RV Spare Tire?

Why don’t some RV manufacturers include a spare tire with a new RV? Is it a liability issue or a cost issue? I have heard both sides of the story over the years, and it usually depends on what type of a RV you are talking about.

I have owned three towable RV’s and two motorized RV’s. Two of the towable RV’s came with spare tires when I purchased them and I ordered a spare tire as an option on our Class C motorhome, but I could not get a spare for our Class A motorhome.

It seems ridiculous that you buy an RV, designed for traveling all over the country, and the one thing not included is a spare tire. Let’s try to find out why there’s no spare!
It has been rumored that many years ago an RV owner got hurt while changing a tire on his motorhome and that he sued the RV manufacturer. This is supposedly why many motorhome manufacturers opt not to include a spare tire, especially on larger motorhomes.

Admittedly changing a spare tire on a large motorhome is not the same as changing a tire on your automobile. From a liability standpoint the argument is because of the size of the RV and the weight of the tire and wheel it can be dangerous for an individual to attempt changing a tire. Plus you would need to carry some special type of equipment to safely and properly change a tire. I would have to agree, but why not include a spare (without a jack or the other necessary equipment) and have a mandatory warning label stating the dangers of changing a tire along with a recommendation to use a professional road side tire service to change the tire for the owner.

Here is what some RV and chassis manufacturers have to say:
Why doesn't the RV come with a spare tire?
The combined weight of the tire and wheel is approximately 110 pounds. Even if you feel comfortable lifting that amount of weight, other variables pose a problem when it comes to changing an RV tire. You may find yourself on the side of the road in a confined situation, or during the nighttime when it is raining.

Jacking up the side of the RV would be difficult. Leveling jacks are not designed to lift the entire wheel off the ground to change a tire. To change a flat RV tire, it would be necessary to store the correct jacks and jack stands for safety. The next hurdle would be the lug nuts, which are torqued to 500 pounds and difficult to remove. Once removed, and while reinstalling, a tool to properly retorque the lug nuts would be needed. All these necessary tools, combined with the actual spare tire, would take up a considerable amount of space and add additional weight to the RV. Call roadside assistance for tire repair and save yourself the aggravation.

My vehicle doesn’t include a spare tire. Where can I get one and where can I store it?
Most larger motorhomes don't provide a spare for several reasons. Generally, the wheel assembly is too cumbersome and heavy for one person to change alone without risking injury. We'd recommend that, in the case of a flat, you enlist the help of a roadside service crew to fix your flat tire. If you do decide to obtain a spare wheel assembly, contact your dealer for details on ordering one and the proper way to store it.

Now that we know why some motorhome manufacturers don’t include spares why don’t some of the towable manufacturers include spares?

This is where the cost issue comes into play. RV manufacturers look at every penny going in to manufacturing the RV. Not including a spare in the base price of the RV can save money, so they list the spare tire as optional. What this means is when the RV dealer orders the unit they can add a spare or not add a spare. If a dealer is trying to bring a unit in based on price point they limit the options included on the unit. When I was a RV sales manager I included a spare tire on every towable unit just because it made sense and it really wasn’t that expensive.

You still need to consider the safety aspects of changing a tire on a trailer. Even though it’s smaller and lighter than a motorhome tire you still need equipment like a jack, jack stands, lug wrench and torque wrench. In addition to the equipment required, you need to have a basic understanding of how to safely and properly jack the trailer up. But again, if you have a spare you can always call a roadside service to change it for you. If you don’t have a spare you may be stranded in some out of the way place until the tire can be ordered and come in. This could take a couple of days, or longer.

That brings me to how this article came about. We are planning a cross country RV trip this summer and I refuse to go without a spare tire. Our motorhome has 22.5 inch tires with 8 lug rims. When I tried to locate a tire and rim it was difficult to find one. I’m sure I could order one from the manufacturer, but I would be afraid to know what the cost is. We have a good roadside assistance plan so what I decided to do was to just buy the tire itself and if I have a flat the roadside tire service can mount the new tire on the rim. It is less weight to carry and it eliminates the possibility of delays due to ordering and waiting for a tire to come in, if it isn’t in stock.

Regardless of whether or not your RV came with a spare I think it’s a good idea to get one, and I think for safety reasons you are better off having a roadside service plan that will change the tire for you.
What do you think?

Mark Polk
RV Education 101

Why Block RV Tires in Storage?

In a perfect world you would get the weight off of your RV tires when it will sit in storage for a period of time. But, this is not always practical or possible. Note: Do not attempt to use hydraulic leveling jacks or scissor jacks to remove weight from the tires. If the weight can't be removed, at a minimum try to move the RV every couple months to help prevent and ozone cracking at the tire sidewall flex point.

If the RV is not stored on a concrete surface, block the tires using wood or another aftermarket product designed for blocking tires. It is extremely important that the blocking you use is wider than the tires tread, and longer than the tires overall footprint. If not the steel cables in the tires sidewall can be damaged which can result in premature tire failure.

