Necessity of a spare?

jrpend wrote:
Greetings!! -


Is this simply a acknowledgement that normal humans cannot change those tires and we must call a truck tire guy anyway? It appears that a lot of big rigs no longer have spares as well.

We are concerned about the situation where we are stuck outside of some remote location with a flat. Based on the experiences in this forum, how real is that fear?

I just finished going through the same mental and practical drill. A few months ago we bought an 31KE Itasca without a spare. Having had a class a in the 1990's that went through 3 tires while on trips I just could not bear the worry of not having one handy. Our Itasca runs on a 6.75X19 wheel.

My solution was to purchase a used wheel for a very reasonable price from an RV salvage company as Ford wanted a fortune for a new one. Then I did my research then acquired a Sailun Tire locally for a very reasonable price and had it mounted on the rim. Needless to say manipulating the tire to load it in the rig is difficult at best. But it fits fine in the rear compartment (cleared with an inch or so each side).

This year we are traveling the Alaska Hiway once again. I will not travel that road unless I have a spare tire.

I have changed tires of the same size on my old motorhome. I was much younger then. I could probably barely pull it off at my age but I am at that point in life when I question my strength and capabilities. Now I would not try to change it myself unless it was absolutely necessary. Having it mounted on a wheel for road service to use if I can get their help gives me great peace of mind.

Odds may be that I may never need it. Experience shows me that its a real possibility that need might occur. But I have it now --and its there when and if it must be utilized. I can sleep at night not worrying! :)