To Spare or not to Spare?

[Darkspeed]

I just watched the Technomadia update and they are ditching their spare and installing a small propane generator in its place?

Anyone run without a spare?

I do wonder what generator would fit in the spare tire slot?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QMxZQf3_EM

[Emcemv]

We don't carry a spare, we have a AC unit in the tire storage area behind the front bumper so no room for a spare. We have coach net, if I lose a tire I call them and fork over the money.

[luvrbus]

What was their reason for removing a diesel generator and installing a propane fueled generator ? I have a 3800w Onan propane generator in the Trek that is one propane using generator it burns more propane per hour than the 20KW diesel generator will use diesel in the MCI.I have never carried a spare and never needed one " knock on wood" I see a lot of generators are mounted in the spare tire compartment

[edvanland]

Best spare tire is a cell phone and towing service. Let's face it most of us are to old and to smart to break our backs in the heat or cold.
Works for me.
ED

[HB of CJ]

A spare tire and the ability and infrastructure to change it out is a necessary thing.  My opinion only.  Also never put yourselves into a situation where you MUST depend upon outside and expensive help to come bail you out.  That help when it is extremely needed may not occur.

So many things must work and come together for that service guy to show.  What if he does not?

Self reliance comes to mind.  When the time comes in my life when I can not address MYSELF the usual road warts during activities of daily living, including traveling in my private property, then it is time to seriously re consider my life style.  Eventually, but not right now.  HB  Yikes!

[skihor]

For us, the biggest reason to carry a spare is the cost of a tire on the road. Coach net will send someone out to change it, I'm not going to. It seems, more often than not, they have you over a barrel and you could pay full retail which could be several hundred dollars more than what you might want. I had to have a Motorcycle tire on the road once. Although the shop was nice, (they took 1 from a new bike), I had to pay $280 for a tire that I could buy for $185 at home, and charged me overnight air for a replacement on their bike. All told that tire cost me nearly $500. I paid it rather than wait. I guess my point is, I can't really afford to buy one on the road.

Don & Sheila

[Iceni John]

I like the belt-and-braces approach too.   I have Good Sam ERS, but I also have a spare tire, four bottle jacks, a 40"-long breaker bar with a 1"-drive Budd socket and 12" extension, onboard electric air compressor and some blocks of wood.

It's like an umbrella  -  if you've got one it won't rain, but if you haven't got one . . .   Or as the Scouts say  -  "Be Prepared".

John   

[Darkspeed]

I wonder what the fuel cost is for hauling that spare around for years is?
Or the cost of aging out a unused spare vs a service call.

[Lin]

I thought one of my duals was the spare!

[eagle19952]

I wonder what the fuel cost is for hauling that spare around for years is?
Or the cost of aging out a unused spare vs a service call.

no one said the spare had to be new...

i carry one, and have used them.
and i carry road service and tools.
and VISA and MASTERCARD

[Darkspeed]

I thought one of my duals was the spare!

Thats a good point! Anything wrong with that idea?

[solodon]

I've also heard it said that with a tag axle you have two spares.  Should at least get you to some place for a more reasonably priced replacement.

[lostagain]

I don't carry a spare, haven't for years. When I did, in commercial service or in my private coach, I can count the number of times I've needed it with the fingers of one hand. And that is 40 years of busing and trucking. I do carry the tools to remove a wheel and reinstall it. I can use a rear dual as a spare to limp into town if necessary. I have Coach Net and credit cards also.

The failure rate of virgin tires in the US and Canada is 1%. I just happen to read an article about that today in Today's Trucking magazine. The failure rate of retread tires is .5 to 1%. Taking good care of your tires will reduce that rate a great deal, considering that the average trucker/bus driver merrily thumps his tires in the morning. That only tells him that a tire is not totally flat. You cannot tell that a tire only has 50 psi just by hitting it with a hammer or a bat. But the deflated tire will heat up and blow apart, especially on the hot asphalt in the summer.

So you can greatly reduce the chances of a blow out or flat by running quality virgins or quality retreads (there are good and bad retreads), by maintaining proper inflation by using a gauge often, and be vigilant about not driving over curbs and sharp objects. It is also good practice to feel the tires several times a day for abnormal heat, which would indicate under inflation or over loading.

Use the spare compartment for the grill, lawn chairs, and your favorite beverages...

JC   

[Tony LEE]

Best spare tire is a cell phone and towing service. Let's face it most of us are to old and to smart to break our backs in the heat or cold.
Works for me.
ED

Ha, first walk 60 miles to get phone service and then find a repair service that will come 75 miles with a new tyre.  No GoodSam around places I go.

However, many of us already carry at least four spares we can do without at low speeds in an emergency - two tags and two outside duallys.  On my MC8, it would be just about easier and quicker to take a tag wheel off than to get the spare out.

BTW Unless you loosen and retighten lug nuts at least once a year, a 40" breaker bar needs at least 100" of extension pipes to ensure you can get the nuts undone.

MCI vehicles should have special chains on board to tie up a tag axle to keep the tyre off the road.

[bobofthenorth]

.......  It is also good practice to feel the tires several times a day for abnormal heat, which would indicate under inflation or over loading.

An infrared thermometer works well for this.  When you start using the thermometer you will note a marked difference in temperature from the sunny side to the shaded side but what you are looking for is a temperature difference between tires on the same side of the bus. 

I'll echo the previous comments - the tags are your spares.  As long as you've got jacks and wrenches you won't be completely stranded and - if its available - cell service is your best friend.