Necessity of a spare?

Executive wrote:
For those that espouse being "ripped off" by the guy/gal bringing the replacement tire...I call B.S.!
This is just another one of those "myths" that continue to be promulgated.

I agree, Dennis. There may well be cases where you may pay extra because they they are coming out to you during non-business hours. I expect to pay more in that case. However, the proverbial $2000 rip-off we hear about....Like you said, I think thats one of those "myths" that keeps getting passed along.

When I called CoachNet with a flat tire, they asked me my tire size and asked if I had a brand preference. I told them my tire size and requested a Goodyear G670. They brought me a new tire with a date code 10/14 at an installed price of $733. That's $684 for the tire itself which is pretty close to what any Tom, Dick or Harry tire place would charge in a big city. Hardly being ripped off.

...This is very much like the experience I had, when I had to call Good Sam ERS once due to a flat tire. They asked what size tire I had, what brand I preferred, and they brought exactly that size and brand with them ('twas a Goodyear G670 as well). And, their price for the tire if I had needed it (fortunately I did not), was not much different than I would have paid for that tire, regardless.

If I owned an older coach that had odd-ball sized tires that were not easy to come by, that would be different. In that case I probably would carry an extra unmounted tire or two. Fortunately, that ain't the case for us. The 19.5" tires on our Ford F53 based MH are very common and not hard to find at all.

Will

Mo, Dennis, just to the nearest tire dealer and we'd probably have had the failed one replaced and then repaired to use as a spare. In four years and 6000 miles we never had a tire problem.

Not an issue any longer, as we sold the MH a retired from the lifestyle.

I think it is best to just take a few sentimental items in your coach and abandon it. Call up Newmar or Entegra better yet treat yourself to a Prevost and run it until the next flat.

For those that espouse being "ripped off" by the guy/gal bringing the replacement tire...I call B.S.!
This is just another one of those "myths" that continue to be promulgated.

When I called CoachNet with a flat tire, they asked me my tire size and asked if I had a brand preference. I told them my tire size and requested a Goodyear G670. They brought me a new tire with a date code 10/14 at an installed price of $733. That's $684 for the tire itself which is pretty close to what any Tom, Dick or Harry tire place would charge in a big city. Hardly being ripped off. Regardless, my extended warranty paid the entire amount without batting an eye. I was on the road in about an hour and a half. I polished the rubber off the side of the coach while I waited......Dennis

JimM68 wrote:
When you "lose" a tire on the road, you call your road service company, coachnet or good sam or whoever... and you wait patiently in your nice coach on the side of the highway while the semi's scream past you at 75 mph...

..Unless you 'limp' far enough off the road, to get away from those screaming semis. Depending on the circumstances, this is frequently possible.

If I can't get off the road, at least I'm inside my MH waiting patiently with semis screaming by, not outside changing a tire on the ground just a few feet away from being clobbered by one of those screaming semis. Which would you think is safer? ;)

..I also have a towed vehicle I can easily unhook and use to get everyone away to a location away from those screaming semis while we wait.

..And when road service gets there, they may not have the right size tire on the truck, and they may choose to charge you 3 times what whatever they have is worth, cause, after all, you are stuck on the side of the road with a 2 legged motorcoach...

"MAY" being the operative word here. They also MAY bring the right size tire with them, that you ask them to bring when you talk to them. And if you need it, they MAY just charge you a fair price for that tire.

Thats what happened, in the one instance I had to use ERS, and 2 instances I know of with other people. Fortunately in my case, it turned out I didn't need the new tire they brought, they repaired my tire and only charged me a small fee to do so. We had discussed what the new tire would have costed, though, and it would not have been much different than I would have paid for that tire under any other circumstances.

Like I said, for the amount of $$ potentially being wasted, and equipment sitting, rotting away that may well never get used just to avoid these unlikely "MAY" and "WHAT IF" situations...I don't see the point in carrying a spare.

You can "WHAT IF" and "MAY" things all day. However, I've found over the years that thinking that way all the time will drive you insane, make you want to go live in a cave somewhere cut off from all society, haha. :)

Road service contracts cover the service, not the tire.

..Yep, I'm fully aware of that, as is I would think most anyone that carries a road service contract (or at least they should know that, haha).

If a blowout occurs, you're going to pay for a tire, regardless. Either from the company that brings one, or you will have already paid for it, when you bought the spare you're carrying. Not to mention in many cases you will have also paid for the rack to hold it, impact wrench, etc. as I mentioned.

That was why I made the point that worst case, I break even not carrying a spare. Best (and much more likely) case, I end up ahead $$ wise. And, either way, I'm not risking a debilitating back injury, wrestling that heavy tire.

I'd never leave home without my old unmounted spare. It ain't much, but it's free. It don't take too much space, and it will at least buy me some time.

If I had been provided an unmounted spare that was truly FREE (was it really free?), then I would probably carry it, too, provided I could without it taking up any space in outside storage bins.

However, once that spare rots/ages out, I'm not sure I'd spend more $$ to replace it, as then you have what I described earlier - equipment/$$ wasting away, not being used, for a situation thats not likely to occur very often, anyway.

Will

Will, my unmounted spare came to me free when I replaced my tires, it came off the left rear outer dually...
I actually kept both the outers, store the other in the S&B basement.

