How important is a spare tire

[simpleliving]

It might seem like a ridiculous question, but I'm really wondering if I need to haul around this huge, heavy tire in my living space (I was planning to build a compartment under the bed in the rear of the van).<br><br>There is no tire mount on the front or back, or underneath. The mount is on the inside of the van. My thinking is that if I get a flat, AAA can come and either fix it or tow me to get it fixed. Even if I had a spare, I'm never going to change it myself, I'd still call AAA.<br><br>I'd love to ditch this giant spare and use that space for storage.&nbsp;<br><br>How many of you travel without a spare, and how important do you think it really is to have one?&nbsp;<br><br>Thanks so much for you thoughts

 

[caseyc]

Is this a rhetorical question?<img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif">

 

[caseyc]

I have 2 identical spares myself. But I am paranoid. Or OCD. Or a worry wart. <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;No cell phone service where I generally go.. 'nuff said. ..Willy.

 

[Kevin H]

Actually, a pretty good question. &nbsp;You can easily put an exterior tire carrier on a back door hinge. &nbsp; A couple advantages of this is you will probably get immediate help changing a tire and you will free up the area inside. &nbsp;Most likely way more timely than waiting for AAA or whatever road service you have.<br><br>This is one of those things that you could try and see what you think. &nbsp;Go tireless for a while and reassess. &nbsp;If and when you have a flat you will have your decision laid out pretty plain. &nbsp;You can add a spare at any time if you so decide.<br><br>Me, I &nbsp;would have one but I do all my own mechanical work. &nbsp;Having said that, I do NOT have one on my motorhome. &nbsp;That was determined by size and weight. &nbsp; I did ruin a tire and went through H*** getting my Road-no-service to procure a tire and get it put on. &nbsp;BUT - that tire and wheel combination is really heavy. &nbsp;On a van or other standard sized vehicle I would have one.<br><br>Years ago, when I drove for Greyhound, we carried spares and tire changing equipment. &nbsp;Changing one of those was a chore!!!

 

[user 423]

<p>If you merely have a flat you'd be OK but if you tore up the tire, then it can get a lot more complicated as Kevin says. A flat on a freeway (or other roads) can make it necessary to drive quite a distance on the flattened tire until you can safely stop and that, along with road debris, sharp-edged potholes,etc. can ruin the tire. A replacement tire might not be readily available or might cost you nearly double to get it quickly. <br><br>Check for door-mounted spare carriers on Craigslist for your type of van or look for people parting one out and see if they have a carrier. Then maybe ask them if they would be willing to install it on your van for a little extra cash.</p>

 

[RJCooper]

IMO it is like getting in a boat with no life jacket.&nbsp; Yea, it is not life or death, but flat tires don't happen in the best of place/time/conditions.&nbsp;

 

[idn88]

When I first read this, I thought what a crazy question. &nbsp;Its a matter of when, not if you need a spare. &nbsp;You will most likely need it at the most inconvenient time. &nbsp;I personally would never be without one.<br><br>Having said that, if you never left the city, and if spending half a day waiting to get a tire fixed isn't necessarily a problem for you, then I suppose its an option. &nbsp;However I think the options outlined here for on the back door (or expedition types put them on a roof rack) would certainly be a better option.

 

[TrueNorthK9]

On the highspeed interstate in Missouri... tractor trailers bombing past at 80 mph... totally shredded a tire on our 20' camper. 1 1/2 hours waiting for AAA in 100+ degree heat, dogs in the truck on the narrow shoulder so they could get some AC and not die in the heat... SO glad we had a spare. Can't imagine how many hours longer that ordeal would have lasted if we hadn't. Trailer and truck were shaking and quaking with the passing tractor trailers, no way we were changing that tire ourselves! Left it to the experts...

 

[simpleliving]

Thanks for all of your thoughts and ideas. You guys are right. I need to figure out a way to carry one with me.<br><br>My circumstances right now will keep me in or near town most of the time for a while. Cell phone coverage and waiting for AAA won't be an issue. But this is only temporary, I'll be roaming around soon enough, so it's better to just figure it out now.<br><br><br>

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I had the same thoughts but in the end i decided it was necessary.&nbsp; Who knows how long i'd have to wait to get help and then find a tire, plus the expense on the tire they might have available (which im sure will just so happen to be the most expensive tire they can find).&nbsp; In my build I have a bulkhead wall separating the cabin and it is behind the seats about a foot, i actually stuck my tire behind the passenger seat and against the wall, so it is not in the living space anymore.&nbsp; I might switch to a mount on the back one day but right now this works well <img rel="lightbox" src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="bbc_img">

 

[idn88]

My minimum for out of town would be the following "spares". &nbsp;Even if you have no idea how to change these, if you get to a shop and they don't have the part, you might talk them into putting on yours? &nbsp;Or you might find a friendly local who can help you out.<br><br>Spare tire<br>Fix a flat (makes a mess of the tire, but if you run over something and flatten two at once?)<br>alternator<br>fan belt<br>spark plug<br>coil on plug - year dependent, might be a coil, rotor, cap, plug wires if older<br>upper and lower rad hoses<br>thermostat<br>come along and tow straps (to pull yourself out if stuck - you never know)<br><br>I carry a bunch more items, but that would be my minimum.<br><br><br>

 

[Douglas]

No way would I travel with no spare!

