Tire changing

[Skyman]

How many of you have removed the spare tire and used your roadside assistance insurance? I am on the older side of things now and at 72 I don’t think I could lift the tire or break the lugs loose. We are thinking about removing the Continental style hitch and tire to save weight and give us room to haul our Predator 3500 generat

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Skyman

How many of you have removed the spare tire and used your roadside assistance insurance? I am on the older side of things now and at 72 I don’t think I could lift the tire or break the lugs loose. We are thinking about removing the Continental style hitch and tire to save weight and give us room to haul our Predator 3500 generat

There is no place for a spare in our rig. I have one that the upfitter gave me for free, thinking that I could pack it inside if I ever felt the need. I have never bothered.

A great many new cars don't come with spares, either. Fix-a-flat works sometimes. Coach-Net always does.

[Jon in AZ]

I can still change a tire myself, but the days are numbered. I still feel like I'd want to have a right-sized tire and wheel available (what if both are damaged beyond repair?). Sometimes roadside service takes so long a Good Samaritan will come along to help long before a service truck arrives. I carry a large T-bar, a cheater, and deep sockets for the lug nuts.

We tow a trailer behind our Chevy Roadtrek, so I removed the continental carrier and put the spare under the folding rear sofa. It just fits, and with the inside of the wheel facing up, there's lots of storage in and around the spare for all the stuff I normally carry back there. At least I save the weight of the carrier, which is not insignificant.

[hbn7hj]

Depends where you travel. Eastern urban areas you could get away with no spare, western remote areas it is foolish. Even if you can’t change it yourself having it with you is 3/4 of the problem.

What you do need to check is your jacking capability. An upfitted van is much heavier and in my case the standard Chevy Express jack doesn’t stand a chance. You need to carry a two or three stage bottle jack.

[Nic7320]

I had blowouts on both of my Class Bs. The tires were old, but on one rig, they looked in great shape but the date codes were 15+ years ago. One blew in a canyon with no cell coverage. Another went on the 101 at 2 AM where I could have called, but it would have been a long wait. So I changed them myself.

Check your date codes if you travel without a jack. RVs don't usually wear out tires, they age out.

My Class C rig didn't have a jack or wrench, but it did have a spare so I got a cordless impact wrench and a 20 ton bottle jack. Then mostly to prove I can change a tire that size, I did a tire swap at a roadside rest area that had good pavement.

A 6 ton jack would probably suffice, but it says with my Class B.

To reduce weight I'm now considering moving the spare into a utility trailer, along with a lot of other gear. Even another water tank.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by hbn7hj

What you do need to check is your jacking capability. An upfitted van is much heavier and in my case the standard Chevy Express doesn’t stand a chance. You need to carry a two or three stage bottle jack.

I hadn't considered that. I assumed the factory jack was good for the GVWR. Thanks for the warning. Do you have a recommendation or at least what capacity I should look for?

[Nic7320]

Sometimes two jacks are useful, when you need to add blocks or something in a tight space.

[Skyman]

Thank you all for the input. My wife and I will check our options.

[hbn7hj]

I have a 4 ton two stage bottle jack that is 6 5/16” tall (Torin TF 0402). It barely fits under the axle with a flat tire. I cannot find them for sale anymore. Look under your coach and see how much distance you have from the wheel rim to your lifting point which would be the leaf spring mount.

If you cannot find a bottle jack to fit that height you would need to think about options. Two jacks, one to fit under the frame to raise the spring mount high enough for the second jack to fit.

For me the factory scissor jack didn’t even have enough power to begin to lift. A 2-ton hydraulic jack would probably work. Test it before you need it.

This one would probably do it. Mine is 4 ton so can’t be sure.
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...1735_200641735
It has a height of 6”

[Ron J. Moore]

I stopped on a secondary road last year, there was a Class A off the shoulder. He said he had been there for seven hours, had called for a tire change...but had no spare. They kept telling him they were looking - I can see trouble expecting a tow service to run around to find a tire, then a rim, mount an deliver.
I have the Continental Kit on the rear, and nearing eighty, glad it is there. You can still have your tow service take it off and install.....or you could be stuck somewhere - waiting.

