Ducato light chassis and lack of spare wheel and jack. What to do?.

[Clewie68]

When I learnt the Ducato on a 3,500kg light chassis didn't have a spare wheel with tyre, jack and other tools for changing a wheel I found it laughable. I don't think it's right. The quick repair kit is good for getting off a main road super quick but I'd want to replace that wheel as soon as possible. If I'm caught out in the sticks I won't be happy if I have to travel into a busy town for the new tyre. I'm thinking a new alloy wheel, tyre, jack and tools is essential. My original plan, was to keep the spare wheel in the tiny garage under the bed but now I'm thinking of putting it within a cradle underneath the van. (The day I need that wheel it'll be raining, 100%!. Every time I changed the bulb on a HGV's trailer it was raining) .

My questions are,

Has anyone bought a spare wheel because the Ducato didn't come with it?.

Did you put it outside and underneath the van?. If so, what do you think of the cradle?.

What kind of jack?. ( I've read a lot of posts about the jack not being fit for purpose. Surely it is. I think the people that TRY to use the jack aren't fit for purpose. Lots of talk about it not being low enough for the back axle. Maybe some people don't know the correct location to position the jack).

I'm trying to buy the essentials for the van before March. In eight months time, they've probably gone up in price. I've probably spent more than Tamara Eccleston the last two days. Enjoyable though.

Best regards,

Clewie.

 

[Clewie68]

The spare wheel is only offered as an option on the 6.4m Malibu Vans which suggests there is no room for one underneath the shorter ones.

Good point. If there's no room it's going under the bed on the extra shelf. I'll find a way of getting it in somewhere.

 

[SRX600]

The spare wheel is only offered as an option on the 6.4m Malibu Vans which suggests there is no room for one underneath the shorter ones.

Our 540DB has some sort of trunking underneath for cabling an pipework which gets in the way of fitting a spare wheel.

 

[Clewie68]

That's a pity as Clewie68 loves his optional extras

. Laughed my arse off when I read that.

Yes I do. £30,000 on optional extras and £1855 spent in just two days getting bits and bobs for inside. I had to reign myself in and say that's enough Mark!,.

Saying that Pausim is worse than me. His LE K was over £100k so it must have some lovely stuff on it. Especially that 9 speed. He's in love with that gearbox .

 

[Pausim]

. Laughed my arse off when I read that.

Yes I do. £30,000 on optional extras and £1855 spent in just two days getting bits and bobs for inside. I had to reign myself in and say that's enough Mark!,.

Saying that Pausim is worse than me. His LE K was over £100k so it must have some lovely stuff on it. Especially that 9 speed. He's in love with that gearbox .

I don’t recall saying I spent £100k, if I did I was telling porkies. I was constrained by weight because I was downsizing to get below 3500kg. True, I am in love with gearbox (also the new 2.2l engine) and I do like my options and goodies too.

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[Clewie68]

I don’t recall saying I spent £100k, if I did I was telling porkies. I was constrained by weight because I was downsizing to get below 3500kg. True, I am in love with gearbox (also the new 2.2l engine) and I do like my options and goodies too.

Sorry, my mistake. That's a lovely van you've got. You definitely chose the right colour. I've got the iron grey on order.

 

[IRHP]

My 2019 came with the jack kit but no spare. Adria placed the waste tank where an underslung wheel would go but they did provide a nice cut out in the garage fir the wheel to sit. For some reason they removed it on later models but it works well. I bought a wheel and tyre and decent bottle jack.

 

[Clewie68]

Our van came with just the repair kit. I picked up a spare from ebay and added the cradle underneath myself.
The wheel currently resides in the garage, however as we are due to move soon and will need the garage space ill fit it to the cradle. If i was somewhere safe Id use the Fiat jack, but wouldnt want to risk it at the side of the road.

It would be risky at the road of the road. One thing I've just though of is a passing HGV and the wind it creates. Pushing against the side of a MH could be disastrous. I'm going to find a way of making that problem disappear. Possibly a support for the axle the make it more secure.

 

[enark]

My 2019 came with the jack kit but no spare. Adria placed the waste tank where an underslung wheel would go but they did provide a nice cut out in the garage fir the wheel to sit. For some reason they removed it on later models but it works well. I bought a wheel and tyre and decent bottle jack.



