Spare wheel and tire

[nij_tp]

Hi, going to go and look at our new to us 2000 winnebago journey tail end of next week. Wanted to know if DP's of that era came equipped with a spare. The salemans told me no but wanted to check with people I trust! Thanks in advance

[Mr_D]

Nope, none of our DSDP's (2000 and now 2002) have had a spare.

[Ray,IN]

No spare. Even if I did have a mounted, inflated spare I could not change it. At 72 I can barely lift a car tire, let alone a 200# mounted MH tire. Then there is the problem of lug nuts torqued to 450 lb/ft.
Storage for a mounted spare has been solved with this: How to Use – Simpson Tire Mount

[FIRE UP]

Originally Posted by nij_tp

Hi, going to go and look at our new to us 2000 winnebago journey tail end of next week. Wanted to know if DP's of that era came equipped with a spare. The salemans told me no but wanted to check with people I trust! Thanks in advance

nij_tp,
99.99% of the Diesel pushers out there do not come, with a spare tire and wheel. I say that number because, I have seen, brand new ones, that had dedicated compartments for a spare. A brand new Diesel Bounder a few years ago comes to mind. And, if I recall, it was only a tire and no wheel. Not many coach builders will waste the badly needed space for spare tire. They simply leave it up to the end user to deal with the issue of flat tire, if and when needed.

There are a few on here that have taken it upon themselves to either figure out how to carry a fully inflated tire and wheel or, at the least, a spare tire of the same brand AND SIZE. But, most of your diesel drivers will use some form of emergency service. That's a whole 'nother saga.

As RayIn has stated, there's two very limiting factors that simply stop an average diesel driver from even attempting to change their flat tire, even if they had one. One is weight. I've weighed my two different wheel/tire combos on our coach. The aluminum one, is right at 142 lbs. The steel wheeled version is right at 167 lbs. Both are the 255-80R 22.5" tires.

The second limiting factor is, the torque of the lug nuts. A very large percentage of them are at 450 ft.lbs. or more. I have a special tool that allows me to break that torque with one arm. But, will I use it if and when we have a flat, well maybe. If I know we've to E/S on the way to help, I might speed up the tire change process by loosening all those lug nuts so when the tire tech arrives, all that's needed is to spin them off. That remains to be seen.

Anyway, to answer your question, do not expect any diesel to have a spare tire or wheel. That is unless you find that really rare one that the manufacturer created space for the tire alone. Now, a gasser can and, many times will be different. Some of those carry spares under the rear section of the coach, some carry them on the rear of the coach. Some carry them in an adapter to the receiver on the trailer hitch etc. Hope this helps.
Scott

[camato5]

I concur with Fire up. don't worry about it, Just be sure you have a SAMs or AAA or some sort of roadside assistance program..

[Hikerdogs]

As mentioned most (if not all) motorhomes having 22.5" tires don't come with a spare. The main reasons have also been explained. However there are those of us who decided to carry an unmounted spare and the necessary tooling to change it. If you're like us and plan to go to out of the way places carrying a spare may be a good addition or alternative to a road service.


Even if you decide to use a road service there's no guarantee they can come to your location in a timely manner, or have a tire matching the ones you have on your coach. Over the years our experience with road service providers has been less than satisfactory. In most cases they will still be our first course of action. However we have a backup should we be in a location they don't or won't service, they can't provide service in a timely manner, or there is no cell phone service to call someone.

[Old Scout]

All good points here--fact is the larger the coach, the less practical it is to carry a spare, eg, coach/tire weights, storage space, jacks, blocking, tools, torque reqmts, all make it increasingly difficult to DIY a tire change. We have had one coach flat in 12 years and 150k miles--now I've said it????? Anyway, a flat is never convenient, road side service can be an issue but carrying a spare is not easy. If you need to change a flat, the spare doesnt help that much--and more likely, you will end-up with an aged-out spare tire in your basement.

[Bumps]

My Winnebago did not come with a spare (or a way to carry a spare), either. For about a year I carried an unmounted tire on a rack I installed up and between the frame rails. It was a peace-of-mind thing.

Believe it or not, I got "tired" of it being in the way every time I needed to run a new (outlet, solar, backup camera, etc) wire through the belly of the beast. Thanks to the good folks on this forum I removed it about this time last year. No more spare tire ... no more peace-of-mind, I guess.

FWIW, \ken

[Gary CA]

nij tp: I have the 2004 Winnebago/Itasca Meridian, same as Journey. Look between the frame rails directly behind the fresh water tank you might see an area large enough for a spare. I mounted a full size spare on an aluminum rim and tucked it up in this space. I did this several years ago and pics should be on this great forum. If you don't carry a spare tire realize they are "special size" and your trip will be delayed several days why a tire shop gets a replacement.


This is a pic of mine, it hangs in the frame and is pressure held with added straps for safety.


http://www.irv2.com/attachments/phot...DSC00870_1.jpg

[Hikerdogs]

If you decide to purchase a spare tire and/or wheel combination think of it more like purchasing an insurance policy than a piece of equipment or furniture. A new tire will cost between $300.00 and $600.00 depending on the brand, size and model you buy. It will be useful as a spare for at least 10 years.


Road service insurance for the same period will cost anywhere between $800.00 and $2,000.00 depending on the company and policy coverage.


If you never use the tire you've spent less than it would cost to carry insurance for the same period of time. Even if you don't buy the tools necessary to change a tire a single service call to have it done would still be less expensive than the insurance. Keep in mind if you do have insurance only you'll still have to pay for a tire if it's damaged beyond repair.


I'm not knocking road service insurance. Many policies cover far more than roadside tire replacement. However the cost is incrementally more with each service they provide. Personally the small cost of a spare tire (and the space needed to store it) gives me more peace of mind than a road service insurance policy

[gripper]

My '05 Fleetwood Providence did not come with a spare when I purchased it, in '07. However, it had a dedicated space for it in the storage compartment, rear of the right dual tires. So, for peace of mind, I purchased an unmounted spare for it. Three or four years later, I had a blowout on my rt. rear inside duals. Good Sam, was/is my ERS Company. I called them and they sent a local tire company out to make the change. Although I tipped the driver, there were no additional charges to replace the bad tire with my new spare. I was a happy camper.

[Okierambler]

My 2012 Vista 30T came with a spare tire and wheel but that is like giving a dog a car, he would have it but couldn't do anything with it. That is why I have AAA Plus.