[jmai]

If you are considering changing your tire yourself, some day when you have nothing to do, make it a point to actually change the tire to see what tools you will need and what is involved and determine if you actually have the strength, stamina and dexterity involved. You may decide that it is not for you. At the very least, you will know what is involved, which tools and accessories you need and have at least one practice run under your belt.

Consider the following:

Vehicle jack-I carry a thick board to provide support for the jack, absolutely necessary if you are on sand or loose dirt. Look at your owner's manual to see where to position the jack. if you have a scissors jack, make sure you have all the parts and handle extensions. Also, put grease on the screw that actually moves the scissors up and down. It will make using it much easier. Some vehicles have a bottle jack that works by hydraulic fluid. I also carry a tarp so I can put it on the ground when I position the jack and work on the wheel.

Tire chocks-Make sure you chock your tire. I usually put it on the opposite tire on the other end (If changing driver's rear, I chock the passenger front.) Two chocks are better than one.

Breaker bar and socket.-Purchase a 24" or 30" breaker bar with the appropriate socket in 1/2" size and determine ahead of time if you need an extension on the socket to reach the lug. Most lugs are torqued at over 100 pounds. A hand ratchet won't do it.

Lugs-Some lugs have a metal, chrome cover over the actual lug nut. What happens over time is that rust develops between the lug and the cover and it swells the cover. When you go to put the socket on it doesn't fit. If you have these type of lugs, replace them with solid, one piece lugs.

Anti-seize lubricant-I use anti-seize lubricant on the threads of the studs. This will minimize rust from forming. Technically, it does change the torque value when you tighten the lug nut. Probably go down 10 pounds or so, but in all my years of doing this, I have never had a problem with a lug nut, and the lugs come off easy the next time. If you are planning on changing your own tire and you have never had your lug nuts off, take them off one at a time and apply anti-seize to the stud. Then put the lug back on and torque to the recommended value.

Taking off your spare-Hopefully, you have checked the air in your spare. My Roadtrek takes 80 lbs rear and 65 lbs front. I put 80 pounds in my spare, but if I use it in the front, I take out 15 pounds. Carry an air gauge. My Roadtrek has the continental kit spare. The circular cover that covers the spare has a padlock-Make sure you have the key. The tire is held on to the frame with one nut (check the size-mine is different from the lug nut size). Make sure you have a socket)

Lifting the tire to hub-RV wheels and tires are heavy. Before I lift the wheel I visually line up the holes with the studs, then I usually roll the tire on a block so I don't have to lift it so much. An even better technique if to use a block of wood and a lever (a breaker bar works if you can balance it in the middle) to lift the wheel up to the height of the studs, then you can push it forward. (Imagine a see/saw setup-wheel on one side and your foot on the other to lever it up)

Tire tools-air gauge, portable air compressor and tire plug kit. Make sure you know your tire pressures. They are usually in the manual or on a label near the driver's door sill. A tire plug kit can be useful if you have a nail in the tread, not the sidewall. While this will not be a permanent repair, it may allow you to drive to a location where the tire can be fixed. You will also need an air compressor to fill the tire to see if the plug worked. If it does hold air, check it after 15 minutes or so to see if it is still at pressure. Obviously, don't drive at excessive speeds.

Safety items-Gloves, red warning triangle, reflective vest and light source. Make sure that other motorists are aware that you are stopped. Put on your flashers, position the triangle about 100 feet behind the vehicle, wear a reflective vest and have a flashlight or area light near you and the tire.

Location-If you have a flat and decide to change it yourself, use common sense and be safe. Pick a level place as far off the highway as possible. You may have to drive on a flat tire for a while before you can find a safe spot. If you are on a busy highway and concerned about your passengers, have them leave the vehicle and wait off to the side out of harms way. Above all, use common sense.

In summary, there is a lot more involved in changing tire beside a spare, a lug wrench and a spare. Most of the other tools and procedures should have been done ahead of time and practiced in your driveway on a nice, sunny day where you have all the time in the world and you are not in danger. Plan ahead; you will be glad you did and everyone will be impressed if you do have to change the tire in the middle of nowhere on a dark, rainy night on a muddy dirt road!

[jrobe]

Just because a person isn't willing or able to change a flat doesn't mean that they should get rid of the spare tire. In fact, if I didn't carry a spare tire, I would make sure I always had plenty of $100 bills and plenty of spare time to wait for someone else to remedy that problem.

