Fake Cover May 16, 2016, 07:50:12 pm Here's a silly question for all of you. We have a 2004 30' MBTK and have had it for about one year now. I just got around, today in fact, to opening up that back "bulge" where one would think a spare tire would normally be. Our's isn't of course, but that's what it looks like it should be. I found out that all it is, is a big empty air pocket with the exception of a bundle of wires going to a plug on the bottom. So...1) Why have just a big empty pocket on the back of the RV? Is it just aesthetics?2) And what's the plug for? Looks like it could be for trailer lights.Curious and on the road,Bud & Barbara 1 Likes
Re: Fake Cover Reply #2 – May 16, 2016, 09:02:52 pm LOL Guess there's not much to the story, Jon. It's like an inside LD Factory joke; "Hey, let's build the big empty box on the back with no purpose in mind... and hey! Let's add a hinge on it too and watch people try and figure it out!" :-)
Re: Fake Cover Reply #3 – May 16, 2016, 10:10:40 pm The "big empty box" has a spare tire in it in some models.
Re: Fake Cover Reply #4 – May 16, 2016, 10:19:38 pm "The "big empty box" has a spare tire in it in some models." --so for my (& others') edification, why not all? I'm sure there's a rhyme to the reason, but it is a PITA to pull the spare out of the back of the cubby under the driver's side twin bed (because, of course, the bay door doesn't open the full length of the storage bay). Has anyone with "The "big empty box" gotten creative about out what lightweight stuff might go in there? (I've thought about extra papertowels/TP/cleaning rags, but for now it remains "The "big empty box").
Re: Fake Cover Reply #5 – May 16, 2016, 10:34:22 pm I had the same question, Lynn. The members of this group are pretty creative so it seems like someone must have found a use for it.
Re: Fake Cover Reply #6 – May 17, 2016, 01:32:54 am "for my (& others') edification, why not all?"In a nutshell: there used to be a spare tire there in all Lazy Dazes, but that changed in 2000. Here's why: in older midbath LDs, the driver's seat could not move very far back before it hit the refrigerator cabinet, making it uncomfortable for taller drivers. The twin/king had the same problem, but in that case it was the bathroom that was in the way, and the company solved it by putting a hinged trap door in the bathroom wall to let the driver's seat slide further back. But this wasn't possible with the midbath—they couldn't very well cut into the refrigerator.So beginning at the end of 1999, they moved the whole coach body backward about two and a half inches to allow more room for the driver. That meant the spare tire would no longer fit in the bulge. (I should explain that in LDs with the tire in the bulge, part of the tire is actually recessed into the body—that's why you have a rear shelf in those models.)Now, they could have made the bulge deeper, but that would have meant it would have stuck out a couple of inches past the rear bumper, which would have looked awkward. Or they could have stretched the frame and moved the bumper back two and a half inches, making the entire coach longer. But that would have had negative effects on the CCC and handling. Instead, they chose to leave the former spare tire housing empty and move the spare to a (very awkward!) location under the street-side rear couch.I have yet to meet an owner who thinks this was a good idea. But for better or worse, we've been stuck with it for the last sixteen years. A few of us have moved the spare to a front hitch mount, which not only frees up storage space and makes the spare much easier to access (and to check its pressure, an often-neglected task), but also shifts weight away from the rear axle, which is usually the first to be overloaded.As for the empty rear spare casing, some have built shelves there, others store a spare sewer hose, and I used to have a bungee net that held sealed bags with extra bedding. You can probably figure out something to fill that space. It's a pity that Lazy Daze doesn't make it useable by building in shelves or storage units of some sort. 4 Likes
Re: Fake Cover Reply #7 – May 17, 2016, 09:21:34 am I've always thought the classic paint scheme, the fender skirts and the "continental kit" gave the LD that great retro look.Ed 1 Likes
Re: Fake Cover Reply #8 – May 17, 2016, 10:19:21 am Stored hubcaps there once after a tire/tire valve problem. Extra sewer hose there is a good idea since I find the hose compartment on the RV to be useless when you modify waste hose connectors.
