lennyhb Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Help! anyone know how to release the spare wheel? Chassis is Fiat X250 Camper Chassis. Allegedly you just undo the nut on the release mechanism and the wheel lowers down on the cable. With the cable slack mine stays firmly in place nothing will budge it. I am beginning to suspect that there is a bracket or some contraption that is bolted to the chassis when it comes of the production line that should have been removed prior to delivery. Any ideas appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 You'll probably have to have a good grovel underneath to see what is the problem. However, whatever you do, don't put more than an inch of slack into the cable, make sure the winch mechanism is locked against just feeding out any more, and don't leave any of your anatomy under it while exploring. Those spares are VERY HEAVY, and if you do manage to shift it, and it can just drop, it will half kill you if it lands on you! The chassis recess may just be a rather tight fit for the Camping type tyres, so if pulled around it may suddenly free off, and go into free fall.If you can't make sense of it, tighten the cable and lock up the winch again, and then take it to a Fiat commercial repairer to see what they can do with the van on a hoist. You'll need to make friends with one for servicing eventually, so a little auditioning now won't come amiss! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 I've had several grovels under there not been able to budge it. It's not any cage just sits under the chassis rails held in place by the cable, I don't think I can do much more without getting it on a ramp unless anyone knows a magic trick to free it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinfrier Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 It could just be stuck on the underseal its a large surface area,but should not take much to dislodge.Keeping well clear try a suitable lever between body and wheel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 Underseal on a Fiat don't be silly. There is defiantly something holding it on but what I can't see, I can just get under the vehicle without jacking it up but not enough room for a good look. No way am I going to get under it with my car axle stands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinfrier Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Rerverse up a 1 in 5 hill the judder will dislodge it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 Must be something wrong with my one it don't judder reversed it up every steep hill in the neighbourhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Don't know if this will help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 Don't know if this will help... http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-57282-days0-orderasc-40.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 Thanks for trying, my problem is how to get it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 It's not one of those new fangled 'mock' spare wheels is it ... where it looks like a spare wheel is supplied to keep those motorhomers happy who wouldn't buy a van without one, but in reality is just a dummy that is stuck in place ..... (lol) Seriously, can you fix a mirror on the end of a stick at an angle so you can try to see what it's like under there without going actually underneath? The other thing is to try taking a photo with a digital camera (use the timer delay to set it first and then push it into place to take the actual photo). You can then load the photos onto your PC and zoom in to see more clearly what's under there. I used this method when we had a problem with the rear of a convector heater in a camper, couldn't get behind it to see what the problem was so just stuck the camera down there and took loads of snaps ... it had the desired effect and I could then clearly see that the piping was damaged, no way I'd have foud out otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 I like the camera idea I think there is enough space to hold the camera above the wheel between the chassis members. My hunch is still that there is a clamp or bolt that should have been removed when the body was fitted. Going to call in on the supplying dealer in Begium next week hopefully they can shed some light on it they don't have a ramp so if them or I can't sort it it's off a Fiat dealer. Fiat dealer is last resort as if it's down to Hymer they will charge me. Had a problem dash warning lights going haywire, rear fogs permanently on & cruise control turning off, took it to Fiat dealer turned out to be the wiring in rear light (wiring for UK fog lamp) Hymer fault so I was charged. Called in at Hymer Service centre at headquarters in Germany on hols last year showed them the bill & they gave me a handfull of cash well done Hymer. Thanks for the tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 lennyhb - 2009-03-12 8:01 PM Thanks for trying, my problem is how to get it off. Yes, I'm aware of that. I just thought that the exploded-view diagram might shed some light on why your spare-wheel won't lower. However, as far as I can see from the diagram there is nothing obvious that might prevent the wheel from descending. I'm wary of your idea that an attachment component that should have been removed before the motorhome's body was fitted is still in place. After all, once the wheel had been winched up at the Fiat factory, why would anything additional (eg. a temporary bracket) be needed to keep it there? Similarly, if Hymer had needed to remove the wheel during the conversion process, it would be illogical to expect them to have fitted some sort of 'invisible' tether after the wheel had been replaced. I suspect that your problem is that the wheel lowering/raising mechanism is either 'b*ggered' or jammed solid. Have you tried letting all the air out of the tyre? This might gain sufficient freedom between the tyre-wall and the chassis to 'un-ratchet' the winching mechanism and allow you to LIFT the wheel slightly before beginning to lower it. I'm just wondering if Hymer hasn't inflated the tyre above the pressure put in at the Fiat factory and this has jammed the wheel so hard against the chassis that the raising/lowering mechanism cannot release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 My error I couldn't see the drawings until I logged in, still no help mine is on the camper chassis the wheel just sits under the chassis and is held in place with a cable the winder accessed via a hole in the Motorhome floor. Once I've unwound the cable the cable is slack and as there is nothing on the underside of the wheel it just defies gravity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Usually when the spare is raised it goes into a locating bolt or bolts and then the wheel nut or nuts are screwed on to secure it and stop it from droping down, the cable is only for raising and lowering it not for securing it to the chassis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 13, 2009 Author Share Posted March 13, 2009 Had another grovel under there today & took some potos, not much help. According to the Hymer book of words it's only held in place by the cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 rolandrat I think the Ducato spare-wheel lowering/raising mechanism is similar to that used by Ford on Transits. You just wind the wheel down and up on the end of a cable and no securing/locating nuts or bolts involved. That seems to be confirmed on the MotorHomeFacts thread and there is also a reference to an animated graphic on a Fiat website that may help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 Went to supplying dealer Campriama in Belgium last week. Solved the mystery of the spare wheel. There is a safety latch that should release when the brace is placed on the winding lug but Hymer drilled the access hole about 50mm out of line so when you put the brace through the floor at an angle it does not release the catch, when we take it in for the damp check in June they will reposition the winch just needs 2 new mounting holes but not easy to do unless the van is on a hoist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.