Advice on whether i should carry a spare wheel

[kevinbolton260362]

Can anyone please advise me on whether they carry a spare wheel for their motorhome. We have a 2016 Rapido 9094DF motorhome. As usual our boot is always full when going on a long trip. If we should be unlucky enough to get a flat tyre the tyre repair kit does not fill us with confidence. As I see it we have
4 options. We can sacrifice things in the boot to make space for a wheel. Maybe put the fold up mountain bikes on the rear bike rack ( by buying wider rails to allow the tyres to fit on ) to allow more space in the boot . Take off the bike rack to fix a spare wheel on the back of the van. Last of all maybe get someone to fit a cradle underneath to hold a spare wheel. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[G7UXG]

Could I ask where you got this from please?, as I will probably purchase one when I get my new MH

EStar Truck and Van in Stoke-on-Trent. It was ordered from Germany and arrived within a couple of days. Great service and about £195 +VAT, which I think is not bad for an original alloy.

Probably available from any Mercedes van dealer I’d guess.

 

[Rob Turner]

Never leave home without one, also a decent bottle jack and breaker bar and I carry a torque wrench too.
It used to live in the garage but is now underneath

 

[the1andonly]

What’s a Mirder?

Dislectxi cant even snell that Mi Rider lecy bike

 

[Coolcats]

Dislectxi cant even snell that Mi Rider lecy bike

Think that's auto correct causing issues

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[nicholsong]

Never leave home without one, also a decent bottle jack and breaker bar and I carry a torque wrench too.
It used to live in the garage but is now underneath
View attachment 797724

Is the tread as worn down as that photo makes it appear?

 

[10tenmen]

Fiat Ducato on the ccs chassis total weight of the winder kit and the steel wheel + tyre is 30kg cost was £205 for new winder kit and a Michelin cp tyre. I carry a breaker bar, ratchet for lowering/raising the wheel. Lat pic shows the tool for lowering the wheel which should be in the tool kit. Mine is under the front passenger seat.

 

[enark]

Fiat Ducato on the ccs chassis total weight of the winder kit and the steel wheel + tyre is 30kg cost was £205 for new winder kit and a Michelin cp tyre. I carry a breaker bar, ratchet for lowering/raising the wheel. Lat pic shows the tool for lowering the wheel which should be in the tool kit. Mine is under the front passenger seat.

View attachment 797765 View attachment 797766 View attachment 797767 View attachment 797768 View attachment 797769 View attachment 797770 View attachment 797771

Great minds eh….although oddly my tool kit goes under the drivers seat (RHD) and Burstner fitted the spare and toolkit in the garage? cost me £150 for the Fiat winder kit and small thumb nut from coastal motorhome, took me an hour or so to fit.

 

[Jev88]

Probably said already but do you want to wait around whilst a breakdown company tried to find you a new tyre or tyre and wheel..... And then in France charge you double so the tyres on same axle match?

 

[andykim]

Is the tread as worn down as that photo makes it appear?

Racing slicks

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[Rob Turner]

Is the tread as worn down as that photo makes it appear?

It does look that way doesn’t it
Its a brand new tyre though.

 

[VXman]

All the breakdown services do this https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/ra...versal-spare-wheel-fixes-no-spare-breakdowns/

Times change if vans are not supplied with spares then the breakdown services know this

If its a straight forward puncture use the Goo kit provided with the van, if its a blow out or shredded tyre call the breakdown service

or something like Slime Assist Car Tyre Sealant

Goo/slime is useless on anything other than small slow punctures and the RAC thing sounds a pain. Keep a wheel in the van for simplicity and least inconvenience.

 

[Coolcats]

Goo/slime is useless on anything other than small slow punctures and the RAC thing sounds a pain. Keep a wheel in the van for simplicity and least inconvenience.

I guess we are all different the probability of a puncture can happen but low, the probability of a blow out even lower. We drive MoHo’s personally if I have a puncture I will reach for the goo it’s faster and safer than changing a wheel. If it’s a blow out it may be more than the wheel that needs changing.

Can’t be bothered worrying about a puncture if it happens it happens and will deal with it. Can’t recall if the VX 220 had a spare but Lotus and Caterham don’t fit them

 

[VXman]

Can’t be bothered worrying about a puncture if it happens it happens and will deal with it. Can’t recall if the VX 220 had a spare but Lotus and Caterham don’t fit them

No they don't and once I used the goo it it was useless. Just like the Lotus there is no option on the VX. No space.

My Megane RS cup didn't have one either but after 2 flats which necessitated flat bed trips to get me home I bought a spare. Used it twice since too! Maybe I'm unlucky but it was well worth the expenditure and peace of mind. I really wouldn't want to so 5000 mile trips in Europe in the motorhome without one.

 

[Coolcats]

No they don't and once I used the goo it it was useless. Just like the Lotus there is no option on the VX. No space.

