flicka Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Hi Brian I'll assume you have determined there is space for your spare forward of the rear axle. If so would the Autocruise solution work for you ( see photo's) Although ours is mounted aft of the rear axle, I can't see any reason for it not moving forward other than space. The arm is bolted up/down (nearside) & pivots (offside) When trying it I found a block of wood & some wedges the easiest method of lifting the arm until the nut could be threaded. The carrier mountings are bolted through the underside of the chassis rails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K9GYN Posted February 2, 2013 Share Posted February 2, 2013 Did anyone establish if a spare wheel can be fitted (underslung) to a Hobby T500?? Thanks Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Carrying a spare-wheel on a Hobby Van was discussed in some depth here: http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Hints-and-Tips/Mounting-a-Spare-Wheel/29212/ Uncle Bulgaria's recent posting http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Hints-and-Tips/Ramp-Departure-Angles-Ground-Clearance/30169/ indicates that he is considering carrying a spare-wheel vertically using a 'cycle-carrier' arrangement mounted on a tow-bar. It was evident from the earlier (29212) forum thread that a spare-wheel could not be installed where Ford had designed a place for it (underslung behind the rear axle) because Hobby had fitted a waste-water tank there. This left the possibility that a spare-wheel might be 'mid-mounted' between the front and rear axles and accessible from the vehicle's side in the manner used on earlier Transit-based Hymer Vans. The latter vehicles were constructed on Transit platform-cab chassis not Ford's more recent Transit camping-car chassis and, to the best of my knowledge, later Hymer Vans built on the Transit camping-car chassis all carry their spare-wheel (when provided) in the rear garage not underslung. If it were a realistic possibility to carry a spare-wheel underslung on a Hobby T-500, I would have expected Uncle Bulgaria to have established that by now. As he is looking at mounting a spare-wheel on a tow-bar, I think it can be safely assumed that 'underslinging' is not practicable with a Hobby Van T-500 built on a Transit camping-car chassis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K9GYN Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Excuse my ignorance but what is the difference in the chassis types referred too? My Transit has a build date of October 2010 would this have any bearing on this? Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 A normal chassis cab Transit is one with a conventional chasis behind the cab (such as you might find, for instance, a tipper-truck conversion built on). The camper version of the chasis cab is specifically adapted for the addition of a coachbuilt body, and will/may have such alterations as lowering of the chasis rails (to give a lower floor height) and/or a wider rear track axle to give better stability for a wide, coachbuilt conversion. The platform cab version is more akin to a transit van with floor in place, but the rear van bodywork above it absent. i.e. it has a full metal floor behind the cab, rather than separate chassis rails, and generally provides a solid and lower base on which to add a coachbuilt body. Whilst conventional chassis cabs are generally made available to build all sorts of conversions (like the aforementioned tipper truck), the camper chassis and the platform cab are only available to the motorhome conversion trade. Your particular Hobby will (unless somone wants to prove differently) be built on the platform cab version. A good picture of the three basic Transit chassis for conversion can be gained from this site, showing a van, a chassis cab, and a platform cab (each of which should be obvious). http://www.ford.de/Nutzfahrzeuge/BasisfahrzeugeReisemobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HymerVan Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Brian I had one of the very first (ordered at the 2005 Earl Court Show) 2006 Mark 5 ? Ford transit Hymer Vans. That model was quickly superseded by the Mark 6 and if I had known it was coming I would have waited but thats another story. A man I met in a supermarket car park in Aberdeen liked it so much he drove to Preston and ordered one the very next day (his was by that time on a Mark 6) and we later met up to compare them. Because of the fixed step/storage unit for the rear bed which retracts into the garage area the space for the spare wheel in the garage is not available hence it is underslung near the exhaust. I believe the Mark 6 Van was the same chassis but I don't know if in the case of the Mark 5 Hymer took an extant SW carrier off or added a non extant one(in the case of the Mark 6) If so there might be a skip full of old carriers at Bad Waldsee !! In edit sorry didn't notice second page of this post or would not have bothered to post the above ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 K9GYN - 2013-02-03 10:20 PM Excuse my ignorance but what is the difference in the chassis types referred too? My Transit has a build date of October 2010 would this have any bearing on this? Phil Details of Ford's specialised Transit camping-car chassis were released in mid-2010. http://fordeuropenet.