Should I Be Able To Change A Tire?

[catmandoo62]

thunderjet you beat me to it.thee best tool i have ever bought is a torque amplifier/multiplier.https://www.amazon.com/Klutch-Torqu...words=torque+amplifier&qid=1627134249&sr=8-18 i can literally remove 22.5 wheel nuts with one hand tied behind my back.i sold my old 5th wheel tow rig a 1997 freightliner and the guy made it about 50 miles and had a rear caliper hang up.i grabbed my jack multiplier and a few other things and went to help.had the rear duals off caliper off and back on and duals back on in under 45 mins.he was so impressed with that torque amplifier he wanted to buy it from me on the spot so i sold it to him for $100 bucks and when i got home i ordered another one.the main issue with a spare is if it is a 22.5 tire and wheel are gonna weigh 150 lbs so if you can't easily get it out and back from where its stored you might be better off with your road service,but for me i will carry a spare and do it myself.i need new front tires anyway so am going to buy 2 new aluminum wheels and mount the new tires on them and keep the best used tire/wheel for my spare.

 

[unclescratch]

" it will not fit on the inner duals since they use a different wheel" I didn't know that.....

 

[Jos 56]

Duallies use the same wheels. The inner ones are mounted as you'd find one singles or the front. The outer ones are mounted "backwards" so that the 2 faces come together. The bolts go through both wheels.

 

[powercat_ras]

I carry a Harbor Freight Impact Driver, 120 volt, to remove and replace lug nuts. Use the generator to power it. I use the chassis leveling jacks to raise a wheel off the ground if I need to remove a tire and wheel, then support behind the wheel with a heavy duty jack stand. Tire chocks, too. Also carry a 120 PSI max pancake air compressor to maintain tires.

I have a towed compact SUV, so I don't carry a spare tire and wheel. In 6 years and 50,000 miles of use on my Vista, I have had one tire problem that required removing wheel and tire and taking tire/wheel to a tire shop for replacement in the toad (sidewall puncture / not repairable), so at least for me can't justify carrying a spare tire and wheel and having the extra weight and loss of space.

I also carry a professional tire plugging kit for screw / nail road hazard in tire tread issues but have never had to use it.

It's getting very tough to handle the weight of wheel and tire for me by myself at age 64, I have to do things for mechanical advantage to make it easier such as a crowbar and board to raise the wheel to get it onto the wheel lugs and always try to get a helper to get wheel and tire into my SUV.

 

[catmandoo62]

as i said those 22.5 are heavy.i weighed my 22.5 tire on a steel wheel and it weighed 170 lbs.the new aluminum wheels should drop 20 or more lbs.

 

[unclescratch]

"Duallies use the same wheels. The inner ones are mounted as you'd find one singles or the front. The outer ones are mounted "backwards" so that the 2 faces come together. The bolts go through both wheels." I knew 'that' !

 

[SunriseMtl]

Well this is a great thread! Especially for me being a newbie. Our "classic" motor home has a mounted spare tire and wheel, not hanging off the back as in the original but under the motorhome since the last owner had a 400cc scooter on a rack in the back which he removed when we bought it. I kinda wish he had kept the spare wheel mount and Winnie cover but I digress.
My question to this sage group, and more to the point perhaps those Canadians who are members, though it may not matter. What Roadside Assistance Insurance plan/group do you recommend and what kind of costs should I be looking at?

 

[Raxel7851]

I have a 2021 22M. We decided to go with the Good Sam Roadside Assistance program. They have different levels, we went with the one that allows you flat tire help and what seems to be a decent towing plan. I think it was around $119 a year.

 

[JoeSR-WO]

Do others reckon they can change the tires?

My lug nuts are torqued 450 to 500 ft-lbs. The tire weighs 80# and the steel wheel weighs 60#, for a total of 140#.

I have Coach Net.

I am retired.

I am old.

What other excuses do I need?


None. I can change my motorhome tires. I have practiced it at home. I have done it on the road. In fact I have spooned off the old tires and mounted new ones. Why? For me, it is part of the RV hobby. I have been doing my own vehicle maintenance for more than 50 years.

Want proof? See post 21 of this thread >>> https://www.irv2.com/forums/f84/leaking-valve-stems-and-extenders-544619-2.html

If you have never done your own work, the RV is a hard place to start, but not impossible.

 

[tim myers]

I worked at a truck stop when I was 17, and changing tires was an every day event. From mounting spares to breaking them down and fixing them. And these were the less safe split ring style rims with tubes, yep I am also old. Of course we had the tools to do this, air assisted hydraulic jacks, and 1" impact tools. A crow bar can really make putting a tire on the studs an easy chore.

Move forward to a slow leak I had on the Drivers inside dual this past September. There is no easy way to carry a spare 22.5 tire and rim, so I found a big truck tire shop that took me in quickly. Even after pulling the lug nuts off, it took two young men 30 minutes to beat the rims off the studs. I was watching and thinking how happy I was that I wasn't trying to do this on the side of the road.

Actually I think carrying a spare is a good idea, but the only way that would work for me is to purchase the a spare tire carrier at about $500, that mounts to the hitch receiver.

Pro's for this include having the correct tire, and some time savings. Con's to me are ageing a tire out that you are not using. The only correct answer is to do what you are comfortable with. That is going to be different with each of us.

 

[RV Tinker]

There are three levels of flat tire independence:

1. Carry nothing and depend on road service to fix the flat or bring you a replacement tire: Time consuming and may be expensive for new tire.

2. Carry a spare tire but no wheel. Let the road service guys fix the tire or replace the tire with yours: Less time waiting and cheaper.

3. Carry a spare tire mounted on a new wheel and a jack, 1/2" breaker bar and socket: Least time of all, maybe 30 minutes to change tire no cost other than replacing bad tire when you get home.

I do #3. I prefer the independence, time saved and am comfortable with changing my own tire. FWIW my tire weighs about 60 lbs and takes 140 ft lbs to remove. I have tried it and it works. I would be less keen with a 90 lb tire and 200 ft lbs or more.

David

I agree with you. My class C's have not been that bad to change a tire on. I have always had a spare and carry 1/2 inch drive socket set and torque wrench. Also have compressor and 8 ton jack. During my 29 years of driving/using my two class C MH, I have had to change the tires about 12 times. 11 on the first MH (1986) and 1 time on the 2004 MH. First MH had Winston tires. Did not have great luck with them. Seemed to attract nails/ pipes and potholes. 2nd MH always had Michelins. 2nd and 3rd set are Michelin XPS RIB. Only flat was when a tire valve failed just after installation. Caught it when doing my tire inspection just prior to starting for the day. The Michelin XPS RIB are great. Still looked new with no cracks after 9 years, which is when I replaced them. Don't think I would change a class A tire though. Quite a bit heavier and far higher torque required. I do a lot of travel in out of the way areas, so like the option of being able to change the tire if required. So it's your call as to what you feel comfortable with.