Vehicle Jack - carry one or not? (1 Viewer)

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Hello All,

Our van was supplied without a spare wheel, we have only pump and gunk. Therefore, is there any point in carrying the OEM Fiat scissor jack or is that just dead weight (bearing in mind we are 3500kg so every kg saved for payload is useful). I’m struggling to think what I else would use it for.

If the consensus is that I should carry a jack regardless of the lack of spare wheel, should I replace the scissor jack for something a bit more robust/stable?

Thanks for any and all advice.

 

[phil1946]

I would think that without a spare there is no need for a jack. Personally I could not be without a spare and the ability to 'rescue' myself but I have over a ton of payload!

 

[Tanya_and_Mick]

Also no spare wheel so we bought one......
Like to think of up against it we could change and plough on...

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[Kingham]

In the event of a wrecked tyre, check the terms of your breakdown cover, if they don’t require that a jack has to be carried, then it’s pointless carrying one.

I appreciate it's not what you’re asking, but I’d be upgrading to a full spare too.

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Unfortunately, according to Burstner dealer, we have no OEM option to carry a spare wheel. We don’t have a garage, only a skirt locker which is not big enough to accommodate one. No Alko carrier available for mid chassis where there looks to be enough room.

 

[scotjimland]

Best plan is to buy a spare wheel.. but if not, then I would carry the OEM jack as it may come in useful if you want to remove a wheel to have a slow puncture repaired without calling out the breakdown services .. sods law says, the day you leave it at home will be the day you wish you hadn't

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[RowleyBirkinQC]

Best plan is to buy a spare wheel.. but if not, then I would carry the OEM jack as it may come in useful if you want to remove a wheel to have a slow puncture repaired without calling out the breakdown services .. sods law says, the day you leave it at home will be the day you wish you hadn't

If only that were an option, no viable means of carrying a spare without perhaps some expensive custom fabrication for a mid Alko chassis carrier.

 

[StitchesnFluff]

Would and do always carry a jack

 

[scotjimland]

If only that were an option, no viable means of carrying a spare without perhaps some expensive custom fabrication for a mid Alko chassis carrier.

ALKO supply a carrier.. have you enquired about suitability from an ALKO service agent ?

http://www.alko-tech.com/uk/spare-wheel-holder

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[Two on Tour]

There was a thread on this subject last year that may help.

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/spare-wheel-carrier-for-ixeo-585.114022/

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

ALKO supply a carrier.. have you enquired about suitability from an ALKO service agent ?

http://www.alko-tech.com/uk/spare-wheel-holder

Not compatible according to Burstner dealer and Alko.

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Would and do always carry a jack

With or without spare wheel onboard?

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[Two on Tour]

Not compatible according to Burstner dealer and Alko.

Maybe not in it's standard form. You have to remember that dealers and manufacturers are not or do not want to think laterally or out of the box.
If fiscally there is space for a spare wheel to fit then a carrier can be made or a standard carrier can be modified to fit.
Of course carrying a spare does not help your quest to save weight.

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Maybe not in it's standard form. You have to remember that dealers and manufacturers are not or do not want to think laterally or out of the box.
If fiscally there is space for a spare wheel to fit then a carrier can be made or a standard carrier can be modified to fit.
Of course carrying a spare does not help your quest to save weight.

We could probably manage/sacrifice as necessary to accommodate a spare wheel if it were possible to buy a solution. I doubt I will pursue custom fabrication options though.

I did get quite excited by the spare wheel carrier @Techno made and documented on here, right up until the thread where it apparently didn’t fit a Burstner Aviano. No prizes for guessing what model we have...

 

[Larrynwin]

In the event of a puncture while stationary , a jack would take the weight off the flat bottom when inserting the tyreseal to be sure of even inflation.
I obtained a spare for ours but the extra weight on our 3500 kgs not helpful.

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[Techno]

ALKO supply a carrier.. have you enquired about suitability from an ALKO service agent ?

http://www.alko-tech.com/uk/spare-wheel-holder

That unit is for caravan chassis Jim

 

[Techno]

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Your solution looks good, out of curiosity, what was the issue with fitting it to a Burstner Aviano?

