where to store the spare

[Gina D.]

I generally will not call road service to change a tire. It may be dirty, but it does not take very long to do and it's not rocket science. (We will see what I say when my bones get worse, however)

The last time I called road service I was in a far away place and it took several hours to get my 2 gallons of gas. If I wasn't set up in camp and not in any hurry (They could have showed up the next day as far as I was concerned) I would have been pretty put out and miffed.

Of course, waiting in a trailer is different than sitting in a car, but I still would hate to lose the time. And if you have no spare, now you have a bad tire to get repaired and back to your trailer. OR have your whole rig towed to the repair shop. More time and hassle. I saw my 13 go up on a flatbed once. It was.. un nerving to say the least.

Coming back from Quartzite I discovered a slow leak in one of my tires. I put on the spare and got the bad tire to a store. It turned out to be a leaky valve stem, but I sure was glad I wasn't dead in the water, and not being dependent on a tow truck sure made the whole process faster.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I can count on one hand the times I've used a spare tire (even before I had AAA.) But at least one of those times was a blowout and the stuff in a can or a 12 V inflator would not have helped. I like to have a spare.

On the other hand, it was probably okay carried up under the seat (even as a bed) as I will be unlikely to use it very often.

On the third hand, if I have a flat and it is hot (or cold) and I'm mad and frustrated already, having to dig it out from under the bed is not going to improve my temper. So even if I am not going to use it often, I want it accessible.

Bobbie

[Donna D.]

The main problem I see of mounting a tire underneath, whether under the tongue or under the floor in the rear, is dragging it and possibily doing major damage to the frame when going in and out of driveways. My Scamp sits higher than most, but when I pull out of my driveway, there's only about 4 inches of clearance beneath the lowest part of the tongue and concrete. I'd be scrapping the heck out of something for sure, if it was mounted low.

[Byron Kinnaman]

OK, let's try a bit more thinking outside the box.
Is a full size spare necessary?

We can rationalize anything we want, but is the rationalization the best solution. Granted it results in a solution or at least a reason to keep looking for an answer to the original question, which may be a valid a question. That said it might be benificial to look at other alternatives.

[Mike Montville]

I am seeking some wisdom about where to store the spare on our Compact Junior. I want to move it from being inside, having to be moved all the time to outside. There is already a large propane tank and battery on the tongue. Some people have been able to fit the spare in front of the trailer sitting in the a portion of the tongue but I do not have room unless I go to a smaller tank. The gallery pictures shows an arrangement with the tire under the tongue. I have wondered about a spare tire holder mounted to the tongue like what might be seen on a boat trailer. Would you put such a holder on the road side or curb side. Any comments or wisdom to share.

Rear bumper is not strong enough plus the door is in the back. Do people carry the spare in the tow vehicle?

How about in s small cartop carrier? http://www.rackoutfitters.com/car-racks/pc...stall238_lg.jpg

Or in a roof rack? http://www.a1-autoracks.com/car-rack-special.html

I think both would work, and allow you extra space for other goodies as well.

[Pete Dumbleton]

One note of caution -- When I did my Alaska trip, I had a spare tire/wheel for the truck and for the trailer, plus a second spare tire (no wheel) for the truck. My thinking, like that of the BulgeMobile folks, is that even if I didn't have the tools to mount the tire on a wheel, when I found someone with the tools I would have the parts. Turned out that in over 12,000 miles of almost all the roads in BC, YT, NWT and AK, I never had even one flat.

However, I carried the extra tire on the truck cab roof, with a towel between it and the paint, but some paint was still rubbed off... So, mounting is important.

[brendadave]

Not that it will work here, but I remember reading about someone who was able to use the temporary spare for their vehicle on their trailer, so if that one fits, you would be fairly safe with one spare for both (what are the odds of two flats?).

[jim munson]

My 13 ft. Scamp has space under the dinette floor. Just bolt it through the floor or weld a bar across the crossmembers for bolts. It's not quickly accessable but you probably will never need to use it anyway.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Not that it will work here, but I remember reading about someone who was able to use the temporary spare for their vehicle on their trailer, so if that one fits, you would be fairly safe with one spare for both (what are the odds of two flats?).

I put 15" Chrysler automotive wheels on my Jayco 16' (before I knew about the lug/hub-centric thing) and they had the same lug spacing as my Dodge truck, so I had six wheels on the ground with the same spacing. I had also replaced my truck's compact spare with a junkyard wheel and a tire. On a bad road in Arizona, I slit the sidewall of a front tire on the truck. Turned out the spare would NOT go over the disc brakes (I had tried it out on a rear wheel when I got it, but didn't think about the front being different. I wound up taking a trailer wheel off, putting that on the front and putting the spare on the trailer.

Had I really been stuck, with say my Scamp wheels, I could have turned the spare wheel around and mounted it sticking out, but would likely have sliced another sidewall on the volcanic rock.

[Gina D.]

My 13 ft. Scamp has space under the dinette floor.

Now theres an idea. You could build a false floor, like a step up and mount your table on the top, with a drop down, (or up depending on preference) face and just slide the tire into that to hide it.