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/lightweight-ford-transit-motorhome-chassis-for-new-camper-designs/ Consequently (as Robinhood says) your October 2010-built Hobby Van will (almost certainly) have been constructed on the platform-cab type of chassis shown in the right-foreground of the photo Robinhood provided a link to. Historically, Ford only provided Transit chassis-cab chassis to motorhome converters in rear-wheel-drive format, and the centre chassis in the photo is a RWD chassis-cab. Camping-car chassis Transits are front-wheel-drive only and the chassis framework is much lighter than that of RWD chassis-cab Transits. Photo 5 of the 8 photos on this December 2011 US website http://www.examiner.com/article/europe-s-ford-transit-van-rv-platform-coming-to-the-us shows a front view of a camping-car chassis Transit (and it will be apparent how 'skinny' the rear framework is), while Photo 7 shows FWD platform-cab and FWD (non-camping-car) chassis-cab variants alongside each other. I had assumed from your Hints & Tips "Vehicle Warranty 1st service" inquiry that you had obtained your Hobby Van roughly 12-months ago. You are certain about the Ford service-interval requirements for your motorhome? This forum thread in early-2010 http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Ford-service-intervals-Confused-/19040/ indicated possible confusion then over whether Transits had a 2-year or 1-year servicing requirement. If you've assumed that no servicing/inspection relating to the Hobby-provided warranties needs to be carried out before 2 years of ownership, you'd be wise to confirm with a Hobby agent that this is indeed the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 HymerVan - 2013-02-04 8:14 AM Brian I had one of the very first (ordered at the 2005 Earl Court Show) 2006 Mark 5 ? Ford transit Hymer Vans. That model was quickly superseded by the Mark 6 and if I had known it was coming I would have waited but thats another story. A man I met in a supermarket car park in Aberdeen liked it so much he drove to Preston and ordered one the very next day (his was by that time on a Mark 6) and we later met up to compare them. Because of the fixed step/storage unit for the rear bed which retracts into the garage area the space for the spare wheel in the garage is not available hence it is underslung near the exhaust. I believe the Mark 6 Van was the same chassis but I don't know if in the case of the Mark 5 Hymer took an extant SW carrier off or added a non extant one(in the case of the Mark 6) If so there might be a skip full of old carriers at Bad Waldsee !! In edit sorry didn't notice second page of this post or would not have bothered to post the above ! Just for the record... A brand-new Transit range began to be marketed in 2000. This range is generally referred to as Transit Mk 6. In 2006 a revised Transit range was introduced, with significant changes (engines, brakes, etc.) and a different (uglier!) frontal treatment. This range is referred to as Transit Mk 7. Transit-based FWD coachbuilt motorhomes began to be produced in 2004 by Continental European converters, initially on Mk 6 chassis and later on the Mk 7. The chassis was always the platform-cab variety. Then, in 2010, Ford began to provide motorhome converters with a special 'camping-car' chassis-cab on to which coachbuilt designs could be constructed. I don't know if, nowadays, any motohome converter still produces coachbuilt designs on the Transit platform-cab chassis (I believe it's still available from Ford), but I suspect they've all switched to the camping-car chassis by now. With Transit Mk 8 now officially revealed, it's anybody's guess what type of chassis Ford will offer converters for coachbuilt designs, though it's a fair bet that a FWD camping-car chassis will be made available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 To summarise my understanding based on my 2010-bought Hobby van: The Ford bit: - the 2.2L (FWD) Transit has always been subject to 1 year service intervals (certain versions of the 2.4L (RWD) Trasit had 2 year service intervals). (Both subject to annual mileage limits your average motorhomer is going to get nowhere near) - the Ford warranty (subject to the vehicle being a RHD one sold initially in the UK market) will be a full, 3-year warranty. It is very likely, however, that it will show up as shorter on the Ford systems, unless/until it is adjusted by Ford themselves. They did this for me through their Customer Services Centre, but I understand that they now insist on it being done via a dealer. The Hobby bit: The overall warranty provided by Hobby is NOT subject to