Len Salisbury Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Has anybody had any experience in removing the Spare Wheel from underneath an AutoCruise Pace. The wheel in not in the position as described in the handbook. It appears to be held underneath by a single bolt and not in a cradle and would appear to fall down on you if not supported. Has anyone else had to take their wheel off for one reason or another on this model. Ours is a 59 plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Can't answer your specific question Len but would suggest that you could put a jack underneath the wheel before you undo the bolt, and lower it more safely. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Len Salisbury - 2015-08-17 10:35 AM Has anybody had any experience in removing the Spare Wheel from underneath an AutoCruise Pace. The wheel in not in the position as described in the handbook. It appears to be held underneath by a single bolt and not in a cradle and would appear to fall down on you if not supported. Has anyone else had to take their wheel off for one reason or another on this model. Ours is a 59 plate. I don't know Len, but at least it sounds safer than some of the spare wheels held by cradles, that have failed,(and are the subject of safety recalls) and presumably left a spare wheel laying in the road, for some poor unsuspecting motorist to drive into. I would stick with your Bolt, the professionals don't seem to be able to get it right. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 If it's a Fiat(similar), It seems unusual that the spare would've been just jacked-up into position, then a bolt just put through it?...(..unless it is an obvious home-done/after market mod'?) Are you sure you're not just seeing a "locking bolt" of sorts..? or the bottom of the *attachment/plate that gets "winched" down on a cable...? eg. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-DUCATO-SPARE-WHEEL-CARRIER-/321830817890?hash=item4aee9c9062 *I thought that it was some of these "attachments" that failed (where they attached to the cable) and not actual "cradles" that failed?.. I could be mistaken.. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Normally on a Fiat it is on a winch undoing the bolt lowers it on a cable, put a piece of carpet on the gound first then it's easy to pull the wheel out from under the van. A right pig to get back easier with 2 people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 The following link is to an advert for an Autocruise Pace http://www.blackcountrycaravans.co.uk/stocklist/806/2009-autocruise-pace-motorhome As has already been advised, it would be expected that the spare wheel would be lowered/raised on a cable as lennyhb describes. The procedure seems to be reasonably well covered in the Owner Handbook and it would be odd (though certainly not impossible!) if the motorhome converter had chosen to change the Fiat system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 There should be a hexagonal socket just behind the driver's side rear wheel and a six inch long extension for the jack handle in the jack box. This winds the wheel down on a cable attached in the centre of the spare wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 I shall have a further look to see if I can see this pulley. It is starting to make sense. I did look for the bolt that is mentioned and the handbook says it was at the rear of the vehicle. I shall report back with the result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 I have searched in vain to find this bolt head that you must turn and failed to find it. My conclusion is that the reason I cannot find it is because it is hidden UNDERNEATH the false wooden flooring which comes directly to the edge of the rear doors. I have a Peugeot 206 model and the spare wheel release boltl that is hidden by carpeting is easily accessed. I am trying to contact Swift for a tel number but no luck in finding it to ask them. So much for their design department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 It should go horizontally from behind the rear wheel to a little gearbox that the cable goes through. If you crawl underneath, see if there is a cable curling around from behind the spare. Otherwise someone has tried a diy fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 Every manufacturer fits them differently, on our last Hymer the winch was accessible throug a plug in the floor roughly central to the spare wheel, some manufactures the bolt is under the side of the van with a drive cable to the winch, access from outside under the sill or skirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 I suspect that the answer/problem may lie in the fact that Autocruise PVCs may be built on a Fiat or a Peugeot base. Assuming that Len’s “Pace” is built on a Peugeot Boxer, the on-line manual for that vehicle that should cover Len’s 2009 model suggests that - although the spare-wheel is lowered/raised via a cable and ‘winch' - the methodology differs from that used on Ducato. The “Changing a wheel” section of the Peugeot manual advises as follows: “Van The spare wheel retaining bolt is located on the outer edge of the right rear floor . - Open the rear doors. - Unclip the protective cover. - Insert the socket A in the hole then unscrew the bolt , using the ratchet wrench B, to lower the wheel. - Take out the spare wheel using the wrench. - Unscrew the handle G and remove the support H. - Release the spare wheel and place it near the wheel to be changed.” The explanatory drawings in the Peugeot Boxer manual show a sort of ‘jack handle’ tool being inserted HORIZONTALLY in a hole at floor level (presumably after the ‘protective cover’ has been removed) so even if a false floor has been fitted it might be expected that Peugeot’s instructions could still be followed. SwiftTalk should be Len’s best bet for prompt advice on this http://www.swift-talk.co.uk/ but if my guess is correct that there’s potential confusion according to whether a Pace is Peugeot-based or Fiat-based, Len would need to confirm whether his is converted from a Peugeot Boxer or Fiat Ducato. