wardy Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Hi all,Hoping to go on a long trip to europe later this year, first over the water our Autotrail has no spare wheel but has got the standard tyre inflating kit with 12v pump is this good enough ,or is it best to get a spare. Even a steel wheel and try to fit it in the garage. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Useless on Motorhome, if you get a puncture at anything over walking pace usually wrecks the tyre, I would never travel without a spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I bought a steel spare and a cheapo van tyre to same spec as others. Wheel was £70 and tyre was £64. A word of warning, I tried the electric pump supplied with the Mercedes cab to pump up one of my tyres and it was crap and wouldn't reach the required pressure. Check yours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wardy Posted March 22, 2014 Author Share Posted March 22, 2014 Thanks Lenny do you know if i get a spare steel wheel will i need another set of nuts for the steel wheel. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Yes you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 A few years ago we had an Ace Airstream 680 FB which had a fix and go kit .We were at the motorhome show at Peterborough and spoke to another 680 FB owner who had just had a side wall blow out on the A1 coming to the show to which the fix and go kit would have been useless. This was all I needed to persuade me to buy a spare tyre , so if I had a similar experience abroad I would at least be able to get on my way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 wardy - 2014-03-22 12:22 AM Thanks Lenny do you know if i get a spare steel wheel will i need another set of nuts for the steel wheel. B-) Yes you should use the correct bolts, for alloy wheels the bolts have a larger collar to spread the load and I think it may be a different angle. Often use different torque setting as well. Sometimes depending on wheel and bolt it is permissible to use bolts for Alloys wheels on steel wheels but not the other way round as the steel ones with smaller heads can damage the alloy wheel. For the sake of a five or ten quid it's not worth the risk, you could always pick up some from a breakers, probably cost as much by the time you have driven to the breakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Also if you have to replace a tyre in France a lot of people have had bother getting a matching tyre as French fitters are obliged by law to ensure same tyres on a same axle. there's a thread on it here somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 wardy - 2014-03-21 11:56 PM Hi all,Hoping to go on a long trip to europe later this year, first over the water our Autotrail has no spare wheel but has got the standard tyre inflating kit with 12v pump is this good enough ,or is it best to get a spare. Even a steel wheel and try to fit it in the garage. B-) Out of curiosity which Autotrail do you have, that doesn't come with a spare wheel as Standard. All of the coachbuilts come with one mounted on the back ? I agree with others here, Get yourself a spare wheel with a suitable tyre, The Fix N Go kits are a 'Dummy' to fool drivers, fine at walking pace in a city, But on a Motorhome No way. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Check your breakdown cover as some organisations do not recover vehicles with tyre damage, or charge extra, unless the vehicle is carrying a serviceable spare. If you have a puncture and use sealant, there is a greater risk that the tyre cannot be repaired and has to be replaced. Sealant is not much use on a shredded tyre. I bought a steel wheel [have alloys] plus bolts as a spare following advice on this forum. I might have risked the UK with the sealant, but not Europe! That said, never had a tyre problem in 18 years of motorhoming. I use a Ring RAC900 compressor to keep the tyres up to pressure plus a Michelin tyre pressure gauge. On the Ring's box it says it works up to 100psi. Never tested it to that level but it works fine for my rear tyres at 80psi. The compressor needs connecting direct to a battery - I use the leisure battery when it is on to the mains, bit of a faff at first but OK now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Having experienced two deflations on our motorhome I am quite convinced that the tyre inflators are about as much use as a chocolate teapot. Don't mess about get yourself a spare wheel! Personally I would not buy a motorhome,or car for that matter, that did not have one. That is speaking from my own experiences in France. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I do have a spare on current van but drove around for fours years without one, never bothered me just filled the tyres with 'gunk'. My compressor did work very well when I tried it but never had a puncture so never tried 'in anger'. I also carried one of these tempory plug puncture kits and reckoned between this and the rescue service could always get myself out of trouble. Have not had a puncture in ten years so would not bother me in the least to travel without a spare. Some worry about getting out of bed in the morning, personally I have other things to worry about other than the very remote chance I will get a puncture and have to spend a few hours sorting it out. So get a spare if you feel uphappy without one but if it is a problem or you cannot fit it do not bother, get on with your motorhome life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I have a couple of spares on x250 wheels, one michelin camping, one conti vancocamper both good condition, pm me if you are interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I'd go with the sensible majority - To travel without a spare is just plain stupid Just go and get a spare wheel - then you won't have anything BUT getting out of bed to worry about whilst you're touring Europe :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 globebuster - 2014-03-23 12:51 PM I'd go with the sensible majority - To travel without a spare is just plain stupid Just go and get a spare wheel - then you won't have anything BUT getting out of bed to worry about whilst you're touring Europe :-) How do you work this out? Going by the number of vans that have been sold without a spare I would think their are a lot travelling happily without one. My Swift Sundance of a few years ago did not have one, did not have room to fit one, never needed one. Anyway I have always found sensible people very boring. