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Semi_Retired_Gr's avatar
Semi_Retired_Gr
Explorer
Oct 10, 2014

spare tires

Have been off-line for awhile and expect this subject has been discussed in detail so my apology in advance. All our previous RV's have had a spare tire (and wheel) and we've traveled over most of the USA - Coast to coast, border to border, Alaska, etc. Our current 2013 Tiffin does not have a spare. We have Good Sam Roadside Assistance which really doesn't answer the question if we have a blowout or otherwise destroyed tire. I assume many of you are in a similar situation - so what do you do? Hope nothing goes wrong? Carry a spare tire (but no wheel) - or purchase a spare tire & wheel and perhaps carry it in the toad? Plan another Alaske trip next summer and will probably opt for a spare carried in the toad. Your thoughts and experience please.
Class A
  • rgatijnet1's avatar
    rgatijnet1
    Explorer III
    Oct 10, 2014
    I think a lot depends on where you travel. For many people, they are never very far away from a major town that will be able to supply a replacement tire, and service, if needed.
    For us, we travel a lot of the back roads out West where it may be 100 miles to the next gas station. We carry an unmounted spare tire just because a replacement tire might not be readily available in those areas. I have the room to carry a spare, so why not?
  • Grandpere's avatar
    Grandpere
    Explorer
    Oct 10, 2014
    We always carry a mounted spare tire and have a 120V electric impact wrench to remove the lug nuts and for tightening again. Many people do not carry a spare and are prepared to fork out big bucks for a tire to be purchased, mounted, and re-installed. We do not have the luxury of having a big budget so we carry a spare and that gives us time to shop around for the best price on a replacement.
  • msturtz's avatar
    msturtz
    Explorer
    Oct 10, 2014
    I have had 4 blowouts in 9 years of RVing. We traveled over 60,000 miles on all sorts of roads. I would not like to be without a spare tire. There are two pricing structures for tires one for a normal negotiation and one when it is 9 PM on a Saturday evening on a rainy windy night in the middle of nowhere. That can cost you over $1,500 and that is if you have a roadside assistance plan! If you don't it can be much, much more. If you have a spare tire then Good Sam or other roadside service will have the tire put on for free. The worse of all that is you may get a Chinese knockoff instead of a name brand tire.
    Thanks,
    Michael
  • Semi_Retired_Gr's avatar
    Semi_Retired_Gr
    Explorer
    Oct 10, 2014
    J-Rooster wrote:
    I haven't had a spare in over 10 years! I don't want one due to a back injury many years ago. Changing a spare out on the road for me would be like wrestling with a gorilla with all the weight involved with a spare tire. I'll just call road service and wait however, long it takes if that ever happens to me. I've been RVing since 1976 and I've never had serious tire trouble out on the road.


    Similar experience - except we've been Rv'ing longer than that. Never a tire problem. However - what does one do if experiencing a tire problem in northern BC or the Yukon territory? As I understand it, Road Service will change your tire - if you have a spare. What happens if you don't? Or - if one carries an unmounted tire - will road service mount and install the new tire?
  • J-Rooster's avatar
    J-Rooster
    Explorer
    Oct 10, 2014
    I haven't had a spare in over 10 years! I don't want one due to a back injury many years ago. Changing a spare out on the road for me would be like wrestling with a gorilla with all the weight involved with a spare tire. I'll just call road service and wait however, long it takes if that ever happens to me. I've been RVing since 1976 and I've never had serious tire trouble out on the road.

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