 

[caseyc]

I personally have no experience changing a spare tire, as I usually just go to a Chevron gas station or WheelWorks to fix a flat for $25.&nbsp; That's what I usually do for my other car.&nbsp; However, for my van, because I may be camping in remote locations, I realize I can't just simply drive to a gas station for a flat tire fix.&nbsp; That's why I have 2 identical brand new light truck tires for spares. One&nbsp;spare tire is kept on a&nbsp;rear door rack, and the other spare tire is below the rear of the van bumper.&nbsp; I also have a full size jack lift, plus a set of jack stands, which I got from Sears Automotive.&nbsp; All this gear is with my van at all times, including emergency flares and a roll of yellow&nbsp;"caution"&nbsp;tape.&nbsp;&nbsp;This way, if I do get a flat tire, at least I can hopefully wave down a ranger to help me fix a flat.&nbsp; Because cell phone signals may also fail in remote areas, that's why I also have a CB radio plus a HAM radio installed in my van with external antennas so I can make a call for help if necessary.&nbsp; Also have&nbsp;multiple 2 way walkie-talkies too.&nbsp;If it comes to worse, and I have to rely on myself to fix a flat tire, I also have printed instructions kept in my van for how to fix a flat tire. <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif">&nbsp; If I am&nbsp;really&nbsp;stuck in a remote area with no help for some time, I usually have enough food and water for a number of&nbsp;days, plus lots and lots of power that includes auxillary battery, solar,&nbsp;propane, and butane.&nbsp; I just recently got a BB gun and a fishing pole so if I have to live off the land, I can hopefully catch some fish and shoot some small game for dinner!&nbsp; Am I paranoid or OCD??&nbsp; Umm, never mind. <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/eek.gif">

 

[ZOFCHAK]

^^^^ Not sure if the "like a boat without a life jacket" analogy is a good one.&nbsp; No spare tire means that if something happens you might be walking or stranded on the side of a highway for a while.&nbsp; No life jacket means you might be dead.&nbsp; <img class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/confused.gif"><br><br><br>&nbsp; That being said, if you don't travel far from civilization you could easily get away with not having a spare (Most big trucks don't carry spares or equipment to change tires while on the road).&nbsp; The problem is if something does happen the odds of it costing you a lot of money are pretty good.&nbsp;&nbsp;If it's a simple repairable issue then a plug kit, a can of fix a flat and an air pump will get you back on the road quickly, but more serious damage will likely end up with a tow bill and a high priced replacement.

 

[Suanne]

When I first saw this question, I thought "well of course I'd always carry a spare" (even tho' in 40+ years of driving I've not needed one).<br><br>But, now I'm looking to replace my beloved '04 Prius&nbsp;(200K miles) with a Subaru hybrid XV Crosstek that's coming out for 2014; and I just found out that it doesn't have a spare.&nbsp; I must say that seems odd to me because it's AWD and can go off road (8.7"&nbsp;clearance), which is why I'm considering it.<br><br>It's preliminary reviews are positive (already&nbsp;released in Japan); but, I'm waiting to check it out in person when my local dealer gets one.&nbsp; I think if it meets all of my other requirements, I'd see about mounting a spare tire on the outside (probably on a hitch, if possible).&nbsp; Another possibility is to run no-flat tires, but that seems less secure to me and I think that they are super expensive.<br><br>Suanne ... getting ready to hit the road

 

[simpleliving]

My van is a 1991 Ford, and was previously used as a state vehicle for patient transport. There was a wheelchair lift in the back and the back doors got a little abused. Also, with the positioning of the rear license plate and door handle, I'm not sure how a big, huge spare tire would be mounted there. Before I got the van, the tire mount was on an inside wall. That was way too ugly and intrusive, so I took it off.<br><br>I'm pretty much set on building a compartment under my bed (which will run side to side at the rear of the van). That's going to be my main storage compartment for everything, and this big tire will use up a ton of space,&nbsp;<br><br>As much as I don't want to carry it, I've thought about what you guys have said, and I'm just going to sacrifice some some storage space and keep it. Before I make the final decision (the bed/storage area hasn't been built yet, that's in the next week or two), I'll have someone who knows more than I do (which isn't saying much) assess the rear mount idea on the back doors.<br><br>Suanne~ Wow...a new vehicle is being sold WITHOUT a spare!? That seems ridiculous. I guess everyone is doing what they can to cut costs in this weird economy.&nbsp;

 

[MK7]

New cars w/o a spare tire is probably not about cutting cost as it should cost more to equip a car with 4 run-flats vs. 4 regular tires + spare donut.&nbsp; I think they're trying to direct the market into new technology and more expensive tires. These came with my Corvette and they do work, just sucks for drag racing. Saves space too.<br><br>Maybe at least have a donut tucked away somewhere, although it wouldn't be standard equipment for a big van and probably unsafe as hell. But at least you could get out of a jam and limp somewhere rather than be stuck, should help can't get there or something.

 

[simpleliving]

Yeah, I think a donut would be pretty unsafe. My van is really big. It's either no spare and call AAA to tow me, or suck it up and find a place to keep one.

 

[caseyc]

<p>How about adding a Yakima basket on top of your van rooftop, and then adding the optional Yakima spare tire holder?&nbsp; I have both items myself, but I'm not using the basket for holding a spare tire, but I could if I wanted to.&nbsp; A little pricey solution, but it would work.<br><br><a href="http://www.yakima.com/shop/cargo/gear-basket-accessories/spare-tire-carrier" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.yakima.com/shop/cargo/gear-basket-accessories/spare-tire-carrier</a><br><br><br><br><br><img class="big-image-cnt bbc_img" alt="spare-tire-carrier 1" src="http://assets.yakima.com/image/product/spare-tire-carrier/size/xlarge/sequence/1" rel="lightbox"><br><br><br><br><br><br></p>