To Spare or Not to Spare

[mountainsam]

We are leaving in a couple days for a long trip of several weeks. No spare. I have an unmounted spare I bought but decided not to have it mounted due to the weight and no where to store it. When we return I plan to find one of those Roadster spare tire racks PetesMH was talking about. I have been concidering a small trailer in tow for added storage space but at $2500 I really don't know if I could justify it.
Hope to see you all on the road, not beside it.

[petew]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

Hey, I carry those items as well. I suppose it's a bit "belt and suspenders" but a simple nail plug is quicker and easier than wrestling with the spare. Maybe it's Pete thing!

Well I figure its better to have and not need than need and not have !

[99dart]

I just came in from strapping a spare into our rear cargo space. Our WS 31 didn't come w/a spare, but I purchased one. Just makes sense to me to have one.
Warning: Long story ahead!
It wouldn't have helped us much on our maiden voyage tho. An inside dual blew out, gouging the outer tire. When I stopped to inspect the tires the outer tire still had air in it. I didn't know it was going flat until I had taken a nearby exit off the freeway. AAA wanted to tow us 45 miles north on I-95 in North Carolina, but wanted to do it the next morning. All I envisioned was our 32', 2 day new to us motorhome sitting on top of a flat bed truck going down the freeway! NOT! We got leveled up and spent the night next to a mini mart/Exxon station. I used the good Ol' smart phone to find a couple tire service shops, then called first thing in the morning. Heck of a first day of travel back to WA state. BTW, the Michelin LT's only had 1400 miles on them!

[axis earl]

Originally Posted by 99dart

I just came in from strapping a spare into our rear cargo space. Our WS 31 didn't come w/a spare, but I purchased one. Just makes sense to me to have one.
Warning: Long story ahead!
It wouldn't have helped us much on our maiden voyage tho. An inside dual blew out, gouging the outer tire. When I stopped to inspect the tires the outer tire still had air in it. I didn't know it was going flat until I had taken a nearby exit off the freeway. AAA wanted to tow us 45 miles north on I-95 in North Carolina, but wanted to do it the next morning. All I envisioned was our 32', 2 day new to us motorhome sitting on top of a flat bed truck going down the freeway! NOT! We got leveled up and spent the night next to a mini mart/Exxon station. I used the good Ol' smart phone to find a couple tire service shops, then called first thing in the morning. Heck of a first day of travel back to WA state. BTW, the Michelin LT's only had 1400 miles on them!

1400 miles.... sounds like you hit something to cause a catastrophic failure of a tire like that.

[DocMike]

I have a mounted spare, compressor, tire patch kit, jack, even getting an impact wrench for Father's day plus Roadside assistance. May be a bit of overkill, but since I am still working and push return trips to the latest possible time to make it to work on Mondays I can't sit for too many hours (definitely not days) for the right size to be found by Roadside or for them to find me.

[99dart]

Originally Posted by axis earl

1400 miles.... sounds like you hit something to cause a catastrophic failure of a tire like that.

That's the conclusion we have come too. We inspected the tire that blew first. Didn't see anything in the tread, but that doesn't mean we didn't hit something. I'm glad the motorhome handled well, it just had a vibration and I pulled over.

[webslave]

No spare for us. Ours are 22.5s and I couldn't lift one off the studs if my life depended on it, let alone get it back on and that is if I could break all 10 lugs loose from their start at 425 ft lbs +. Several folks mentioned a replacement tire at 400-450 dollars from a roadside repair service. I pay more than that for tires (my new front Hankooks cost me $480 each and that was a steal) at my, out in the country, tire shop that also handles big rigs.

I can't handle the tire (besides rolling it) off the rim, don't want to give up an entire bay to store the darn thing or the space for tools to specially handle the job, but, I do have several credit cards that will do the "work" for me. One bonus for us, is that the 22.5 is a readily available big rig tire. Any truck stop tire shop will have one that fits. Aside from that, we are retired, mostly full-time in our RV (go home for a couple of months to cut the grass in the summer), so, living/spending time in our RV is not a "bother". Most vehicles and trailers that are easy to change tires on come with a spare. When it starts getting difficult and dangerous to change them then you don't get one (a spare) with the intent for the owner to let the "pro" handle the issue. There was a time in my early life that I would attempt to change one, but, at 65 years young with RA and OA, I've learned that some things are best not attempted if you want to keep all your joints and appendages attached/working.

[mountainsam]

I ordered a Hankook tire without a rim just so one would be available if and when it was needed. My tire dealer says it's not a size he stocks and thought few dealers would have it. So if I am out in the middle of Wyoming somewhere I will at least have the rubber to mount. That is, if I can find somewhere to carry it. I have only two options right now, no spare or sleep with it in the bed.

[Laco]

Moutainsam says:
"That is, if I can find somewhere to carry it. I have only two options right now, no spare or sleep with it in the bed. "
__________________________________________________ ______


I wouldn't think that spare would be very warm and fuzzy to sleep with. I'm guessing your 23TR has about as much space as my 24TX does for a spare. Because of the rear slide, using a hitch mounted carrier won't work. Under the rear of the MH looked like a possibility, had a tire guy check it out, he says tanks are in the way for mounting any kind of bracket to carry spare, which would wind up being too low for safe clearance. Haven't given up, but right now I'm out of ideas.

