One Spare Tire or Two?
- Thread starter S2DM
- Start date
Iain_U1250
Explorer
Scott, two spares are ideal, but carrying then comes at a price if you are trying to keep the weight down. Your U1300 ambulance is pretty heavy to start out with, so unless you get rid of the box and start again, you will be travelling at close to GVM most of the time if you want to carry extra fuel and water, food etc. I said I was going to build everything super light weight, and I even used to weight each thing I added to the truck. Even with all that, I am close to my 7.5ton GVM when everything is loaded up.
We only have space for one spare in our design. We will look at possibly carrying two unmounted tyres on the camper roof when we travel around the world, but this increases our height to over 3.5m, so we will have to do some more research as to the availability of tyres in the countries we travel to. Everything is a compromise when you have a small truck like a U1250 or U1300.
Tyre sensors are a must, give you lots of warming that a tyre is losing air, and can help prevent the whole thing disintegrating. They also give tyre temperature, so you can see when heat is building up and you need to stop and find out why. Tyre patches, the proper ones for radials , not the tube patches and all the kit to remove and remount a tyre is essential, no matter how many spares you carry. We did a three month trip around Australia in very remote areas, three punctures in the same tyre, rear left hand side. We got a repair shop to do the first one after we plugged it with three tyre plugs so it would hold air. The next time we were close to a tyre repaired so got them to fix it, and the third one we plugged as it was just a nail. We decided to replace the two rear tyres because one had so many repair, and they were badly chipped. We run 255/85R16 on the Land Rover, and had to order them in especially for us, which took a week having to come from over 1200km away, but we ordered them when we were two weeks away from the place we got them changed.
If all else fails, then Fedex or similar will get you tyres in a week or two, but at quite a lot of expense. Like all things, how many spare part do you carry for the air system, cooling system, electrical system etc. We are after all driving around in 29 or 30 year old trucks.
We only have space for one spare in our design. We will look at possibly carrying two unmounted tyres on the camper roof when we travel around the world, but this increases our height to over 3.5m, so we will have to do some more research as to the availability of tyres in the countries we travel to. Everything is a compromise when you have a small truck like a U1250 or U1300.
Tyre sensors are a must, give you lots of warming that a tyre is losing air, and can help prevent the whole thing disintegrating. They also give tyre temperature, so you can see when heat is building up and you need to stop and find out why. Tyre patches, the proper ones for radials , not the tube patches and all the kit to remove and remount a tyre is essential, no matter how many spares you carry. We did a three month trip around Australia in very remote areas, three punctures in the same tyre, rear left hand side. We got a repair shop to do the first one after we plugged it with three tyre plugs so it would hold air. The next time we were close to a tyre repaired so got them to fix it, and the third one we plugged as it was just a nail. We decided to replace the two rear tyres because one had so many repair, and they were badly chipped. We run 255/85R16 on the Land Rover, and had to order them in especially for us, which took a week having to come from over 1200km away, but we ordered them when we were two weeks away from the place we got them changed.
If all else fails, then Fedex or similar will get you tyres in a week or two, but at quite a lot of expense. Like all things, how many spare part do you carry for the air system, cooling system, electrical system etc. We are after all driving around in 29 or 30 year old trucks.
LoRoad
Adventurer
No way would I blow anyone's helpful feedback off. It is true though I have been known to be a bit bull headed from time to time, but I always value knowledgable conversations. Thanks for taking the time to explain that - as they'd say in Jamaica - Respect! ;-)
We plan on carrying two spares off the backside. I completely agree with you, the helpless feeling of not being able to advance stinks. But if they've got good food, sometimes it's ok.
charlieaarons
Explorer
I'm terribly sorry - It was LowTech that responded that way to my suggestion, not you LoRoad!
An unfortunate confusion of names.
"Quote Originally Posted by charlieaarons View Post
Yeah, you can buy one tomorrow but when will it show up on your doorstep? The average tire dealer doesn;t have them or access to them. Even less so for 14.00R20s.
If you want to ignore this advice go ahead."
