Spare in the truck bed or under the Airstream?

[RFP]

After changing the 14" wheels & tires on our 23D to fifteen inchers, I'm left with a spare tire that won't fit back into its under-trailer cradle unless the cradle is modified. I'm wondering about taking the easy way out...

Why not just carry the spare in the covered truck bed? We don't carry much back there anyway, so it would fit easily. So, what difference would it make to weight distribution and "payload" and all that stuff if the tire is in the truck or under he trailer? Beats me.

Rob

[AldeanFan]

we carry the spare in the truck bed, our trailer didn't come with a spare tire mount. the weight of the spare is not significant to our trailer or truck and we have the space. Biggest drawback is having to remember to put the spare in the truck and not leave it at home when we hit the road.

[dkottum]

Sure, just put it far forward as possible to help with weight distribution. If the new Airstream tires are top quality, you could leave the spare at home for many travels. Not so many years ago, a spare tire was an Airstream option. And now we have more reliable tires.

Should you ever get a flat, there is a procedure in your Airstream Owners Manual to remove one tire (the flat one) and proceed at reduced speed and limited distance on the remaining three tires (tandem axle Airstream) to get home, or fixed or replaced.

[Kittyfeet]

I have the truck spare, normally mounted under the truck, and trailer spare in the bed of the truck. Also did that for my granddaughter and her 20 footer. Makes it so much easier to get them out rather than have to remove them from the carrier. Especially if you are hooked up to TT. Would not work for someone that carries a lot of stuff in the bed but I like it that way.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Do you have a portable air compressor in your AS tool kit?

Yes....let some air out.

Bob

[blkmagikca]

When I changed my 15" wheels (with GYM tires) for 16" wheels (with Michelin LTX tires), JC made the small modification to enlarge the under-AS spare carrier. JC said it was a minor fix. On that basis, I would suggest the mod.

[ChrisPBacon]

Why not just use a 14 inch tire for a spare ?

[dcasr]

I've travelled in Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas, Nevada etc and had two trailer flats at once. I carry one AS spare under the AS and the second spare in the pickup bed mounted upright to one forward sidewall. May be overkill but works for me. I have all tires including spares with tire monitors so I know the temp and PSI. More peace of mind.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by ChrisPBacon

Why not just use a 14 inch tire for a spare ?

When we changed from 15" GYM to 16" Michelins we kept the original 15" spare, for the very unlikely event we'll ever need it. No TPMS, that money went to a highly reliable tire upgrade for peace of mind.

[switz]

We built a custom tire carrier for the 23D to carry the 15" Michelin spare. That spare tire and wheel weight is part of our 968 pound tongue weight fully loaded for camping.

It was a minor bend the arms out on the tire carrier in the 25FB when The Michelins were put on.. The challenge was they were fatter in cross section so getting the lock in place was a challenge. The Classic was a similar situation.

[Wingeezer]

I moved up to 16" wheels to use LT tires on our trailer. The 16" would not fit in the spare tire carrier under the front of the trailer.

I contemplated either bending or cutting/welding the tire carrier to suit, but then decided that I would rather not leave the shiny new aluminum wheel under the trailer to be covered in dirt and road salt anyway, so I just decided to carry it in the bed of the truck.

We have a full cap on the truck and lost of space so it works fine - been doing it three or four years now. Never had to use it yet!

Brian.

[rucos]

My AS had the tire on the rear bumper which I didn't like so I moved it into the Tundra...
I built a "Big Drawer" in the back of my truck and planned a spot upfront totally out of the way in a lower storage area... I need to move a few things but its a great spot for it..... hopefully I never need it.

[dkottum]

We've been towing our Airstreams all over the country for seven years, never used the spare tire. It's our nature in 50 years of travel and camping to travel simple and light. I'm thinking of leaving it behind from now on and rely on the Owners Manual three wheel method if we should ever have a flat.

[rvb]

Originally Posted by RFP

After changing the 14" wheels & tires on our 23D to fifteen inchers, I'm left with a spare tire that won't fit back into its under-trailer cradle unless the cradle is modified. I'm wondering about taking the easy way out...

Why not just carry the spare in the covered truck bed? We don't carry much back there anyway, so it would fit easily. So, what difference would it make to weight distribution and "payload" and all that stuff if the tire is in the truck or under he trailer? Beats me.

Rob

Hey Rob, I'm just down the road in Euless.
My trailer is vintage and was light in the tongue compared to the trailer weight (less than 10%) so I moved the propane tanks forward a bit and mounted the spare behind them on the tongue. Before that, it was in the truck bed.

[StrmyWeather]

Wish I had your towing experience but will never share your optimism. One of my last trips I ended up with two of five tires blown and lucky to have found the last tire within miles of anywhere at a Wal-Mart on Sunday evening with another 4 hours to home. Three tire towing is not an option for any length of time. I now travel with two spares towing a dual axle trailer. I sure wouldn't want to be without a spare when needed.