any annual habitation service being carried out. You may, however, have to rely on underlying manufacturer's warranty arrangements for such things as fridges, heaters, etc. The water-ingress part of the warranty, however, IS dependent on an annual damp check carried out (at cost) by a Hobby dealer (and the warranty booklet should be stamped, and the counterfoils sent by the dealer to Hobby). HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bulgaria Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 I have an update for all those with Transit based Van models interested, as I am, in carrying a spare wheel under-slung ahead of the rear axle. My Hobby is built on a platform cab. I'm also grateful to Geoff Swan, owner of the Hymer Van with the underslung spare, who kindly sent me some photos. As Derek's post indicated I'd given up on a Ford solution and have been exploring other options when, after much delay, the Ford dealer I use in Lincoln has recently contacted me to say they have the set of parts to mount a spare wheel ahead of the rear axle, as fitted to Geoff's Hymer. The kit requires a bracket to be welded to the chassis to carry the cable guide for the cable that raises or lowers the wheel. I'm taking my Van in next Monday for a "trial fit" There is also a further complication in that my exhaust pipe passes through the area under the body where (I think) the spare wheel will sit. There is a question about ground clearance, but in my emails with Geoff Swann he advises that he has had no problems with grounding on ferries or rough ground. I'll update this tread once I've has the "trial fit" to let you know the outcome. I'll also try and get the Ford Part Nos for the kit or the individual parts. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 Good stuff, Richard, and well done. I confess I'd given up! Is there any chance you could post up the photos you have? Also, could you give an indication of the cost of the bits? I'm just wondering if said bracket could be bolted on, instead of welding. Less paint/corrosion treatment lost that way. Thanks for the update. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 I was under the impression your Hobby Van was constructed on a Transit camping-car chassis, not a platform-cab chassis. Photos of Hymer Vans indicate that their exhaust system exits to the right, whereas it's apparent from Hobby's brochures that a Hobby Van's exhaust exits to the left. Assuming that your Van is like my T-600, the exhaust runs down the right side of the vehicle, then crosses over to the left. I would have thought it should not be too difficult to have the exhaust modified so that it right-exits. (I've added a scanned picture of the Transit camping-car chassis for comparison with photos of the other chassis variants that have been posted elsewhere. The intended position of a spare-wheel can be seen, as can the prominent 'outriggers' on to which a coachbuilt motorhome body can be mounted.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 Derek Uzzell - 2013-02-05 6:49 PM I was under the impression your Hobby Van was constructed on a Transit camping-car chassis, not a platform-cab chassis................... No. Too early, I think, Derek ('07). It's definitely a platform-cab, complete with "crinkly tin" van floor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Brian Kirby - 2013-02-05 7:06 PM Derek Uzzell - 2013-02-05 6:49 PM I was under the impression your Hobby Van was constructed on a Transit camping-car chassis, not a platform-cab chassis................... No. Too early, I think, Derek ('07). It's definitely a platform-cab, complete with "crinkly tin" van floor! I'm aware your 2007 "Van" has a tin floor. I'd intended my posting to immediately follow Richard's 5 February 2013 5:42 PM one, but your 5 February 2013 6:33 PM posting beat me to it. If I had anticipated that happening I would have headed my posting "Uncle Bulgaria" or used the Quote option. I don't think Richard has said when his Hobby Van T500 was built. However, in the "Mounting a Spare Wheel" thread on the Hints and Tips forum, he said "My van differs slightly from Brian's in that it is on a chassis cab, not a platform cab." Now he has said (5 February 2013 5:42 PM) "My Hobby is built on a platform cab." I've occasionally wondered if Hobby had switched from the platform-cab to the camping-car chassis for their Ford-based motorhomes. Photos of current Siesta models still show the rear wheels set well in from the front-to-rear bodywork line. One would have thought that, if the camping-car chassis had been employed, the wider track rear-axle would have been fitted and this should be evident in photos. When I visited a Hobby dealership last July, there were some 2012 Transit-based models there and I did attempt to look underneath to check which chassis they had. Getting a good view wasn't easy as kneeling was tricky (left knee-joint replaced a fortnight later) and, other than noting that the controversial long conical 'spring assisters' were no longer