Charlie
"If I got it from someone out of state it would prob take a week or so, if i went out to our local mv tire dealer I could have it today.
But you are right about your standard tire dealer not having them, and if they did it would cost 4 times what we pay for them.
I do forget that most people get their truck tires from the same place they get their car tires, and their parts from places like Alto Zone, and NAPA. None of that works for us. We're buying tires and parts from a whole dif circle of people (also country wide)."
. . . sent without me knowing . . .
He is switching to 14.00R20s, much rarer in N America than 395s.
An unfortunate confusion of names.
"Quote Originally Posted by charlieaarons View Post
Yeah, you can buy one tomorrow but when will it show up on your doorstep? The average tire dealer doesn;t have them or access to them. Even less so for 14.00R20s.
If you want to ignore this advice go ahead."
Charlie
"If I got it from someone out of state it would prob take a week or so, if i went out to our local mv tire dealer I could have it today.
But you are right about your standard tire dealer not having them, and if they did it would cost 4 times what we pay for them.
I do forget that most people get their truck tires from the same place they get their car tires, and their parts from places like Alto Zone, and NAPA. None of that works for us. We're buying tires and parts from a whole dif circle of people (also country wide)."
. . . sent without me knowing . . .
He is switching to 14.00R20s, much rarer in N America than 395s.
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mortonm
Expedition Leader
I carry two spares on all my trips. My 235/85R16 tires will not fit underneath in the stock spare location. I have a 245/75R16 under there, it's an inch shorter. It always stays under there, and I don't carry another when I'm around town. I toss my full sized sixth tire up on the roof for off pavement trips.
It's not six full size tires but better than nothing in a pinch.
It's not six full size tires but better than nothing in a pinch.
mjmcdowell
Explorer
Spare tire(s)
Spare tires....... 2, two, deux, dos, etc., etc. from past experience :Wow1: mjmcdowell
Spare tires....... 2, two, deux, dos, etc., etc. from past experience :Wow1: mjmcdowell
highdesertranger
Adventurer
I vote for 2, from experience. highdesertranger
bob91yj
Resident **************
I used to carry one spare for my trailer. Somehow I managed to get three flats in less than 100 miles...I'll let you do that math. (parked the trailer, left it sitting along side a two lane hwy with $60k worth of stuff in it, 120 mile round trip to get new tires).
I now carry two spares for my truck and trailer when at all possible, along with tools/materials for tire repair. By design, my Jeep and my truck run the same tire size, 315/75/16.
I now carry two spares for my truck and trailer when at all possible, along with tools/materials for tire repair. By design, my Jeep and my truck run the same tire size, 315/75/16.
This!
If you're building a trailer, it makes sense to use the same tire size. If you had three flats on the truck and only one spare, you could rob the trailer tires to make the truck mobile...
I am making a tire de-beading tool to fit the base of my high lift jack... I will likely make one to fit the factory bottle jack too, and keep that with my tire tools.
Thankfully I already have on board air, and a plug kit, it has saved the day for a few buddies already.
Mundo4x4Casa
West slope, N. Ser. Nev.
Most of the essentials have been outlined above. My experience is a bit different. I run 33x13.50R16's on 7.5"w rims on the front axle and 33x15.50R16's on 12" wide rims on the rear axle. The 15" wide tread is a true super single or more aptly a Duplex tire. (Those used to take the footprint place of a pair of duals) So what to do about a spare? I have an original Michelin tire and rim under the rear of the truck which serves the front axle O.K. I have another 33x14.50R16 on a 10" rim (same diameter as the others) which I keep strapped down upright in the storage area where the back seat used to be. I could use the wider spare on the front if I had to, but it cuts into the turning radius a smidge.
On a trip to AK I only carried one spare and we had a tread sep. on one of the obscure gravel roads on way to Inuvik. I tried plugging the dike with about 12 Safety Seal plugs but the sep. kept migrating along. With tails between legs we limped back to Dawson city, stopping every 3 miles to add more air to the offending tire. I wasn't going to the farthest north town in N. America without a spare. I think the size was 285x75R16, which i thought was a rare tire and talked to the tire manager asking if he had that size. He said, "yes, we have,....let's see....16 of them in that size. How many do you want?" So it all depends. But, I won't do that trip again with out 2 spares. For remote trips with some kind of tire service not so far away I do like the take only a spare, unmounted tire along concept. It's like taking cans of cheap chili and beans along on remote trips: you won't eat it unless you are really, truly starving, but it will save you.
