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

[j-d]

I'd get Spare Tire/Wheel and tools to change it. Then you're covered even if somebody comes out to help you. If they lost that one socket they need, you have it, etc. The first flat I actually changed on the road, I used a leveling jack to lift the left rear of the coach. That is NOT recommended by the jack people. Also, I had an old system that would let me control each of the four jacks. Newer systems run two at a time to reduce twist on the coach. The more you lift, the greater chance it'll try to fall. Never good, even less when you're working on a wheel! I have a four-way "truck" wrench from NAPA. It's long enough and stiff enough that I can work the Ford E-series lug nuts at the rated 140-ft-lbs.
I believe in doing an at-home, daylight, level ground test of all the lug nuts. Then I know I can work them even in sloppy conditions if I absolutely must.

[richardwise]

My MH has a spare tire,and I have emergency road service. Being a physically handicapped 64 year old, dialing a phone is the most I can do on my own to change a tire.

[darsben]

The spare tire is the important part. Almost any tire jockey can mount a larger size spare on the side of the road without to much trouble. Tractor trailers do it all the time.
The spare tire makes it so that on Saturday afternoon in the middle of no where you are not stuck till Monday waiting for a tire store that has your size to open. When the tire is brought to your rig you have absolutely no bargaining power. The price is a take it or leave it price. Get the rig and then buy a new tire somewhere as a spare NOT FROM THE DEALER.
You will save money and frustration

[rvten]

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

[winnietrey]

We also carry a small 120 volt air compressor and extension cord. Theory being, if a slow leak, we could start the generator, pump the tire up enough, to get it somewhere for service.

[cyntdon2010]

My lacrosse travel trailer came with a spare tire, but no jack.
I purchased a jack and carry a block of wood.

I change my own flat tires.
It's about legal liability ,If he supplies the jack it implys legal responsibility. If the camper fall on you a lawyer would want to sue the company that supplied the jack.

[TravellingTrade]

Thanks all. We are about to buy the Winnie Minnie 22r.

I think it makes sense to buy the rim and tire and find an after market jack? Or, we are going to buy Hydralic levelers, is there enough control of those to raise the height enough to change a tire?

[Golden_HVAC]

By the way, $450 seems like a REALLY high price for a spare tire, unless they are also including a rack and other stuff.

You can buy rims and "usable" tires from a junkyard. Just once the tire is more than 7 years old, it is time to replace it, as you don't want the rubber to blow out the first time you use it. Yes there are a lot of delivery dually vans that end up in junkyards, thus spare tires from them.

Current 2005 and later Ford Dually trucks use 17" rims, not the same size as your motorhome. But there are hundreds of dually vans used in shuttle service, school bus, delivery package service too.

Fred.

[Golden_HVAC]

My motorhome came with a space tire, in the largest compartment in the RV.

I ended up moving the spare tire to a rack my buddy installed under the RV in the back, taken from a junkyard pickup truck. Make sure to get the device to lower the tire from it's rack from the same truck. IN my case, we ended up making a 6' long rod to remove the tire from the rack, because the rack is mounted about 5.5' in front of the rear bumper. Now I can use all of my storage compartments.

For a jack, $18 can buy a 5 ton (10,000 pound) capacity jack from Harbor Freight. Sears, Home Depot, and most other supply places have them as well. My rear axle rating is 11,000 pounds, so I figured that placing the jack inboard of a pair of tires rated to carry 6,000 pounds would require slightly more than 3 tons, and 4 ton would be fine. Yet the 5 ton takes more strokes per inch of upward movement, thus I picked 5 tons, so that I would not take forever (like a 12 ton jack would require) but still be able to pump the jack with one hand while under the RV.

The scissor jacks, like used on a car are not going to lift the RV from the frame, the springs will travel to far before starting to lift the RV axle.

I already had a 18" long breaker bar. I had to purchase a 1-1/8" socket to loosen my wheel liner nuts, and already had a 7/8" socket that is deep to remove the lug nuts. But I bought a 7/8" heavy duty impact wrench rated socket, because it can take a lot of power to get the larger lugs off.

I also bought a 6" long impact rated (they are much thicker and harder steel) extension bar to fit into the deep dish rear wheels.

The 9/16" lug nuts on my Class A motorhome with 16" rims should be tightened to about 130 - 150 foot pounds. So a 12" bar required 130 - 150 pounds of force on the side of the end of the wrench. With 24" that means only 65 - 75 pounds pressure. I have 18" so 80 - 100 pounds at the end.

Fred.

[Rolin]

We have a spare tire.
Have an 8 ton jack
Have tire tools
Purchased Road Side Assistance

We would try to change our own tire if possible. If not then we would call road side assistance.

Having a spare along certainly makes me more comfortable even if I have some one else change it. Otherwise you are at the mercy of who ever shows up to change the tire....they may charge more than a tire store would for a replacement tire and you don't have much choice, plus it may take some time to get one that is a close enough match to the other tires, or they may try to sell you multiple tires because of wear on the others and you need to have tires that are matched in size?

Just personal opinion...I would never travel without a spare.

[OpenRangePullen]

What rig do you have?