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[Techno]

Likely not enough open area. lots of cross braces or equipment in the way.

 

[StitchesnFluff]

With or without spare wheel onboard?

No spare wheel on board....

 

[scotjimland]

That unit is for caravan chassis Jim

indeed, it was just a link to ALKO for OP to research , this is the motorhome model

https://www.al-ko.com/shop/uk_vt/spare-wheel-carrier-for-16inch-wheels.html

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[Techno]

indeed, it was just a link to ALKO for OP to research , this is the motorhome model

https://www.al-ko.com/shop/uk_vt/spare-wheel-carrier-for-16inch-wheels.html

Yes that is for the rear and hinges down. Not suitable for many vans due to something else fitted there unfortunately. Especially with a garage there. My own chassis actually stops where the garage starts

 

[Techno]

Anyone who has an open space midships? I have a carrier as pictured for sale. Been in the classifieds a very long time. For 16" wheel 130PCD

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/foru...ssis-spare-wheel-carrier.100801/#post-1989696

 

[scotjimland]

Yes that is for the rear and hinges down. Not suitable for many vans due to something else fitted there unfortunately. Especially with a garage there. My own chassis actually stops where the garage starts

of course it may not suit all vans.. I never said or implied it would, as far as I know the OP doesn't have a garage ..

my Hymer has a garage and an ALKO chassis that extends the full length of the van.. and would be eminently suitable for this type of carrier.. but I don't need it as my spare is stored in the void between the floors.. accessed from the garage.

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[Neckender]

I chucked my 6 ton jack out in January when I had EP levellers fitted.

John.

 

[Techno]

I sold mine

 

[Hymer 1961]

Having a spare wheel on board just feels a bit more belt and braces. Our previous Hymer B544 had a spare stored in between the double floor. Although thankfully we never had to use it, it does give you peace of mind should the worst happen.

When we were buying our latest B544 I asked the Travelworld salesman where the spare was located. I’d had a quick look around and could not see one. I was told it’s somewhere underneath, turns out, after we played hunt the spare for 10 mins, it wasn’t. There was just a jack and some tyre gunk you inject into the tyre.

The jack is stored in a ridiculously large plastic case which for some reason was strapped to the bottom of our wardrobe. Needless to say the case has now been dispensed with. I purchased a small canvas bag that the jack now fits very neatly into and stores away in the outside locker. I still carry the jack and the question I asked myself at the time was “do I need to carry a jack in spite of having no spare on board”. I certainly will be looking into the possibility of retro fitting a spare underneath should space allow.

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[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

My Autosleeper Stanton does not come with a spare wheel. Neither does it come with a jack. However, it does have breakdown cover that avoids me having to get my hands dirty (but seriously put myself in harms way changing a wheel in the road).
I considered this when I bought it and decided that in my 40 years of driving I have had one puncture and one blowout. The puncture needed an offside wheel change on a busy ring road at dusk by me (never agian) and the blowout happened on the M25 near Housnlow at 5:00pm rush hour. The AA man put his life at risk changing the wheel. It made the subscription fee seem ludicrously cheap at the time.

So I went for the no spare option. I have added Tyreseal sealant to each tyre to reduce the risk further, and I will always change the tyres based on age rather than wear. (Which is why the blowout occurred - tyres more than 7yrs old, self inflicted disaster)

Long answer, but in summary, I would check your breakdown service by email, so you have it in writing, that you can travel without your jack and if so throw it out. As mine was not supplied with one, I cannot "not" carry it.

 

[Minxy]

I would still carry the jack/a bottle jack, simply because if you have a puncture and someone nearby offers to take you to get it repaired they are unlikely to have a jack strong enough to help you get the wheel off to take it there ... punctures are fortunately pretty rare but if one happens you'll likely want to get it sorted as quickly as possible and be on your way rather than having to hang about for the breakdown service to come and sort it for you.

 

[Landy Andy]

I wouldn’t risk jacking my MoHo up using the standard jack. I also think it would be near impossible to use for a rear puncture on many vehicles, as the jack is designed for standard vans, not MoHo’s.

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