Cruisers Forum

Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: Rick Leddon on September 12, 2018, 11:04:08 am

Title: New PC's don't have a spare tire, what to do with flats?
Post by: Rick Leddon on September 12, 2018, 11:04:08 am

I have a 2910 with the spare tire, but I am concerned about the weight. I would travel without the spare, but don't want to turn a blowout or flat tire into a nightmare. What is the plan when you don't carry a spare?  Thanks Rick

Title: Re: New PC's don't have a spare tire, what to do with flats?
Post by: jatrax on September 12, 2018, 12:20:24 pm

My plan is cell phone and AAA.  We also tow our Jeep so if the cell phone doesn't work we can still drive to town.

I am sure that plan does not work for everyone.  And honestly if I spent a lot of time in remote areas or Alaska or some place else that help was not a phone call away I might rethink that.  But it works for me.

There was some discussion of this a while back that led to some folks getting mad enough to actually leave the forum.  Or get banned, I'm not sure.  That discussion centered around the contention that Phoenix was pulling some kind of bait & switch by not including the spare tire anymore.

One thing I thought of after that conversation was that for those that buy a Phoenix with no spare tire but really want one there are tow hitch mounted tire carriers that would solve the problem.  Like this: Spare Tire Carrier (https://www.amazon.com/Curt-Manufacturing-31006-Hitch-Mounted-Spare/dp/B0009YIE1O?hvadid=228970776884&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9032877&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=11248991965182099444&hvtargid=kwd-354257470247&keywords=roadmaster+spare+tire+carrier&qid=1536768994&sr=8-6-fkmrnull&tag=googhydr-20&ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_6)

I should also mention that I do carry an air compressor, so with anything but a blow out I can keep aired up until I can get to a tire shop.

Title: Re: New PC's don't have a spare tire, what to do with flats?
Post by: Rick Leddon on September 12, 2018, 01:10:02 pm

Thanks for the reply. I think I will continue to travel with the spare. I will try to reduce weight by carrying less water and keeping gray and black tanks empty. Thanks Rick

Title: Re: New PC's don't have a spare tire, what to do with flats?
Post by: jatrax on September 12, 2018, 01:29:03 pm

Strongly suggest you get your rig weighed, all four corners if possible.  Front axle and back axle at least if they cannot do all four.  That will give you an accurate idea of where you are heavy and where not.

I am fortunate that there is weigh station just down the road from home.  When leaving on a trip (with everything packed) I always stop and run over the scales if it is closed.  In Oregon they leave the weigh station scale on all the time and my station is rarely open so I mostly have it to myself.

Getting all four corners weighed was a little harder but by turning around and going back through I was able to get a reading on each corner.  Most truck scales won't let you do that but there is lots of space at 'my' station so it was easy.

Title: Re: New PC's don't have a spare tire, what to do with flats?
Post by: Ron Dittmer on September 12, 2018, 05:29:36 pm

Rick,

If you also have a tow vehicle, consider carrying the PC spare tire inside it.  That will help your rear axle load significantly.

Model 2910T   (T=Triple Slide) is Phoenix's heaviest rig.  2910D  (D=Double Slide) is their 1st runner up.  If your 2910 has 2 or 3 slide outs, you are spot-on driving it without fresh and waste water in all your tanks.  5-6 gallons of fresh water won't break the camel's back.  It is nice to flush the toilet while in transit.

Your biggest concern will be a blowout which is most often an inner rear tire, especially one that does damage to the surround area as they sometimes do.  You will want to keep your tire pressure at a full 80psi which brings up my next point.  Do NOT blindly trust your tire gauge.  What was supposed to be my best tire gauge turned out to be my worst, off by 9 psi too high.  That meant I had 9 less psi than I thought.  CLICK HERE (http://forum.phoenixusarv.com/index.php/topic,2798.0.html) to read about it.

As far as a clean puncture flat tire is concerned, I carry a tire plug kit for roadside repairs.  Walmart sells them for around $75, made by Slime.  Toss out the green liquid Slime product itself and just use the from-the-outside-repair plug kit to seal the puncture.  Then visit the next tire shop along the way to repair it better, or replace the tire if necessary.

Title: Re: New PC's don't have a spare tire, what to do with flats?
Post by: hutch42 on September 12, 2018, 07:54:20 pm

A lot of RV makers have deleted the spare tire.  Most of the forum members on the other two groups I am on have a road service plan.

Some also carry a tire only, in case service cant repair flat or provide a replacement tire.  The rims on the Sprinters and Transits
are outrageously expensive.

Tires are hung off hitch carriers or bike racks.  Not to heavy without the wheel.

Title: Re: New PC's don't have a spare tire, what to do with flats?
Post by: Rick Leddon on September 13, 2018, 08:56:56 am

Thanks for all the information. I am planning of towing a vintage dune buggy in an enclosed trailer, so putting the spare in the trailer is an option. Does the tongue weight of the trailer become an issue. The buggy weights #1200 and the trailer is #2700. I'm guessing tongue weight is about #300. Thanks for the help. Rick

Title: Re: New PC's don't have a spare tire, what to do with flats?
Post by: Volkemon on September 13, 2018, 04:46:25 pm

Quote from: Rick Leddon on September 13, 2018, 08:56:56 am

Thanks for all the information. I am planning of towing a vintage dune buggy in an enclosed trailer, so putting the spare in the trailer is an option. Does the tongue weight of the trailer become an issue. The buggy weights #1200 and the trailer is #2700. I'm guessing tongue weight is about #300. Thanks for the help. Rick

BUGGY?!?  PICS PLEASE!!   (exactly) 2o2

They call me Volkemon for a reason... VW freak.  (nod) I have a 4 seater buggy project. A splash from a Berry Mini T 4. Pretty sure its made by Redhead Roadsters, or off their old molds and called a Cute T. Its blue, and will look something like this..

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/299770.jpg)

If your trailer weighs 2700 and the buggy 1200, you are at 3900 pounds, and should have a tongue weight of ~400 lbs for stability. If you are at 300# now, mounting the spare on the front of the trailer will help.


""Weigh Safe – as well as most experts agree – that an acceptable tongue weight for any trailer is somewhere between 9 to 15 percent of the gross trailer weight (GTW). Therefore, if you are towing a 5000 lbs trailer, the tongue weight should be measured at approximately 500 lbs.""  source - https://www.weigh-safe.com/towing-safety/how-to-measure-tongue-weight-mrtruck-com/

Take a minute to see this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mW_gzdh6to

 One minute, and you will never be tongue light.  :beg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mW_gzdh6to

Title: Re: New PC's don't have a spare tire, what to do with flats?
Post by: 2 Frazzled on September 13, 2018, 05:21:06 pm

SWEET!!!