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Old 01-29-2016, 01:27 PM   #1
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no spare tire on Axis 24.1

Just bought a 2016 Axis 24.1. There isn't a spare tire, which means if there's any tire issues (flat, blow out) you have to get it towed.
Has anyone added/mounted a spare tire?

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Old 01-29-2016, 02:25 PM   #2
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If you search the forum, there are people who have mounted tires under the back of the chassis and there are some mounting devices which will fit. However, in most areas in the US, you are probably going to call AAA or the Ford hotline and have them come change the tire anyway. If you have to call for help, tell them if you need a tire and someone will be able to bring you one. For just a flat, the tire may be able to be repaired on the spot. Changing a tire on a Class A RV is dangerous.

While I never bother to carry a tire in the lower 48, on my two trips to Alaska, I did purchase a used tire (no rim) and stored it in the back compartment. I also carried a tire repair kit and tire inflator for a real emergency - if I could not get someone to help. Even in some of the remote dirt roads we took in Alaska there was enough traffic that someone would have eventually called in help for us. I took a tire because I was afraid that out in the woods I might not be able to find one the correct size but that I probably could find someone to mount and change the tire. Luckily, in over 25,000 miles to Alaska and back twice, I never had to use either the repair kit or the spare. Tire Minders or someway to know the condition of your tires minute by minute gives you great peace of mind and increases your chances of noticing a tire starting to go down and stopping and repairing it before it is destroyed.
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Old 01-29-2016, 02:53 PM   #3
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Thanks for info. Spare tire is for piece of mind. We have emergency road service to cover tow to fix a tire issue.
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Old 01-30-2016, 03:23 AM   #4
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Pretty unusual for spare tires in new rv' s. If you have a problem you probably would not tow, but rather have a service truck come out. I do not think I could change a tire myself (old).
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Old 01-30-2016, 04:48 AM   #5
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Tire/wheel on an Axis or Vegas are no bigger or heavier than those of 1-ton vans like mine -- 225 tires are actually a little smaller than my 245s. They are also smaller than those of many HD pickup trucks which have spares. Torque on 8 lugs are pretty much the same too. Since I remove mine to work on brakes, etc., I wouldn't have a problem changing a tire in an emergency. I would certainly want a spare even if I couldn't change it myself.

A concern is that modern motorhomes are very tall with high center of gravity, so jacking them up on side of road may be too dangerous for most owners.
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Old 01-30-2016, 05:26 AM   #6
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2016 Hurricane 27K here - no spare either. We have road service that will supposedly bring us a tire should we need one. Of course we have to pay for the tire!

At first we were very surprised that there was no spare - that was so foreign to us! But upon further consideration, we realized there would be no way we'd want to try to attempt a tire change on that big coach!

Eileen in AZ
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Old 01-30-2016, 01:33 PM   #7
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Agree. There is a reason why Class A's do not generally have spares, not just because the manufactures are cheap. While I changed tires on my 1 ton van when I was young and stupid (using the provided bumper jack��) If someone has the equipment to change an RV tire, I figure they probably have the equipment to put a tire on a rim. That is my rational for carrying a tire but not a rim.
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Old 01-30-2016, 05:11 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tcshr5@yahoo.com View Post
Just bought a 2016 Axis 24.1. There isn't a spare tire, which means if there's any tire issues (flat, blow out) you have to get it towed.
Has anyone added/mounted a spare tire?
Again we have a question of preference, your abilities and your destinations. Then there is the extra weight of the tire, wheel and mount. My previous Class A blew two tires before I replaced the rest of them. I had road service, and each time it was a 4 hour delay. Both times, they matched the tire and charged the same as a local tire shop for the tire.

For peace of mind, install a Tire Pressure Monitor System. They will warn you if pressure drops or a tire heats up. Having that, and an air compressor, will cover you for most problems in most areas. Once the warranty road service expires, consider buying a service. Just my opinion, others will have different opinions.
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Old 01-30-2016, 11:12 PM   #9
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Changing a 75-pound tire/wheel on a light motorhome is very different than one twice as heavy from a large rig. I'm not suggesting anyone try something they shouldn't, but in my opinion we should not consider them all the same.
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Old 01-31-2016, 12:58 AM   #10
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Chance, you are right about the Vegas/Axis having lighter wheels and tires than most Class A's. But to be equipped to replace a tire with a spare, you need not just the tire and wheel, but a sturdy jack and an assortment of wood blocks. Ideally, you would want a heavy duty socket wrench and breaker bar and a floor jack. All that takes up significant space and weight.
The trend in cars went from full spare to donut spare to an inflation kit with no spare or jack, but tire pressure sensors. All because of space and weight.
Back to the OP, even if you can mount a spare, are you sure you want to? Especially since you say you have emergency road service!
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Old 01-31-2016, 03:46 AM   #11
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On an Axis-size motorhome, I would definitely want the option. Sitting 4-hours on side of road would seem like an eternity to me.

