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Semi_Retired_Gr's avatar
Semi_Retired_Gr
Explorer
Oct 10, 2014

spare tires

Have been off-line for awhile and expect this subject has been discussed in detail so my apology in advance. All our previous RV's have had a spare tire (and wheel) and we've traveled over most of the USA - Coast to coast, border to border, Alaska, etc. Our current 2013 Tiffin does not have a spare. We have Good Sam Roadside Assistance which really doesn't answer the question if we have a blowout or otherwise destroyed tire. I assume many of you are in a similar situation - so what do you do? Hope nothing goes wrong? Carry a spare tire (but no wheel) - or purchase a spare tire & wheel and perhaps carry it in the toad? Plan another Alaske trip next summer and will probably opt for a spare carried in the toad. Your thoughts and experience please.
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  • Tinstar's avatar
    Tinstar
    Explorer
    Oct 23, 2014
    I carry a mounted spare. Changed a blow-out on the side of the road just 3 or 4 weeks ago out in the middle of nowhere in west Texas. Of course it was the inside dually. Roadside assistance would have taken 3 or 4 hours just to get to me. I called tire stores at the closest town (about 60 miles) to replace the blown tire and they didn't have my size but could get it in a couple of days. I was up and running in an hour or two. Only tools needed was a jack, lug wrench and a cheater pipe. I drove another hundred miles or so and got a new tire the next day.
  • UsualSuspect's avatar
    UsualSuspect
    Explorer
    Oct 23, 2014
    I do not carry a spare. I will pay to have it changed and a new one brought out roadside. If I have to wait, I will turn on the TV and watch the news, or read a good book. If I feel it is unsafe for me to be where I am, it is most likely unsafe for the person who has to change the flat, so I will move to a safe spot. A wheel is a lot cheaper to replace than a life.
  • Sully2's avatar
    Sully2
    Explorer
    Oct 22, 2014
    obgraham wrote:
    I think Ivylog has the right idea: put a spare, unmounted if you wish, wrapped up on the roof.

    Then pull that big mudflap off!


    If someone cant handle a 120 lbs tire to get it on...how in gods name do you expect them to get it on the roof....toss it up there...:S.:S
  • OldDoggy's avatar
    OldDoggy
    Explorer
    Oct 22, 2014
    Need a source for a spare wheel to fit my 2004 Ford F-53. 19.5" x 6.75" 8 lug is required. A yard in Michigan that might have one is what I'm looking for. Just Another Old Doggy, Don
  • rgatijnet1's avatar
    rgatijnet1
    Explorer III
    Oct 11, 2014
    Mr.Mark wrote:
    The thought of carrying a unmounted spare has crossed my mind as our new coach will have 315's on the drive axle and 365's on the steer and tag. My understanding is that these sizes can be very hard to find.

    Another thought is the condition of the spare tire in 4 or 5 yrs. since it has never been used. Will the emollients be concentrated and not mixed through-out the tire from non-use?


    MM.


    Most new tires are coated from the factory to minimize ozone damage, which is the leading cause of cracking and degradation. As long as you do not wash a new tire, it should be good for a very long time.
  • Mr_Mark1's avatar
    Mr_Mark1
    Explorer
    Oct 11, 2014
    The thought of carrying a unmounted spare has crossed my mind as our new coach will have 315's on the drive axle and 365's on the steer and tag. My understanding is that these sizes can be very hard to find.

    Another thought is the condition of the spare tire in 4 or 5 yrs. since it has never been used. Will the emollients be concentrated and not mixed through-out the tire from non-use?


    MM.
  • WTD44's avatar
    WTD44
    Explorer
    Oct 11, 2014
    I think carry'ing a spare tire (only) is a no brainer. You slide it in the middle of a compt. stow small stuff inside / around it, and when you have a tire problem all you need is the tire changing truck. Why get ripped off for the wrong size tire or wait days for the right size?
    Wayne
  • J-Rooster's avatar
    J-Rooster
    Explorer
    Oct 11, 2014
    Semi Retired Grandpa wrote:
    J-Rooster wrote:
    I haven't had a spare in over 10 years! I don't want one due to a back injury many years ago. Changing a spare out on the road for me would be like wrestling with a gorilla with all the weight involved with a spare tire. I'll just call road service and wait however, long it takes if that ever happens to me. I've been RVing since 1976 and I've never had serious tire trouble out on the road.


    Similar experience - except we've been Rv'ing longer than that. Never a tire problem. However - what does one do if experiencing a tire problem in northern BC or the Yukon territory? As I understand it, Road Service will change your tire - if you have a spare. What happens if you don't? Or - if one carries an unmounted tire - will road service mount and install the new tire?
    I don't travel to Canada! Did one time in the 90's didn't like how people in Canada treated Americans! So that wouldn't be issue for me maybe someone else!

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