Spare Tire

[rookie_rv]

Hello!

Rookie RVer :C here......asking for feedback regarding carrying a spare tire in a 30ft Class A. I don’t ever image trying to change a spare by myself in an emergency, and my hope is the road side assistance would be able to help. I want to remove it with the goal of having more storage space.

Your feedback.........

[wildmanbaker]

4x4van wrote:
30 years RVing, 3 different MHs...have had 3 blowouts (last one at least 15 years ago). Would never consider traveling without a spare and the tools to change it.

Currently have a Class A, 19.5" tires torqued to 450 ft/lbs!!! Carry a spare, lug wrench, 4' breaker bar. Can raise any corner with my leveling jacks if needed.

I look at it this way; I don't WANT to change a tire, but I may not have a choice. I travel and camp in remote locations, sometimes have no cell service, sometimes a considerable distance from paved roads. RSS may not be able to be reached (cell service), or they may not want to go where I am (off-road), or they may simply not have a tire that is priced reasonably. I refuse to be at the mercy of any of that. YMMV.

Any questions?
This should be all the answers that are needed.

[Mr_Mark1]

error.

[NMDriver2]

A good tool for lug nuts is a torque multiplier wrench link

I have the $54 blue one and it is a dream to remove large lug nuts. It came with the sockets from 13/16 up to 1 5/8ths.

You need to be careful if you are tightening the nut as this thing will over torque a nut without you feeling it.

[4x4van]

30 years RVing, 3 different MHs...have had 3 blowouts (last one at least 15 years ago). Would never consider traveling without a spare and the tools to change it.

Currently have a Class A, 19.5" tires torqued to 450 ft/lbs!!! Carry a spare, lug wrench, 4' breaker bar. Can raise any corner with my leveling jacks if needed.

I look at it this way; I don't WANT to change a tire, but I may not have a choice. I travel and camp in remote locations, sometimes have no cell service, sometimes a considerable distance from paved roads. RSS may not be able to be reached (cell service), or they may not want to go where I am (off-road), or they may simply not have a tire that is priced reasonably. I refuse to be at the mercy of any of that. YMMV.

[Mr_Mark1]

We are in a conundrum with our coach. Michelin is the only manufacturer of the XZA 365/70R/22.5 for the steer and tag. We have Michelin 315's for the drive axle which are easier to get.

I plan on getting new tires at the end of next year as our tires will be at 6 yrs. old. I'm going to keep a 365 unmounted just in case.

I have a new car that has 'run flats'. We have construction going on in our neighborhood where I think I picked up a big fat screw. :M I took the car to America's Tire where they repaired it. I was out of town for a while and came back home to a flat tire.

I found out I don't have a spare. I could see where the repair failed as air was coming out of the tire at a fast pace. Inside the tire is this thick rubber material which is supposed to slow down a leak or rupture. That thick rubbery stuff was coming out of the failed repair.

Since I didn't have a spare, I found a screw and screwed it back into the tire. I aired the tire up so that I could get back to the dealership for a new tire (I didn't want to deal with a tow or AAA). It worked, it held air just fine. The head guy at the dealer said that run-flats should not be repaired, replaced only. I had just 2,900 miles on that tire!

Anyway, since the coach tires are rare as hens teeth, keeping an extra will be an advantage just in case I need it.

Safe travels,
MM.

[olfarmer]

I have always carried a spare and have changed out a flat 19.5 two different times on the side of the road, once in 105 degree temps. Even if I get too old to change one myself I would not feel good to not have the insurance of having a spare with me. To each his own!

[camperdave]

My wife's car has no spare, hasn't been a problem yet but I sure don't like it! Even though I've got roadside service and probably will never remove a wheel on the motorhome myself, I would be very uncomfortable not at least having a spare with me. I understand there are options and many big motorhomes these days don't carry spares, but I like the insurance.

OP, when you say you want to remove the spare for more storage space, I take it the spare is in a compartment and takes up space? Maybe consider moving it to a bumper or rear wall mount or something.

Of course many go with the no spare, carry a credit card plan and it usually works out fine. I just like being as prepared as I can be, so I carry a spare and a credid card and am not afraid to use either lol.

