To spare or not to spare

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by KanzKran

Is it aluminum? Sounds like a lot of money for a steel wheel.

But I’m in the ‘carry a spare, jack, and wrench’ camp. Even if you have someone else change it, you may not always be able to reach anyone, or want to wait that long. Those small wheels aren’t tough to change, though they can be heavy to put on a spare carrier if it’s on the hitch or a separate mount on the rear.

A wrench and 8 or 12 ton bottle jack hardly takes any room. Just be sure the jack can fit under the front axle with the tire flat. The rear will, of course, likely only have one flat and the other will hold it from going to the rim, assuming duals in the rear of course.

A low profile jack may be a better choice, as they’re around 1-1/4 to 1-1/2” shorter fully retracted but still have the same screw adjustment.

Having worked in a junk yard eons ago, I agree that looking for a used wheel is a viable option. Same with a used tire, if it’s not too old or damaged. If it’ll be mounted where you can see it, then a rattle can restoration would make it look nice.

^X2 Yup Yup

[AZJim Tucson]

Originally Posted by grindstone01

Don't worry about the age of your spare tire. Even if it's 20 years old, it's only purpose is to get you to the next tire repair shop to get the original tire replaced or repaired. Your cheapest option is to save one of your old tires to use as a spare the next time you buy a new set.

That's a good point thanks.

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by grindstone01

Don't worry about the age of your spare tire. Even if it's 20 years old, it's only purpose is to get you to the next tire repair shop to get the original tire replaced or repaired. Your cheapest option is to save one of your old tires to use as a spare the next time you buy a new set.

Let me see if I stand under this; I replace my tires because they are so old I don't trust them, but I'm sure that they will last when I next need one?
And more than once I have seen RV and boat trailers that had a old tire blowout, changed, then had the spare blow in a very short distance.

[Russ Silber]

Originally Posted by ScoobyDoo

Let me see if I stand under this; I replace my tires because they are so old I don't trust them, but I'm sure that they will last when I next need one?
And more than once I have seen RV and boat trailers that had a old tire blowout, changed, then had the spare blow in a very short distance.

If you replace tires at 6 or 7 yrs uss the best one for spare. Should hold up for3 yrs as a spare. Just make sure its protected from sun and wind

[grindstone01]

Originally Posted by ScoobyDoo

Let me see if I stand under this; I replace my tires because they are so old I don't trust them, but I'm sure that they will last when I next need one?
And more than once I have seen RV and boat trailers that had a old tire blowout, changed, then had the spare blow in a very short distance.

Hopefully, when you put your old spare tire on, you will only be going a few miles and not at full speed to get to a tire shop. There is no reason a old tire can't last 50 miles at 45 mph speeds. Even vehicles with the donut spare tires were only meant to be used to get the vehicle to the next tire repair shop. Just use common sense!
Now if your goal is to mount your spare tire and continue the long distance trip w/o bothering to stop at a tire shop, then yes, you should carry a new updated spare tire.

[THenne1713]

Originally Posted by grindstone01

Hopefully, when you put your old spare tire on, you will only be going a few miles and not at full speed to get to a tire shop. There is no reason a old tire can't last 50 miles at 45 mph speeds. Even vehicles with the donut spare tires were only meant to be used to get the vehicle to the next tire repair shop. Just use common sense!
Now if your goal is to mount your spare tire and continue the long distance trip w/o bothering to stop at a tire shop, then yes, you should carry a new updated spare tire.

1) Yup, as a teen went 50-miles down new interstate to go fishing one weekend, on return trip had FOUR (x4) FLATS, we were borrowing spare from kind strangers to make it to the next exit gas station (back when they all had mechanics/ shops, LOL :-) (car owner went MONDAY and bought x5-tires, LOL) 2) ON MY MAIDEN VOYAGE in RV, holiday weekend, small town, had flat from loose valve stem, had to wait 6-hours for service truck to travel 100-miles at midnight from previous tow/ breakdown/ tow truck repair, then I had to travel 200-miles to find WM that had a tire/ open shop, and also replaced my 12-yo spare tire that I had held my breath for.

[ScoobyDoo]

IMHO, assuming your RV rides on the same size tires as some commercial vehicle, a much better place to get a spare would be a tire shop that services that size vehicle. Buy you new tires, and a take-off that is worn to 20% of tread and a couple years old. Now, running next to the deep tread of your 6 year old tires that 20% would wear fast.
And if somebody was to think about how little tread the average RVer uses in the life of his tires, he could by 2 year old tires off a truck, that have say 30% of original tread, and run them for about 4 years.

[Hit_the_Rhod]

Originally Posted by ScoobyDoo

Let me see if I stand under this; I replace my tires because they are so old I don't trust them, but I'm sure that they will last when I next need one?
And more than once I have seen RV and boat trailers that had a old tire blowout, changed, then had the spare blow in a very short distance.

I suspect that many of the spares that then blew out were not service regularly, didn't have proper tire inflation when installed, and were ran at the same speed that the original tires were run at, ie; driver continued his/her trip at highway speeds trying to get to their destination, NOT to the nearest location, and at a reduced speed, where the tires could be replaced with new tires.

Why do I think this? Because I often see people trucking down the road at 70+ mph with a spare on. How do I know it is a spare? Donut sized tires are not usually standard equipment on cars!

The few times I have had to utilize a spare tire, I checked the pressure prior to driving on the spare, and aired up as necessary with air pump carried in all my vehicles for just that purpose.

