things here. First, i didn’t mean the tires were different sizes, but that the rear sets looked different between the inside and outside wheels. Ive never owned duals before so realizing that the rears should be the same wheels facing in different directions actually is good news for me. Its a brand new coach with a really common Ford E-350 chassis.

I have room on the underbelly for a spare so all Id need is the wheel and a lock to hold it on the threaded rod thats already there. Im feeling better about your posts of not needing one and I cant change it myself, but the thought of having it ready when help arrives is just insurance.

Ill take time to see what it takes to get it done, but its nice to know it’s probably not that priority of a thing.

timjet · 10-26-2020, 05:18 AM

I have a 40 ft DP and carry a unmounted spare in one of the storage bins. It's been in the bin for 4 years taking up most of the storage space in that bin. I've never used it and never had a tire problem. All 6 tires on my rig are the same.
I have road assistance insurance.

I'm thinking of removing the spare to free up the space.
I know as soon as I do, I'll have a flat.

veraken · 10-26-2020, 08:22 AM

One thing I know for sure is that I'm not changing a tire on my MH by myself. I carry an unmounted spare so that roadservice does not have to search for one while we're sitting on the side of the road. I store other items (jumper cables, 50 amp extention cord, etc) inside the tire so I don't completely loose the space. If you want to carry a mounted spare and don't want to loose the space, consider this.

https://www.roadmasterinc.com/products/spare_tire/

Goodspike · 10-26-2020, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasJeff

I have room on the underbelly for a spare so all Id need is the wheel and a lock to hold it on the threaded rod thats already there. Im feeling better about your posts of not needing one and I cant change it myself, but the thought of having it ready when help arrives is just insurance.

Ill take time to see what it takes to get it done, but its nice to know it’s probably not that priority of a thing.

If you can mount it that easily I'd take the opposite approach and just buy the wheel and tire. It's much easier to do that when you're not under pressure to get moving again, and then you'd just have to get someone to change it for you. That would be relatively easy in most locations.

I just have a lowly 21' trailer that came with Chinese tires. The very first thing I did was change out all the tires, including the spare. I think having a spare you can trust is important, even if it is unlikely I'll need it. Flat tires are not that common, but they are always annoying! I want to minimize annoyance when I travel.

Goodspike · 10-26-2020, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timjet

I have a 40 ft DP and carry a unmounted spare in one of the storage bins. It's been in the bin for 4 years taking up most of the storage space in that bin. I've never used it and never had a tire problem. All 6 tires on my rig are the same.
I have road assistance insurance.

I'm thinking of removing the spare to free up the space.
I know as soon as I do, I'll have a flat.

Yep, your purchase was insurance that has paid off tremendously!

cataska · 10-26-2020, 08:49 AM

I carry a fully mounter spare under chassis, winch to raise and lower it i also have all tools and jack to change it If road service cant get there or is to long wait time but i have had road service show up and could not do the job had to change it myself with help Won't leave home without it

grindstone01 · 10-26-2020, 08:58 AM

Carrying a spare tire really boils down to your personality! Are you the type of person that is OK with relying on other people to get you out of a emergency type situation? Are you a DIYS type that is self dependent?
Anyone can always justify either choice, but it still boils down to your personality type.
Note - A spare tire can be a old tire from a previous set that was replaced, just keep the best tire of the old set. A spare tire just needs to get you to the next tire shop and off the road shoulder.

swduns · 10-26-2020, 09:12 AM

My research says that in the event of a flat. Finding a tire can take some time, will cost a lot and will not be a tire you will want to use indefinitely. I bought a matching tire and carry it in the basement. In the event of a flat, I need a tire service that will mount it on my aluminum rim. It should expedite the repair and avoid excessive cost and avoid owning an expensive tire that I wont use indefinately.

Goodspike · 10-26-2020, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindstone01

Carrying a spare tire really boils down to your personality! Are you the type of person that is OK with relying on other people to get you out of a emergency type situation? Are you a DIYS type that is self dependent?
Anyone can always justify either choice, but it still boils down to your personality type.r.

I would agree, but add another trait. How much do you worry?

I got rid of the Chinese tires because I didn't want to worry I was pushing their 65 mph speed rating each time I drove on a freeway. I like to carry a spare because I don't want to worry about finding a new tire of the proper size, and perhaps having to settle on brand, and also pay a ridiculous price. The piece of mind is well worth the cost for me.

stew1 · 10-26-2020, 09:31 AM

I never leave home without one , fully mounted

grindstone01 · 10-26-2020, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goodspike

I would agree, but add another trait. How much do you worry?

I got rid of the Chinese tires because I didn't want to worry I was pushing their 65 mph speed rating each time I drove on a freeway. I like to carry a spare because I don't want to worry about finding a new tire of the proper size, and perhaps having to settle on brand, and also pay a ridiculous price. The piece of mind is well worth the cost for me.

Worry is a subjective thing and it effects each person differently!
I use G rated Sailun tires made in China which I paid $140 each, and they have performed flawless in 4 years and 40k miles. I have replaced 4 blowouts of different tire brands along the side of the road in the 8 years of full timing. I don't worry about them, but I do check them regularly and I can confidently change a tire in 15-20 min on a road shoulder. This will change as I age!