On ditching the spare wheel

[Vernon B]

OK I know this topic has had a good airing but I’d appreciate comments on a particular aspect of the debate.

 

Why I’m asking is that I’ve just had new tyres fitted and this has drawn my attention, once again, to the bl**dy weight of these things. My Pilote is naturally tail heavy so I’d be keen to reduce this if possible. The spare wheel is mounted aft of the rear axle and my guess is that it must weigh at least 50 Kg so that’s almost equivalent to having another pair of bicycles on the back of the ‘van.

 

Having reviewed previous pros and cons of going “spareless” I’ve not seen any experiences quoted of how the Road Side Assistance (RSA) people deal with the absence of a fifth wheel. Can anyone confirm that given the fact that there is an ever increasing tendency for new cars and motorhomes to be supplied without a spare that RSA companies are well geared up for the emerging situation – both here and in the rest of the EU?

 

Although I’ve not punctured for more than 250,000 miles, as I see it “Sod’s Law” could, and probably would, present me with three possible scenarios:-

 

a) The tyre goes flat – On a previous thread someone has said that the RSA guys would have the kit to inflate it.

 

b) The tyre is wrecked – Would the RSA guys be able to source and fit a replacement within a reasonable time (1 or 2 hours)?

 

c) The tyre and wheel hub are wrecked – Could the RSA guys get me back on the road within say 4 hours?

 

From my general observations of motorway incidents it would appear that HGV drivers are well provided for in these situations - but are we?

 

So, is there any personal experience or knowledge of the trade out there please?

 

Vernon

 

[david lloyd]

On considering this particular action I recall an article in MMM by Mel Eastburn. He had his tyres filled with ultraseal and discarded the spare on the basis that a puncture would be automatically sealed.

 

This does seem to be a feasible way of losing the spare but I can't recall the cost of the ultraseal treatment. Perhaps will have a comment?

 

David

[rupert123]

I have driven for several years on cars and now my van with no spare. I have tyres filled with utraseal, new van done last week for £66, and carry the emergency compressor and foam as well. I telephoned Brittania and they said they will deal if you have no spare.

[colin]

As you will have read on other threads, tyres do get wreaked beyond the caperbility of ultraseal and suchlike to fix. This is a rare occurance but I've had it happen to three tyres. Tyresafe (was Tyre Industry Council) do not recomend use of ultraseal as it may mask problems, well I guess as it becomes more popular we will find out if true.

The RAC's t&c's state, "Motorised vehicles that are manufactured without provision of a spare wheel will be considered on their individual merits"

As to them sourcing and fitting new tyre within 1-2 hours, well that would depend on curcumstances, if you where parked up in most baeutiful spot in world with loads of time to spare, possibly, if you where on tight scedual for a ferry, no chance.

[Clive]

You could alwats get a rack to mount the spare on the front of the radiator grille - VW style???

Personally I wouldn,t travel without one but I understand the arguement.

Similarly I don,t travel without a set of spanners, screw driver, pliers, puncture repair outfit, digital multimeter, soldering iron, solder ..... if you get my drift!

 

Our MH did have the spare up against the rear axle and the fresh water tank right at the back behind the spare wheel. I verersed these mounting positions to reduce the rear axle loadings and also make the spare more accessible.

 

C.

 

[tonyishuk]

Having a VW Touran with no spare I have learnt the following;

 

Walk round the car and check the hooves, EVERY TIME before you drive off. (Cost a new tyre to learn this one !)

 

Punctures never happen somewhere convient, and tyres (even common ones) can take a couple of days to get (Even in Wales, let alone rural Spain).

 

Using supplied VW goo and pump worked for 25 miles and then gave up. It would have been wiser to stay put and let Green Flag (bless'm) sort it out and it would have saved another tyre.

 

Applying my experiences to the M/home I would not travel without a spare, safe in the knowledge that I have a matching working tyre that can be used if need be, AND am willing to pay the cost of having to change it every five years , even if not used.

 

I might not be able to change the wheel, but am willing to pay some one to do it for me and carry on my way knowing I am correctly shod !

 

Rgds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mel E]

I'm afrain I need to point out again that there are two different approaches to tyre sealant - and they are fundamentally different.