Note: How many times have you seen car owners, or better yet, service personnel check tire pressure on passenger cars, but not check/top off the spare tires?!? That's a rhetorical question by the way . . .

[CaptainWacoa]

I have a Ford E-450 class C. It did not come with a spare, nor a jack, nor a lug wrench. It didn’t even come with the A-frame bracket that fits under he rear of the motorhome, I had to special order the A-frame bracket from the dealer. I had to order an identical tire from Costco, and I had to order a steel wheel from Les Schwaab. Oh, and a 20-ton bottle jack from Harbor Freight, and a 1/2 inch breaker bar and extension and prpoper sized socket from Sears. I wouldn’t go to the corner store wirhout a spare, in a motor home OR in my toad! Oh, and by the way, there are several hundred different size tires out there on the road. Do you REALLY THINK THAT AAA or COACH NET IS GOING TO COME TO YOU WITH THE PROPER SIZE TIRE??? NO WAY Like I said earlier, I had to wait a week for my tire to arrive from Costco. Thankfully, we did this BEFORE OUR FIRST ROAD TRIP. Be prepared... less bad things will happen to you if you are prepared!

[ScoobyDoo]

Originally Posted by Hit_the_Rhod

I suspect that many of the spares that then blew out were not service regularly, didn't have proper tire inflation when installed, and were ran at the same speed that the original tires were run at, ie; driver continued his/her trip at highway speeds trying to get to their destination, NOT to the nearest location, and at a reduced speed, where the tires could be replaced with new tires.

My trailer was sitting in front of the house, had been parked for a week. Walked out one morning, and my 9 year old spare had split halfway across the tread and up the sidewall. As CG host I helped put spares on trailers, and one class C. I made sure they where aired up. The C and one of the trailers, that I know of, did not make it to town. One boat trailer did not get out of CG.
The idea that a set of tires is too old to use, but one of them 3-4 years later will be sure to hold a vehicle? That logic totally escapes me.

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by ScoobyDoo

Let me see if I stand under this; I replace my tires because they are so old I don't trust them, but I'm sure that they will last when I next need one?
And more than once I have seen RV and boat trailers that had a old tire blowout, changed, then had the spare blow in a very short distance.

The issue is that few people understand the "why" of tire failure. As covered HERE, there a couple of completely different "Root Causes" for a structural failure, but too many simply lump them into "Blowout".


The most likely reason for the "Blowout" on the boat trailer spare was it had not been maintained, had lost much of it's air and when applied suffered a sidewall run low flex failure. A Belt separation failure is completely different and takes years of excess load, speed and under-inflation that generates excess heat at the belt edges.


Most belt separations are discoverable with a thorough inspection as i covered HERE. Be sure to follow the link and watch the video.

[christophere]

Originally Posted by CaptainWacoa

I have a Ford E-450 class C. It did not come with a spare, nor a jack, nor a lug wrench. It didn’t even come with the A-frame bracket that fits under he rear of the motorhome, I had to special order the A-frame bracket from the dealer. I had to order an identical tire from Costco, and I had to order a steel wheel from Les Schwaab. Oh, and a 20-ton bottle jack from Harbor Freight, and a 1/2 inch breaker bar and extension and prpoper sized socket from Sears. I wouldn’t go to the corner store wirhout a spare, in a motor home OR in my toad! Oh, and by the way, there are several hundred different size tires out there on the road. Do you REALLY THINK THAT AAA or COACH NET IS GOING TO COME TO YOU WITH THE PROPER SIZE TIRE??? NO WAY Like I said earlier, I had to wait a week for my tire to arrive from Costco. Thankfully, we did this BEFORE OUR FIRST ROAD TRIP. Be prepared... less bad things will happen to you if you are prepared!

While it may sound like a lot, you were able to do all this over a few days and still get a good night's sleep. I did the same thing and it saved my bacon when a valve stem started leaking in the Utah desert. I tested everything to see it would work, i.e. will the jack actually go under the jack point when the tire is flat? Two hours in my driveway to check things can save a day on a trip.

[avfordguy]

Had a bunch of motorhomes, a 22.5 tire I would not tackle, 19.5 maybe, 16.5 oh yah. Current is a 31ft class c with 16.5"s I carry a spare above the propane tank and the following tools.
20 ton bottle jack
Socket to fit lug nuts
Breaker bar with extension
Electric 1/2 inch impact wrench
12v heavy duty 150psi air compressor
Couple blocks of wood, gloves
Saftey triangles
The reason? Been stranded 2x no cell service OR tow company 3-4 hours away,even if I take my time I can be back on the road in an hour.
Forgot to mention 10 gauge extension cord and lithium ion battery jumper when chassis AND house batteries go flat.
Safe travels!

[THenne1713]

You forgot your TORQUE WRENCH

Originally Posted by avfordguy

Had a bunch of motorhomes, a 22.5 tire I would not tackle, 19.5 maybe, 16.5 oh yah. Current is a 31ft class c with 16.5"s I carry a spare above the propane tank and the following tools.
20 ton bottle jack
Socket to fit lug nuts
Breaker bar with extension
Electric 1/2 inch impact wrench
12v heavy duty 150psi air compressor
Couple blocks of wood, gloves
Saftey triangles
The reason? Been stranded 2x no cell service OR tow company 3-4 hours away,even if I take my time I can be back on the road in an hour.
Forgot to mention 10 gauge extension cord and lithium ion battery jumper when chassis AND house batteries go flat.
Safe travels!