Should I get a Spare Tire? : /

[Redneck Teepee]

I cannot see not having one...to me it's a no brainer to carry one. Mine had no spare either so I built a carrier for it.

[Nobody]

I guess if you want to depend on someone else's generosity for help, don't carry a spare. I wouldn't knowingly leave the driveway without a spare for any trailer I'm towing.

I've been towing trailers of one sort or another for more'n 50 years, & have NEVER had to use spares or emergency equipment for my own vehicles (for assistance to others, yes). WRONG: I did have a blowout once on my truck/camper rig but was well prepared & soon on my way. As some others have posted, I'm kinda like a 'little old lady' in being prepared. I carry a spare for my tow vehicle, & the trailer. Also carry spare wheel bearings & seals. Have never had to use any of 'em but I carry 'em anyway. I did use the spare once when I came across a fellow with his front wheel stuck in a deep road ditch. His car was at such an angle/attitude that he couldn't back out. I asked him to try pulling forward a little & when that front tire raised up a few inches. I threw my spare tire & wheel under it & he backed right out & was on his way. I loaded my spare back into my truck & never used it again. I, like Danny also have a battery 'jumper' with a 12v compressor to air up tires, a couple of jacks, lug wrenches, chocks, tow strap/chain etc. Didja ever try to get out of a really tough spot with only one jack? All my emergency equipment probably doesn't weight much more'n a hundred pounds or so all together (not counting the spare). If you can't fit in your needed emergency equipment due to weight, you're probably 'cutting' it too close with the weight you'll be carrying...

[Vedette]

Well. I have stated mu opinion in other posts before.
Have driven my Hot Rods over 1,000,000 miles (yes, 1 million....no exaggeration) over the past 48 years.
I have "never" carried a spare tire. Just one flat in all of that time (and I was only 7 miles from home).
We have towed Miss Piggy over 15,000 miles with no spare (one flat, that was a slow leak that we chose to let go flat as we slept and dealt with it the next morning)..........Just part of the adventure!
Life is too short to always be planning for something negative to happen???
So I vote "no" to the weight on your tongue.
Besides, there are still a lot of good people in this world that will help a fellow traveller out in a time of need.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[dguff]

I like the feeling of security I get with a spare. I bought ($15) a small "donut" spare from a wrecking yard Ford Crown Victoria. The lug pattern matches my trailer hubs although the tire is a little smaller in diameter than my regular wheels. I have no permanent mount, just put the spare in a plastic bag and carry it in the tow vehicle. Really does not take up much room.

Jerome

[pohukai]

I say 'yes'. For me, the inconvenience that you will have to go through if you should have a flat is 1000 times WORSE than carrying the spare.

When I use to ride a bicycle (20-100+ miles/day), those days I flatted and didn't have a spare were filled with immense regret and long walks.

[Shadow Catcher]

I have a spare but no place to put it. So I bought an adapter so I can use the TV spare

I also replaced the ST tires with passenger car tires, higher speed rating and each tire is rated at the weight of the entire trailer. ST tires do not have to meet the same testing standards as tires for passenger.

[KennethW]

Silly Question How long can a person run a light TD on a temporary spare. With the light loading of a teardrop would it last longer then the cheap 12" tires?

[Socal Tom]

Can the tires from the tow vehicle for the trailer? If not carry a spare, another option ( if the TV and TD tires are close to the same size, is to carry an adapter so you can use the TV spare. ( but try it in the drive way before you go any where)
Tom

[gudmund]