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Our MH is a Peugeot Boxer 2.2 Diesel. Swift are on holiday for two weeks , I tried phoning yesterday. I saw a small box when underneath and two wires rods curling around the tyre.. It has been mentioned on here that the bolt in question is behind the rear wheel towards the BACK of the van so why open the doors? Another way to find out would be to stop a Boxer VAN and see when the doors are open if there is the cover in the floor or ask the driver what does he know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Do we have members on here who have an AutoCruise EXACTLY like ours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 I have located the box which has the two cables coming out of it as described on the forum, It has an Allen bolt in the centre underneath side and is situated directly under the gas bottle cupboard. This box has no bolts showing on all sides except for the top one which is not accessible from under the van. So is this bolt head under the false flooring because if it is then the cabinet which is the support for the frame of the bed/mattress and the heater would have to be dismantled and the floor taken up. OMG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Len This link http://forums.motorhomefacts.com/148-peugeot-chassis/83033-peugeot-boxer-spare-wheel.html is to a 2011 inquiry on the MHFacts forum about how to lower the spare-wheel of an AutoSleepers/Marquis “Dorset” that (like your Autocruise “Pace") is a panel-van conversion based on a Peugeot Boxer. The comments of 30-03-2011, 06:30 PM by “softcentre” (the Original Poster) appear to confirm that access to a Boxer van’s raising/lowering mechanism is (as I suggested above) different from that of a Ducato and - rather than the mechanism being reached through the right wheel-arch as with Ducato - is gained by inserting a tool horizontally through a hole on the outer edge of the rear floor as shown in the Boxer handbook’s drawings and by following the instructions I quoted in my last posting above. Softcentre’s motorhome also had a raised floor, but he said “...that doesnt appear to be the problem as the entry point is approx 400mm in from the off side in the top plastic rim of the rear bumper. Entry (of the tool) is from the rear on the horizontal plane...” In softcentre’s case the tool that was provided with the motorhome was incorrect and would not fit through the access hole. He describes the correct tool as being “...solid and shiny and looks like a long straight Allen key. One end fits the wheel brace and the other is 6 sided and fits into the hole on the wheel dropping mechanism.” When it comes to the spare-wheel, the Autocruise Owner Manual merely refers the owner to the Peugeot handbook. It is possible that Autocruise, when converitng your Pace’s Boxer-van base into a motorhome modified the original spare-wheel raising/lowering mechanism in such a way that it became inaccessible, but - being realistic - that doesn’t seem very likely. I’m guessing that you are missing something or misunderstanding how the wheel is lowered/raised, and it may be that (as softcentre discovered) you may not have the correct tool to perform the lowering/raising task. I’ve attached a photo of the type of ‘winch’ system I’d expect to see beneath your Pace’s floor-pan. It will have two heavy-duty Bowden cables (not visible in the photo) and the tool inserts into the stub sticking out of the side of the winch-box on the right and is rotated to lower/raise the spare-wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Len Salisbury - 2015-08-19 11:50 AM I have located the box which has the two cables coming out of it as described on the forum, It has an Allen bolt in the centre underneath side Len, Have you looked in your tool kit for a 'tool' to fit this Allen bolt or failing that tried to turn it with a normal Allen key? It may be that AC have turned the winch so you access it from underneath. Just a possibility! Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 It looks as though I have been supplied with the wrong part originally. Davy - thanks for link - the Peugeot is a bit different from Ford Phil - its also different from Fiat - I wish Peugeot had a similar graphic for the Boxer. On the Boxer the entry hole is at the rear(!) Les - my van has indeed got a raised floor but that doesnt appear to be the problem as the entry point is approx 400mm in from the off side in the top plastic rim of the rear bumper. Entry is from the rear on the horizontal plane but the tool I have is too big (this is not a wind-up). I got frustrated and went into a local Peugeot garage and after looking at parts lists the guy eventually got a tool from another van which worked. I have ordered the correct one to keep me safe and also spoken to Autosleepers tech centre who will hopefully confirm this tomorrow. It appears that when the conversions are done all the toolkits are taken out of the vans and then replaced before delivery. Seems like I got the wrong one!. I have written all this in case anybody else has a similar problem. The 'wrong' tool is tubular and black. It has a 6sided end which fits into the wheel brace socket. The other end is 5-sided. The correct tool is solid and shiny and looks like a long straight Allen key. One end fits the wheel brace and the other is 6 sided and fits into the hole on the wheel dropping mechanism. Thanks again for replies. Simples!! softcentre is offline Quote Quick Reply Reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 The input in last post was from a link but is starting to make sense. Thanks to all for your info. Hospital appt NOW must go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Len This is another link that may help http://www.autosleeper-ownersforum.com/t10451-nuevo-spare-wheel Although it primarily relates to coachbuilt Auto-Sleepers motorhomes, the photos halfway down the thread show the winding ‘box’ in better detail, how the tool goes into the box’s ‘stub,’ and the tool itself. Don’t overlook the advice in the Peugeot instructions that says “Unclip the protective cover”. This suggests that there is some sort of (probably plastic) ‘flap’ or ‘insert’ in the top of the rear bumper (or in the end of the rear floor) that needs to be removed before the tool can to be pushed through the access hole and connected to the winding box’s stub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 Derek I had a phone call from the dealer that we had the MH from as I had posed the query to them. Their answer was that the Allen type key in the tool kit goes into the Allen screw hole that I described which is located on the underside of the BOX facing you, that the wires come out of if you are lying on the ground. I have a metal plate with 3 bolts in one of the lockers and it also appears in one of the pics in the link to Auto Sleepers forum that you sent to me on here Any idea what it is for ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 It is raining now so will have a look tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 19, 2015 Author Share Posted August 19, 2015 I bit the bullet and have been to the van and the Allen key in the tool kit is too large and would not fit the Allen bolt on the box. The plate that I mentioned is new and fitted with 3 Allen bolts and has a large irregular shaped hole in the middle and a slot leading to it. It is on display on the Auto Sleepers forum. Is it a puller of some sort? The Allen bolt on the box doesn't look man enough to do the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 If you can provide a link to the thread on the Auto-Sleepers Forum that shows the ‘plate’ I expect someone could tell you what it’s for. The ’winch’ mechanism could be installed so that its ’stub’ faces horizontally in any direction that allows the winding-tool to be connected to it and I suppose it might be installed with the stub facing upwards (when the tool could connect through a hole in the vehicle’s floor) or facing downwards as your dealer seems to be suggesting. However, it’s hard to see in the last case how it would actually be possible to rotate the tool even if it were possible to connect it to the winch. I hesitate to say this (again) but either you are misinterpreting how this system works or your Pace has a very peculiar spare-wheel lowering/raising system indeed. It’s not unknown for a motorhome manufacturer to convert a base chassis in such a way that the original lowering/raising system for the spare-wheel becomes difficult/impossible to use - my Hobby was like that and I had to fabricate a tool myself. But I can’t really see why a motorhome based on a Peugeot Boxer panel-van should have a spare-wheel arrangement that differs from that used on the commercial version and as described in the Peugeot handbook. I think your best bet would be to take your motorhome to the dealership who sold you it and ask them to demonstrate the procedure involved. I expect I (and others) could identify how your Pace’s system works (or doesn’t work!) if we could see it in the metal but it’s a long way to Llangollen. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Salisbury Posted August 20, 2015 Author Share Posted August 20, 2015 Derek the plate that I am referring to is to hold an alloy wheel where the spare wheel is AFTER you have got the steel spare wheel off on Auto Sleepers site.. I will see if I can take some pics but having a bit of a problem of late posting pics. My box does not have any projections such as female sockets welded to the box so the long bar with a socket on one end and a square four sided hole through which you would push the tommy bar through is of no use. As I have said before the only Allen screw is on the under side of the box in the centre and is about 6mm in size, too small for the one in the tool kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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