rjstractor wrote:
I vote for the under-mount between the frame rails. This keeps it out of sight of potential thieves (although I suppose they may look under) and away from UV exposure. Changing one of these is not much different than a full size HD pickup. The rear axle will be heavier of course, but the tires are about the same weight and the lugs should only be tightened to 140 ft./lbs. A person of average strength should have no problems loosening or tightening with a standard 2 foot tire iron as long as some knucklehead installer didn't rattle them on with a 3/4" impact wrench. These are nowhere near as difficult as the 22.5s found on larger rigs, these are often torqued to 450-500 ft./lbs.
That's exactly where my Winnebago Itasca came with it's spare - mounted in the rear up in between the frame rails just like where the spare is on a pickup truck - including my GMC pickup.
I would not buy a new motorhome without a spare ... but I would also tell the salesman that ... so that he knew why I walked away from a new model they were showing me that otherwise met all of my other requirements. This would be called "customer feedback" and might train the dealer to order all future inventory with spares!
I also carry all the equipment along in our Class C to jack up the rig, inflate a tire, plug a puncture hole in a tire, or change a bad tire ... just in case we're out someplace where ERS won't come to.
P.S. We also carry along a satellite access texting device to maybe get help when cell phones wont' work.
