Spare tire resolved !!!!

[Beemerman]

Finally bought correct wheel & tire.....fits in aft cargo area....removed cosmetic bulkhead under bed..... fits fine....

[preedtx]

Originally Posted by Beemerman

Finally bought correct wheel & tire.....fits in aft cargo area....removed cosmetic bulkhead under bed..... fits fine....

That does seem to solve one problem but... I have spent hours rearranging what i call my necessaries under the rear bed area. Are you planning on towing or using a external storage or just traveling light?

[MountainLife]

Good for you if this is what you need for peace of mind. I would not be able to give up the cargo space. Our AI has a full size spare under the rear bumper. Quite honestly unless we were somewhere remote I would use our roadside assistance we pay for if we have a flat. Our peace of mind came in the form of air pressure sensors and inspecting tires before a trip. Of course that doesn’t cover damage that can occur by road debris. My son is a mechanic and predicts we will all be driving with run flat tires in the future.

[DaveG]

Thanks for post and picture! We are still pondering possible solutions hoping to come across better choices than what we have found so far. The hitch swing outs which are smaller and not out of character to an AI 19 looked good but we have been cautioned they may not work because of the AI bumper. For rear door mounts we looked closely at Agile and Aluminess. Agile support looks best aesthetically but requires a hole to be drilled and replacement of the MB badge. Aluminess is presently at the top of the list. No issues with calling roadside assistance to change out a flat but we lack confidence that the correct wheel and tire would be available.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by DaveG

....No issues with calling roadside assistance to change out a flat but we lack confidence that the correct wheel and tire would be available.

Bingo. I routinely travel in areas where I don't believe there's a spec tire to be purchased within 250 miles of my location. I'd be looking at days of stranding until it could get delivered to me.

It's also necessary to read the fine print on response contracts. I blew out about 6 weeks ago and roadside assistance (Good Sam) simply couldn't help me - they didn't have a protocol for my situation. I had to hire my own tow and have them deposit my disabled Interstate at a truck stop. From there, my husband and I mounted our spare, replaced the severed brake line, and drove under our own power to a Discount Tire for a new replacement of the blown tire.

It's a pain in the butt carrying a spare, but if you ever need one and don't have one, life can get very difficult very quickly.

[Beemerman]

I have given up reasonable storage....but my wife & I do not really “camp.” We use the Tommy Van as a travel van.....and daytrip for bicycling; plenty of room inside for clothing, and travel food. For extended travel in ‘21 & ‘22 we plan on a hitch cargo shelf or box. Plenty of room along spare for maintenance tools & parts.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Beemerman

... For extended travel in ‘21 & ‘22 we plan on a hitch cargo shelf or box. ....

Depending on your specific carrying needs, you might want to consider custom. When we faced that decision, we found poor options on the market - bulky, expensive, prone to leaking, with poor security features. So we welded our own, which is a combination shelf (with tie-down rings) and carrier for our cooler and gas can. The gas can bracket can be removed, and the cooler can be swapped out to carry other cargo on that side, so it's a Swiss army knife of hitch carriers. Details here.

[Beemerman]

Nicely done......gave me some great ideas....

[MountainLife]

Excuse my ignorance, but the AI 19' not have a full spare?

[Beemerman]

Dear Mountain.......no spare at all........

[DaveG]

Originally Posted by Beemerman

Dear Mountain.......no spare at all........

And no options for ....

[A W Warn]

Would this be an optional carrier?
https://owlvans.com/collections/ladd...SABEgIHxPD_BwE

[DaveG]

Originally Posted by A W Warn

Would this be an optional carrier?
https://owlvans.com/collections/ladd...SABEgIHxPD_BwE

That is one of the better looking ones. To install it requires the drivers side door to be somewhat taken apart and a hole drilled. Trying to avoid altering, drilling holes, and dismantling. Evaluating this one and a couple of others each has a plus and a minus list but no one model has it all. Being fussy doesn't make it any easier. Ideally a carrier could be found that looks like it came with the Airstream, not salvaged off a farm tractor.
Thanks for the link! Appreciate help and suggestions!

