Spare tire on the roof?

donn0128 wrote:

Freightguy wrote:
If you are doing this I would like to know your setup also pros and cons
Thanks,

Well excuse me! I guess I misread your post.

Fixed it for you.

I love answers from those that have trailers with roofs that will barely hold a person and have 1/2" plywood roofs... usually without a ladder as they do not want you on the roof. My spare tire has stayed put for 75K miles...my DP does not bounce around like your trailer.

For what it's worth, I sure wouldn't do but to each his own.

fj12ryder wrote:
Well, I am surprised that it is more common than I had ever thought. It still seems like a bad idea though. IMO anyway.

I agree and just because someone has done it doesn't make it a good idea. Those who tie one down to the aluminum "railing" on the roof should check out how that is attached to the roof; by a few little wood screws into some plywood or sheet metal.

Well, I am surprised that it is more common than I had ever thought. It still seems like a bad idea though. IMO anyway.

Freightguy wrote:
I am looking for pros and cons.
Thanks,

Well excuse me! I guess I misread your post.

We carried an unmounted spare on the roof of our 1993 Foretravel 36' DP when in Mexico where that size was not available.

Covered with Sunbrella material Dianne made into a custom cover.

Securely tied down to the Foretravel OE roof rack.

Never a problem.

This is a spare tire solution by another RVer, no rim just the tire so that's it's available if needed.

I carried a spare on the roof of my former RV (sold in 2006). It was securely tied into a corner of the roof railing, with the tie-down ropes replaced annually. Got it up there by hoisting with a rope or pulling the RV next to something tall that I could climb on and then pushing tire onto RV.

Was this a good idea? Probably not. At the time, I thought it was better than no spare, which was the other option. I never had to use this spare in 15 years of backroad driving, maybe 80K miles.

If you took physics and remember about vectors, you know that putting something heavy up high is not a good idea.

"it is probably heavy to get up there! How do you secure it?" On a previous DP I put it around a vent in the center of the roof. Did not fasten it down and learned that you need to put a short piece of rubber hose under it so you do not get water down the vent... it rode that way for 30K miles and saved me several times. I was able to pull a unmounted 275/22.5 up the ladder using my 30 amp extension cord as a rope.

In the picture above you can see one end of the strap that holds the tire to the ladder... the other end is under the tire although the lip at the back is probably enough to hold it in place. I do carry the jack and the tools necessary to change a inside tire if necessary. Changing a outside tire is fairly easy as you do not have to take the rim off. If in the middle of NoWhere I'll change it myself... otherwise road sefrvice. At home I use my BobCat to put it on the roof. The tire is used but it does have more tread than what the picture shows. In a couple years I'll replace it with a newer used tire.

PS: I carry four fire extinguishers... three inside and a large foam one outside.