Re: Fake Cover Reply #9 – May 17, 2016, 02:37:41 pm Even on floorpans, with the spare tire inside the bulge, there is usable storage.Many carry 1-lb propane cans there. Wrapped and stored inside our spare tire is a 50' hose, dedicated to the sewage macerator pump, don't want to get it mixed up with the fresh water hoses. Adding storage is limited by your imagination. A 31' model has a lot of available storage there but , considering how much storage room is available elsewhere and the limited CCC, few bother to use it. Using it for storage adds weight in the wrong place.Larry
Re: Fake Cover Reply #10 – May 17, 2016, 07:38:04 pm Attn Andy. If you have the time, could you post a photo of your front end mounted spare tire? And thank you.
Re: Fake Cover Reply #11 – May 18, 2016, 08:57:01 pm Wow! I guess there was more to the story!! Thanks to each and every one of you for your response and I am SO GLAD that I wasn't the only one standing at the rear of the RV, scratching his head and wondering.. "WHY?".Love a lot of the storage suggestions. Does seem like a good place to hold some lighter type items. After this thread, I am sure I'll get around to putting it to use. And thanks Andy Baird for the LD history lesson as to why it is the way it is. Very insightful!On a side note, we're heading out of Ohio on Friday morning to begin our new LD adventure. So pumped!Thanks again,Bud & Barbara 2 Likes
Re: Fake Cover Reply #12 – May 19, 2016, 10:56:15 pm Quote from: Thomas Sawyer - May 17, 2016, 10:19:21 amI find the hose compartment on the RV to be useless when you modify waste hose connectors.I have a female sewer hose connector on one end of my hose and nothing on the other end. 98% of the time, nothing is needed there. The hose slips into the hose compartment fine. For the (very rare) occasions when I need a special sewer fitting to go into a campsite's dump opening, I carry a right-angled fitting in a bin with my other sewer accessories (back-flushing elbow, etc.). It screws onto the bare end of the hose. But normally I just shove a few inches of bare hose in the hole, and that's all that's needed. That hose storage compartment is a great thing, because it saves me from wasting compartment space that I can use for other things. 1 Likes
Re: Fake Cover Reply #13 – May 19, 2016, 11:18:58 pm Quote from: Traxless - May 17, 2016, 07:38:04 pmAttn Andy. If you have the time, could you post a photo of your front end mounted spare tire?Done. I put some basic info in the album's description, but since I don't yet know how to get from viewing an individual image back to viewing the album, I'm afraid folks may miss it, so I'll repeat it here.Parts used:Draw-Tite #65001 Front mount hitch receiver ($125) (IMPORTANT: this fits my 2003 LD. 2008 and later Ford chassis require part #65053. But don't take my word for it--be sure to double-check before ordering, to make sure you get the right one.)Draw-Tite Trailer Hitch Universal Spare Tire Carrier ($119)Tow Ready J-Pin Stabilization Pin and Barrel Lockset ($30)SunPro spare tire mesh cover (about $125)Notes:The front-mount hitch receiver can be installed without removing the front bumper—they include special wires to fish the bolts through the frame tubes—but having done it both ways, I can testify that it's MUCH easier to do if you remove the bumper! And that's not hard to do; there are only four bolts holding it in place.The J-pin lockset prevents rattling, but you could do without it if you wanted to save a few bucks. It wouldn't prevent anyone from stealing the spare, which is held in place by three nuts and bolts.The mesh cover was a special order from SunPro, who make mesh windshield covers. A friend had had one made for their rig's front-mounted spare, and it looked so good that I wanted one of my own. A phone call to SunPro with the tire's dimensions was all it took, and the result was a great-looking cover that's easy to keep clean. I love this cover, but you could probably get a plain vinyl cover for less money. (Or you could do without, and save even more.)I used to recommend against front-mounting anything, because Ford says (somewhere in the manual which I can't find at the moment) that it's a bad idea. But after my friend had no problems with their front-mounted spare, I went ahead and did the same... and I've seen no hint of overheating, even when climbing steep grades.(Sorry, but you are not allowed to access the gallery) 5 Likes
Re: Fake Cover Reply #14 – May 26, 2016, 01:48:36 am Here's an important addendum to my post about adding a front-mounted spare tire: the hitch receiver I mentioned, Draw-Tite #65001, fit my 2003 Lazy Daze and others of similar vintage. But as you probably know, in 2008 Ford changed the E450 chassis, lengthening the nose--and that means a different part is needed for 2008 and later rigs: Draw-Tite #65053. So before you order anything, double-check with the supplier to make sure you get the right adapter for your Lazy Daze. eTrailer.com is a good source of information on these items. 1 Likes
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Topic: Fake Cover (Read 507 times)
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