What size spare wheel?

[ColinM50]

I posted a couple of months ago before we bought this M/H about needing a spare wheel.  It's a Chausson 788 based on a Transit chassis and I've tried Ford dealers to find out what size wheel and tyre I need but they won't tell me. Because it's fitted with an alloy I can't seem to fid out which Transit steel wheel to fit,  Ford only recognise the alloy and what say which one to get. The wheels are 16 inch and tyres are 235x65x16 and a genuine Ford replacement wheel is £280 then cost of tyre on top is £175. All for something I hope I'll never use.😃

Now if I go on Ebay, there's loads of ads for secondhand transit 16 inch wheels and tyres for £80 ish. Complete. But I need to know which offset I need.  I guess if I jack the M/H up, take off an existing wheel, the size and spec will be on the inside rim? Or does anyone know a better way?

TIA

[Brian Kirby]

If your 788 is a 2023 van, it may also be helpful to specify in a bit more detail which Transit version the base is.  Also from Chausson's website, your van is nearly 7.2 metres long with a notable rear overhang.  Also, it has a somewhat meagre payload (without options, in the region of 370kg. 

A steel spare wheel and tyre should be expected to weight about 25kg rather than 12kg.  Placed in the garage of your van, with that longish relative rear overhang, this seems likely to transfer significantly more than 25kg to the rear axle while reducing your already slender - for a 4 berth van, by 25kg.

The knowledge that the payload is modest may be the reason Ford are cagey about a spare.  Was there a Chausson option for a full sized spare wheel?  Have you spoken to your Chausson dealer to see what they/Chausson recommend?

I think it might be good to take you van to a weighbridge, with a known load on board (including the weights of any options you ordered when buying), and check the resulting rear axle load against the maximum permissible rear axle load to see how much you have to play with before deciding to buy a spare wheel and tyre and install it in that enticingly large garage. 

[Derek Uzzell]

This advert for a steel wheel compatible with a 2014-onwards Ford Transit

https://www.thewheelshop.co.uk/product/16-full-size-steel-spare-wheel-rim-compatible-with-ford-transit-2014-present-day/

quotes 

Width: 6.5″

Diameter: 16″

PCD: 160 mm

Offset: 60 mm

Center bore: 65 mm

While this advert includes a 235/65 R16C tyre

https://www.thewheelshop.co.uk/product/ford-transit-2014-present-day-full-size-steel-spare-wheel-and-235-65r16-tyre/

There's no doubt that the tyre would not be a 'premium' brand (eg. Michelin or Continental), but if it's just for emergencies, that might not matter. Anyway, I'm sure the Wheel Shop would provide details of the tyre that would be provided and advise on compatibility with the Ford alloy wheels on Colin's Chausson motorhome.

This other link may be useful (and confirms the wheel data given above)

https://www.wheel-size.com/

(As Brian has said, this size alloy or steel wheel + tyre combination will weigh at least 20 kilos.)

[Keithl]

It would also be worth checking that the wheel nuts or bolts on the alloy wheels are suitable for the steel wheels. They may have a different head shape, ie cone or ball seat, or if bolts require a different length to prevent damage inside the wheel hub.

Keith.

[Steve928]

https://www.wheelfitment.eu/car.html is my go-to site for this kind of information.

Although primarily for cars it does include LCVs and the Transit data concurs with Dereks' post:

https://www.wheelfitment.eu/car/Ford/Transit Custom 3.3t (2013 - ).html

Edited November 15, 2023 by Steve928

[Brian Kirby]

Steve, if I'm reading correctly, that is for a transit up to 3.3 tonnes, whereas Colin's Transit is 3.5 tonnes, so likely to have at least different tyres, but possibly also different wheels.

Just on Derek's post above re tyres, do check whether whatever tyre is included is recommended for use on the same axle as the existing tyres and, also, I wonder if it might be worth checking whether they can supply a match to the existing tyres, albeit probably at extra cost?

It is true that punctures are relatively rare these days, but you can't choose where they may happen and, if you get a flat early on a long journey and have to fit the spare, you may be more comfortable completing that leg if you know you have 4 good tyres on your van, especially as I suspect you'll be running near to your MAM.

Keith also makes an excellent point regarding whether the wheels are on nuts or bolts, and whether the existing alloy wheel fixings are suitable for use with the steel wheel.

Don't forget also that your alloys are very likely to have at least one locking nut each (for which the appropriate tool will have been provided), but if the steel wheel nuts/bolts are different to those for the alloys, you'll need one extra nut/bolt to ensure the designated number of fixings is being used if you do need to fit the spare.

Edited November 15, 2023 by Brian Kirby

[Derek Uzzell]

The Ford Transit Custom is a small panel-van, whereas a Chausson 788 is based on the 'full size' Transit Mk 8.

On the following  link it is suggested that the nuts used with 'factory-original' Ford alloy wheels differ from those used with 'after market' alloy wheels (and with steel wheels?)

https://www.alloywheelnutsandbolts.co.uk/ford-transit-mk8-and-custom-van-alloy-wheel-nuts/

This image is of the alloy wheel of a 2023 Chausson 788 and may well not be a Ford 'factory-original' part. It's also apparent that a locking nut is fitted.

Plainly something else to explore carefully...

 

[ColinM50]

Thanks for the info chaps, all very useful. I tried to buy a wheel and tyre from the wheelshop but they're nil stock for a couple of weeks but I'll defo get one from them and pay a little extra for a matching Michelin and some original spec nuts. Next time I'm out in it I'll get it weighed to keep Brian happy🤣 .

Next task is searching for an underslung wheel carrier.😵

[Derek Uzzell]

For Transit Mk 7, 8 and 9 vehicles (including motorhomes that have a 'camping car' chassis) I believe the Ford spare-wheel carrier involves a cable-operated 'hoist' mechanism similar in principle to that used with Ducato.

You'll need to look VERY carefully under your Chausson to confirm what space  is available: otherwise you'd need to mount the spare wheel on the rear wall (somehow!) or - if there is room - in the rear garage.