View attachment 934701

Understand constraints regarding underslung tanks etc.

But Burstner also placed the spare on the rear wall of the garage, which in my view is the worst place for an extra 30kg to counterbalance over the rear axle. If you also have the tools, a bike rack etc, it acts as a sort of force multiplier, taking weight and traction off the driving wheels (if fwd).

Thankfully the burstner had all the holes and had left the space below for a wheel carrier, just forward of the rear axle.

 

[Phill D]

It would be risky at the road of the road. One thing I've just though of is a passing HGV and the wind it creates. Pushing against the side of a MH could be disastrous. I'm going to find a way of making that problem disappear. Possibly a support for the axle the make it more secure.

I carry a light weight axle stand takes a load of 1.5T, ( sufficient for emergency support) it weighs not a lot, but could save a lot.
I also carry a “puncture safe “ repair kit, it goo but it is excellent for normal punctures and a permanent repair. Just for those occasions when you really don’t want to remove the wheel.

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[Clewie68]

I carry a light weight axle stand takes a load of 1.5T, ( sufficient for emergency support) it weighs not a lot, but could save a lot.
I also carry a “puncture safe “ repair kit, it goo but it is excellent for normal punctures and a permanent repair. Just for those occasions when you really don’t want to remove the wheel.

Light weight axle stand, another must. Great shout.

 

[tony_g]

I reluctantly carry a steel spare in my Hymer Excis 564t to comply with breakdown/recovery requirements but no way now would I ever do a change myself. The supplied scissor jack looks lethal and having once changed a 16"alloy on my old Laika A class, I swore never again. Nearly crippled me! I pay for breakdown cover and would always use it. Hence, I now save weight and space by not carrying the wheel changing kit.

 

[Montezuma]

My 2019 came with the jack kit but no spare. Adria placed the waste tank where an underslung wheel would go but they did provide a nice cut out in the garage fir the wheel to sit. For some reason they removed it on later models but it works well. I bought a wheel and tyre and decent bottle jack.



View attachment 934701

I also own an Adria, it is old though (2013), and it was purchased supplied with a Jack and assorted gubbins, but no spare wheel.

I purchased a bog standard, pressed-steel wheel and tyre, and carry it in the rear locker, against the forward wall.

There was no convenient slot in the floor on this model, so some other means of supporting, and retaining, the spare were pondered upon.

I manufactured a 'carrier unit' from fibre board that had once been part of some old kitchen units.

It was fabricated with many lightening holes included, in order to reduce weight a little.

This sits in the locker so that I can roll the wheel in and out as required.

In order to avoid drilling holes, or fixing screws, into the pristine (and flimsy) motorhome structure, I included a secondary compartment, which prevents the unit from sliding around. It also, quite conveniently, provides protective space for half a dozen one litre bottles of whatever.

It has served me well.

Touch wood, the wheel is still unused, and having been 'kept in the dark', it is still in good nick.

The main disadvantage is, that being an Adria, the locker access door, (and the habitation door), are on the 'wrong side' of the vehicle.

In any UK based scenario, I would not hesitate to call up the Green Flag fellows, in fact I would not contemplate changing a wheel on ths vehicle in any situation, other than on my own drive at home, where I have a decent trolley jack, ramps, and other necessary bits of gear.

As an aside, I have heard of situations where fitting an under-floor wheel carrier, (without much forethought), has caused problems when speed-bumps are encountered ?

 

[Phill D]

also own an Adria, it is old though (2013

Ummm excuse me! Less of the old please ours is a 2012 and have had it since new.

 

[Pausim]

I reluctantly carry a steel spare in my Hymer Excis 564t to comply with breakdown/recovery requirements but no way now would I ever do a change myself. The supplied scissor jack looks lethal and having once changed a 16"alloy on my old Laika A class, I swore never again. Nearly crippled me! I pay for breakdown cover and would always use it. Hence, I now save weight and space by not carrying the wheel changing kit.

Remember to take the towing eye out of the kit if you are leaving it at home.

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[Montezuma]

Ummm excuse me! Less of the old please ours is a 2012 and have had it since new.

Sorry old chap, no offence intended.

