No spare tire with rim?

[TravellingTrade]

Are MH's completely dependent on AAA or similar service for a flat tire?

The dealer is saying he can add a spare tire with rim for $450 but that I won't have a jack to handle the exchange myself.

What are you doing?

Thanks,

TT

[mrnoyb]

I couldn't believe my new Class C didn't have a spare tire. What was I thinking buying one without a spare?

I obtained the wheel, tire & carrier (less than 100 lbs total) & if needed, Ford Motor Co will provide roadside assistance to change a flat.

[Bordercollie]

I was thinking of the danger of jacking the rig up on a too-soft surface with an inadequate jack, and without proper understanding of the physics. Wrestling a mounted RV spare from inside a storage compartment might lead to back injury for some older folks like myself. Many RV'ers have never changed removed a flat tire or installed a spare on an RV or truck.

[maillemaker]

The spare on my 1990 Winnebago Warrior is mounted to a rack on the rear of the RV.

With a 24-year-old RV, we absolutely carry Good Sam roadside assistance, and it has been hugely beneficial for us during break-downs before. Once when the heater core blew as we pulled into Disney, and another time when the fuel pump relays burned up, and then later when the fuel pump itself burned up.

The savings on towing is alone is worth the membership.

But they will also replace a flat with your spare. So I don't carry jacks or lug wrenches or the like. If we were to get a flat, I'd call Good Sam! 🙂

Steve

[johnwalkerpa1]

rjstractor wrote:

Bordercollie wrote:
Make sure that you have a secure, out of the way, mounting for the spare wheel and tire. A loose 200 lb spare can do some damage in a sudden stop. In many situations it is not safe/doable for the ill-equipped owner to change RV tires.

Good point, but we are talking about E450 size tires, not semi trucks. These spare tire/wheel assemblies are only about 50 pounds. I would say that if one can handle changing a tire on a full size pickup then they should be able to change a class C motorhome tire without much difficulty.

Yep...the only difference is you need a little bigger jack...

[rjstractor]

Bordercollie wrote:
Make sure that you have a secure, out of the way, mounting for the spare wheel and tire. A loose 200 lb spare can do some damage in a sudden stop. In many situations it is not safe/doable for the ill-equipped owner to change RV tires.

Good point, but we are talking about E450 size tires, not semi trucks. These spare tire/wheel assemblies are only about 50 pounds. I would say that if one can handle changing a tire on a full size pickup then they should be able to change a class C motorhome tire without much difficulty.

[Bordercollie]

Make sure that you have a secure, out of the way, mounting for the spare wheel and tire. A loose 200 lb spare can do some damage in a sudden stop. In many situations it is not safe/doable for the ill-equipped owner to change RV tires.

[Desert_Captain]

4wheelers wrote:
I'm having trouble justifying the weight of the spare tire/tools/jack versus my CCC (cargo carrying capacity). It's real easy to have too much weight on a Class C so where do we draw the line?

I draw the line at having the proper gear to safely deal with roadside emergencies. My spare, jack, jack stand, compressor and assorted tools don't weigh 200#. If your rig cannot accommodate an additional 200# you need to take a hard look and what you are carrying. Traveling without a mountable spare is a disaster waiting to happen.

Fully loaded for travel (and that includes my spare and all of my tools, a back up generator and black, grey, fresh and fuel tanks half full, firewood, food beer etc.), our E-350, which has 3,368# of CCC weighs in at 10,050# on a GVWR of 11,500#. I'll probably never need to add an additional 1,450# but it is nice to low that I could. Too little CCC is in my mind a fatal flaw of any RV as approaching much less exceeding your GVWR can generate any number of problems.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV.

:C

[johnwalkerpa1]

BTPO1 wrote:

rvten wrote:
Carry spare. But ERS can do the work. While I watch.

X2 on the ERS, I will change it if I have to but not by choice. JMO

Yes, that is my plan as well. If I am in a hurry or somewhere without easy access to make the phone call I have changed them myself but otherwise I watch...

[j-d]

I believe lack of an OEM Spare and an OEM Jack play into the seller's hands two ways: 1. Cost and 2. Liability. Seems OK to furnish a one-size lug wrench, which is actually pretty doggone beneficial. But get a piece of pipe to slip over it. You may be able to achieve 140# on an E-Series Ford but you may need much more to break lugs loose that have been tightened with an air tool. Again, I would not choose a bottle jack less than about 8 tons. I have 4, 6, 10 (bought to carry in the RV) and 12-ton hydraulic bottle jacks. The 4 and the 6 WILL lift one end of the rear axle, but it's too hard to gain enough leverage under there. The 10 is OK, and the 12 is effortless. I think it could be because the 10 is Harbor Freight and the 12 is a genuine old American-Made Blackhawk.
You can argue for changing the flat supported only on a jack because you won't be under the coach, working from beside instead. I believe we could still be easily injured so I have a jackstand and plywood to put under jack and jackstand. Even if you feel OK with no jackstand, I'll ask this: IF it DOES pop off the jack, and no jackstand, HOW will you get it back under there to pick it back up, what with no wheel in place to allow some room?

[4wheelers]

I'm having trouble justifying the weight of the spare tire/tools/jack versus my CCC (cargo carrying capacity). It's real easy to have too much weight on a Class C so where do we draw the line?

[helperzack]

Do get a spare. Before I bought mine I needed a tire on a Sunday Somewhere in South Georgia. The only one I could find the guy wanted $995 for it. I took my toad off and drove 2 hours and got one for $185, brought it back to the motor home and then had roadside service come change it. This took the better part of the day.
Now I have a spare and the tools to change it if needed.

[blw2]

I negotiated a spare as part of the deal from the dealer.... he woudn't come down in dollars any longer so I started asking to throw in stuff.....
They gave me a tire with painted wheel instead of the matching chrome, but I'm ok with that!
Still no jack or tools on board, but I have ERS
Will likely get tools for emergency use, I like options when it comes to getting my family out of sticky wickets......
and I need to get or have a rack made to put it under the coach and out of my storage locker....

As previously writen, I would at a minimum have the rubber on board.

[BTPO1]

rvten wrote:
Carry spare. But ERS can do the work. While I watch.

X2 on the ERS, I will change it if I have to but not by choice. JMO

[mgirardo]

Our Greyhawk came with a rear bumper mounted spare with aluminum cover. The tire got in the way of the bike rack and hitch haul, so I removed it from the rear bumper and put it under the back bed. We have AAA Plus RV to change the tire.

-Michael