If you have big long legs, this may not work for you, but since you sit, not walk where the table is, it could make a nice foot rest of sorts.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Gina,
The Scamp has a step up at the dinette. The gray water tank is under the step up. I don't know if there's enough room to put a spare along with the gray water tank. Wouldn't be a problem without the tank. You might be able to use the same type of thing that under SUVs and Pickup Trucks.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Some Scamps are the simpler, more rustic models and don't have things like built-in gray tanks...

[Gina D.]

So do Bolers and a couple others.

Kent has a CJ, not a Scamp. Flat floor for the whole length of the trailer. Using the same concept....build a step up and put the spare there. Slide the spare in flat to the floor.. like your are sliding something into an envelope.

[Byron Kinnaman]

So do Bolers and a couple others.

Kent has a CJ, not a Scamp. Flat floor for the whole length of the trailer. Using the same concept....build a step up and put the spare there. Slide the spare in flat to the floor.. like your are sliding something into an envelope.

Oops. Lost my place or something like that.
I like your idea.

[Greg A]

Do any of the Roadside Packages like AAA cover trailers when you're hauling?
They usually send gas, flat repair, or a tow out to you.
If so you could get one of those and leave the spare at home.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Do any of the Roadside Packages like AAA cover trailers when you're hauling?
They usually send gas, flat repair, or a tow out to you.
If so you could get one of those and leave the spare at home.

AAA PLUS RV covers it all so does Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service.
I don't know about others.

[Gina D.]

this is the concept.

I suck at using mech. drawing programs, excuse the 3rd grade look.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Do any of the Roadside Packages like AAA cover trailers when you're hauling?
They usually send gas, flat repair, or a tow out to you.
If so you could get one of those and [b]leave the spare at home.

Even with AAA+RV coverage, you still need to have a spare with the vehicle. The tow truck driver will change a flat on the trailer for you IF you have a fully aired up spare. (been there, done that) Otherwise you have to negotiate for a flatbed truck, which would not be their dispatcher's 1st choice to send to you... I had a breakdown with my tow vehicle on another occasion, and had the dispatcher look for a sub-contractor who had a flatbed with a trailer hitch so he could get both vehicles with one tow.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Even with AAA+RV coverage, you still need to have a spare with the vehicle. The tow truck driver will change a flat on the trailer for you IF you have a fully aired up spare. (been there, done that) Otherwise you have to negotiate for a flatbed truck, which would not be their dispatcher's 1st choice to send to you... I had a breakdown with my tow vehicle on another occasion, and had the dispatcher look for a sub-contractor who had a flatbed with a trailer hitch so he could get both vehicles with one tow.

You do bring up an interesting point. Around here almost all tow trucks are of the flat bed type, except for ones for Class A MH and large trucks. Might not be true in other places. I suspect the main reason is that we have a lot of 4x4 and AWD vehicles. The newer 4x4s and most AWDs can't be towed with any wheels on the ground.

[Frederick L. Simson]

The newer 4x4s and most AWDs can't be towed with any wheels on the ground.

Types of Towing Equipment (from Wikipedia)

Five general types are in common usage, usually based on the type or size of vehicle to be towed truck chassis:
* Boom - not specifically for towing, many trucks are equipped with an adjustable boom winch for recovering vehicles that are in a ditch, culvert, over an embankment, or any place the vehicle cannot be safely backed-up to.
* Hook and chain (also known as a "sling" or "belt lift") - chains are looped around the vehicle frame or axle, which is drawn aloft by a boom winch to rest against a pair of heavy rubberized mats so the customer's vehicle can be towed on its other axle. Slings are not used much today because they can scratch the bumpers of cars. But they are sometimes used for towing vehicles that have been in an accident or have one or two of the front or rear wheels missing or for pickup trucks and other vehicles that have steel bumpers
* Wheel-Lift - evolved from the hook and chain technology to produce a large metal yoke that can be fitted under the front or rear wheels to cradle them, drawing the front or rear end of the vehicle clear of the ground by a pneumatic or hydraulic hoist so it can be towed. This apparatus generally picks up the drive wheels of the vehicle (ie the front wheels if it is front wheel drive, the rear wheels if it is rear wheel drive) touching only the tires.
* Flatbed (also called a Rollback or a Slide) - the entire back of the truck is fitted with a bed that can be hydraulically inclined and moved to ground level, allowing the customer's vehicle to be placed on it under its own power or pulled by a winch.
[b]* Integrated (also referred to as a "Self Loader" Snatcher, Quick Pick or Repo Truck) - boom and wheel-lift integrated into one unit. Used in light duty trucks to repossess vehicles or move illegally parked vehicles. Most have controls for the apparatus inside the cab of the tow truck to make quick pickup possible without the inconvenience of exiting the truck to hook up the vehicle. Heavy duty trucks are also manufactured with integrated lift.

Most tow trucks in San Diego are the familiar short wheelbase with a crane-like hook in back. They'll put dollies under the wheels if they cannot tow with them on the ground, and charge you a LOT more for having to do so.