Do We take a second spare

Robin,

I'd be interested to know how many times you've done a tyre hundreds of KM from somewhere you can get a repair or replacement? The whole of Australia does not have the same level of services as the city. Indead you may be held up a while if that little outback garage doesn't stock 17 inch tyres.

I lived in the NT for several years and almost everyone that does any decent off road work carried two spares.

Yes it may take up room and weight but it is like any type of insurance policy, sometimes it is better to have it than not in some situations.

Hi Wizard

Had a few punctures outback but can't recall a situation where
I have been unable to repair and need 2 spares.

And Dave T is not going to be that far from trodden tracks anyway.

I like the "Give a person a fish, or teach him how to fish"
senario other wise why take 2 not 3 spares?

My suggestion of a spare junk standard size rim, is practical
if your really concerned as it weighs only 1/2 as much (11kg) and
takes up half the space of a spare.

I like your insurance policy analogy, but remember the policy
holders are net loser's.
Similarly I think if we had all the data we would find that carrying
an extra spare, particularly those on a carrier at back of car has in net
done more damage than good by overloading the rear of car with
a typical extra 70kg leveraged a meter out from axle.

Robin Miller

Robin,

I think your suggestion that people would carry 3 or more spares is missing the point a little.

No one suggested that yuo should carry an extra wheel assembly on the rear door. I carry mine on a roof rack.

Most people would not be competant to carry out a full wheel repair or carcass replacement. I certainly do not want to, although I've done it in the past, fix a tyre on the road side in the dust and heat which could take quite a while if not praticed at it. Changing the wheel is also a lot quicker.

If you want to sit on road side fixing your flat...............

Hi Wizard

Why is it missing the point ?

While there is a clear logical reason for carrying 1 spare wheel as opposed to none.

There is no logical difference in the arguements between carrying 1 or 2 and carrying 2 or 3.

Its the same arguement with just different limits as set by how comfortable each of us feels.

In fact I'd go further and say that if you have so destroyed 2 tyres on a track that you need your 2nd spare then its likely that you have gotten something wrong somewhere and there's a reasonable chance you'll do it again, if you don't look for the real source of the issue.

Robin Miller

There is a lot of difference between talking 2 instead of 3 spares, or 3 instead of 4. If the chance of getting one puncture is 20%, then the chances of getting 2 might be 5%, getting 3 might be 1% so you make your own choice of acceptable risk.

I carried 2 spares for 3500kms and the only punctures I had on the whole trip were in the space of 20kms on the Gibb River road where I had FIVE of them - one tyre totally destroyed, three plugable, one not. (Odds probably about 0.25% but sometimes you get unlucky!)

Yes I know that there is enough traffic on the Gibb for me not be in any danger, but changing wheels and doing a bit of plugging then getting to Kunnunurra under my own steam was a minor inconvenience. Having to get lifts backwards and forwards while leaving my wife and three daughters by the roadside would have been a major issue and holiday spoiler.

I took two spares and a carcass down the Gunbarrel to Alice, then back down the Great desert road, and didn't need any of them. Ya pays ya money and takes ya choice.

I would doubt very much if the Pink Roadhouse would have 17" tyres yet, mind you I did say doubt,

I dont think the maths work that way Greydemon
If the chances of getting your first puncture are %20 then surely the chances of getting a second pucture are still 20%. The likelyhood of geting a puncture does not depend on when you had your last.
Does that make sense or is my mind disolving.

That's what HF radios are for. But I suppose, if you have space, 2 spares are better than 1 and 8 spares are better than 7...? Where to stop?

Mike Harding

Mike,
I'm sorry but I'd rather spend 20 minutes changing a tyre that cost me $50 for the extra rim and re-use a replaced tyre carcas rather than the $2000 odd for a HF.

I think spending 20 minutes changing a tyre and be on your way again is better than waiting god knows how long for help to come with a tyre after making a HF call.

But I suppose there will be those that will continue to provide reasons why you shouldn't carry and extra you either do or you don't.

Fair point.

What will you do if you don't get a puncture but your water pump packs up?

Mike Harding

Well I suppose based on the theory of probability, you are more likely to get punctures than stuffed water pumps.

I don't disagree with having a means of communication for emergencies and breakdowns. I also think that drivers need to be responsible, within reason, for their own ability to get going again rather than having to rely on others to help them.

You can't predict a water pump going or any other major component of the vehicle and I guess that's the time you use the HF or SATPHONE.

I always carry an extra spare.

On our last adventure I managed 7 punctures/stakes and used up 16 plugs on them. The extra spare never came off the roofrack.

I suppose it is always best to be over prepared but you then tend to carry a lot of stuff which adds more weight to the rig.

Wizard1

"I was always secure in the fact I still had another fall back as well as a Safety Seal repair kit."

Do you carry spare tubes as well or are you in such a hurry to get where you are going that you Need also a safety seal repair kit as well as two complete spares?

Ps. what type of rig are you using?

bill f

Bill F and those that can't accept that 2 spares might be a good idea,

We have a 95 series Prado TD fitted with Cooper AT. We do a lot of off road caravan towing and general 4WDing. All punctures have been screws, etc on dirt roads like the Oodnadatta Track and Roper Bar! I also carry a second spare for the caravan as well!

If the tyre is that bad (eg. side wall stake) then I guess we fit the spare. If it is repairable using a safety seal plug, then fine. The thing about Safety Seal is you only need a compressor, no other specialist tools and the ability to read the instruction leaflet.

I considered getting Bead Breakers, etc and perhaps carry tubes and other repaitr kits, but for the cost and hassle it didn't seem practical. I already had a spare good quality tyre caracass, so a $50 investment in a rim seemed better than the $80 for a bead breaker.

Having said that, who's to say on our next trip we will probably stake two tyres through the sidewall...then I guess I'm stuffed. If we intend doing any really remote trips then I guess we'd consider spare tubes and bead breakers.

I see a second spare as a no brainer insurance to lessen the possibility of disaster. Most people are unskilled at tyre repair on the side of the road or find the whole exercise as something to avoid. It has nothing to do with being in a hurry.

I've changed plenty of truck and 4WD tyres, slit rims and standard steel rims, using the traditional methods by hand. So its not as though I need a right of passage for tyre repair. If I don't have to do it I won't!

As I've said, if you want to sit on the road side and repair a tyre then knock yourself out.

Stop at 4 Mike

G'day Mike
Yeah, but to carry that many spares you'd need a trailer. So how many spares do you think should be carried for it? :-)
Cheers from the Moose.

And then what if you break the draw bar or springs on the trailer. You will need another trailer for the trailer spares!

Me thinks it may be easier just to carry a puncture repair kit and a couple of tubes (and know how to repair a tyre). And remember to play with pressures as required and drive sensibly. I'm in the don't carry a second spare camp.

David,
I guess the arguements for the affirmative were a lot more convincing than against....