[Oneilkeys]

Originally Posted by mountainsam

I ordered a Hankook tire without a rim just so one would be available if and when it was needed. My tire dealer says it's not a size he stocks and thought few dealers would have it. So if I am out in the middle of Wyoming somewhere I will at least have the rubber to mount. That is, if I can find somewhere to carry it. I have only two options right now, no spare or sleep with it in the bed.

My thoughts exactly. I have travelled to Alaska twice and do not want to be caught out in the middle of nowhere with a shredded tire and none to buy. I found a good used tire that fits underneath my Axis - unmounted - and I hope I never have to use it.

[mountainsam]

Originally Posted by Laco

Moutainsam says:
"That is, if I can find somewhere to carry it. I have only two options right now, no spare or sleep with it in the bed. "
__________________________________________________ ______


I wouldn't think that spare would be very warm and fuzzy to sleep with. I'm guessing your 23TR has about as much space as my 24TX does for a spare. Because of the rear slide, using a hitch mounted carrier won't work. Under the rear of the MH looked like a possibility, had a tire guy check it out, he says tanks are in the way for mounting any kind of bracket to carry spare, which would wind up being too low for safe clearance. Haven't given up, but right now I'm out of ideas.

When I bought the spare tire (without rim) the guy put it in a huge yellow plastic sack which I just discovered will sit between the drivers seat back and the couch. So that will be it's home for this trip. Going from a fifth wheel with a spare room to the 23TR is a challenge but we will work it out. I think the secret is to stock up on groceries and such for two or three days at a time rather than our usual two weeks. DW wants to take a large 12 cup drip coffee maker. I voted for a small two cup french press. So we compromised. We're taking both.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Laco

....cut.... Because of the rear slide, using a hitch mounted carrier won't work. ....cut....

Are you referring to inadequate clearance under the slide, or blocking the rear compartment door?

It would seem that the Gemini should have enough vertical clearance for a spare tire that could remain in place while the slide extends above it. The compartment door, on the other hand, would require a swing-away tire/wheel carrier in order to have access to open it.

[Laco]

Hmmmm, We downsized from a 41 foot DP to the Gemini, and yes it certainly presents lots of challenges, we have discovered. We love how easy it is to get in and out of spaces, and its so much easier to be spontaneous with it for short trips etc., but going from the DP which had four big slides to the Gemini has been a real process. There just isn't the cabinet and storage space inside or out, that we really got used to during the eleven years we had the DP. We have just a small 4 cup coffee pot, and wife has had to give her toaster oven for a toaster, and on and on. The back half of my storage garage is still full of stuff from the DP, which there is no room for in the Gemini. All in all we still think it was the right move for us at this time in our lives, and there are things about the Gemini I love, like 17MPG instead of 6.5. Also wife will drive the Gemini, she would not even consider driving the DP, which is a big help for me.

[Laco]

Originally Posted by Chance

Are you referring to inadequate clearance under the slide, or blocking the rear compartment door?

It would seem that the Gemini should have enough vertical clearance for a spare tire that could remain in place while the slide extends above it. The compartment door, on the other hand, would require a swing-away tire/wheel carrier in order to have access to open it.

Not really worried about the compartment door, but the ones I have seen, with the tire mounted extend up too high for the slide to clear. Is there something out there I haven't seen?

[Pete'sMH]

The hitch carrier I used (Roadmaster 195225) is on a pivot so would easily swing out of the way of a rear slide. It has a long lever/handle so it is super easy to move - even a 22.5 inch wheel would be easy. You'd want to fashion some sort of lockout or "remove before flight" flag to remind you to pivot the tire before extending the slide. My spare is a reasonable 16 inch but I'm still to old and decrepit to do the heavy lifting associated with actually changing the tire but I feel better having one on board.

[Lyle]

Where did you finally find a wheel? It is a 7lug and we can't find one.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Laco

Not really worried about the compartment door, but the ones I have seen, with the tire mounted extend up too high for the slide to clear. Is there something out there I haven't seen?

On simple items like a wheel carrier, I usually custom design and build my own to get exactly the dimensions I want or need.

I've seen many design types in both fixed and swing-away. If I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, I'd get one that was close and have a local welding shop modify it as needed. A very small manufacturer may also be able to modify one of their designs.

In my opinion the first important thing is to confirm dimension from receiver up to bottom of slide to make sure the tire will fit with room to spare.

[One fat one]

I have a hurricane I just bought used I bought the roadmaster and have a tire but I haven't been able to find the 19.5" wheel anywhere so did you guys that have one go to ford ?

[Pete'sMH]

Mine is the more ordinary 16 inch wheel but I bought it on the internet from a company called Wheels a and Caps. My reconditioned Ford wheel looks like new and only cost $54. Good luck.

[iDrive55]

I found a perfect place to mount a spare on my 22e. This is behind the fuel tank. I am thinking that a Ford spare tire hoist would work nicely.