I can just picture the tow truck owner when he hears that you got rid of the spare tire and it is now his responsibility to spend his day finding and delivering the correct replacement tire. I bet you would be paying for his next vacation. If I was him I also wouldn't waste more of my time filing insurance claims to get paid.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by jrobe

Just because a person isn't willing or able to change a flat doesn't mean that they should get rid of the spare tire. In fact, if I didn't carry a spare tire, I would make sure I always had plenty of $100 bills and plenty of spare time to wait for someone else to remedy that problem.

I can just picture the tow truck owner when he hears that you got rid of the spare tire and it is now his responsibility to spend his day finding and delivering the correct replacement tire. I bet you would be paying for his next vacation. If I was him I also wouldn't waste more of my time filing insurance claims to get paid.

If you are dealing with $100 bills and negotiating with tow-truck operators, you are doing it wrong. You likely don't really need a spare tire any more, but you most certainly DO need a roadside assistance plan like CoachNet or Allstate. These are not towing services, they are logistics services. They are pre-paid plans, so no $100 bills, and the good ones will take care of the details such as finding you a tire.

They can't work miracles, so under extreme circumstances it could indeed sometimes take awhile. But, the one time I had a tire issue, it was a blown filler stem. I told the CoachNet person this and that I likely did not need a tire. She said "We'll locate and send one just in case". The truck arrived in maybe two hours, complete with the correct tire. They changed the stem on the roadside, which was all that was needed. They waved as they drove away with the "just in case" tire. No charge. Could hardly have been better.

Perhaps I will take my spare along when we get around to driving to Alaska. We'll see. But I am very comfortable without a spare in CONUS, including out west. If we have to spend a day on the side of the road, well, it IS a very comfortable RV.

[Deano]

Like Dirty Harry said "A man has to know his limitations". Being painfully aware of the reality of this, I bought a 12 volt plug in scissor jack rated at 3000 lb. capacity. A 12 volt impact wrench set and a looong breaker bar. Yes, I tested the jack under the rear axle of my RT 210 Popular. I installed 12 volt receptacles (power ports/cigar lighter sockets) under the hood and inside the rear doors.

[Want a B]

No spare and rear duel tires.

I installed tire pressure/heat sensors on each tire.

I'm a member of AMAC and added roadside assistance. I read the polcy, AMAC roadside doesn't cover RVs.

I called my RV insurance company. They offer RV roadside assistance, I added it to my policy.

Squat along an interstate in the bad weather to fight with a flat tire? Nope! I'm going to sit warm and out of the weather and let the young kid change my tire.

[revcon372]

See lots of good advice on tire changing. Hydraulic jack height is easily overcome if you drive the flat tire up on the leveling blocks you carry . Getting the vehicle to nearly level eliminates lots of jacking and provides safer access to position the jack. If you PRACTICE at home with an inflated tire you will be surprised how low it is with a flat

[wny-pat]

Originally Posted by jmai

Anti-seize lubricant

If you use that stuff on anything of mine you better be prepared to provide some premium hand cleaner and some super good detergent to wash it off my hands and clothes if any gets on me!!! Next to impossible to wash it off!

[avanti]

Originally Posted by wny-pat

If you use that stuff on anything of mine you better be prepared to provide some premium hand cleaner and some super good detergent to wash it off my hands and clothes if any gets on me!!! Next to impossible to wash it off!

Not only that, but you'd better get a life insurance policy. The torque specs of lug nuts are specified for DRY studs. Using any lubricant (and anti-seize is a lubricant) is extremely dangerous.

[wny-pat]

I retired as a petroleum driver and Teamsters Union. We were not allowed to change tires, even though I have prior to that job. I still do not change tires. I'll let whom ever the FMCA's road side assistance sends to help me! I don't think they make a breaker bar long enough!!!

[Davydd]

I never changed a tire in my Class B's in over 16 years and had one tire go down our first year because of a defective valve stem. I had AAA service at that time to deal with it. Knock on wood, we never carried a spare in our last two vans. I just consider if it happens it is another unfortunate event on the road I can deal with, and a spare is a major inconvenience especially when it is carried on the back door.