fitted, I remained uncertain whether the chassis was 'tin' or 'ladder'. If Richard's Hobby Van is on a Transit platform-cab chassis, there's a reasonable chance the Ford 'kit' can be fitted to replicate the Hymer Van arrangement. If it's on a Transit camping-car chassis I'd be pessimistic, as it will be apparent from the picture I provided that this chassis has a narrow central 'ladder' and there's nothing outside that ladder to attach a bracket to hang a spare-wheel from. It will also be obvious from the picture that the rear-mounted spare-wheel is close to the top of the final two 'cross pieces' of the chassis. If a spare-wheel were to be mounted between the rear of the cab and the front of the rear springs, it's going to be completely below the chassis framework and that's bound to impact on ground clearance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 6, 2013 Author Share Posted February 6, 2013 Derek Uzzell - 2013-02-06 9:32 AM................ If a spare-wheel were to be mounted between the rear of the cab and the front of the rear springs, it's going to be completely below the chassis framework and that's bound to impact on ground clearance. All agreed. However, the Hymer Vans I've seen carrying the spare in this position appeared to have reasonable ground clearance under the spare and, so far as I could tell, were on the platform-cab chassis. I think the side valances on the Hobbys are a little deeper than those on the Hymers, meaning there is less ground clearance beneath these, but if the wheel can be fitted driver's side amidhips, it seemed to me it could tuck up behind the valance a bit. Might need a hole or cut-away for the winder, but that should be reasonably possible as the valances are ABS, or similar plastic. We shall see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Robinhood - 2013-02-04 9:56 AM To summarise my understanding based on my 2010-bought Hobby van: The Ford bit: - the 2.2L (FWD) Transit has always been subject to 1 year service intervals (certain versions of the 2.4L (RWD) Trasit had 2 year service intervals). (Both subject to annual mileage limits your average motorhomer is going to get nowhere near) - the Ford warranty (subject to the vehicle being a RHD one sold initially in the UK market) will be a full, 3-year warranty. It is very likely, however, that it will show up as shorter on the Ford systems, unless/until it is adjusted by Ford themselves. They did this for me through their Customer Services Centre, but I understand that they now insist on it being done via a dealer. The Hobby bit: The overall warranty provided by Hobby is NOT subject to any annual habitation service being carried out. You may, however, have to rely on underlying manufacturer's warranty arrangements for such things as fridges, heaters, etc. The water-ingress part of the warranty, however, IS dependent on an annual damp check carried out (at cost) by a Hobby dealer (and the warranty booklet should be stamped, and the counterfoils sent by the dealer to Hobby). HTH Just an aside really... I came across some early-2011 data-sheets produced by a UK Hobby dealership and providing details of a couple of new Hobby Transit-based RHD motorhomes. The warranties information for both vehicles was as follows: - 3 year Ford - 2 year Habitation (Subject to annual dealer check procedure) - 5 year Water Ingress (Subject to annual dealer check procedure) - 1 year AA recovery The equivalent information currently shown on the dealership's website and relating to two new 2012 RHD Hobby motorhomes is: - 2 year Ford Warranty - 2 year habitation warranty - 5 year water ingress warranty - 1 year on demand breakdown cover I'm confident that, in both cases, no attempt was being made to mislead potential buyers, but it does indicate the need to establish exactly what the various warranties entail when purchasing a motorhome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Brian Kirby - 2013-02-06 6:42 PM ...Might need a hole or cut-away for the winder, but that should be reasonably possible as the valances are ABS, or similar plastic... Are the valances plastic on your "Van"? They are hard aluminium on my Hobby. I believe some Herald models built on a Transit Mk 5 chassis used to carry their spare-wheel within the wheelbase, with access to the winder-mechanism through a hole in the left side-skirt. But that was on RWD chassis and the tyres were smaller diameter than those used on Transit Mk 7s. As Richard's Hobby came with no spare-wheel, it's likely he will have no suitable 'winding handle' to operate Ford's lowering/raising mechanism. My Transit handbook advises using the end of the wheel-brace - advice that can be considered amusing or cruel depending on one's sense of humour! So, even if it proves practicable to side-mount a spare-wheel carrying mechanism, there may also be a need to fabricate a tool to operate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Derek Uzzell - 2013-02-07 8:42 AM As Richard's Hobby came with no spare-wheel, it's likely