Spare Tire Mount..Rear Bumper Best Location?

[jimx200]

We have been leaving our spare tire (mounted on rim) at home but with a upcoming trip to Arizona, we want to carry it. Is the rear bumper the best place to mount it? If so, should it be mounted in the middle or off to the passenger side a bit? Any particular brand of mounting brackets recommended?

Our rig is a Class C, 1999 Shasta Sprite, 22' with the Ford Triton V10. Thanks much!

[pnichols]

IAMICHABOD, thanks for the link. That guy did a great job!

What's the big deal with Ford providing this kind of setup, stock?

When I have to get at the spare underneath the rear of our E450, that heavy LR E tire comes down easy and fast (via gravity). Putting it back is the problem (via my muscles pushing up at weird angles). Probably if I had to change a flat on my own, after mounting the spare I'd just throw the bad tire inside the coach on the floor, take it to a repair shop, and have their guys lift the repaired tire back up underneath into the spare tire mounting rack between the frame rails.

[IAMICHABOD]

pnichols wrote:

Hmmm ... that excellent spare tire storage and access system is just like the one that came stock on my GMC pickup.

I sure wish our motorhome's Ford E450 used that cable lower/hoist system for it's existing spare tire under-carriage rear storage area!!!

Does anyone offer a retrofit kit to convert my E450's spare tire storage into that kind of scheme? (It should not take rocket science to offer an after-market kit to do this.)

This Guy
seems to have done it.

[Dusty_R]

We had a 24' '03 Itasca on an'02 E-350.
I used a rope and pulley that deer hunters carry to hang their deer to dress out, to lower and raise the spare tire that is mounted between the frame rails.

On a front mounted hitch. I got one off the internet for the front of that '02 E-350, to carry our bicycles. Then moved it to our '15 E-450. So they are available.

Dusty

Just Google '16 E-450 front hitch.

[pnichols]

DrewE wrote:
Mine mounts under the frame, but there's a cable hoist system with a sort of hex head under a cover on the sidewall. To lower it, one only has to put an appropriate sized socket on the shaft and turn it many turns with a ratchet or whatever. (A cordless drill is very handy for that part.) Actually getting the spare out from underneath the vehicle does, of course, involve some amount of crawling around.

Hmmm ... that excellent spare tire storage and access system is just like the one that came stock on my GMC pickup.

I sure wish our motorhome's Ford E450 used that cable lower/hoist system for it's existing spare tire under-carriage rear storage area!!!

Does anyone offer a retrofit kit to convert my E450's spare tire storage into that kind of scheme? (It should not take rocket science to offer an after-market kit to do this.)

[DrewE]

fourthclassC wrote:
All interesting discussions. 2003 Winnebago Mini 24V here. Spare is mounded underneath between frame rails with bolt on bracket. Nightmare to lower if I ever had to on the side of road. Always carry moving blanket because you can not access it unless you are lying underneath vehicle. I agree that on square bumper is not strong enough. Might be ok if the tire mount was directly on the frame extension where it connects to the square bumper but not ideal. Now you all got me thinking a front mount would be better. Has any one seen a front bumper mount available?

Mine mounts under the frame, but there's a cable hoist system with a sort of hex head under a cover on the sidewall. To lower it, one only has to put an appropriate sized socket on the shaft and turn it many turns with a ratchet or whatever. (A cordless drill is very handy for that part.) Actually getting the spare out from underneath the vehicle does, of course, involve some amount of crawling around.

[pnichols]

Tyrone,

I've checked out that front hitch link, before, that you show above.

They don't seem to show any model for the Ford E-Series chassis. I guess that their closest listing would be for the Ford F-Series trucks? I wonder if the the F-Series have the same front end frame and bumper configuration as the E-Series for any given model year?

[TyroneandGladys]

fourthclassC wrote:
All interesting discussions. 2003 Winnebago Mini 24V here. Spare is mounded underneath between frame rails with bolt on bracket. Nightmare to lower if I ever had to on the side of road. Always carry moving blanket because you can not access it unless you are lying underneath vehicle. I agree that on square bumper is not strong enough. Might be ok if the tire mount was directly on the frame extension where it connects to the square bumper but not ideal. Now you all got me thinking a front mount would be better. Has any one seen a front bumper mount available?

Two steps
1st Front Mount Hitch
Second Hitch mounted tire carriers that have been mentioned in earlier responses.

[fourthclassC]

All interesting discussions. 2003 Winnebago Mini 24V here. Spare is mounded underneath between frame rails with bolt on bracket. Nightmare to lower if I ever had to on the side of road. Always carry moving blanket because you can not access it unless you are lying underneath vehicle. I agree that on square bumper is not strong enough. Might be ok if the tire mount was directly on the frame extension where it connects to the square bumper but not ideal. Now you all got me thinking a front mount would be better. Has any one seen a front bumper mount available?

[sullivanclan]

Mine came mounted on the C channel type bumper, just right of center. No issues. We have a 2003 Jayco Greyhawk.

[CharlesinGA]

For a jack, scout around and find a Sprinter in the wrecking yard or one listed on Ebay, they come with a nice bottle jack hidden under the front passengers floor, inside the cab, along with the tool kit. It is two stage and goes quite high, has a curved saddle for the axle and is typical German quality. Also don't forget chocks, I carry four good rubber chocks with me for parking on slopes, emergencies, etc.



As far as the spare tire goes, My Winnebago View has one mounted on the rear wall of the coach. It is on a bracket that has steel plates inside and welded to them are carriage bolts that pass thru the wall and a bracket on the outside. I too don't like the weight on the rear but putting it on the front is an invitation to overheating the engine and not the greatest looks.



Not my View, but exact same vehicle. I put a new cover on mine that is ABS plastic with heavy vinyl sewn to it to encircle the tread and have the bungee to hold it on. I got one designed as a cheap replacement for a Mercedes G wagen spare cover, complete with logo.

Charles

[j-d]

Horizon170 wrote:
Check this out.
Spare plus hitch

Phil raised the point of the weight of the spare out on the rear bumper, unloading the front axle... This carrier seems to weigh about as much as a spare for our Class C's, so it puts TWICE the weight of a spare, well aft of the bumper.

Whether weight distribution front-to-rear is an actual problem depends on the design, wheelbase, and loading of the specific coach can't be known without weighing it. Still, I can't justify adding the weight of a Second Spare, anywhere on a Class C...

[wbwood]

Horizon170 wrote:
Check this out.
Spare plus hitch

Nice, but expensive...

[j-d]

That double-piston 12-ton looks ideal! There are easier things to find than those. Good job, Phil!

[Horizon170]

Check this out.
Spare plus hitch