Front Mount Spare Tire

Gene in NE wrote:

If I did not have that system, I would visit my local "U Pull-It" salvage yard and look under the wrecked pickups. After looking at some Dodge's and Chevies, I believe you'll find one that you could adapt to your situation.

If you have trouble finding a hoist, you can also buy a new one here. I purchased new for my setup (necessary due to the weight of my spare), which you can read about here if you like. Did it at the start of this camping season.

Grumpy374 wrote:
..... Do any of you carry a spare tire/rim on a front mount hitch?.... My Lexi has a spare, and I'm capable of changing it myself, except it just chained/bolted to the frame rails at the rear, making it a lousy job to get access to it... Grumpy

My 2002 Chevy has the spare hanging under the rear between the frame sections. It has a cable winch to raise and lower the tire. I have tried it a couple times and have squirted WD-40 on the mechanism to keep it working smoothly.

If I did not have that system, I would visit my local "U Pull-It" salvage yard and look under the wrecked pickups. After looking at some Dodge's and Chevies, I believe you'll find one that you could adapt to your situation.

Thanks John. Yours is the one I saw pic's of several weeks ago. To others, I realize the temps on water and trans might go up. My Lexi is on a 2012 E-450 with V-10. Worst case is that I have to re-locate the trans cooler or add an additional one. Can always add flexible duct from the lower grill directing air back to the radiator. Worth it if I don't have to crawl on my back under the rear of the Lexi on the side of the road somewhere.
Grumpy

I carry a lot of stuff up front, including dirt bikes.

However, the biggest restriction was my 4-6" lights I put on the middle crossbar on the grill guard. That made trans temps go up about 30 degrees on average. To compensate, I upgraded to a Tru-Cool max 40,000 GVW cooler, in lieu of the stock cooler. This brought temps back to normal.

So... at the very least be sure you monitor your trans temps after you make the change. You may need to add more transmission cooling. The engine cooling is so oversized I doubt you would ever run into a problem there.

Here you go grumpy.

I had it custom made to go in the receivers for the tow bars. I put a hub cap on the front to make it look a little nicer. No idea on cooling so far as I don't have a scan gauge yet. The idiot gauge hasn't changed inside but no way to check the tranny temp until I get the scan gauge on it...which will be next spring now as it is in Canada. I'm sure There is some air restriction but a lot of air still gets by it. I might make an inconspicuous scoop underneath it to direct the air a bit. With my long overhang it made a difference to the handling/bounciness. Hope this helps.

Putting the spare tire on the front of your Class "C" will restrict the air flow thru the radiator thus effecting the Trans and Engine temps. Not something I'd recommend doing. I'd find a way to mount it on the back of the coach instead of under or in front.

A few years back, a guy posted on the Tiger owners' Yahoo group that when he took the front mount spare _off_ of his Tiger, the water temp didn't change, but the transmission temp wen down by about 10 degrees. That's a Chevy pickup chassis with, I think, a Duramax/Allison.

Jim, "Isn't 'rise and shine' and oxymoron?"

I've been on etrailer's site and that is the tire mount I was looking at. They also carry a class 3 front mount receiver hitch for the E-450's.
Just looking for anyone here who has a similar type of set-up and if you ran into any problems as far as over-heating.
Grumpy

I had Upscale Auto install a front receiver hitch on my 2013 Leisure Travel Vans Unity MB. I purchased a stock wheel from eurocampers.com and a Curt Trailer Hitch Mounted Spare Tire Carrier C31006 from etrailer.com. I have yet to get the tire. My unit did not come with a spare and I will be going to Alaska next summer so I wanted to have one. Will be pulling a toad so the front hitch was considered.

Yeah, it's mounted underneath at the rear. Have a hitch but set up to tow my Subi. Not concerned about "looks", but about practicality.
Grumpy