Spare Tire Size

[Thunder3]

I'm running 15" wheels on my tear and has a matching spare on the tongue. It's really big and heavy and I would like to move the spare under the frame but it won't fit between the rails. I don't want to mount it on the side wall either or carry in the TV. Could I use a 13" or 14" as a spare in a pinch and not hurt anything? Same lug pattern of course. Thoughts?

[tony.latham]

I've thought about finding a "doughnut" spare at the junkyard and using it on my 4.5-5 hubs...

I see no reason you couldn't use a smaller tire.

Tony

[PCO6]

I'm running 15" wheels on my tear and has a matching spare on the tongue. It's really big and heavy and I would like to move the spare under the frame but it won't fit between the rails. I don't want to mount it on the side wall either or carry in the TV. Could I use a 13" or 14" as a spare in a pinch and not hurt anything? Same lug pattern of course. Thoughts?

I have 15" Jeep wheels on my trailer and use a mini spare from an old Jeep Cherokee. I fabricated a swing down mount for it under the tongue. I installed it on my trailer axle simply to test it but I have never had to use it.

[bartek]

How big is your Jeep mini spare? I have similar problem to Thunder3 and was worried that 13inch spare would be quite a bit smaller than 15 inch wheels, resulting either in a scary tilt of the trailer and/or undue stress on the axles...
I even considered carrying two 13" spares (I happen to have them, so the only downside would be additional weight) - flats don't happen often, so I suppose having to change both wouldn't be that much of a pain...

[TimC]

I'm of the opinion that if I suffer a flat on the road I will swap my flat 175/80R13 for a 4.80-12 spare and limp to the next town to get a replacement or repair. Not an apples to apples comparison of 15" to a 13" spare but close enough.

If you are a person that will be inconvenienced with slowing down and want to continue at speed and fix the flat when convenient go with an identical spare.

[bartek]

Yeah, that's my thinking as well - definitely looking for something good enough to just get to the next town, I just don't know how much I can push the size difference and still be able to drive for a short distance, even if at 30-40mph

[TimC]

Yeah, that's my thinking as well - definitely looking for something good enough to just get to the next town, I just don't know how much I can push the size difference and still be able to drive for a short distance, even if at 30-40mph

That's the $64,000 question. Probably worth a test by mounting one on the trailer and see how it tows. Better to test when you have time than hundreds of miles from home. Full disclosure - I have never tested my theory.

[gudmund]

Camp Inn sells their trailer's with a "donut" spare and say they work fine = enough to get you down the road so as to get the flat tire repaired.

[Cary Winch]

Camp-Inn does not use a donut spare. It is a fully rated Load range C trailer wheel/tire. It has no speed, distance or load restrictions on it like a donut. It is just a bit smaller and much narrower and looks rather silly on there, so you would want to get the flat tire fixed quickly before too many people see it. Camp-Inn uses this wheel/tire combo in the same stowage manner as a donut in a car. Having a spare tire well under the mattress is a great way to carry a spare, but a full sized spare tire for most teardrops typically would never fit in a under floor location like that.

There is nothing wrong with the idea of using a donut spare on a teardrop camper, it is a nice space saving idea actually. Trailers have the ability though to use skinny off the shelf trailer wheel/tire combos for spare tires which is what we do. These will fit in a space similar to a donut. The advantage is being able to continue on the trip without the donut restrictions listed above.

Cary

[gudmund]

Camp Inn, I stand corrected - it's been a 'long' while since reading your trailer paperwork here on the internet, but -thank you- for also making the point I was trying to convey here about the use of a smaller tire in size and how it could still work as a spare tire in the time of need..........take care

[exminnesotaboy]

If you have a 5x4.5 lug pattern, some full size fords in the late 90’s had a donut spare with an aluminum rim. I pulled one from a 99? Crown Victoria at a junk yard. It was never used, in great shape, matched my existing tire profile height and was only 10$. It was MUCH lighter than a steel rim and fit really well up under my teardrop frame. I believe these aluminum spares were some crown vics, mustangs and Lincoln town cars in the late 90’s. Might be worth a check of your local junkyard.