When you "lose" a tire on the road, you call your road service company, coachnet or good sam or whoever... and you wait patiently in your nice coach on the side of the highway while the semi's scream past you at 75 mph...

And when road service gets there, they may not have the right size tire on the truck, and they may choose to charge you 3 times what whatever they have is worth, cause, after all, you are stuck on the side of the road with a 2 legged motorcoach...

Road service contracts cover the service, not the tire. I'd never leave home without my old unmounted spare. It ain't much, but it's free. It don't take too much space, and it will at least buy me some time.

I've had this mental 'exercise' many times, about whether or not we should be carrying a spare.

Our 2012 Georgetown MH does not have a spare, which surprised me at first. Have thought about putting one on, but more I think about it, I have come to the conclusion that it is better without one. Here's why:

If I was to carry a spare and plan to change it myself in the event of a blowout, I'd need to buy, carry the following:

1. Spare tire itself plus rim for it, easily $500 or more
2. Portable impact or gear wrench strong enough to remove lugs, another $50-100
3. Appropriate rack/holder to mount spare underneath the MH (I aint wasting outside storage bin space), another $100

Sooo, thats a total of around $700 I'd have tied up in extra 'stuff', that there is a good chance would just waste away and never be used if no blowout occurs. All that, just to be prepared to change a tire myself in the off chance I have a blowout and Good Sam ERS could not help.

Oh, I will also have to spend another $400 every 7 years or so to replace that UNUSED spare once it ages (rots) out. That is the case, even if a blowout never happens. That, or just use one of old tires as the spare every time I purchase new tires. That means the spare is potentially 14 years old before it gets replaced, though (no thanks).

...And lets not forget the safety/health risks I'd be taking, if I ever try to change a tire myself by the side of the road. I ain't getting any younger, and these tires are NOT lightweight.

OR, I can keep all that $$ in the bank, not take the risk of an injury, and rely on Good Sam ERS and the roadside service they would send out to help in the case of a blowout.

I'm thinking, as rare as blowouts occur, I will be $$ ahead SIGNIFICANTLY in the long run, by just letting ERS handle any tire issues. Even if I one day get 'gouged' on a new tire somewhere in the middle of nowhere, compared to the cost of all I just mentioned + having to replace an (aged out) spare every so often, I'd still probably be $$ ahead overall.

Worst case, if blowout occurs and I pay an unusually high price for a replacement, I break even. Best (and much, much more likely) case, I'd be several hundred $$ ahead in the long run. And, thats without even getting into the risk of injury or health problems I'm avoiding, by not ever trying to change one of these tires by myself on the side of the road.

As for the difficulty of being stuck by the side of the road waiting for hours for roadside service: Not worried about that at all. I have pretty nice 'accommodations' to relax in while I wait in the MH. And, I have a towed vehicle I can unhitch and use to get everyone to a safer location if need be.

...Anyway, for those reasons, I chose not to carry a spare. Thats what I have Good Sam ERS for.

frankdamp wrote:
Our former MH came with a mounted spare. It was attached to the frame behind the LP tank with a chain and padlock. The original owners had never used it in their 8 years/12,000 miles and we never did in our 4 years/6000 miles. It's a GY (original equipment), even though the running tires are Toyos, which I had installed when we bought the rig.

So, you're saying you're lugging a 12 year old tire that's never been on the ground around in one of the bays. What happens if you have a flat?.:h....are you going to put that 12 year old tire on your coach and off you go..:h....

:S:S:S......just sayin.....Dennis

Our former MH came with a mounted spare. It was attached to the frame behind the LP tank with a chain and padlock. The original owners had never used it in their 8 years/12,000 miles and we never did in our 4 years/6000 miles. It's a GY (original equipment), even though the running tires are Toyos, which I had installed when we bought the rig.

uncle t wrote:
I got a tire for free and carried it to Alaska. when I returned I put the tire on craigs list in the free column and it was gone immediately.
lots of weight- lots of room.

those that carry a mounted spare must have the ability to forecast which of the three different rims are going to have the tire blow.

those that carry an unmounted spare and a breaker bar are fooling themselves that they can mount a 22.5 tire on the side of the road.

the torque on my tires are 600# good luck with that.

roadside assistance contract.

We carry a mounted spare (all 6 wheels are the same rim on our FORD chasis) a jack and an air impact wrench that will indeed remove the lugs. Also have a gear reduction lug wrench that even my mother could turn to loosen the lugs, just takes a few more turns.

We have had 2 blowouts over the years. Both Goodyears by the way....never again. Each time I call GSRA, they sent a truck and he changed the tire. Did not use our jack or the wrench either time, just our mounted spare. The service hand took the mounted spare out of the compartment and put the shreadded remains back in. Sitting on the side of the interstate for many hours on a holiday weekend while folks in an India call center try and find an oddball size Chinese tire (no decent tires are on service trucks) and send it to you and charge you 2 or 3x the going price for it is not a good idea.

The second blowout I had had enough of my Goodyears and wanted a complete new set. Asked the driver if he had any advice in nearby major city for purchase of decent name brand tires. The referral was great. The tire shop was over the top helpful, very fairly priced and had them and a crew waiting for us when we drove in. Much different buying tires you want vs buying what you have to.