New van, one spare or two

..
Do you have an option to fit van with same rims size / tyre size as your tow vehicle ?
Possibly not an option with caras as it is with campers, but worth checking ??

Even if you can't have identical rims, then try for identical tyres between car and van. That will get you out of trouble if you destroyed two tyres on either the vehicle or the van.
So yes, we'd just travel with one spare for each but have compatible tyres.

I always carried 2 spares when I had a van which was 99% on road so I would say it's a no brainer 2 spares for the van and the tow vehicle for off road. If you only carried one spare once you have used it you would tend to turn around and your trip would be spoiled a minimum of 2 would give you peace of mind and you could continue on.

Broodie,
For the first 30 years of my 4wd life I always carried 2 full spares. Tyre technology was not as good then and since I tend to go into remote areas I used them regularly. About 10 years ago I realised that I had not had many punctures for a long time and switched to just carrying one full spare and a tyre only. Since then I have done a number of big trips including Central Asia, Siberia etc. and found that by having plugs I was able to fix most punctures without even removing the wheel and then have it fixed 'properly' when I returned to 'civilisation'. The spare tyre was used when a sidewall was damaged.

You are towing which is a bit different. If you drive to the conditions, ie slow down on rocky roads, deflate a bit to allow the tyres to 'mould' to the rocks I think that the one spare plus tyre approach would work. Try to use tyre sizes that are common in the country so if you do need one it should be available. Phil G's suggestion of at least using the same size tyre is a good one if possible.

Most of the caravan problems I have seen have been shredded tyres due to not realising it had gone flat and kept driving. I think you can minimise tyre damage by using a TPMS which would be worth the added expense.

Is your van single or dual axle? If it is dual then I would tend to carry 2 full spares. If you do go on dirt roads a lot just make sure your van spare wheel carrier is well made. I have seen some terrible flimsy efforts and worry about cracking welds and losing the lot.

happy travelling

The main reason you wreck a tyre is running it flat from a puncture without knowing it
If you fit tyre pressure monitors and carry a tyre plug kit 90% of your potential problems have been addressed

If you are driving off road I would definitely opt for two spares.

I have a spare set of wheels for the van which are the same size as my tug, therefore I have two spares shared between both.

Murphy raised his ugly head during our off road trip up the Birdsville Track a few months ago.
Had three punctures:-(
Fortunately one of the vehicles in our convoy used the same size and offset wheels, so I used his spare to get us to Birdsville:-)

I also carry a tyre repair kit and used it on my mates vehicle, who also experienced 3 punctures.
Worst bloody track conditions I had experienced.

I would definitely pay for the wheels to be the same. In your reply to Les above you said that the builder was not "keen" to make them the same. In that case I would approach him and ask how much would he charge me to do so. If he stuck to his guns I would ask him for the name of a suitable (remember warranty) engineer who would do the work and on that he would accept for warranty purposes.

We recently wasted another $800 on a second wheel carrier for the car. And we do go off road and have been known to actually go "cross country" in the Simpson - Madigan Line. We also travel solo.

We try our utmost to protect the tyres. The final choice of tyres was one with an extra layer that actually extended over the side of the tyre just where most stakings take place. Last flat (touch wood) was in 1969.

Extra weight on rough roads can cause extra damages and over stress the shocks etc. Not difinitive extra damages, but possible.

My choice would be identical wheels and tyres and one each for the car and van. And rotate them all, including the spares, regularly. Buy yourself one of those 12V "home" style diy rattle guns.

Phil

If you are crossing decent distances on gravel (or worse), two spares each for the van and car is worthwhile. But, if going with common wheels for your rig, having 3 spares to share is practical too (wheels are heavy and so is the carrier hardware....reducing weight by one wheel and carrier is not to be dismissed). On my previous rig, I had 3 common spares to share; with the new rig, I'm back to one spare for each vehicle (and they aren't common either....gulp).....because I intend to do a whole lot less gravel travel than past years, I'll run with that for awhile (I do have a tyre plug kit)....after all, in all those years of outback travel, being kitted up for flat tyres and every other misfortune, we had two flats.....but then, we did invest in decent rubber and changed pressures and driving habits, as required. Good luck with the van project.

Broodie, I really think you have answered your own question................. "I have always carried tubes for the tyres of the vehicles, and never ever had to use them. I have two spare's for the pathfinder, and never used them either,"

From the sound of it, your roads of travel and your driving care afford you reliable tyre performance. So why not just carry the one van spare and a Tyre Plug kit as a backup?

Quote The van builder is not keen to change from 16 wheels to 17 wheels Quote

The diameter of the wheel is really not that important.

The PCD and offset of the van rims should be the same as the towing vehicle which gives you a mobility option if you get stuck in the outback after using your car's spare/s.

In any case the rolling diameter of the tyres is more important. You can get higher profile tyres fitted if you want to match the rolling diameter of the vehicle.

In any case, I think if you were up to your backside in alligators you wouldn't be worried about a cop saying hey you have odd wheels on that axle.

But do a trial run as you might have to GASP! disable the ABS to get to the nearest civilization.
Regards Philip A

Have wondered lately whether we go overboard on the spares we carry. I always used to carry spare for truck, spare for camper, extra wheel that fits both and an extra tyre, as well as all the tyre repair equipment and a spare set of springs for the camper. In 5 longer trips (Central Aus, Cape York, GRR x2, WA) I have only had one puncture.
If you are careful with your driving, adjust your speed to suit, adjust you tyre pressures you lessen the need for all the spares, and nowdays I only carry the normal spare for the camper and truck (interchangeable). I reckon I have saved 100kgs of extra weight.
That one time in a blue moon that I get 3 punctures in a row that cannot be plugged I will need help from a fellow traveller. I have found the more remote travellers to be more than helpful - I hope Karma plays it part if needed and I will get paid back for all those I have helped out in past if ever I need it.

Broodie,
One extra thing I carry is an inner tube. Yes we all run tubeless nowadays but if you cut a sidewall or can't plug a puncture then putting a tube in with a patch over the hole is a good last resort.

One spare or two ......... I'll ask you one question.

Are ya feelin' lucky?

cheers

It is impractical for me to carry a second spare for my hybrid camper (single axle). There's no room at the front and structurally it cannot hang off the back. So there is only ever just one.

I carry two for the tug. The logic of one spare for each axle in the rig seems ok to me.

I also carry a comprehensive tyre repair kit plus a one tube each for tug and camper.

If I had a dual axle van, I would make sure I could carry two spares for it - ie, a spare for each axle.