I have seen them but never actually did anything about it and the forgot.
Spare wheel choice…..
- Thread starter dave_b
- Start date
Just as an addendum to this.
My van is a Swamper, shod with Wolfrace Outland wheels on 235/55 18 AT boots.
I've moved the spare from underside to tailgate, partly for the look and partly because if I scored a puncture in an inconvenient place it could be dangerous to be fannying about underneath the van trying to retrieve it.
I stuck with the steel 16 incher as a spare - a wheel to match the alloys on its own is £300 plus tyre, and frankly I'm not that bothered anyway.
So I had the spare shod with a 205/75 16 all weather boot, which is within 0.3% the same diameter as the boots on the van so it's perfectly useable as a "space saver" on either axle.
Just to keep things looking tidy I had the wheel power coated hammered black, which was only £40 as I was happy to wait until the coaters had enough work from other customers to do a full oven in one go. It sort of looks halfway between gloss and hammered finish, but is clean and tidy and that's my main concern.
My van is a Swamper, shod with Wolfrace Outland wheels on 235/55 18 AT boots.
I've moved the spare from underside to tailgate, partly for the look and partly because if I scored a puncture in an inconvenient place it could be dangerous to be fannying about underneath the van trying to retrieve it.
I stuck with the steel 16 incher as a spare - a wheel to match the alloys on its own is £300 plus tyre, and frankly I'm not that bothered anyway.
So I had the spare shod with a 205/75 16 all weather boot, which is within 0.3% the same diameter as the boots on the van so it's perfectly useable as a "space saver" on either axle.
Just to keep things looking tidy I had the wheel power coated hammered black, which was only £40 as I was happy to wait until the coaters had enough work from other customers to do a full oven in one go. It sort of looks halfway between gloss and hammered finish, but is clean and tidy and that's my main concern.
I think that the only places to put a spare would be inside the boot area/ on the rear door /on the roof. Where ever of course it would need to be secure. I would not enjoy removing a spare from under the vehicle at any time but specifically in the wet and in the dark on a dangerous road. Size could be a problem under the vehicle for some also The roof would also have a problem for most because of reach and accessibility. That would leave the boot area, often packed with stuff that might need moving and storage of filthy wheel might demand an additional cover and then storing safely bolted down. That leaves the rear door/s. Good accessibility out of the way but still needing a lift up difficult for some and other may not enjoy the reduced rear angle of vision. These are not true off road vehicle size wheels. I have lifted 900x16 and they are big and heavy and awkward to get ones arms around my UNIMOG when I had it even bigger and heavier. It may be possible to have some sort of simple crane / winch pole hanging over the rear or bolt-able to the carrier frame I suppose. Certainly a shallow ledge under a wheel might facilitate holding while retrieving bolts and locating that first one. Some off road sites initially in the EU but now here also is to use modified bicycle carriers specifically for carrying spare wheels and other things like Jerry Cans or Carrying cases. The pull down part of these bike carriers would ease the lift up and wheel location easily enough and reduce the risks of dropping it. What ever carrier is used, it would be possible to mount 2 spares side by side if travelling say on a safari. Some carriers are inexpensive but require bolting on and drilling the rear door. Some for the twin barn doors may use just a clamping method for the carrier door interface but I cannot see the same carrier for the up and lift doors for the Caravelle or similar. I think that the Bicycle Carrier type does it for me, until something else come up that is. That is only clamped on and has a shelf also. I have no intension of transporting a bike so could carry one or two wheels if needed or just unclamp the whole thing when not needed. The Bike Carrier thing for Caravelle type rear door is very expensive with all the adaptations and anything on the rear door would need more powerful supporting gas struts to offset the additional weight.
On t'tailgate with t'Uberbus hanger.