he will have no suitable 'winding handle' to operate Ford's lowering/raising mechanism. My Transit handbook advises using the end of the wheel-brace - advice that can be considered amusing or cruel depending on one's sense of humour! So, even if it proves practicable to side-mount a spare-wheel carrying mechanism, there may also be a need to fabricate a tool to operate it. If I may just chip in...If they're still as daft an idea as was on my '03 Duetto(..where the "blade end" of the 'brace was supposed to locate into a poxy little slot),then I'd be looking at modifying the drive on the "winch",so that any winding handle could locate/engage better.... :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Derek Uzzell - 2013-02-07 8:10 AM Just an aside really... ....as an aside to an aside, I think the Hobby warranty arrangements are not particularly well documented. In order to clarify, in July '11 I contacted Hobby UK, and was given the following answer (verbatim). Motor Home Warranties Hobby 2 Year Habitation 5 Year Water Ingress Fiat 1 Year Ford 3 Year PLUS Roadside Assistance .....which in itself is misleading, as I believe the Ford Roadside Assistance is for only one year of the three. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 pepe63 - 2013-02-07 12:10 PM Derek Uzzell - 2013-02-07 8:42 AM As Richard's Hobby came with no spare-wheel, it's likely he will have no suitable 'winding handle' to operate Ford's lowering/raising mechanism. My Transit handbook advises using the end of the wheel-brace - advice that can be considered amusing or cruel depending on one's sense of humour! So, even if it proves practicable to side-mount a spare-wheel carrying mechanism, there may also be a need to fabricate a tool to operate it. If I may just chip in...If they're still as daft an idea as was on my '03 Duetto(..where the "blade end" of the 'brace was supposed to locate into a poxy little slot),then I'd be looking at modifying the drive on the "winch",so that any winding handle could locate/engage better.... :-S The 'tool' recommended by Forf to lower/raise the spare-wheel depends on the Transit variant involved. It's either (as you say) the blade end of the wheel-brace, or a swivelling blade attachment on the jack handle. Modifying the "poxy little slot" drive isn't that easy, as much as anything because it's such a crappy design to begin with. I've no idea why Ford could not have used a 'bolt head' drive on to which a socket could attach, unless the slot-drive arrangement is seen as a security feature. (It's certainly secure when the vehicle's owner can't use it!) I DIYed a tool from a length of square-section steel, with a 'blade' on one end and a socket on the other. Ford "Roadside Assistance" used to apply to the full 3-year duration of a Transit's base warranty. It now applies only during the 1st year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 Derek Uzzell - 2013-02-07 8:42 AM Brian Kirby - 2013-02-06 6:42 PM ...Might need a hole or cut-away for the winder, but that should be reasonably possible as the valances are ABS, or similar plastic... Are the valances plastic on your "Van"? They are hard aluminium on my Hobby................. Yep, deffo ABS or similar, Derek. I had to drill them for the air assistance inflation valves. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bulgaria Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I don't think Richard has said when his Hobby Van T500 was built. However, in the "Mounting a Spare Wheel" thread on the Hints and Tips forum, he said "My van differs slightly from Brian's in that it is on a chassis cab, not a platform cab." Now he has said (5 February 2013 5:42 PM) "My Hobby is built on a platform cab." If Richard's Hobby Van is on a Transit platform-cab chassis, there's a reasonable chance the Ford 'kit' can be fitted to replicate the Hymer Van arrangement. If it's on a Transit camping-car chassis I'd be pessimistic, as it will be apparent from the picture I provided that this chassis has a narrow central 'ladder' and there's nothing outside that ladder to attach a bracket to hang a spare-wheel from. Derek has noted my confusion between a chassis cab and a platform cab. Sorry. Now I've been under my Hobby Van I can confirm it is a platform cab. I have an update on the centrally located spare wheel situation with regard to the platform cab. I have spent an hour this morning with the Van up on the lift at the local Ford garage. There is space to carry a spare wheel ahead of the rear axle. The wheel carrier is the Ford item 1690279. BUT.....no-one has been able to trace the bracket/cross-member that has to be added between two of the longitudinal chassis rails to carry the cable guide. With the wheel in the raised position the ground clearance would be around 200 mms (8 inches in old money). It should be possible to fabricate the bracket/cross-member and bolt or weld it to the rails. What concerns me is the warranty and insurance position with fitting a non Ford component. I'll try and