19 year old 'new' spare tyre (1 Viewer)

[Chris]

18 years and never neaded? That has just confirmed the reason why I have never carried a spare wheel. How many others are wasting their time and money?

It’s fantastic not having one until you need one.

That’s the problem.

 

[tonyidle]

advise not going over 30

I think you'll find it's a much more reasonable 50mph. Otherwise I agree - use the aged spare carefully.

 

[Stealaway]

It’s fantastic not having one until you need one.

That’s the problem.

But that means I've been wasting my time carrying one for the last 20 years

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[mfw]

I think you'll find it's a much more reasonable 50mph. Otherwise I agree - use the aged spare carefully.

Thought it was 50 kph on them which is why i said 30mph but then again factor in the weight of a camper compared to a car people can make their own decision what is safe speed to drive at

 

[Chris]

But that means I've been wasting my time carrying one for the last 20 years

Yes I know.

But when you need one, shit you need one.

 

[gus-lopez]

Look at the amount of vehicles that carry the silly little spare wheel and if needed advise not going over 30 until you get original repaired or replaced - i'd use an out of date tyre like yours in an emergency and get original tyre repaired or replaced - but i would stick to probably 30 till i got original tyre sorted - certainly would not buy a new tyre to sit under van for another few years

I think you'll find it's a much more reasonable 50mph. Otherwise I agree - use the aged spare carefully.

Thought it was 50 kph on them which is why i said 30mph but then again factor in the weight of a camper compared to a car people can make their own decision what is safe speed to drive at

Yes it is 80kph or 80 kilometres which is 50mph or a maximum of 50 miles.
Here they should make them automatically explode if exceeding the speed limit ,or like the bloke up the road who has had it on for months now, over the 80 kilometres.The limit is there for a reason. They are only 3ply & made of fag paper & old cigar butts.

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[Barclaybasher]

What seemed daft to me was that the manufacturers put the spare in a rack under the van when there was plenty of space in the 'garage'...which is what I have now done

 

[Ivory55]

Always thought considering the age of most motorhome owners why hang the spare wheel underneath making it really awkward to get to.

 

[PeteH]

I noticed the small print in my breakdown cover specified I must have a spare tyre. I am replacing two tyres now. I’ll throw the better of the two in the “cave”. Another 12kg on the back axle that I could well do without!

I have a "Spare", it`s also in the garage (at home). It`s now 10years old anyway and weighs in at 25Kg!. Was "discovered" under the bed when we got the M-H home from the dealer. I have had blowouts on R-V`s, ALL tyres which where well out of date. (Shut one lane of the M25 one Friday afternoon, and got a mention by Sally traffic!). 2 In the one weekend plus one parked up!, SWMBO was on the loo at the time which was right by the Rear axle!. (not the happiest of bunnies!). I am currently looking into fabricating a carrier for the Tow bar, As I need all the locker space for "essentials". I also lean towards carrying just a Tyre. I would not want to even try and jack up and change a wheel on 3-3/4t. Except on the drive at home with a 4t trolley Jack and H-D Stands.

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[Reallyretired]

I didn't have a spare wheel until last year when I had a rip in a side wall in France I now carry a spare on a bracket on the towbar.

 

[gwyntaxi]

What's a spare? My manufacturer, in their infinite wisdom, decided to put the water tank where a spare might be leaving nowhere to put one. Fortunately, in 9 years, I have not needed one..... Famous last words!

I wouldn't dream of travelling any distance without a spare in my Moho, most folk wouldn't use a car locally without one let alone a Moho, I have had a blowout in Spain and in UK, can of gunk would be pretty useless then, No definitely a spare for me.

 

[JockandRita]

No definitely a spare for me.

Yep, me too.

Cheers,

Jock.

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[Northernraider]

Yep, me too.

Cheers,

Jock.

Me three

 

[SuperMike]

Only had one puncture in the motorhome, when 95psi escaped out through the side wall of an inner dually. Went off with a huge bang akin to a shotgun.

Anyway called the RAC Arrivals rescue mob and they turned up in a van with a likkle trolly jack despite me telling them the gross weight was 10.5t. So after another wait a man with a bigger van and jack arrived and I helped him to get the wheel and tyre out of its locker, bloody heavy, and he changed the wheel. It was then that I noted he was doing the nuts up with length of pipe and a heavy hammer. Stopping him, I asked that he use his torque wrench. “Don’t have one says he”. And then the fight started.

 

[EuroTrotters]

I would never drive on anything more than 7 years old.

Most people don’t understand tyres.

Ignorance can kill.

Imagine if airlines took the same attitude to old tyres?.

Lives are worth more than a £50-£200 a wheel.

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[HandyAndy]

Bought my 03 Burstner last August and I also had a look at the spare.
The same as you, still had the nipples on it and was brand new but the tyre was indeed dated 2003.
Now in the life of vehicle ownership I can count on one finger the times I’ve had a puncture.
However.... the absolute hassle factor it causes when you don’t have one is immeasurable compared to the £95 quid it cost me to get a new one and button it back up under than van for another 10-15 years.
How tight do you have to be to NOT replace something that old and possibly as worthless as carrying a flat one.
You either want peace of mind that you can be back on your way in 30 mins or so or sat on the hard shoulder / autoroute for hours on end waiting for a service van, only for them to tell you you’ll have to be flat bedded by another service, all the while you are stressing about that ferry crossing, that site, those tickets you booked that you might now not make.... all because you were too tight to spend £100 on a new spare...
That’s the way I look at it anyway.
The whole POINT of having the van is to get away from stressful bollocks like that happening.

