Do you carry a spare tire?

The whole reason I brought this subject up is because I found that when trying to locate a 19.5" rim and a tire for a spare on our last motorhome, It wasn't easy. I live in a city of a half a million people and I could not locate a rim here locally. I ended up having to get a rim off of Ebay and a used simi truck tire locally for my spare which I ended up needing as I had a complete blow out up in the mountains.
I am also in the process of changing insurance carriers for our new rig. In my research I have read a lot of unhappy reviews of people thinking roadside service is going to take care of everything when having a blow out. Many people state that roadside service will come to you and change YOUR spare tire for you. If you don't have one, It sounds like you're screwed?
Is there anyone out there who didn't have a spare tire and roadside service was able to take care of you anyway? I think that it would have to be a situation where they are able to locate a tire, bring it out to you, take your bad tire off of the rim, and then mount the new tire on it. That doesn't sound like anything that would happen quickly but maybe I'm wrong?

I was hoping that one of the members that had a blowout on I-75, right near Tampa, FL would chime in. If I remember right, it was on the Christmas holiday and besides no tire stores being open, it took forever for roadside assistance to come out. I seem to remember that they had to spend a day or so at the side of the road before they could get assistance, just because of a flat tire on a holiday weekend.
My lugs are torqued to 450 ft lbs, and to loosen them takes much more than that. I use a 5' pipe, slipped over a 3/4" breaker bar, along with a jack stand. With this set up I can stand/jump on the bar if I have to. I have never failed to break a lug loose, even after the tire techs torque them to 1,000,000 pounds. :B
As far as raising the vehicle, just to change a tire, I put blocks under my levelers and let the coach raise itself. Then I put jack stands under the frame and go to work. Of course I loosed the lugs before I raised the vehicle. The next time you have a tire changed, watch the tech and you will see some of their tricks. They never lift the whole weight of a tire.
I'm not saying that carrying a spare is for everyone. Certainly changing you own tire at the side of the road is not something everyone should try if it can be avoided. I just remember the member on this forum spending a long time stranded on the side of the road with his family when all they wanted to do was enjoy the Holiday.
Here is a picture of how to break loose ANY lug nut on even the largest vehicle. It can also be used to tighten the lugs after the tire is changed. I used the same method on my previous DP. It can be done by a mere mortal if ERS is not able to help. If ERS can help in a reasonable time frame, it becomes a routine service call if you have a tire available for them to change, especially if it is a holiday or the nearest tire shop, with your size, is far away.

We always carry a spare tire, 20 ton jack, and a torque multiply wrench and can change it if we have to. Some places in northern AZ, southern Utah as well as others cell service in none existent. Have we used them "NO" always try road service first. Carry a spare so road service doen't to go look for one.

For those who may not realize it, my tires are mounted with 10 nuts that require 500 foot pounds of torque. My skinny A$$ couldn't pull that with a 6 foot cheater bar. plus you'd have to haul a 20 ton jack around.
Who wants to be on a single point jack on the side of the road while the 18 wheelers fly by?

Nope, I'll let the pros do it they have insurance.

We found during our trip to Ak. that most every gas station / truck stop / village along the way have truck tires that would fit our coach.

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:

midnightsadie wrote:
I,d carry just the tire, without anything your at there mercy. and it ain,t cheap. say you blew a tire saterday afternoon ,you might wait till monday to get a tire. on the side of the road in 98deg heat.

Exactly! I can (and have) changed mine on the road. I have roadside assistance, but won't sit there and wait an hour (or more) just to have someone change a tire. And, as others have mentioned, you don't always know that you will have reasonable access to a replacement when/where you need it. You can follow dates and pressures all you want, but things happen (pick up a nail, valve stem fails, etc...). I would never travel without a spare.

X1, you have everything to GAIN and nothing to loose carrying a spare. I once had 2 marathon load range D tires blow on the same day. Good Years warranty plan replaced both tires, no pro rating and paid for the damage to the fender.:)

Yes and needed it once on our 30 ft. Class C. Blew a rear tire and Good Sam could not locate a tire in the area. Service guys came and put on the spare to get the few miles to the next town where a shop had the right tire, no thanks to Good Sam.

I carry a 22.5 casing in the trunk of my toad. I think I'll hang onto it until I get new rears next year to replace the almost 10 yo Michelins that came with the rig when I bought used.

I also would carry a spare if I went up to Alaska again, but most of the time, if my tires are in good condition, I don't bother. I do have Coachnet ERS and have had to use it a couple times for tire/wheel issues over the 14 years of full timing, but got lucky and never had to buy a tire on the road.

midnightsadie wrote:
I,d carry just the tire, without anything your at there mercy. and it ain,t cheap. say you blew a tire saterday afternoon ,you might wait till monday to get a tire. on the side of the road in 98deg heat.

Exactly! I can (and have) changed mine on the road. I have roadside assistance, but won't sit there and wait an hour (or more) just to have someone change a tire. And, as others have mentioned, you don't always know that you will have reasonable access to a replacement when/where you need it. You can follow dates and pressures all you want, but things happen (pick up a nail, valve stem fails, etc...). I would never travel without a spare.

Our used 32-footer came with a spare tire (19.5") already mounted on a wheel. The combo was stashed on top of the propane cylinder, held on with a chain and padlock. It was one of the OEM tires and was 8 years old at the time we bought the rig. The six that were rolling were the same age, so I replaced those, but I figured the spare would be OK in a pinch. In 4 years and 8,000 miles, I never had to use it.

Mandalay Parr wrote:
No. I wouldn’t be able to lift or change it anyway.

no but your road service guy could, and you wouldn't get stuck payint $700 for a 300 tire. at least carry an unmounted tire.
bumpy