About 40 yrs ago, we took a circle trip thru Baja of about 700 miles (crossing W to E over Laguna Chipalla) and finished the trip coming up the east coast to Puertocitos over all that volcanic rock. I was smug in taking 3 mounted spare tires along, 2 on the roof of my chevy powered FJ55, and on that stretch things started going south....fast. We had.....Seven flat tires in about 12 hours. I had the ******** Cepek tire irons along and of course half the tires were tube type. I think we used a strap to get the bead to seat of on some of them. We only had two industrial size hand pumps! There was a lot of pumping going on. The last 50 miles into town we had to stop every few miles and hand pump one those tires back up over and over again. Now with CO2 tanks, high volume 12V air compressors, Slime, and Safety Seal plugs,
we've come a long way, baby.
I'm working on a square tubing tire holder that plugs into the class V receiver hitch hole and swings away behind my truck camper with chains on the corners for stability.
regards, as always, jefe
On a trip to AK I only carried one spare and we had a tread sep. on one of the obscure gravel roads on way to Inuvik. I tried plugging the dike with about 12 Safety Seal plugs but the sep. kept migrating along. With tails between legs we limped back to Dawson city, stopping every 3 miles to add more air to the offending tire. I wasn't going to the farthest north town in N. America without a spare. I think the size was 285x75R16, which i thought was a rare tire and talked to the tire manager asking if he had that size. He said, "yes, we have,....let's see....16 of them in that size. How many do you want?" So it all depends. But, I won't do that trip again with out 2 spares. For remote trips with some kind of tire service not so far away I do like the take only a spare, unmounted tire along concept. It's like taking cans of cheap chili and beans along on remote trips: you won't eat it unless you are really, truly starving, but it will save you.
About 40 yrs ago, we took a circle trip thru Baja of about 700 miles (crossing W to E over Laguna Chipalla) and finished the trip coming up the east coast to Puertocitos over all that volcanic rock. I was smug in taking 3 mounted spare tires along, 2 on the roof of my chevy powered FJ55, and on that stretch things started going south....fast. We had.....Seven flat tires in about 12 hours. I had the ******** Cepek tire irons along and of course half the tires were tube type. I think we used a strap to get the bead to seat of on some of them. We only had two industrial size hand pumps! There was a lot of pumping going on. The last 50 miles into town we had to stop every few miles and hand pump one those tires back up over and over again. Now with CO2 tanks, high volume 12V air compressors, Slime, and Safety Seal plugs,
we've come a long way, baby.
I'm working on a square tubing tire holder that plugs into the class V receiver hitch hole and swings away behind my truck camper with chains on the corners for stability.
regards, as always, jefe
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I have tyre plyers, and it will break the bead, but will seriously gouge aluminum rims. Even with the bead broken, trying to get the bead to come off to remove the tire, or get inside to do a patch, is a tough affair without tire irons.
Tire irons aren't expensive, and don't take much space. They're also handy for prying all sorts of other stuff. A piece of hose can help reduce gouging with tire irons. Having the tire bead pushed down opposite of the spot you're working on will help a lot when flipping a bead off. No matter how you do it, without a tire machine it's not going to be fun or easy.
doug720
Expedition Leader
You can use rim bead protectors made for motorcycles to protect the rim edge. Cheap and easy.
We had a flat we had to fix years ago on the trail, to break the bead, we used the jack on top of the tire and used the weight of the truck for resistance. Worked great with no special tools.
We had a flat we had to fix years ago on the trail, to break the bead, we used the jack on top of the tire and used the weight of the truck for resistance. Worked great with no special tools.
Expedition.Report
Explorer
One spare and a tire plug kit, never travel off road alone and your fine