[tony.latham]

If you have a 5x4.5 lug pattern, some full size fords in the late 90’s had a donut spare with an aluminum rim. I pulled one from a 99? Crown Victoria at a junk yard. It was never used, in great shape, matched my existing tire profile height and was only 10$. It was MUCH lighter than a steel rim and fit really well up under my teardrop frame. I believe these aluminum spares were some crown vics, mustangs and Lincoln town cars in the late 90’s. Might be worth a check of your local junkyard.

I take it the rim fit over your axle hub protrusion?

Tony

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273859201219?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=273859201219&targetid=1068323853830&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9029516&poi=&campaignid=12594560362&mkgroupid=120171157815&rlsatarget=pla-1068323853830&abcId=9300522&merchantid=7850444&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjPaCBhDkARIsAISZN7RiCIzJxdvKHyA7t8dFQliueIkdOHp0Ts7o8x3ztkpVvBi2d5T-3mkaAor8EALw_wcB

[exminnesotaboy]

If you have a 5x4.5 lug pattern, some full size fords in the late 90’s had a donut spare with an aluminum rim. I pulled one from a 99? Crown Victoria at a junk yard. It was never used, in great shape, matched my existing tire profile height and was only 10$. It was MUCH lighter than a steel rim and fit really well up under my teardrop frame. I believe these aluminum spares were some crown vics, mustangs and Lincoln town cars in the late 90’s. Might be worth a check of your local junkyard.

I take it the rim fit over your axle hub protrusion?

Tony

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273859201219?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=273859201219&targetid=1068323853830&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9029516&poi=&campaignid=12594560362&mkgroupid=120171157815&rlsatarget=pla-1068323853830&abcId=9300522&merchantid=7850444&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjPaCBhDkARIsAISZN7RiCIzJxdvKHyA7t8dFQliueIkdOHp0Ts7o8x3ztkpVvBi2d5T-3mkaAor8EALw_wcB

It did on mine(3500lb torsion axle with orig hubs) as I test fit it when I picked it up. Note: I am not sure that eBay posting you listed is for the lighter aluminum rim - it looks like it may be steel. Most eBay posting list them as aluminum if they are aluminum. I know I had to dig through a lot of junkyard late 90’s Ford/Lincoln trunks to find the one that didn’t attract a magnet.

[tony.latham]

If you have a 5x4.5 lug pattern, some full size fords in the late 90’s had a donut spare with an aluminum rim. I pulled one from a 99? Crown Victoria at a junk yard. It was never used, in great shape, matched my existing tire profile height and was only 10$. It was MUCH lighter than a steel rim and fit really well up under my teardrop frame. I believe these aluminum spares were some crown vics, mustangs and Lincoln town cars in the late 90’s. Might be worth a check of your local junkyard.

I take it the rim fit over your axle hub protrusion?

Tony

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273859201219?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=273859201219&targetid=1068323853830&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9029516&poi=&campaignid=12594560362&mkgroupid=120171157815&rlsatarget=pla-1068323853830&abcId=9300522&merchantid=7850444&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjPaCBhDkARIsAISZN7RiCIzJxdvKHyA7t8dFQliueIkdOHp0Ts7o8x3ztkpVvBi2d5T-3mkaAor8EALw_wcB

It did on mine(3500lb torsion axle with orig hubs) as I test fit it when I picked it up. Note: I am not sure that eBay posting you listed is for the lighter aluminum rim - it looks like it may be steel. Most eBay posting list them as aluminum if they are aluminum. I know I had to dig through a lot of junkyard late 90’s Ford/Lincoln trunks to find the one that didn’t attract a magnet.

Im sure you’re right. I posted that to show the hole in the rim.

Tony


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ebis]

If you have a 5x4.5 lug pattern, some full size fords in the late 90’s had a donut spare with an aluminum rim. I pulled one from a 99? Crown Victoria at a junk yard. It was never used, in great shape, matched my existing tire profile height and was only 10$. It was MUCH lighter than a steel rim and fit really well up under my teardrop frame. I believe these aluminum spares were some crown vics, mustangs and Lincoln town cars in the late 90’s. Might be worth a check of your local junkyard.

Please check the date code of your spare tire. Not sure that I would trust a 22 year old tire even if it is in great shape. Anyways $10 for
aluminum rim is a good deal.