Easy Question for Seasoned Class A Veterans...

[DryCreek]

OK, I had an epiphany the other day while out shopping for a used Class A MH. How do most of you handle a flat or blowout? I don't recall seeing a single spare on any of the rigs we looked at, and certainly no room to store one. Surely you don't call and then sit around waiting for a tire service truck, do you?

Oh, I did see a large cross-wrench in one of the pass thtrough storage bays. I think it was even in the one MH that is now running near the top of our list.

[Gjac]

the silverback wrote:
ROAD SERVICE. The tires on my class A are just to heavy!!

For some reason they get heavier as you get older.

[the_silverback]

ROAD SERVICE. The tires on my class A are just to heavy!!

[Scottiemom]

We carry an unmounted spare for our Phaeton motorhome. It's 22.5 and 39 inches across. When we changed toads, we made sure it would fit in the back end. We had one flat tire on the road and didn't have a spare. The services will **** you on a replacement. We were brought a used tire with a repaired sidewall for over $300. Had trouble holding air, but we drove it 20 miles to dealer in Florida and replaced it with an exact match, which the road service said was obsolete. Decided then we would carry a spare. Haven't needed it, but never say never.

Dale

[rgatijnet1]

True temper wrote:
I wouldn't think about a trip without a spare. I have trouble getting around but I still change 22.5 tires. It's not that much work if you know how, some people are lazy and never had to work hard. Get t a torque multiplier and you can get the nuts off. The biggest problem is getting the bead set. I have had to use ether and a propane torch when all else failed. Now I cut 2x4 block and put between the bead to train the tire bead apart.

I use a nylon ratchet strap to set the bead. Wrapped around the tire in the center of the tread and tightening will set the bead. I have also used my leveling jacks to break the bead to pull the old tire off of the rims. Sure the spare tire is heavy but if you are lifting the whole tire at any time, you are not doing it right. 😉

[timmac]

True temper wrote:
I wouldn't think about a trip without a spare. I have trouble getting around but I still change 22.5 tires. It's not that much work if you know how, some people are lazy and never had to work hard. Get t a torque multiplier and you can get the nuts off. The biggest problem is getting the bead set. I have had to use ether and a propane torch when all else failed. Now I cut 2x4 block and put between the bead to train the tire bead apart.

Changing a 22.5 tire on the rim that is hard work, why not carry a fully mounted spare.

[True_temper]

I wouldn't think about a trip without a spare. I have trouble getting around but I still change 22.5 tires. It's not that much work if you know how, some people are lazy and never had to work hard. Get t a torque multiplier and you can get the nuts off. The biggest problem is getting the bead set. I have had to use ether and a propane torch when all else failed. Now I cut 2x4 block and put between the bead to train the tire bead apart.

[timmac]

doc brown wrote:
Call emergency roadside assistance. To carry a spare would be problematic because of weight and size, and how often does one have a flat? Maintaining proper air pressure, monitoring tire condition and changing them out at the end of life (5-7 years) greatly reduces the risk of a flat.

The OPer was looking at 19.5 tires, its not a real weight issue and most rear compartments can fit a 19.5, also changing 19.5 if you have levelers to lift motorhome is no big deal and flats do happen.

Hate to be in the middle of no where or far from a town on a Sunday without a spare.

[doc_brown]

Call emergency roadside assistance. To carry a spare would be problematic because of weight and size, and how often does one have a flat? Maintaining proper air pressure, monitoring tire condition and changing them out at the end of life (5-7 years) greatly reduces the risk of a flat.

[Passin_Thru]

Only changed one myself since 1970s. Carry one and call service truck.I do look like the guy from Dire Straits singing lead in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tTmpzfyChw

[timmac]

Most 19.5 tire motorhomes have a spare, mine does, its the 22.5 that wont have the room to carry, and yes I can change my own spare and have Good Sam as a backup.

GM V-8 is old school with push rods and 2 valves per cly and the Ford V-10 is high tech with over head cam and 3 valves per cly..

Ford Rules, sorry about that.. 😛

[DryCreek]

rgatijnet1 wrote:
If you happen to find a Workhorse W chassis with the 19.5 tires, the lug torque is 475 ft pounds. Not a problem if you carry a jack stand and a 4' length of pipe and remove it like this.

That is an excellent way to provide counter-torque. I do happen to have a bunch of jackstands, so I can make sure that it is part of my "kit" when we load up the new (to us) coach!

I hope to find a coach with the Workhorse chassis. Although I am not really brand loyal when it comes to vehicles, I am most familiar with Cummins engines, and I really do like the idea of a big-bore V-8 over a V-10. Of course I do realize that either one in a moderate sized coach will do well for me. I am just an old curmudgeon that has a soft spot for a big block V-8 rumble.....

So, since I've inadvertently opened up the Ford vs. Chevy rivalry, how about tossing in the next loaded question:

Good Sam or Coach Net (and why)...

[et2]

Bad back and no spare. Never will attemp our MH tire. Coach Net will be called. That's why we have a toad. If needed we have other transportation until the repair. So we aren't stuck in a bad area or on the freeway.

[Rog___Nan]

We have had our MH for 21 years this April. Have had only one flat tire ever. We were on a county road in southern Indiana. We have roadside service so we called them nearest service was in Louisville told them we had a spare and it was already on a rim. Our rim was destroyed before we could get to a safe spot on narrow road. It took them an hour and a half to get to us. The guy said he spent an hour trying to find a 19" tire for us with no luck in Louisville or southern Indiana. He had it changed in no time at all. But we now had no spare. We were headed to south East Tennessee . We did finish our week long trip with no problem. Now DH is a maintenance freak and this was our first trip on brand spanking new tires, cause we change every 6 to 7 years. Come to find out guy who installed them the week before had balanced them with beads BUT did not replace the valves on any of the tires as required so that the bead can't get caught in the valve and creates a slow leak. That is exactly what happened. So we are firm believers in a spare on a rim. That said we just bought a second MH a 2008 class C. It has no spare. We have replaced the tires first thing, but it's a Ford 450 with 16 inch tire and wheels so we feel we have a fairly good chance of a tire and or rim being more available. The C is for our daughter and son,with their families to join us camping more and it is working??

[DSDP_Don]

"DryCreek".....Here's what I've done over the years. When we had our Class A Gasser, it came with a 19.5 spare. Since this is a reasonably sized tire, I carried the tools to change it. On the way home from the Grand Canyon, I felt the front tire develop a tread separation. I removed the spare, broke the lug nuts loose and then lifted the coach with the front jacks. I quickly installed the spare, snugged the lug nuts and lowered it to finish tightening.

When we bought our first DP, I felt uncomfortable not having a spare. I bought a used 'matching tire", wrapped it in saran wrap and then used a roll of masking tape and wrapped it again. I stored it in the center of my slide tray and was able to still store stuff in the center of the tire.

Here's what I tell people when they say.....all you need is a credit card and road side service......Get your tire size and brand off the side of your tire and then call around within your home town and see how available that tire is. Typically, most tire stores don't stock a lot of tires now days. They order them from a local distributor and get them in a day or so. The tire on my DP was an odd size (smaller than most) and often took three days to find. If you're retired and don't mind waiting for three days, fine. Hopefully you're not in the middle of a ghetto when you break down. By having the unmounted spare, you can simply have someone change it.

My current coach would really suffer form carrying a spare (larger tire and limited storage), but my current coach is a tag axle. In an emergency, the tag can be moved to wherever it's needed and a used or odd size tire can be placed in the tag position.