spare tire on the roof? June 18, 2020, 06:41:26 pm Hey everyone- Do any of you carry your spare tire on the roof? I was semi-complaining to a friend recently about the lack of storage in a Lazy Daze and she told me that someone she knew took the spare tire out of the right rear compartment and put it on the roof. Aside from the obvious (how in the heck would I get it up there?) I'm wondering if any of you has experience that you'd like to share...Thanks, all!Laura 1 Likes
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #1 – June 18, 2020, 07:21:13 pm I'd rather not carry a spare than have one on the roof!Not carrying a spare isn't for everyone, but it's not a crazy alternative if you're in a place with reliable cell service. All you need after than is a credit card and some patience. More than 1/3 of new cars today, and many new RVs, don't have spare tires. Rich'03 MB in NC 3 Likes
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #2 – June 18, 2020, 07:42:49 pm Consider this: An LD tire and wheel weighs about 60 pounds; can you schlep the spare up and down the ladder of your rig, heft it over the railing, and secure it without dropping the thing, popping a blood vessel/herniating yourself, and/or falling off the ladder (with or without taking the spare with you as you go!), if so, more power to ya! I understand the placement of the spare in the MB is inconvenient, but, after pulling it out to check the age and condition of the tire (replace it if necessary) and air it to the max of 80 pounds, I'd just leave it where it is. YMMV, of course. 3 Likes
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #3 – June 18, 2020, 08:50:28 pm Adding to what Joan said, your roof is a relatively thin aluminum sheet. Aluminum is a soft material. A tire on its side, fastened somehow to the roof, is going to vibrate. Even if you fabricate a holder that keeps it off the roof somehow, the holder will be vibrating. That vibration has the potential to wear a hole in the aluminum roof, which would translate into a very expensive repair. Additionally, if you read your LD manual, they point out that handling is dependent in large part on how you load your RV. The recommendation is to keep weighty stuff as low as possible.Putting my spare on the roof is something I would never consider.Ken F in WY 3 Likes
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #4 – June 19, 2020, 12:30:58 am A better alternative is to mount the spare in front. The mount itself is not costly, but you do have to have a 2" hitch receiver added--the tire mount goes into the receiver. Having the spare tire there makes it much easier to take off and put on, as well as making it it a cinch to check the tire pressure. And of course it frees up a huge amount of outside compartment storage space!For years I used to recommend against this on the grounds that it would restrict airflow through the radiator, and possibly void Ford's warranty on new vehicles... but then a friend tried it, and it didn't affect operating temperatures. So I tried it with the same results, and ended up a convert. :-) 5 Likes
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #5 – June 20, 2020, 05:09:07 pm Quote from: Andy Baird - June 19, 2020, 12:30:58 amA better alternative is to mount the spare in front. The mount itself is not costly, but you do have to have a 2" hitch receiver added--the tire mount goes into the receiver. Having the spare tire there makes it much easier to take off and put on, as well as making it it a cinch to check the tire pressure. And of course it frees up a huge amount of outside compartment storage space!For years I used to recommend against this on the grounds that it would restrict airflow through the radiator, and possibly void Ford's warranty on new vehicles... but the a friend tried it, and it didn't affect operating temperatures... so I tried it with the same results... and I ended up a convert. :-)I like your solution, Andy. Makes a great bumper for those low-speed impacts as well! Don’t think I would want to hump that spare up to the roof. Bringing it down might be fun though! 😁 1 Likes
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #7 – June 21, 2020, 01:50:53 pm Don, Get a tire cover and an artist and turn it into a unique work of art and conversation piece. Jane 3 Likes
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #8 – June 21, 2020, 09:10:22 pm I find it hard to believe anybody could get one of those tires and wheels on the roof. Pretty heavy. Maybe with a crane/winch like some pickup trucks have for loading and unloading the p/u bed. The 26.5 footers should have somewhere underneath to put a tire. I could do it on an older MB, (about 2001 for example). But a little welding, modification of the under structure of those skid plates, would be needed. Really LD should do that. I recently looked under a 2019 MB that had modifications done to re-enforce the hitch, and there was no room for a tire there. A slightly deeper tire cover, and a minimal intrusion into the back bedroom wall area could fit a tire. That would mess up the 'gaucho' slide out bed system a bit. Maybe more than Steve wants to deal with at this late date. To accomodate a 'bustle' that sticks out more, the bumper should be the first thing to hit, and could be extended a few inches too. Terry Tanner did that. Would be easier to walk on the bumper to clean the back window. RonB
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #9 – June 23, 2020, 12:59:22 am I owned two Lance Campers that were carried on Ford F350 4x4 trucks. Large campers have a specific difficulty that eliminates practicality of keeping the spare beneath the truck. For this reason, it is common to see truck campers with the spare mounted in front of the front bumper.On both of my trucks, I carried the spare on the roof. I stood on the roof and pulled the spare tire and wheel up with a rope. I had 16.5 inch wheels mounted to 12 inch wide off road tires. They were really heavy. I could not lift them up there today!I did have a situation while fixing a flat in Baja. When I dropped the spare down off the roof, it bounced and rolled out into the desert, requiring a long push back to the truck.I would now put the spare on the front hitch mount, unless you are young and dumb.Harold
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #10 – June 23, 2020, 02:17:47 am Quote from: RonB - June 21, 2020, 09:10:22 pmI find it hard to believe anybody could get one of those tires and wheels on the roof. Pretty heavy. Maybe with a crane/winch like some pickup trucks have for loading and unloading the p/u bed.Something like this?Larry 1 Likes
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #11 – June 25, 2020, 10:20:38 pm Quote from: Jane and Scott - June 21, 2020, 01:50:53 pmGet a tire cover and an artist and turn it into a unique work of art and conversation piece. Yep, that's what I did in Mexico... 1 Likes
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #12 – July 07, 2020, 07:13:21 pm Quote from: Larry W - June 23, 2020, 02:17:47 amSomething like this?LarryLarry, i've been trying to find that picture after seeing it some time ago. Do you know if those are custom made or can you buy the roof crane off the shelf?
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #13 – July 07, 2020, 07:37:29 pm Quote from: downgrader - July 07, 2020, 07:13:21 pmLarry, i've been trying to find that picture after seeing it some time ago. Do you know if those are custom made or can you buy the roof crane off the shelf?Pretty sure Larry made those himself.2003 Kayak rack | Flickr
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #14 – July 07, 2020, 08:29:55 pm Quote from: henness - July 07, 2020, 07:37:29 pmPretty sure Larry made those himself.2003 Kayak rack | Flickrbut of course he did haha
Re: spare tire on the roof? Reply #15 – July 07, 2020, 08:35:00 pm Quote from: henness - July 07, 2020, 07:37:29 pmPretty sure Larry made those himself.2003 Kayak rack | FlickrThe cranes were originally on our 1983 LD.1983 Kayak rack | FlickrThe Factory is now closed for new business.Larry 4 Likes
Topic: spare tire on the roof? (Read 526 times)
previous topic - next topic
Topic: spare tire on the roof? (Read 526 times)
previous topic - next topic