Carry a Spare or not?

[Matlock]

In another thread there was some discussion about a spare tire and if you needed to carry one.
I'm debating if a tire repair kit and a compressor is all I need. Then I ran across this photo and I'm wondering if it's legal to add a tire carrier on the side of the vehicle.



I believe DOT wants you to be no wider than 102". At least that's what US trailers are allowed to be without special permits. And I'm guessing that holds true for any vehicle. Anyway, I don't really have plans to mount a spare on the front, rear or on top of my Cube. But on the side might be an option.

What say you?


(and I believe this guy had a Keg on the rear bumper too...... sorta kills the stealth thing but ....)

 

[Reducto]

The last time I needed my spare was because a rock sliced a sidewall. No repair kit is going to fix a badly damaged sidewall and I doubt AAA would have come to pick me up where I was at the time.

You'll be dealing with state laws for the most part. I did a lot of looking into this stuff in California and they have very few regulations on body modifications. Basically, max width is a concern and your mirrors need to be further out than the body. I'd check other states you'll frequent, the laws will be online somewhere.

Do you have room underneath? That's where they are on many smaller vans.

 

[c_hasbeen]

I had a spare on the side of an old jeep once, it was quite narrow but on two occasions I bumped it into something just because I forgot it was on the side.

 

[Canine]

X2, carry a spare. Cheap insurance. Fit it underneath or on the back. Still should carry the "spare in a can" fix a flat and a 12 v plug in compressor though... There's got to be a place for it, just redesign a bit maybe.

 

[Howiet]

If you are heading for the bush carry a spare.

 

[BigT]

Fortunately my van comes from the factory with a spare tire tucked up under the rear, just behind the axle.  Like most pickup trucks, you simply turn a crank and it lowers from under the vehicle.

I've considered adding a tire plug kit and compressor, though.  Carried those for years when I rode motorcycles.

 

[Almost There]

Fortunately my van comes from the factory with a spare tire tucked up under the rear, just behind the axle.  Like most pickup trucks, you simply turn a crank and it lowers from under the vehicle.

Yes, but when was the last time it was cranked down?

It was on the maintenance list for the mechanic when all the 'I just bought this thing, make sure it runs right' list.

Surprisingly it wasn't rusted in place!

The last vehicle it took heat to get the crank free.

Nothing worse than a flat and you can't get the spare down!

 

[highdesertranger]

I carry 2 spares, a tire repair kit(a good one), and I have on board air. believe me when I say there have been times when I have needed it all. highdesertranger

 

[LoupGarou]

Always carry a spare. It doesn't have to match the others in make, but it sure comes in handy when you need it. Carrying a patch kit and compressor is still a good idea. Make sure the jack is low enough to slide under the axle when the rim is resting on the ground.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

If you're unfortunate enough to have a vehicle that has one of those idiot "donut" spares - the emergency spares that are only good for 50 miles - well, it's probably adequate if you are urban stealthing.  I would NOT consider it adequate if you boondock any real distance off paved roads, I suspect they aren't tough enough to deal with those conditions.  You'll need to replace it with a rim and tire from a junkyard.  Unfortunately, the space that holds the donut spare WON'T hold a full size tire, so you'll have to figure something else out.

Regards
John

 

[Matlock]

The spot under the rear where most truck spare tires are mounted now days is occupied by a muffler on this UHaul. I suppose the rental companies are ok with you renting a truck to haul your stuff but don't want the average DIY mover to change a tire on the interstate. It doesn't even have a jack with it.

So the next question is, what size/type jack should I look for if I decide to mount a spare tire on this puppy? Space, even on the rear step bumper is already spoken for with other stuff. Maybe mount the tire on the hood like a safari truck.

If I'm planning on keeping close to paved roads is it worth rolling the dice and just mounting the AAA card app on my cell and be done with it?
That and fix a flat, tire patch kit and air compressor.....

 

[flying kurbmaster]

if you have good tires it is very unlikely you will ever have a flat tire, I went over 40 years and many miles with no flats so it is understandable that carrying spares is questionable but when I hit a rock a few months back I was glad I had one even if it had been sitting under the vehicle since 1993 it got me out of trouble. if you use a donut spare and have to travel long distances, go slower, best tp stop and let it cool down every so often especially if you are on gravel roads.