[DaveG]

So, many months later I am back to this most frustrating question, how to carry a spare. I like the OP solution (Thanks Beemerman!) but the loss of storage space is a concern. I have not purchased the tire and rim yet but getting ready to. The available distance between the bench motors appears to be about the same as the width required for the tire. It will be a snug fit. Has anyone actually installed any of the rear tire carriers? I saw, I think it was InterBlog had built a pretty good one. I am looking again at the Aluminess. Anyone with an update on the how to carry a spare question?

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by DaveG

So, many months later I am back to this most frustrating question, how to carry a spare. I like the OP solution (Thanks Beemerman!) but the loss of storage space is a concern. I have not purchased the tire and rim yet but getting ready to. The available distance between the bench motors appears to be about the same as the width required for the tire. It will be a snug fit. Has anyone actually installed any of the rear tire carriers? I saw, I think it was InterBlog had built a pretty good one. I am looking again at the Aluminess. Anyone with an update on the how to carry a spare question?

DAVEG - I do not have a 19, I have the EXT version so it comes with the spare tire carrier underneath. But I fully grasp the need for a spare and also the loss of valuable storage if the spare was put inside under the couch/bed. Like you, I also do not like the idea of drilling holes that I may later regret. But if you decide to go the external tire carrier route, the Owl Van carrier is one of the best thought-out AND best looking out there. I thought it only used the existing mounting holes for the magnetic puck? (see attached exterior & inside door cavity pics below). But I do not know the answer for sure, so best check with Owl Vans. My friend just had one installed on his Winnie Revel two weeks ago. It looked awesome, I was jealous.

I also get your concern of wanting it to look like it was meant for the AI. Well, sorry to say the Owl Van hardware is not made to look at home with the AI 19 even if it's a 4x4. It was made for the off-roading crowd from the start. But the good news is they allow you to order it to color match any color. So that ought soften the blow. Putting the standard black Owl carrier on a standard AI (except the new 24X) would be totally out of place, albeit totally functional. One option is to carry the spare inside and have a hitch carrier for when you need more storage mounted to your hitch.

You could also build a midshelf across & above the rear tire to recover some of the lost storage underneath like I did in my EXT.

[DaveG]

Thanks Alex!! Pictures look great!!!! The 19 rear door doesn't swing around so no puck, darn it. Owl does have a good design. I like that the tire sits on a brace making it easier to attach and remove from the carrier. Also like that they are now using aluminum. The color matching makes them an inviting choice. I'll give Owl a search on YouTube. Right now it looks like the tire goes under the bench and using a hitch carrier for storage.
Thanks again!

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by DaveG

The 19 rear door doesn't swing around so no puck, darn it.

DAVEG - Oh, yes darn it. You are right, I totally forgot the new ones do not have that feature anymore. I agree, I would not want to punch that new hole then.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

One "interesting" twist to this:

If you have a 24' with 4 wheels in back, they may or may not all be identical wheels. With steel wheels, they likely are. With aluminum wheels they may not be. I'd do some investigating before drilling holes you your shiny new GT or GL.

The Owl tire rack takes about 8 weeks to deliver right now ....

Bob

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

One "interesting" twist to this:

If you have a 24' with 4 wheels in back, they may or may not all be identical wheels. With steel wheels, they likely are. With aluminum wheels they may not be.

UNCLE BOB - I can confirm for you that on mine, they are not identical. Only the outer rear dually is Alcoa alu. The inner duals and spare are OEM MB steel. They have the round holes as you can see on the spare. I adjusted the contrast on the 2nd pic to highlight the round holes that you can barely see if you look really hard between the tires in that undercarriage pic of the dually.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by DaveG

Thanks Alex!! Pictures look great!!!! The 19 rear door doesn't swing around so no puck, darn it. Owl does have a good design. I like that the tire sits on a brace making it easier to attach and remove from the carrier. Also like that they are now using aluminum. The color matching makes them an inviting choice. I'll give Owl a search on YouTube. Right now it looks like the tire goes under the bench and using a hitch carrier for storage.
Thanks again!

DAVEG - have you seen the Agile Off Road version? I think it's pretty decent and they too have excellent reputation. It still requires drilling 2 holes but the holes are hidden behind the door log/emblem. That may be acceptable to you? I know if it was my situation, it would still be a compromise but slightly better than the Owl Van style of drilling on the visible exposed door surface?