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROND Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 A spare every time. I had gone years without having a puncture then had 3 blow outs in the space of 2 years, two of them in one day in France all Michelin camping tyres, not too old and good tread. The first blow out in France I had the spare put on and started looking for a replacement, Michelin in Alencon told me it would be 10 days minimum wait for a tyre, a nearby tyre depot sold me a commercial tyre for 119 euros then I left there and within 5 miles the second one blew out so back for a second tyre. Gunk would have been no use at all on any of them as they all blew the wall out, Michelin replaced the first one free as it blew the bead out. I would hate to be stuck in some out of the way foreign place just for the sake of a spare. RD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Well Rupert, you're obviously so confident you won't get wheel trouble - notice I said wheel, not just puncture, that maybe you should generously bequeath the spare on your current van to Wardy :-) It won't make any difference to you, because you clearly see no value in having one - however, many on here have answered the post based on their experience too, and come to a different conclusion. I think if you asked ten sensible [or ten dumb people come to that] would you carry a spare wheel.....or do you think a spare wheel is a good idea, then I think most would say yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I would never travel without a spare, I've had two blow outs on caravan tyres one which wrecked the wheel & a puncture in the Motorhome luckily that one was repairable. Current car came without a spare, managed to get a wheel on ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Yup, belt and braces is my motto, I haven't had a blow our for 25 years, but first thing I did was buy a spare. My cooper s has run flats, as there is sod all boot space. As another thread informs us though, it has to be the same tyre as the other side of the axle in a France if you call out the recovery service, they are not allowed to put a different tyre, or one with a difference depth of tread, on the same axle. If you do it yourself, no problem. But have you ever tried to loosen the wheel nuts after tyre monkeys have done them up with an air gun? I think the torque settings should be listed on a thread somewhere, can anybody remind us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charabanc Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Spare wheel and breakdown cover. I have gunk in the car and it worries me. I had to buy a new tyre for the car after using the gunk for a puncture which otherwise could have been repaired. Another time I had to have the car recovered when I got at large hole in the side wall of tyre. What a palaver. I really don't want this sort of thing to spoil my holiday and I know I can't manage all those nuts and bolts if on my own/ with children, so sleep better with breakdown cover too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wardy Posted March 26, 2014 Author Share Posted March 26, 2014 Ray thanks for reply we have a 840D tag axle 2009 no spare. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 wardy - 2014-03-26 9:41 AM Ray thanks for reply we have a 840D tag axle 2009 no spare. B-) Just 'Googled' one, and of course you are right, No rear Spare wheel ! why don't you buy the cover etc., and rear mount one yourself ? provided you can access the back wall , on my Savannah it is just an 8" square piece of galvanized metal with a Bolt through the centre. That is if you don't already have a bike rack there. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrix Meanderer Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Spare wheel every time but I've also done the belt and braces of having Tyreseal put into each tyre as well. £50 the set and chucked the Fiat Ducato blow up kit into the garage. May be of interest to hear that my rear offside alloy wheel became porous in January and let air out through the metal. Very unusual but it happens. As this was two days before departure I had to buy a new steel wheel to get off down to Spain as I didn't want to use my spare wheel and go 3,000 miles with no spare. Have now negotiated a very good deal with Fiat to replace the leaking alloy - they paid 60% of the cost of the new alloy on a goodwill basis. Result! So I have an almost new 15" Fiat Ducato steel wheel for sale - any offers before I put it on EBay? cost £80 new :-D PM me if you are interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wardy Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 thanks for reply Ian,The ones on my MH are 16" thanks for the offer, but have read all replies and we are going to get a spare and thanks to all for the advice.Graham. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrix Meanderer Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Great. If you buy the spare I suggest you also buy a good quality fitted bag to keep it in. Saves all the rubber marks and mess getting everywhere. Bought ours from a motorsport dealer but Bags 4 Everything also does a good version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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