Spare tire location question

[Jim Edgerly]

I've been in a quandary as to what to do about my spare tire. I really don't have room under my trailer for it, and because of excessive tongue weight I really need to mount it as far to the back as possible. I think I have come up with a solution, but would like to run it by you guys for comments.

I am proposing mounting my spare (both of them) on the sides of the camper, one on each side for the following reasons:

1) I am running 14 inch tires on the camper, but 12 inch tires came with the trailer (I upgraded to the 14 inch immediately), so I already have 2 12 inch tires in the garage

2) It is unlikely that I will ever have a flat, but if I do it will not be that much more difficult to replace 2 tires than it would be to replace 1

3) I could sell my 12 inch bias ply tires on Craigslist, but probably only get like $50 for the pair. A new 14 inch radial ST tire will run me around $130-$150. So a 14 inch spare will cost me $100 more

4) The 14 inch are radials, and 12 inch tires are bias ply, but as long as I replace both tires at the same time in the event of a flat that is OK

5) I will replace my tires after 4 years, so in 3 years I will most likely throw away my spare after never being used (they say 3-5 years is the life span, and it is not worth the risk to me for the extra year)

6) In the unlikely event I have a flat it will cost me $100 more to change only 1 14 inch tire instead of 2 12 inch tires...is changing the extra tire worth the $100 savings...probably

7) Since the trailer came with 12 inch tires I am not worried about using smaller tires on it

It should not look too stupid since you can only see one side of the camper at a time

Proposed tire location added (photoshoped)...comments?

[Shadow Catcher]

The chance of a tire failure is unfortunately appallingly bad. I am in the same boat in trying to find a place for a spare we dont yet have. I do not see an alternative to putting it under the back of the trailer. The search for an under trailer tire mount that I can actually get to and use or I have to find an adapter that will let me use the spare for the TV.

[2bits]

Well, I was going to say under the tongue until I read about the tongue weight and dual spare situation. I agree that your idea is solid on both counts: savings using the existing wheels and the mounting location!

[mikeschn]

Mount it under the galley... hold on, let me find a photo...

Okay, here is is, being installed before I flip the floor over...



Mike...

[CarlLaFong]

These pix came from this site, but I found them elsewhere
http://www.offroadfabnet.com/forums/sho ... php?t=6968
I'll be damned if I can figure out the search function on this site. I enter keywords, hit enter and I get a bazillion results, none having anything to do with the keywords that I entered.
Anyhoo, the swingout mount that converts to a table is genius

[S. Heisley]

It is possible to do it.

Below are pictures two different teardrops, found in the Personal Gallery of b.bodemer:

[DragonFire]

Ah, I see that you have 'stuff' on your tongue! No, I am not saying this professionally (I work in Dentistry)....I am referring to your tongue box, etc. Your idea of mounting them on the side makes sense, and the photos provided by S. Heisley show that others have done it and it doesn't look that bad, really! Just another example of teardroppers making excellent use of limited space...and it doesn't look, um, dorky to me. And one on each side is balanced for weight, easy 'cuz heck, there is a tire to be changed on each side (!) of the trailer, and it looks like everything was designed that way from the beginning.

I want a spare (like everyone on the tire thread didn't know that!) and was thinking about a tongue mount. I have no box, and very little tongue weight now. Another Grasshopper in NV has a box and a tire mounted under the tongue...which is what I would like, but do I really want to try to get that thing off if I need it?? I may have to have a spot of welding un-done and then re-done to allow a spare to go on the top of the tongue. Until then, spare will go with the truck.

So your idea makes sense, and really is your only option, as far as I see it.

[DragonFire]

Just checked out the 'spare as a table' link..that is cool! And would work well for me, I think! I have a mount under my rig for a table...and I have the table (long, narrow bar-type table) which can be mounted in 3 positions...but this swing our spare/table is fantastic!! I think I need another trailer visitation time to see if such a thing could be done for mine. I just wish I knew more about welding and these parts that I would need...I know 3 welders, but I just don't know how to engineer such a project.

That would look so cool on the back of the Grasshopper..

[Jim Edgerly]

Yeah, my battery weighs 57 pounds so the tongue is pretty heavy. If I had it to do over again I would design it differently and put the battery behind the axle or right over it instead of so far forward. I had no idea how this thing would balance out when I moved the axle backwards since I have no plans and this was a kind of a make up as you go along project. The trailer came with a 45%/55% axle placement, and I wanted a 37.5% axle placement after reading that most people used a 35%-40% placement. If I had it to do over again I would have a 40%/60% split...but shoulda/coulda/woulda would drive me crazy, so I will figure out how to do it with what I dida!

[bobhenry]

These pix came from this site, but I found them elsewhere
http://www.offroadfabnet.com/forums/sho ... php?t=6968
I'll be damned if I can figure out the search function on this site. I enter keywords, hit enter and I get a bazillion results, none having anything to do with the keywords that I entered.
Anyhoo, the swingout mount that converts to a table is genius

kEYWORDS is the problem the search function will pull every post that has the word "THE" in it if you include it.

I put in "Marge" and got 29 entrys about the rear spare tire table here is a good thread......
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=30874&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

This was a nice design also.......http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=28578&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

[bobhenry]

Here is a video with a few seconds of Marjorie Forbes

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?p=rv%20crazy&tnr=21&vid=1355560059805&l=179&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts2.mm.bing.net%2Fvideos%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D1355560059805%26id%3Db40afde204b349b6a4b191a4535a0de8%26bid%3DztUCKcfkKe5PcQ%26bn%3DThumb%26url%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fvideos.howstuffworks.com%252fdiscovery-turbo%252f13935-rv-crazy-teardrop-trailers-video.htm&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideos.howstuffworks.com%2Fdiscovery-turbo%2F13935-rv-crazy-teardrop-trailers-video.htm&sigr=12qltta3p&newfp=1&tit=RV+Crazy%3A+Teardrop+Trailers

[Jim Edgerly]

Because of my design with the running boards preventing side access to the frame, plus my nearly one foot overhang plus bumper design in the back, I am pretty much limited to my access to the frame for mounting the spare. If I had planned mounting a spare in the first place I would have planned things differently.

Mounting on the tongue is not an option as the tongue weight is already heavier than I would like. I had to add steel plates (55 pounds) to the galley already just to lower the tongue weight.

[jerry101jlh]

Seems to me when you weigh the options and look at manufacturing costs for any kind of mount that fits your needs, might be best to bite the bullet, buy the correct size spare and carry it in the tv.

[asianflava]

Although I've never used it, I have a 12in trailer tire for a spare when my trailer 14in auto tires. I figure that it's like a donut mini spare, good enough to get me to a place that can fix/replace the original. Why do want to carry both?

BTW; I throw my spare in the bed of my truck.

[iSpy]

I carry my spare tyre on the back ......



...... just where the spare is on my 4x4.