Tyre pressure, spare removal, and fitting.

CamperJack

CamperJack

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I have a 2013 L3H2 Boxer that I'm converting. I had my van serviced when I bought it. Since then, with the lockdowns and things, it's hardly moved except two or three trips away. Despite this I feel like I need to check the tyre pressure and inflate if needed.

Since I've never done this on the van (or any van - only my cars because this van is my first) I don't really know what pressure to put in them. I've looked online and found a range of answers, with most being about 60PSI, but what pressures funsters use for their conversions. Is it different to the recommended pressure given for a van due to the weight of a camper? What do you put in yours?

I also realised this afternoon that I don't actually know how to remove the spare from under the van! I crawled under and couldn't find how to remove the spare. I was looking for a nut but there wasn't one to be found. I have since found the video below showing how it is done!

However the box under the passenger seat only contains a jack, and no bar shown in the video for undoing the spare from the bottom of the van and no tyre iron. Any idea where I could find a replacement? I've checked eBay etc and only found kits (including the jack I already have) for £70 and up. Seems a bit steep when I could buy any tyre iron and only really need the unscrewing bar thingy! Why didn't the original owner just put it back? :cry:

 
When allowed get down the local car/van breakers they should have the missing bits you need...
 
I put 60 psi in the front and 65 in the rear. Still got my teeth😁😁
 
Vipar said:
I put 60 psi in the front and 65 in the rear. Still got my teeth😁😁
Click to expand...

I'll go with that I think... I will look to see what the tyres say on the side too.

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Tyre pressure should be stated on a sticker inside the front door pillar.
 
When loaded run them so that they are just warm, then you will get good ride and keep your teeth, if they run hot pump them up 5psi until they cool down to warm. Check them 1 hour after you park up. Then that should be your normal pressure. When pumping them up from cold. Hope you understand this.😀
 
Tyre pressures can be confusing, and for us it's complicated by the fact we have 'camper' tyres available, plus all the different makes.
Worth going back and checking the various tyre threads on here over recent years, these also include various experience of using 'van' specific tyres (which you probably have).
If after that you are still unsure, join the club :unsure:
I just exchanged my front Continental campers for Continetal van tyres and after a bit of messing around settled for a slightly lower pressure than before as that seemed closer to the best advice I could find.
 
With reference to the bar used to lower the spare wheel the design changed around 2010. Can't remember exactly what the change was but I think one version is five sided and the other is six sided .

Patrick
 
My Boxer is 2012 and I have been using the pressures indicated on the plate in the passenger door which are 59 front and 65 rear and these have provided a good ride and even tyre wear.
As far as the spare tyre goes you may be able to improvise and use something else to unwind the spare tyre, the head of a long suitable size bolt would fit inside and you could turn it with some mole grips. You may be able to find the missing short bar at your local scrapyard.

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Our 2006 Boxer based Compass MH has 44psi in the owners manual maintenance charts.
And 58psi on a the door frame sticker.

Went with the owners manual as it matched how the vehicle came from the dealer - I definitely didn't let air out!
All was OK until we put two bikes on the rack plus food & clothing for few days away.
Then we had Tyrepal TPMS alarms for the rear tyres at a high pressure. :) a lower cruise speed let the temp & pressure come down.

Switched to the door sticker psi, no problems since.
 
My 2001 Pilote with Alko chassis has a spare wheel rack that is pivoted at the front with two wind down hooks at the rear. On the left side there is a short tube welded onto the frame.
Does anyone know what that is for?

IMG_20210323_123303819.jpg


At least you know it's real metal if it's rusty.😀😀😀
 
This has turned into a total nightmare.

The part came today, fitted nicely, turned in it's little hole but nothing happened. Wheel wouldn't drop down. Drowned it all in WD40. Still nothing. A few taps with a hammer. Nothing.

Online, found it's a common issue for them not to want to come down. Seems the mechanism is a load of 💩 and commonly fails, leaving the wheel stuck. One chap I spoke to had his stuck up there for years! What use is this if you have a puncture?

Broken Link Removed

Online advice was to cut the cables and be careful as the wheel suddenly drops. Off to the allotment for the bolt cutters. They wouldn't fit. So out with the angle grinder. Cut both cables. Wheel still well and truly stuck to the floor of the van. And now the van was unsafe to drive too!

Gave the whole thing a good pull, turned the wheel round and round. Nothing. Crowbar under and attempted to prise it out. Nothing. Tried deflating the tyre to get the bar in more. Still no use.

In the end I got my good friends brute force and ignorance (aka big hammer and massive hammer) out to help.

Broken Link Removed

These two big lads finally persuaded the wheel down by repeated heavy blows to the central pin.

Broken Link Removed

What an absolute nightmare. Whoever designed this mechanism wants a good slap! What was wrong with the old way? Change the wheel. Ten minute job, or so I thought. This has taken days!

I've given the wheel a good rub down and painted it ready for fitting.





But the next issue is the spare I eventually got down seems to be a slightly different size.

The spare is a 215/70R15C 109/107R. All those on the van are 215/70R15C 109/107S.

The R one (spare) does look slightly bigger. I cannot make my mind up if they are the same, but the R has more tread. Anyone know the difference?

