Spare or not

[Jon in AZ]

It is more and more common for new vehicles of all kinds to come without a spare. Tire quality is generally very good. I have only had a couple of flats in the past 20 years, and all occurred during the last 20% of tire life. If you keep up with maintenance and timely replacement, the likelihood is quite low.

Most people don’t stray far from the beaten path or out of cell phone range, so roadside service plans are an acceptable substitute. The savings in tire waste is a significant environmental benefit.

However, if you do stray off the beaten path or away from cell phone service, or if you live and/or travel in remote areas where roadside service could be many hours away or unavailable, there is good reason to be self-sufficient, including a spare and the tools to use it.

So... it depends.

We’re rural dwellers and have full-size spares on most of our vehicles, including our Chevy Roadtrek. It lives neatly under the rear folding sofa, with plenty of room inside and around it for storage. (We removed the rear continental spare carrier for towing.)

[dmb496]

Originally Posted by jrobe

Here are the choices for me. I can get on the phone and try to call AAA or my insurance company for help, assuming I am even in an area with cell coverage. If not, I have to hitch hike to the nearest town just to use my phone. Then when I finally get ahold of them I have to wait for them to find the nearest towing service. Then I have to wait for the towing service to finish with the other 3 people on their list. Then if I don't even have a spare tire for them to use, I have to wait for them to find the correct tire and wheel combination. Then I probably have to pay them myself up front and file a claim with my insurance company later. Since they probably don't take a credit card, I have to have enough cash to cover it. Knowing that they have me completely over the barrel, I have to hope that they don't take advantage of the situation to help them pay for their upcoming Hawaii trip .

The other option is that I take 20 minutes out of my day and change the tire. Luckily I planned ahead for this situation and made sure my jack works properly and the lug nuts are hand tightened so I know that I can get them off.

It doesn't really seem like a difficult decision for me but to each his own.

Pretty much the way I look at this issue. I can probably do the 20 minute change because my 18V Milwaukee impact gun reduces the sweat equity and time involved.

[peteco]

Originally Posted by dmb496

Pretty much the way I look at this issue. I can probably do the 20 minute change because my 18V Milwaukee impact gun reduces the sweat equity and time involved.

Same here. I am similarly equipped to do a quick change,

[Morry]

Originally Posted by Roadie

When I bought my RT, my mechanic told me to replace the tires.........But my most important decision was to add TPMS. It has saved me once too, worth every cent!

What is TPMS? Sorry for my ignorance!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Morry

What is TPMS? Sorry for my ignorance!

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Biggest issue nowadays with changing your own tire is the danger of being outside your vehicle on the roadside. There are lots of places where I wouldn't dare exit the vehicle until I had a patrol officer parked behind me, lights flashing. Too many distracted drivers out there!

That, and those large truck wheels and tires are pretty heavy! I can manage it for now, but I foresee a day when I cannot.