My Class C had a spare, a factory jack, and lug wrench. I carried extra thick board in case pavement was soft, and a lightweight tube to use for added leverage. I now carry essentially the same items in my van which has far less storage.

The key for me is to NEVER reach under vehicle while it's jacked off the ground unless I have secondary supports under it.

I'll add that if I'm going to go to the trouble of carrying an extra tire, I'd want it mounted on a wheel and ready to go. The extra wheel only adds about 25 pounds and almost no extra space compared to a tire.
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Old 01-31-2016, 12:32 PM   #12
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Most motorhome owners are in the same situation. The simple solution is to obtain road service from AAA-RV, CoachNet, Camping World, etc. This type of service typically includes tire changes, towing your RV to a repair shop, jump starting and so on.

Even though I have (repetitively) smaller tires on my Class C; after seeing the size of my tires, I decided I am not going to change one. I have a spare tire but I also have RV road service. For the $80 or so annual fee for RV road service, someone else can do it. The spare was an option, and I suppose it depends on the size of your rig (i.e. place to put it) whether or not Thor offers a spare as an option.

The spare though is nice as it allows the tire to be changed in a single trip by the service company, without trying to locate a hard-to-find tire.
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Old 01-31-2016, 12:44 PM   #13
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We have decided to carry a tire inflator kit and a spare tire, not installed on a rim. that will make the tire assembly lighter. then when we get towed or service truck comes to change tire, we already have a tire and won't have to purchase an overpriced tire from the place we get towed to or the service truck company.
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Old 02-10-2016, 05:49 PM   #14
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Send me an email John@usallianceinc.net and i will tell you how to do it.
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Old 10-16-2017, 08:44 PM   #15
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Just experienced this a few days ago. Flat tire at 9pm. A few goat ropes of the run around, finally got to a company that would come out and change it the tire out at about $375 later. Buying a used rim and putting a tire on it for a spare. I'll figure out where and how to mount it when I get them. At least, I'll save some where $175 if this would happen again.
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Old 10-16-2017, 09:43 PM   #16
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I went for well over 10 years without a tire problem on the road, and then had to replace two tires with the spares within the last few months.

The first was on small rental car that had aluminum rims, making the tire very light. To help matters it only had 5 lugs per wheel which came off relatively easy. I could have called, but being in a hurry replaced it myself in less than 30 minutes (took a while to find all parts and jacking instructions on car I wasn't familiar with).

A little over two months ago I blew tire on my camping van on I-95 in Florida, and replaced it while parked on shoulder. These wheels/tires are slightly larger and heavier than what's on Axis/Vegas, or Ford Class Cs, but I managed to get back on road in about 30 minutes (wasn't timing, but expect we'll under an hour).

Comparing the two, there wasn't really that much difference in total time or effort even though my van's tires are at least twice as heavy, use 8 lugs, and are tighten to 140 lb-ft.

Getting everything set up takes a lot of time regardless of vehicle size. Granted, I had to jack up more weight, but the much heavier van wasn't that different because jack goes under axle, so no energy wasted with car's spring.

Replacing a front tire on an Axis/Vegas or Ford Class C should take similar effort. Rear dually tires should be a little harder, but I expect I'd be back on road in less than an hour. I'd definitely want a spare on smaller rigs.
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Old 10-16-2017, 10:55 PM   #17
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I'm not that brave: I'll keep my "Good Sam" card handy, and be prepared to hunker down, and wait it out...
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Old 10-16-2017, 11:59 PM   #18
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It wasn't dangerous at all. In fact, my biggest concern was when a man stopped behind us as if to offer help, and then wouldn't drive away after I waved him off. To me people often seem more dangerous than equipment.

The hardest (physical) part was lifting the shredded tire into van. I was going to bolt it back on spare tire carrier high on rear door, but exposed cords were too sharp and made handling tire difficult without work gloves.
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