My Megane RS cup didn't have one either but after 2 flats which necessitated flat bed trips to get me home I bought a spare. Used it twice since too! Maybe I'm unlucky but it was well worth the expenditure and peace of mind. I really wouldn't want to so 5000 mile trips in Europe in the motorhome without one.

Oh er you must be a nail magnet, fortunately we have spent many a year touring Europe once in a dodgy fiesta ( a flat tyre was the least of my concerns) I had removed the spare wheel to get the camping gear in. I have probably jinxed myself but what ever happens its OK

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[Pablo19]

I think having Tyrepal TPMS mitigates a lot of the risk apart from a catastrophic blow out but that is extremely unlikely. I had a spare on my last van, no spare on my current one but I am thinking about getting one as long as I can mount it underneath. I find myself looking at pressures and temperatures almost as regularly as the speedo so would very quickly spot if something was amiss.

 

[Camdoon]

I would take a spare engine before a spare wheel.

 

[robnchris]

Obviously we all have different ideas on this, personally all our cars have a spare, the motorhome has a spare, i even have a spare for my wheel barrow.
So it appears I have it all covered, except....I never carry a spare when out on the motorbikes

 

[Coolcats]

Obviously we all have different ideas on this, personally all our cars have a spare, the motorhome has a spare, i even have a spare for my wheel barrow.
So it appears I have it all covered, except....I never carry a spare when out on the motorbikes

My MTB doesn't have a spare but does have Goo inside incase of a puncture........the spikes on the brambles can be very vicious

 

[Bertilak]

Reminds me of a time on night when a gang of likely lads had two punctures in an 70's Mini. One chap disappeared into a carpark trying all the Mini's boot lids until he found an unlocked one, and umm, "borrowed" their spare...
Thinking about it, that might work for a Ducato, but not on a motorway.

I'd always carry a spare. I go to too many weird places not to.

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[BouncyBoatFolk]

Obviously we all have different ideas on this, personally all our cars have a spare, the motorhome has a spare, i even have a spare for my wheel barrow.
So it appears I have it all covered, except....I never carry a spare when out on the motorbikes

Tube? A bigger one can be used for either wheel. I only used to carry a 21", it could be used in the 18" rear wheel. Preventative slime in both wheels as well. Additionally the slime balances the wheel as well !! Bonus.
Mike

 

[Dolmen]

Debate can go on for ever, it comes down to how you view risk, those that plan and cover for every eventuality will insist on a spare, quite rightly, they will worry to death if they don’t have one, those that think, to hell, I’ll deal with it if it happens won’t be too bothered and are quite happy to spend a few hours and cash to deal with the consequences should it ever happen, for most it doesn’t.

 

[3crispies]

Wouldn’t be without a spare in the motorhome, especially when abroad. Can be back on the road in 15 minutes.

Just swapped the motorhome. This one is a Mercedes chassis so the old Fiat spare is no good because the Mercedes has six studs. Cost me £450 for a new Mercedes alloy wheel and Continental tyre to match the other six. Alloy was about £225, not bad for a genuine Mercedes one. That is probably cheaper and more convenient than having to get recovered and source a new tyre just about anywhere, including the UK.

And yes, I am a puncture magnet in most vehicles.

Ordered spare rim as soon as we got MH, from fiat trucks locally. We haven't a tyre fitted yet as no plans for abroad this year.

 

[TheMachMan]

Unfortunately I don’t think there’s room under mine to fit the Fiat spare wheel holder due to the waste tank and we have a bike rack on the rear door. Are there any other options of where they can be secured? Roof, door etc?

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

It's the 5 P's principle. Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.
Mike.

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[Clive Beeza]

Can anyone please advise me on whether they carry a spare wheel for their motorhome. We have a 2016 Rapido 9094DF motorhome. As usual our boot is always full when going on a long trip. If we should be unlucky enough to get a flat tyre the tyre repair kit does not fill us with confidence. As I see it we have
4 options. We can sacrifice things in the boot to make space for a wheel. Maybe put the fold up mountain bikes on the rear bike rack ( by buying wider rails to allow the tyres to fit on ) to allow more space in the boot . Take off the bike rack to fix a spare wheel on the back of the van. Last of all maybe get someone to fit a cradle underneath to hold a spare wheel. Any advice would be appreciated.

buying a new wheel rim and tyre will not be cheap, and will be quite heavy,
the alternative is a product called punturesafe injected into all your tyres
in advance as a preventative,it creates a permanent repair.
have used in motorcycles for around 20 years, well proven
and bikes are safe to 120 mph after a sealed punture
many motorhomers have it installed in their tyres.
Google in Punturesafe UK.