[2manytoyz]

My 1999 Bounder came with a spare. There was a tray under the back end of the coach with it tucked away. Nice because it didn't take up valuable storage space!

But I soon discovered my pneumatic impact gun (250 ft. lbs) wasn't big enough to break the lugnuts loose. Furthermore, I didn't have a jack with enough capacity to raise the rear corner of the vehicle. I needed to "re-clock" my dual wheels as the inside one had a hidden valve stem.

After that experience, I opted for roadside assistance. I still carry a compressor and a tire plug kit. Anything more, I'll call for help. While Bubba's shop might not have the tire I need, I can find most anything I need these days with a smart phone. And if we are well away from cell phone coverage, we'll hop in the lifeboat (Jeep), and go get what I need. YMMV.

[kiloo9]

it's a lot easier to have a spare tire that you may not need, but having on board one will make a difference, need extra space install a spare tire carrier, ever need to change a tire on the road, most anybody could do it, road service will get you on the road in a short time.

[timmac]

RLS7201 wrote:

Executive wrote:
A 22.5 tire weighs several hundred pounds.

A 255/80R22.5 weights in @ 89.5 lbs.
My Michelin 235/85R16 weights in @ about 100 lbs.
You don't pick up the whole tire, You only pick up one side and roll it to the hub, then you stick a long screw driver under the tire and slip the rim on the hub. It's not about brute strength and ignorance, it about finesse. I will have to admit to slowing down every time I blow out on of those 76 BD candles. But I still provided all the grunt when I mounted and balanced my tires last year.


Real men change their own tires
Richard

X2


I bought 6 new rims for my motorhome had shop install new tires on rims, brought new tires/rims back home and installed all 6 in 3 hours back on my motorhome and torqued down the lug nuts, no help needed by anyone, its not that hard when you know what you are doing, oh and I did it on a rock pad/driveway, no cement.


However I was sore for a day or so after wards but changing a flat on the road, no issues here.


I also got 6 used rims/tires for sale if anyone needs them.;)

[zigzagrv]

It's a Sunday morning, halfway between Marathon, TX and Big Bend NP, out in the desert when an outside rear tire lost its tread. No cell service. Before I could get pulled over and out the door to inspect, a Border Patrol truck was alongside me. He radioed to dispatch my GS ERS card info and contacted them. 3 1/2 hours later a repair guy shows up. I had dropped the spare and had the rear of the motorhome up on its jacks when he arrived. A half hour later I was back on my way to BB NP. If I had not had a spare, I don't know how I would have communicated that with the repair guy.

P.S. At one point I considered changing it myself since I carry a lot of tools. However, I could not find the right size socket for the lugs, which is 15/16". I now have one. Wouldn't leave home without a spare.

[rk911]

Big Redneck wrote:
My 2004 MH has a spare bolted up underneath which is very dangerous to take down without a floor jack. Its very heavy and could break your arm without a foot jack to let down. I wonder how they got away with doing that. One could get killed taking the spare down. When you remove the bolt , it falls to the ground.

our 2000 suncruiser also had a spare underneath it's rear end (I had forgotten about that until your post). we only dropped that tire once and as I recall it was on a manually operated winch so it lowered and raised slowly and safely.

[Big_Redneck]

My 2004 MH has a spare bolted up underneath which is very dangerous to take down without a floor jack. Its very heavy and could break your arm without a foot jack to let down. I wonder how they got away with doing that. One could get killed taking the spare down. When you remove the bolt , it falls to the ground.

[RLS7201]

Executive wrote:
A 22.5 tire weighs several hundred pounds.

A 255/80R22.5 weights in @ 89.5 lbs.
My Michelin 235/85R16 weights in @ about 100 lbs.
You don't pick up the whole tire, You only pick up one side and roll it to the hub, then you stick a long screw driver under the tire and slip the rim on the hub. It's not about brute strength and ignorance, it about finesse. I will have to admit to slowing down every time I blow out on of those 76 BD candles. But I still provided all the grunt when I mounted and balanced my tires last year.


Real men change their own tires
Richard