 

1. Ultraseal (there are other, similar products) is injected into the tyre preferable when new. It works by being sucked to the site of the puncture, and out through the hole where contact with the air causes it seal the hole. It works on holes up to 6mm in diameter. There should be no significant loss of pressure. It is NOT a problem for tradesmen when they come to replace (or repair) the tyre. Ultraseal has been tested at speed up to 120mph and over distances of 40,000 miles.

 

2. The type referred to frequently above which is injected into the tyre AFTER it is punctured. It is supposed to seal the puncture AND inflate the tyre, but it typically has a mileage limitation and is really a 'get you to a garage' standby.

 

Please note that neither approach will work if the puncture slits the tyre or pulls the valve out. Obviously neither approach works with a blow-out. However, because Ultraseal seals punctures and prevents tyre deflation, it significantly reduces the risk of a blow-out, since a sunstantial proportion of blow-outs are caused by running on a severely under-inflated tyre, at speed, until it gets so hot it simply blows out through the side wall.

 

I have not recently checked the price of Ultraseal for a van but seem to recall that it's around£100 to £120.

 

Mel E

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[Uncle Bulgaria]

I, too, am considering having Ultraseal installed and doing without the spare wheel, which will improve payload capacity by 45 Kg (35 Kg for the spare wheel and 10 Kg for the axle stand to support the vehicle when wheel changing) . Although I have the spare and the kit for wheel changing, I can't see me doing it except in ideal circumstances. If blow-outs arise from running with an underinflated tyre caused by a slow puncture, then sealing the pucture seems to be the best way of preventing a blow-out in any case. Does anyone know an Ultraseal installed in the Nottinghamshire area?

 

Richard.

[david lloyd]

Mel E

 

It must be difficult to answer a question like this (as, if the treatment works, you will not know if you have had a puncture!!) but how would you rate the Ultraseal treatment now that you have been using it for quite some time?

 

Regards, David

[catinou]

We have Ultraseal in all our tyres - MH, Honda & Smart Car - hate the thought of changing a tyre! 8-)

 

If we have a puncture at any time - or a valve leak - we will see as the Ultraseal is quite a bright blue. We regularly check the tyres for the tell tale sign - hope never to see it, a bit like hoping not to use expensive travel insurance! *-)

[Mel E]

David,

 

I've done about 19,000 miles so far and the ultraseal has done what it says on the tin.

 

Obviously, if I were to travel in remoter countries, such as Morocco, I would carry a spare simply because of the problem of replacing the tyre if, for example, I inadvertently destroyed one by running over debris in the road.

 

Mel E

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[Vernon B]

Thanks for those thoughts everyone. Although only around 20% of the replies dealt with my specific question - (not complaining, that's pretty good for us) - I've come to the conlcusion that the decision to go "spareless" or not is largely down to your personal attitude towards risk taking, rather than any hard facts.

 

In many ways this topic has echoes of days, long gone, when the reliability of another piece of rubber was at the centre of our debates and piece of mind! Hey ho

 

Vernon

 

[david lloyd]

Hi Vernon

 

I think Mel E's expereinces of using the ultraseal product is a good indicator of its' suitability and this may be the thing that convinces me to use it in the future.

 

Apart from the weight saving (which is not as critical now since changing the Sun Ti) it is the increasing difficulty I may face now to crawl beneath the motorhome on a busy road to recover the spare then change the wheel that will be my determining factor.

 

I could just call my recovery service, of course, but then may have wait for a lengthy time at the side of the road - and the thought of not getting punctured (or rather the ultraseal taking care of it almost instantaneously) is an attractive proposation!

 

David

[Basil]

Hi Vernon, for my two pennyworth, I use Ultraseal in my motorcycle tyres, simply because you don't carry a spare on a motorcycle and it has been fine so far as I know! However my experience with a blow out on our motorhome at 65 to 70mph on th M20 makes me realise that no amount of sealant would have helped as the tyre totally disintegrated. I have to say that this seems to be the experience of most who have had a problem to my knowledge. Due to this there is no way I would have any vehicle that does not have a spare wheel of either the tempory get you home type or a proper spare.

 

Bas