Shadow Catcher, you stole some of my planned thunder - I have also replaced my spare with a adapter after a lot of measuring and offset wheel "studying" before buying the adapter. My TV is a 07 Chev Colorado with the 6 lug wheels - trailer has the 5 lug 4.5 inch Ford/Chrysler wheels. Got the adapter online for $75 w/ship which has a 1.75 inch offset which puts the spare tire offset inwards more under the fender when mounted. 8 inch wide trailer tires - 6 inch wide spare tire which is 1 inch larger in diameter but with 3 inches of fender clearance with the trailer tires only tightens up the fender clearance by a 1/2 inch, which still leaves 2.5 inches of fender clearance. As far as the spare tire rating, it is overkill for the truck and the trailer - both the truck and trailer tires are in the 1700/1800 lb payload capacity range but the spare is rated at 2400 lbs. It is 155/90 x 18 size - tall but narrow (in fact the tire on my Geo Metro is not much different in size, just smaller diameter -155/80 x 13) Weight saved? about 45 lbs - old spare with mounting bracket was just over 50 lbs, the adapter weights 6 lbs, and this is all weight removed from the tongue being that is where I removed it from. The tongue had weighted just over 200 lbs with the spare and is now about 150 lbs. with the propane tank and tongue box contents. Now with all of my 18 volt Ryobi battery's and tools that I can re-charge on the road with their in-vehicle charger, I am in good shape if and when I have I have my next flat on the road. Electric impact wrench - hand held tire air compressor - drill motor - lantern - fan - radio - vacuum cleaner, etc. And what is also nice about the Ryobi stuff along with their in car charger is that if you still have the "old" blue Ni-cad battery tools they used too sell, all of the "New" Lithium battery's used with the new stuff fits the old stuff. (and all of this is backed up with a - yes - I am going to say it - a can of Fix-a-Flat !! I say this "JUST " as a last resource. It's better than having nothing!!!!!

[gudmund]

almost forgot - I do also carry a bicycle pump, but after having to use it a few years back to air up my space when I had a flat in over 95+ degree weather, I will say it did work - BUT - after well over 200+ pumps of it to get the pressure from 18 lbs to 58 lbs for the compact spare, I do not hope or plan to go threw that again!!! (it was after I was done that I remembered I did have a can of Fix-a-Flat that I had forgot about) Something to remember about bicycle air pumps - they for the most part are for "high" pressure, "low" air volume bicycle tires - where car tires are "low" pressure, "high" air volume tires which takes "a lot" of air to fill up !!!!!!!!

[Redneck Teepee]

almost forgot - I do also carry a bicycle pump, but after having to use it a few years back to air up my space when I had a flat in over 95+ degree weather, I will say it did work - BUT - after well over 200+ pumps of it to get the pressure from 18 lbs to 58 lbs for the compact spare, I do not hope or plan to go threw that again!!! (it was after I was done that I remembered I did have a can of Fix-a-Flat that I had forgot about) Something to remember about bicycle air pumps - they for the most part are for "high" pressure, "low" air volume bicycle tires - where car tires are "low" pressure, "high" air volume tires which takes "a lot" of air to fill up !!!!!!!!

I think some one snapped a photo of you pumping it up

[Mary C]

I was on a back road 2 lanes and I evidently hit a pot hole and The outside tire got cut I had about 650 miles on the tire The tire was cut, Then when I went to Texas from Ga the last time the wheel bearing went out and It never got hot and sorta scolloped the tire. My friend was going to the store with new tires on her truck and hit a pot hole and cut her tire. So knowing all that there is no way I would leave home with out a spare tire. I carry the tools to repair a hole from a screw or nail but cuts you cant repair. So I have a spare tire.

Mary C.

[Socal Tom]

The thing is, if you get a flat on a trailer you probably won't notice until its destroyed.
Tom

[PKCSPT]

I went to the junk yard got a donut, carry it in the trunk of my car, bought one of those t bar lug wrenches and good to go. This reminds me my tires are 7 this year, time for new ones.

[rahtware]

I think i can help here. I also have a silver shadow that i tow with an '05 Element. As you know the Elie has a tow rating of only 1500lbs and a cabin limit of 650lbs so packing a 50lb tire and rim is kinda a waste of weight. The good news is that the Element's spare mounts on the SS's hub so i no longer carry an extra spare for the trailer.