 

[RV72 SAM 🏴]

Picked up my new Adria in Jan this year, I had already ordered a new rim off fleabay about £40. 5x130 78mm pcd. Found a localish guy in Stoke way selling brand new matching (Green) Mich Agilis 2022 manufactured @ £135 fitted.
Make sure you order the correct rim, as there's 2 types on a 16" 5 x 118 (Light Chassis) 5x 130 (Heavy Chassis) Else they won't fit your hub Easy enough to measure across the center of studs, either 71mm for light and 78mm for heavy.
Mine for some reason were heavy 5 x 130 3,500kg so not always light. See my Alloys are the latest curl out spokes !
Fit's nicely on garage ledge, with chequer plate I fitted, this saves any sagging. Just a peace of mind as off to Europe next month and as only 3 weeks I don't intend wasting any on hanging around stuck on side of road in middle of nowhere.
Hope this helps people like Kevin . . .

 

[Pablo19]

Embarrassing post alert

I bought my Knaus Sun Ti in February and when I first looked at it I only had a cursory look under the back end. After deciding to buy it I asked the dealer to check if it had a spare wheel and he confirmed that it didn't and offered me an inflator/sealant kit instead. I agreed and just thought I would probably get a spare at some point when I see a second hand one for sale. This thread prompted me to do something about it so I went out last night to measure what PCD I need and looked to see whether I would have room to mount it underneath. In the process of shining a torch around to see what mounting options there were I was flabbergasted to see there is a spare under there, a bit further forward than I was expecting and tucked up nicely out of the way and barely visible. Result!

 

[gwyntaxi]

Can anyone please advise me on whether they carry a spare wheel for their motorhome. We have a 2016 Rapido 9094DF motorhome. As usual our boot is always full when going on a long trip. If we should be unlucky enough to get a flat tyre the tyre repair kit does not fill us with confidence. As I see it we have
4 options. We can sacrifice things in the boot to make space for a wheel. Maybe put the fold up mountain bikes on the rear bike rack ( by buying wider rails to allow the tyres to fit on ) to allow more space in the boot . Take off the bike rack to fix a spare wheel on the back of the van. Last of all maybe get someone to fit a cradle underneath to hold a spare wheel. Any advice would be appreciated.

Bit of a no Brainer really, you wouldn't normally go anywhere in your car without one even though a car tyre is readily available, but in a motorhome you may have to wait at least a day or two and that's if you're not stuck in middle of nowhere without a phone signal, Don't go anywhere without one and get a decent jack& brac....... just my view.

 

[gwyntaxi]

Can anyone please advise me on whether they carry a spare wheel for their motorhome. We have a 2016 Rapido 9094DF motorhome. As usual our boot is always full when going on a long trip. If we should be unlucky enough to get a flat tyre the tyre repair kit does not fill us with confidence. As I see it we have
4 options. We can sacrifice things in the boot to make space for a wheel. Maybe put the fold up mountain bikes on the rear bike rack ( by buying wider rails to allow the tyres to fit on ) to allow more space in the boot . Take off the bike rack to fix a spare wheel on the back of the van. Last of all maybe get someone to fit a cradle underneath to hold a spare wheel. Any advice would be appreciated.

DEFINITELY.

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[Roger J Holman]

Interesting variety of views. When we bought our Rapido it came without a spare, only a can of sludge, and an ineffectual compressor to, in theory, inflate the tyre again after 'repair'. There have been so Many bad reports of that stuff, it lives in the garage loft. The van needed 2 new tyres at the time of sale, I asked for the best of the ones coming off to be put into the boot so I could get a spare wheel eventually. Happy joy joy, when we picked the van up, complete tyre and rim was sitting in the boot, result!
I know that, if either Annie or I take the van away, and are unfortunate enough to have a puncture, I MIGHT be able to change the wheel on my own (age related doubt!), Annie would certainly not. The knowledge that a spare is available, together with all the tools to fit it, means I do not have to worry about that particular problem, over much. The choice of Jack is probably just as important, the supplied vehicle jack is probably totally ineffective, particularly with a loaded van, the logical choice, which I do not have, yet, is a trolley jack, and a wide enough plank (shot length of builder plank) to give the jack stability, and a bit of extra height. Problem her is that a trolley jack will be too expensive, or too light duty (collapsible), or too heavy to lift/transport. In the interim, whilst I make my mind up which way to go, a 12 ton bottle jack is stand in, fortunately, not used yet.
What ever jacking system is used,CARE is required, they can, and do, capsize, they can, and do, sink into softer ground.
I am reminded of two occurrences: In the late 1970's we were working in Libya, and took a trip in a LWB Land Rover across to Algeria. Needless to say, we got a puncture, miles from anywhere, at which stage we discovered that the jack which came with the vehicle lacked any oil. What to do? We built a pile of stones, in the desert, drove the good wheel on the effected side up on the pile, scrapped out enough sand and small stones under the 'flat' to take the weight off it, and changed the wheel. Probably not an option in a MH.
The second tale relates to a person who came downstairs in the morning to see pair of feet sticking out from under his car, and the car at an odd angle. The feet belonged to a (potential) catalytic converter thief, who had been making his attempt during the hours of darkness. Unfortunately, the jack he was using (stolen ?) collapsed, pinning him under the car and preventing him from stealing any catalytic converters, ever again, permanently.