Forum Discussion
avanti wrote:
C'mon guys. This isn't a moral question. It is simply a cost-effectiveness one. Deciding whether or not it is worth the space, cost, weight and fuel to carry a spare is no different from deciding whether to carry a spare fan belt, a spare fuel pump, or a spare steering wheel. How likely is it to fail, and how serious would it be if it did? That varies drastically by situation, so there is no single "right" answer. Comparing carrying a spare to carrying a first-aid kit or a fire extinguisher is absurd.
In any event, those of you who won't get in a car without a spare had better start shopping for hiking shoes. They are rapidly becoming a thing of the past:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/08/your-next-car-may-not-have-a-spare-tire/index.htm
No one carries a spare fan belt, fuel pump, etc because if you perform maintenance on your vehicle at the suggested intervals, the probability one of these would fail and leave you stranded is near zero. Also, most don't carry the tools necessary to drop a fuel tank to replace a fuel pump on the side of the road.
The probability of getting a flat tire requiring replacement is much greater. There's all kinds of road hazards you can encounter that could give you a flat. Even if you pick up a nail and have a slow leak, by the time you notice it and pull over, the tire is toast. Then what do you do, get towed for a flat tire? That's as ridiculous as the manufacturers replacing the spare with a can of fix a flat.
Say you had a flat on your TV on a Sunday while on a trip and had no spare. Assuming you have aaa or equivalent, you'd have to get both the TV and the trailer towed some place and wait until Monday to buy a new tire. If you had a spare, you could change the tire, happily get to your camp site then buy a new tire.
I think most that argue against the spare tire don't know which end of a lug wrench to hold.
About Motorhome Group
38,709 PostsLatest Activity: Mar 09, 2025