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R and S are max speed indicators of the tyre

R = 106mph & S = 112mph if you are that brave....;)
 
Phill D said:
R and S are max speed indicators of the tyre

R = 106mph & S = 112mph if you are that brave....;)
Click to expand...

I'm not that brave! 😱

So they are the same size and should be interchangeable?

Thanks, Phil! :giggle::giggle::giggle::giggle:
 
Phill D said:
yes...
Click to expand...

It's funny the spare looks bigger. The metal bits measure the same (I got my tape measure out) but I think the rubber portion of the spare is chunkier.
 
68c said:
My 2001 Pilote with Alko chassis has a spare wheel rack that is pivoted at the front with two wind down hooks at the rear. On the left side there is a short tube welded onto the frame.
Does anyone know what that is for?

View attachment 476246

At least you know it's real metal if it's rusty.😀😀😀
Click to expand...
Jacking point to lift the damn thing back up and over the hooks.

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215 is the width in mm and the 70 is the %age of the width that the tyre is taller than its rim diameter ( best i can describe it, ) the 15 is the rim diameter in " and the 109/107 is the load index the R / S are speed rating.

so if the info is correct they are the same physical size and load rating.. if the tread pattern is different it could just be an optical illusion
 
Phill D said:
215 is the width in mm and the 70 is the %age of the width that the tyre is taller than its rim diameter ( best i can describe it, ) the 15 is the rim diameter in " and the 109/107 is the load index the R / S are speed rating.

so if the info is correct they are the same physical size and load rating.. if the tread pattern is different it could just be an optical illusion
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm reassured that fitting it should be safe and I'm not going to kick the back left corner of the van up higher than the rest. :roflmto: :roflmto: :roflmto:
 
My Movano and also my Volvo XC90 has these wind down spare wheel carriers.
I make sure I lower and raise them every couple of months.
Otherwise it could be years if you forget them until stuck at side of road and you find out it has seized.
 
poppycamper said:
My Movano and also my Volvo XC90 has these wind down spare wheel carriers.
I make sure I lower and raise them every couple of months.
Otherwise it could be years if you forget them until stuck at side of road and you find out it has seized.
Click to expand...

Admittedly I have never done it in the year I owned it. But judging by the amount of surface rust on the wheel and the corrosion of the entire mechanism I doubt if it has been used since the van left the factory in 2013! I cannot help but think the old cages are better...
 
CamperJack said:
Admittedly I have never done it in the year I owned it. But judging by the amount of surface rust on the wheel and the corrosion of the entire mechanism I doubt if it has been used since the van left the factory in 2013! I cannot help but think the old cages are better...
Click to expand...
Indeed. The adapter is always missing (one of the requirements of being a white van man is to take the spare wheel adapter and throw it in the nearest ditch) and are made of purest unobtainium. Even finding the size of the hex key is hard and they make a tiny hole to poke it through so you can't use extension pieces.

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cmcardle75 said:
Indeed. The adapter is always missing (one of the requirements of being a white van man is to take the spare wheel adapter and throw it in the nearest ditch) and are made of purest unobtainium. Even finding the size of the hex key is hard and they make a tiny hole to poke it through so you can't use extension pieces.
Click to expand...

Yes, all the tools were missing except the jack. I had to buy one online (waste of money it turns out 💸). I then used a socket ratchet to turn it before descovering the whole thing was totally knackered.

I've cut the entire mechanism off the bottom of the van. Not going through that if at the side of the road if I get a puncture! What moron thought this was a good idea?

The spare is going to live under my bed somewhere. I'm going to make a mount for it. I can use the space on the underside of the van where the spare used to be for a water or gas tank? 🤔
 
CamperJack said:
Yes, all the tools were missing except the jack. I had to buy one online (waste of money it turns out 💸). I then used a socket ratchet to turn it before descovering the whole thing was totally knackered.

I've cut the entire mechanism off the bottom of the van. Not going through that if at the side of the road if I get a puncture! What moron thought this was a good idea?

The spare is going to live under my bed somewhere. I'm going to make a mount for it. I can use the space on the underside of the van where the spare used to be for a water or gas tank? 🤔
Click to expand...
I haven't decided whether to keep the mechanism (no idea if it works as I don't have the adapter). However, it needs moving back 10cm anyway to avoid the gas tank, so it will be a faff regardless. Alternatively, I could fabricate or modify a more conventional cage that can be guaranteed not to have seized when required.
 
IMG_20210325_194944.jpg


This is the door card. It says 65 PSI in the back. But the tyres say max 65 PSI.

Doesn't seem right running them at max. I might put 59 in the front and say, 62 in the back????
 
pappajohn said:
The pressure marking on the tyre is the max for the American Market.
My old 3850kg van ran at 60psi rear and 52psi front.
Click to expand...

i had that very argument with a tyre fitter end of last week, would not inflate the tyres over the pressure sated on the side wall of the tyre. Even when i showed him the email from the manufacturer that i had given my axle loads too and had a reply with recommended pressures above that he still said I was wrong.:rolleyes:

i got it sorted with his boss, who i have known for a long time.

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