Ours is actually a late 2012 Ducato (November I think), but it stood around the converters until I purchased it in May 2013.

Which model is yours ?

Ours is the Adria Matrix Axess M 590 SG, the one with the drop-down bed that I can hardly mange to manoeuvre any longer. Old age is a bit of a bugger !

 

[tony_g]

Remember to take the towing eye out of the kit if you are leaving it at home.

Good tip. .I'd already moved it to a door pocket in the bag with the LPG adapters

 

[Phill D]

Sorry old chap, no offence intended.

Ours is actually a late 2012 Ducato (November I think), but it stood around the converters until I purchased it in May 2013.

Which model is yours ?

Ours is the Adria Matrix Axess M 590 SG, the one with the drop-down bed that I can hardly mange to manoeuvre any longer. Old age is a bit of a bugger !

Ours is an early 2012 Coral 670SLT, ordered by us in August 2921. So straight from factory to us.
It could do with an interior upholstery refresher now but we love the layout and can’t fault the build.

 

[Minxy]

My questions are,

Has anyone bought a spare wheel because the Ducato didn't come with it?.

Yes and no! Our Carthago didn't have a spare but we negotiated a spare steel wheel and tyre in the purchase deal.

Did you put it outside and underneath the van?. If so, what do you think of the cradle?.

Inside on the forward garage wall.

What kind of jack?. ( I've read a lot of posts about the jack not being fit for purpose. Surely it is. I think the people that TRY to use the jack aren't fit for purpose. Lots of talk about it not being low enough for the back axle. Maybe some people don't know the correct location to position the jack).

We had bottle jacks but having found that two of them had failed without warning didn't want to risk having one in the MH so have kept the original Fiat jack and having used it when doing the Alko torsion bar greasing (along with axle stands as both sides needed to be off the ground) found it was quite safe and easy to use.

 

[cyberyacht]

I jacked up my rear wheel on the drive with the scissor jack. No way am I going to be doing that by the roadside!!!

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[Neil S]

I carry a spare would I change it , not a chance that's what breakdown cover is for .
Use Mayday for the UK and Red Pennant for Europe

 

[Burge]

2 Ton Hydraulic Bottle Lifting Jack Heavy Duty Truck Lorry Lift Ram Car 2Tonne | eBay

LIFTING HEIGHT : 90MM. 2 TONNE HYDRAULIC BOTTLE JACK. MINIMUM HEIGHT : 158MM.

www.ebay.co.uk

Would this be OK for a 3.5 ton M/Home ??

 

[EuroTrotters]

When I learnt the Ducato on a 3,500kg light chassis didn't have a spare wheel with tyre, jack and other tools for changing a wheel I found it laughable. I don't think it's right. The quick repair kit is good for getting off a main road super quick but I'd want to replace that wheel as soon as possible. If I'm caught out in the sticks I won't be happy if I have to travel into a busy town for the new tyre. I'm thinking a new alloy wheel, tyre, jack and tools is essential. My original plan, was to keep the spare wheel in the tiny garage under the bed but now I'm thinking of putting it within a cradle underneath the van. (The day I need that wheel it'll be raining, 100%!. Every time I changed the bulb on a HGV's trailer it was raining) .

My questions are,

Has anyone bought a spare wheel because the Ducato didn't come with it?.

Did you put it outside and underneath the van?. If so, what do you think of the cradle?.

What kind of jack?. ( I've read a lot of posts about the jack not being fit for purpose. Surely it is. I think the people that TRY to use the jack aren't fit for purpose. Lots of talk about it not being low enough for the back axle. Maybe some people don't know the correct location to position the jack).

I'm trying to buy the essentials for the van before March. In eight months time, they've probably gone up in price. I've probably spent more than Tamara Eccleston the last two days. Enjoyable though.

Best regards,

Clewie.

I have just removed our jack and tools. To save weight. We won’t be venturing far off route.

If the tyre needs changing, it will be by a recovery / tyre company,

I even considered removing the heavy spare.

I run a small fleet of vehicles and can’t remember the last time I had to use a spare wheel. Just remembered, someone put nails under my van once. Had to fit two new tyres.

But I look after my tyres and change them on age if they are not worn,

Let’s say I’m just lucky and hope it stays that way .