 

[LeeRevell]

My 2005 Grand Caravan has the minispare, stashed in a can under the cab area - van must be jacked up to get clearance to lower the can, then slide it out the side - a total PITA and likely near impossible on the soft shoulder of a road. I need to get it out of there and stow it elsewhere. I already have the Fix-a-Flat, jack, etc.
On my 1988 E-150, the full size spare is on a carrier bolted onto the rear door. Problem is getting a jack under the rear end with that long overhang. My hydraulic floor jack simply won't work. I just got a new 12VDC electric jack, the 4,000lb version. Will be using it soon to help swap wheels with my 1986 parts van that has near new tires.
The spare on the '86 is bolted inside the right rear body, but that robs valuable space in a camper van.
On both E150s, the area under the rear end is where the rear fuel tank is. No room for a spare. I think the Gen Four Fords (mine are Gen Three) have no rear fuel tank, so maybe they carry the spare under the rear?
Don't forget too, if you ever use that F-x-a-Flat stuff, let the tire guy know. It creates a real mess inside the tire, and can be flammable and dangerous, depending on the brand. Tire guys hate that stuff!

 

[BigT]

Yes, but when was the last time it was cranked down?

It was on the maintenance list for the mechanic when all the 'I just bought this thing, make sure it runs right' list.

Surprisingly it wasn't rusted in place!

The last vehicle it took heat to get the crank free.

Nothing worse than a flat and you can't get the spare down!

My van is only 5 years old and I live in a salt-free part of the country.  No rust here.  I'm also a commercial driver, so I'm very well versed in regularly inspecting my rigs.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

 Maybe mount the tire on the hood like a safari truck.

The hoods on those old Land Rovers were a lot thicker and stronger than modern hoods.

Plus, opening a hood with that extra weight on it will be such a pita that more than likely, you won' t be checking your fluids as often as you should.

Regards
John

 

[blars]

I do carry a spare in my Motorhome, but twice have needed tires delivered. Once when both tires on the dually went out (one blowout took out its partner), the second time when I got a flat 50 miles from the previous one. (First was 10 miles from the nearest phone, glad I had the toad. Second was only a mile. No cell signals. Coachnet does not make money on me -- no jack in the motorhome.)

 

[Almost There]

My van is only 5 years old and I live in a salt-free part of the country.  No rust here.  I'm also a commercial driver, so I'm very well versed in regularly inspecting my rigs.

You may very well be and that's great!

But it wasn't addressed to just you - the general population doesn't regularly think about the spare hidden under the vehicle and exposed to road salt and rusting. The mechanism isn't even part of the regular maintenance offered by the nation wide tire companies during the re and re of snow tires here in the northern climates.

 

[compassrose]

Even if I carried a spare tire for the bus, I could never change it myself. I'm getting Coachnet. The Jeep I can and do change the tires on. I have a full size spare tire that is carried inside the Jeep and bolts to the side (with a cover on it too).

You can go to Amazon and do a search in Automotive for a "spare tire carrier" and find some that way.
I remember all vans used to have them on the rear doors. I would suggest you get the kind that lock. Not only have I had a tire roll away but I know lots of others who have had tires roll away on them. Also a tire cover to protect the tire from weathering.

I have fancy rims on my jeep and I had a matching rim... until I had the tire changed in a shop while not watching it the entire time and no longer have the fancy rim. But I tend to put the spare on and run the replacement tire as a spare. That way the spare tire stays up to date.

 

[Canine]

If you have a van with the spare on the back door under a cover, that's a great place. Doesn't help out the OP tho'. It's true that UHaul doesn't want their customers changing flats. Best thing for him is premium tires and the fix a flat.
If you are frequently off road and away from where AAA or a comparable service would come out, then you'd better find a place for a spare and make that more of a priority than something else. "Murphy" always gets you when you aren't ready...

For the rest of us with spares, have them checked periodically for pressure and condition. My van, when purchased last year, had a good looking spare dated 1998! Discount Tire wouldn't use it for a rotation (duh) so I had to buy another tire. Evidently no one ever did anything with it other than check air pressure and leave it there. I now practice 5 tire rotations instead of 4. It costs $10 more at the tire place but it's worth knowing it isn't rotting under the cover.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I carry a spare on my trailer, flat on the front draw bar,on my step van I made a steel rod that is bolted to the front bumper and my spare bolts onto that, still have access to the hood.