add a couple of images to this posting that show (1) the position where the spare wheel would fit (but note the exhaust pipe is in the way and will need to be rerouted probably to exit on the off-side of the vehicle, and (2) the van floor underside showing where the bracket/cross-member would need to be fitted. As this Ford solution keeps alternating between promising and not possible I'm still exploring the tow-bar mounted wheel carrier as an alternative. If anyone knows a specialist fabrication company that has the expertise to design and facilities to fabricate and fit the necessary bracket/cross-member I'll keep pursuing this option. Regards to all. Richard. Sorry for missing the quotation marks for Derek's earlier post and I can't work out how to attach photos and I don't seem to be able to find any help instructions. Richard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I notice that you asked about this on the Ford Transit forum a few weeks ago, but (not too surprisingly) didn't get much feedback: http://fordtransit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=124232 Ford Part Number 1690279 refers to a common-or-garden raising/lowering/carrying mechanism for a Transit Mk 7's spare-wheel. Your Hobby Van's platform-cab chassis incorporates the floor-pan of a MWB FWD Transit panel-van. The latter vehicle carries its spare-wheel behind the rear axle where the floor-pan has been shaped to best accommodate it. There's no logical reason to expect Ford to offer a mid-wheelbase, side-accessed spare-wheel on a panel-van, so no logical reason to expect a Transit platform-cab-based Hymer Van to have used a full set of Ford parts to mount a spare-wheel in that position. Plainly Hymer did mount a mid-wheelbase, side-accessed spare-wheel on Van's but, although it would not be unreasonable to expect Ford's raising/lowering/carrying mechanism to have been employed by Hymer, everything points to Hymer having attached that mechanism to Vans using a Hymer-unique adaptation. While it should be practicable to fabricate a bracket/cross-member on to which the spare-wheel carrier could be attached, I'd want to see how Hymer did this before seeking to get a UK fabricator to design and produce a bespoke part. Can't you carry a spare-wheel inside your motorhome? I'm familiar (on paper) with a Hobby Van T-500FSC and I appreciate that - as things stand - there's no room under the bed to store a spare-wheel. A Transit spare-wheel is about 750mm diameter and about 250mm wide. I'd be thinking about raising the height of the bed base by 250mm so that the wheel could be stored in the extra volume produced. Raising the height of the bed for spare-wheel storage may not be a wonderfully attractive idea, particularly if a low bed-height was one of the reasons you bought your T-500FSC, but photos of the sleeping area suggest it may be 'doable'. If you feel that you MUST carry a spare-wheel (even though your Van's wheels already have sealant goo and Tyron bands), both of the external mounting methods you are currently considering have significant drawbacks regarding methodology and/or cost/weight/ground-clearance. So sub-bed storage may be a better (or less worse) option. Attaching photos to a posting... When you post a reply or start a new thread, below the box into which you will type your text you'll see four 'buttons'. The lowest button has "Attach a file after posting" alongside it. If you plan to attach a photo (or photos), you should tick that button. When you click "SUBMIT" a window will appear that allows you to browse through your computer files and select the photo(s) you want. Note that the file-size of a photo MUST NOT exceed 100kb. If your photo's original file-size is larger than 100kb, you'll need to reduce that size to below 100kb otherwise the photo will not transfer. (Plenty of ways to do this - for example Windows Picture Manager.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JandP Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 We have a Hymer Van (2008) which is fitted with a spare wheel carried under the near side which is held up by a cable with a winding mechanism. When we had a problem with jamming a couple of years ago, we were told by the Ford garage that it was a Hymer fitting. However, we had it sorted out by Brownhills and it turned out to be a Ford part. Hymer had probably relocated it from the rear of the Transit to the middle under the nearside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Brian Kirby - 2012-06-04 9:50 PM Recently seen at Cahors: a RHD UK registered Hymer Van, with an underslung spare wheel carried about midships on the UK offside. Can anyone please say if this is a Hymer option on their Vans, or whether they know of the maker of this carrier? . That's where mine is Brian :-D............or was til I moved it to the trailer ;-)............ When I took it off the engineering looked very basic........ :-> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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