 

[Stealaway]

Do just use the standard jack or do have to carry a HD trolley jack as well?

 

[Northernraider]

Do just use the standard jack or do have to carry a HD trolley jack as well?

I carry a 10 tonne bottle jack.

Much safer than the standard jack which I used on my Frankia last year but it collapsed

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[JockandRita]

Do just use the standard jack or do have to carry a HD trolley jack as well?

I got myself a decent bottle jack, as the Fiat supplied scissor jack is dangerous in my opinion.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Gromett]

I stopped carrying a spare about 6-7 years ago. Seriously it is now dirt cheap to get a tyre company to come out and swap the tyre for you at the road side.
I just had one done and it was less than £100. I can't remember the exact amount but I was seriously impressed with how fast they got there, and how quick the job was done.

As for the 19 year old tyre. Probably as safe as the space saver tyres you get in some cars now with a 30mph limit on them.

If you use it, take it slow and get to a tyre place asap..

As it is under the van, I don't expect the Sun has had much of a go at it. As I understand it most of the problems occur due to UV from the Sun perishing the rubber. Is the rubber cracked or otherwise deformed/marked or visibly damaged?

 

[Gromett]

PS: Not carrying a spare gives you the extra payload taken by the jack, spare wheel and nut spider.

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[Barclaybasher]

I stopped carrying a spare about 6-7 years ago. Seriously it is now dirt cheap to get a tyre company to come out and swap the tyre for you at the road side.
I just had one done and it was less than £100. I can't remember the exact amount but I was seriously impressed with how fast they got there, and how quick the job was done.

As for the 19 year old tyre. Probably as safe as the space saver tyres you get in some cars now with a 30mph limit on them.

If you use it, take it slow and get to a tyre place asap..

As it is under the van, I don't expect the Sun has had much of a go at it. As I understand it most of the problems occur due to UV from the Sun perishing the rubber. Is the rubber cracked or otherwise deformed/marked or visibly damaged?

The tyre looks brand new , no sign of cracking or any deterioration. I think until I had it removed last year it was under the van from new. The tyre was removed by my regular tyre firm who I trust completely. I'm in Spain but will talk to them as to the tyres' safety when I get back.

 

[Bustup15]

Hey I've not needed a condom in months but I still carry one

@Northernraider
Lol - bet you check the date stamp!

 

[Bustup15]

Since having a Jag XF shred a tyre in the middle of M1 roadworks with a bottle of 'foam magical repair gunk' to repair a non existent tyre I have always ordered vehicles with a full spare. It happened after 5pm on a night while heading to London for very important meeetings the following morning.

Nightmare and extremely expensive!

Also the reason I won't buy BMW as you can only get them with run flats. Not a lot of use when a tyre is shredded

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[Stealaway]

So you now also have to drag around another hundred weight of jack and beaker bar.
I'm with @Grommet on this one
I'll wait until the free breakdown man turns up, I'm never in any hurry.

 

[Northernraider]

The tyre looks brand new , no sign of cracking or any deterioration. I think until I had it removed last year it was under the van from new. The tyre was removed by my regular tyre firm who I trust completely. I'm in Spain but will talk to them as to the tyres' safety when I get back.

I'm curious to check the date on mine , it isn't under the van but it lives in between the double floor accessed through the underbed locker. Problem is to get to it I need to empty the underbed locker lol.

I certainly think if there's no signs of sidewall cracking or any swells and the tread is good then it's good enough to keep as a spare tyre to get you out of trouble.

I don't see the point replacing a spare tyre with a brand new one to stay under a van or in a garage. Yes I can see the point some make about the age etc but if that's the case then I'd be inclined to keep one of the wheels with 3 or 4mm tread on it as a spare when I was replacing a pair.

A brand new tyre with 8-10mm tread isn't required to lie around doing nothing.

 

[SuperMike]

I carry a spare wheel and tyre in its own factory installed locker. No tyre mob are going to rock up in France at 5pm on a Sunday night with a 245/70 R19.5 because Mike did not have one.

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[Feltwell]

I'll beat all of you....

Went with my Dad to buy a classic car yesterday. 1952, 17k miles on the clock with loads and loads of paperwork over many years to back that up - and we're pretty certain the original Dunlop tyres that Triumph fitted at the factory!

Amongst the paperwork was a letter from 1977 from Dunlop confirming that the tyres were made in 1951. It's done only 3000 miles since then, we don't think they've been changed.

Yes, the sidewalls are showing signs of cracking - but for 67 year old tyres they are in remarkably good condition. They will now be professionally inspected though, they've got to be safe, so they will get changed if necessary.

 

[Barclaybasher]

I'll beat all of you....

Went with my Dad to buy a classic car yesterday. 1952, 17k miles on the clock with loads and loads of paperwork over many years to back that up - and we're pretty certain the original Dunlop tyres that Triumph fitted at the factory!

Amongst the paperwork was a letter from 1977 from Dunlop confirming that the tyres were made in 1951. It's done only 3000 miles since then, we don't think they've been changed.

Yes, the sidewalls are showing signs of cracking - but for 67 year old tyres they are in remarkably good condition. They will now be professionally inspected though, they've got to be safe, so they will get changed if necessary.

Yes but weren't they just solid rubber back then......

 

[Feltwell]

Yes but weren't they just solid rubber back then......

Don't know Vic - I'll have to ask the many, many forum members who were around then. I didn't put it an appearance until another 20 years had gone past

Ironically, the spare underneath the car is knackered - got a bald spot on it

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