The first step is to make sure the RV is as level as possible so more weight isn't resting on one tire than the others. The perfect scenario would be to store the RV and its tires in a cool dry, covered area, but as we all know this is not always possible either.

There are actually several reasons for blocking your RV tires. Storage surface areas can cause your tires to age prematurely. You don't want to leave the tires in contact with any heat producing material or petroleum based material like asphalt. You also don't want them exposed to constant cold or moisture, like sitting on the frozen ground. The blocking acts as a barrier between the tires and the ground surface they are being stored on.

The proper tire storage steps would be to clean the tires, park the tires on suitable blocking, cover them to protect the tires from harmful sunlight and UV rays and inflate them to the pressure indicated on the sidewall of the tires.

Happy RV Learning!

Mark
RV Education 101

Are tire pressure gauges accurate? Not always

We often talk about the importance of checking the inflation pressure in tires, but is your tire pressure gauge giving you accurate information? I receive several emails regarding the accuracy of tire pressure gauges.

One person wrote, “I understand that tire pressure in an RV is crucial and can cause serious problems if not inflated correctly. Well, the problem is this, how do you know if the tire gauge is accurate? I have seen two tire gauges show as much as 16 psi difference on the same tire. Is there a recommendation as to which tire gauges are the most accurate?”

What’s funny about this is for many years, as a Maintenance Warrant Officer in the Army, I was responsible for tool calibration programs. Certain tools required regular calibration to ensure accuracy. I use a quality tire pressure gauge, but after reading this question realized that after several years of using this gauge I have never had it checked for accuracy.

Many of the really inexpensive gauges ($5) you can purchase can’t be calibrated, and if the reading is inaccurate the gauge is worthless. This is why you should spend a little more ($15-$25) and get a quality pressure gauge that can be calibrated. I am a real believer in the old saying; you get what you pay for.

If you have any doubt about the accuracy of your tire pressure gauge there are a couple things you can do to check it.

1) You can check the air pressure in a tire with the gauge in question and then check the same tire with another gauge. If there is a significant difference in the readings (4 or more psi) between the two gauges one or both gauges may be inaccurate. If both gauges read within 1 to 2 psi of each other the gauges are more than likely accurate.

2) If you want a more precise method for checking the accuracy take the gauge to a local tire dealer or fleet truck maintenance facility and ask them to check it using a master gauge. A master gauge is a gauge that is certified to be accurate. But I caution you there are lots of tire dealers who don’t have their own tire pressure gauges calibrated.

Note: Don’t depend on pressure gauges at gas stations to be accurate. These are usually abused and neglected, raising concern over accuracy.

There are several different types of pressure gauges available on the market. One important thing to keep in mind is the pressure the gauge is rated for. Most automobile tires are inflated to around 32 psi, so a 0 to 60 psi gauge is sufficient. On the other hand some motorhome tires are inflated to 100 or more psi. It is important, for accuracy and to prevent damage to the gauge, that you get the right gauge for the job. A general rule of thumb is to find a gauge that can read double what the inflation pressure is set at. This isn’t always possible especially with tires inflated to 100 psi, so find a gauge rated for high pressure, like 160 psi.

Possibly the most common type of pressure gauge is the plunge or pencil type. Some of these are calibrated and some of the cheaper ones are not. As a general rule a common plunge type gauge you would purchase will be accurate to + or – 3 psi when it is new. The accuracy of these type gauges are also affected by temperature, humidity and altitude.

Note: Always check the tire pressure when the tires are cold, before traveling. If you check the tires when they are hot you will get a false (higher) reading and if you let air out of the tires they can be seriously underinflated when they are cold.

Like everything else these days’ things are switching from analog to digital. Analog tire pressure gauges were the standard for many years, but advancements in digital technology have improved on that standard. Analog dial gauges are about as accurate as the quality pencil type gauges. In numerous tests comparing different type gauges digital gauges were the most accurate tested.

Regardless of the type of gauge you choose there are high quality and low quality gauges available. Buying a cheap digital gauge would be the same as buying a cheap pencil type gauge. Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to tire pressure gauges.

1) Spend a few more dollars and get a quality pressure gauge.

2) If the gauge will be used for checking dual wheels on a motorhome the chuck end of the gauge should have a dual foot design to make the job much easier.

3) Always select a gauge rated higher than the inflation pressure of the tires you are checking. Applying more pressure than the gauge is rated for can damage the gauge and affect the accuracy. If you over-pressure a gauge have it tested for accuracy.

4) Try not to drop or jar the gauge. Store the gauge in some type of protective covering or case and in an area where it won’t be hit or damaged.

5) Periodically have the gauge tested for accuracy. At a minimum compare it to another quality gauge to see if both read the same, or close to the same pressure.

6) Most importantly, once you purchase a quality pressure gauge use it on a regular basis to check your RV and automobile tires.

Remember, properly inflated tires are safer, extend the life of the tires, improve fuel efficiency and lessen the chance of unexpected and premature tire failure.

Happy RV Learning,

Mark Polk
RV Education 101