One spare for six wheels?.....the need to reduce weight carrier

I hope your trailer tyres are same size as cars Willem

Now that you have mentioned it Will the Ol Murphys law will apply now i think ! ~(*-)

When we were away recently a Lancruiser got a puncture (Coopers) split across the tread,he had done 75k on it though,so he had 3 days of whether one of the others were to go pop...It made it...

It would stress me out though..


Cheers

Yes Willie....... I'm one of those who struts about the place with 2 humungus (well, 35" @ 50kg each) spares on the back of my rig. I've been thinking the same thing for a while now....

But like somebody else has said, if I take one off and leave it at home, Murphy's Law will cut me down like a header going through a wheat paddock!!!

Like you, my spare/s have to cover the need of 6 on the ground; they all the same size and profile. I'm sposed to carry one on the camper trailer, but due to the larger than normal size, the spare won't fit in the allocated spot on the Ultimate; hence my "need" to carry 2 on the 'trol.

Hmmmm......next set of tyres will be 285/75R16 and I'll just be having one on the 'trol and one on the camper.

Roachie

Hey Willem.

Is it weight or space that is the problem??

Could you not mount the trailer spare under the trailer like an 80/100 series? you could pick up a bracket at the wreckers, but with you welding perhaps have someone else mount it for you LOL.

Cheers Steve.

Willem

I think you should be ok with those tyres. They are just about indestructible and I noticed Mick Hutton said on his site they are almost always repairable if something does manage to get through them.

Brian

'Scuse me Willem......what's that about OKAs?

Who was it that said that Murphey was an opimist?

First trip in the OKA after camper was built was to Ruddall River etc, etc. with BRAND new rubber all round. Staked 2 tyres in 40 minutes. Plugged both though, so no drama.

Did see a guy totally destroy 3 new tyres (2 on car, 1 on trailer) in a camping area on a single tent peg though, so the risk is there, from a single source.

I carry 2 spares, with or without trailer (all wheels are interchangable). I figure the trailer can run on the rim if worst comes to worst.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

Hi Willem

I reason that if you have them you won't need them, if you don't have them you will need them. I know which option i choose, even if they are heavy, and take up valuable space (second spare goes in tray of F250). The theory worked - no tyre problems in the 15,000 kms last year. But i have to watch that Murphy.

Willem,
To me, enjoying a trip means not having to worry about impending disaster. Nearly two years ago I was some 500 km west of Alice Springs with no spare wheels ( two of the three spares were non OEM wheels and needed different wheel nuts which I forgot to pack, and the third was a side wall stake in a 300 km old tyre). Yes I had the plugs and the compressor, but I was sufficiently concerned to wake at 0200 thinking about it.
On the most recent trip I had four spare wheels. Admittedly, we were heading south from Balgo across country, so it was remote, and puncturesome, but I slept like a top at night. Didn't get a puncture after we left Halls Creek - so you could argue that four spares were overkill.
Personally, I'd rather compromise on other items and overdo the rubber, as well as having pressure and temperature monitoring on each wheel.
I've had an absolutey magic run from the Cooper STs and STCs. Apart from the sidewall stake (its been repaired and is still rotating) I get about 70,000 kms from each tyre and no punctures. The lady running the tyre place at Halls Creek said tyre trouble seems to be related more to the driver rather than the tyre.

Maybe she's right.

Bob

You are so shallow big fella!

You know my propensity for destroying tyres. I know for a fact that when you're (that's YOU) out there leading, you take the punctures for the team. Regardless of Coopers, BFG or MT, it's gonna happen!. When a desert calls...you better be prepared. Bloody hell I'm so cheap I've even got Roachies old dual RWC hanging off the back of my Patrol. Guess what I'm going out with next time...Absolutely no MTF's and Seven (7) TYRES. 4+2 on rims (c'os I've got Bills old dual wheel carrier) and one new carcass. Don't worry I'll be bringing tubes. spaghetti, patches and supa-glue.

Here's to the Sandy '09.

Mick

P.S. You wanna know about tyres and heart break....read THIS.

Willem
My thoughts..........If you take it and don't use it, that's good, if you leave it home and need it ...........That's bad .

.

I remember a 1991 trip from VRD to Kulkaringi in two army land rovers along a rough track on a gibber plain with 1:250,000 JOG maps and one of the first hand held GPS units.

All was good until we met a grader in the middle of nowhere leveling the road by smashing the gibbers and turning the sharp edges upright. :o(

20 km and 6 staked tyres later (all through the tread) we were out of spares and ended up putting the radio vehicle up on rocks, pinching the wheels for spares and loading up all the flats for a 6 hour round trip to get replacements. At least they had a hydraulic tyre changer at the settlement.

Perhaps take two tires without rims to save weight and plan on changing tyres if you can't plug 'em.

Pete

Willem, I'd love to have 2 huge spares hanging off the back, and the high-lift strapped to one and a fancy light on the other.

Also would'nt mind one of those big telescopic aerials bolted on the rear bar.

The car would look as though it really means business.

Alas, have'nt the $'s or the ego for a setup like that.

Luckily I have'nt had any issues with tyres, brand or types, just the asian tubes [they let go anywhere, bitumen or dirt].

Cheers.....Lionel.

Willem
With six wheels on the road personally I'd be carrying two spares, but repairing a tyre on the track is no big deal and we will have plenty of time.

Hi Willem,
Good question. I suppose it depends if you want to repair a puncture on the track if you get more than one. No big deal but a pain if it is 2pm and 45 degrees with no shade. Until our last trip I would have said it was an ok risk. Most trips we have had none or one puncture for the trip. Last trip we had eight. Another vehicle had 10 and only did half the trip. The third car had none. We were all driving at the same speed, rotated the lead so it was mainly luck. We twice had two punctures in one day and one serious staking. So now I would say swap the second spare for a tyre only.

Steve

Willem I forgot to add that I never carry a second spare rim just the tyre case with a rust band and tube with a few pounds of air in it to keep the tyre case clean inside.
Peter

G'day Willem,

How's things?

I'm a 2 spare advocate, especially running around the station, or doing quick trips to Camooweal, the Isa or Longreach. Also think I'm one of thjose tyre wreckers, mentioned in a post above.

Have been to Kakadu & return, in Linda's 80 series, with only one spare with no dramas. They were BFG AT's then.

However, if you have a weight issue.....err, I meant vehicle/trailer weight, no offence. LOL then I'd be dispensing with the rim, and just take a spare case, tube & rust band, as Peter suggested. E Those MRF's are pretty heavy anyway.

Hope you get some rain again soon. We've had heaps.

Regards,
Bob.

G'day Willem,

I am also a 2 spare person. Really had no substance for that position until I did 2 tyres within 100K coming out of Birdsville. They were relatively new Bridgstones as we had only done about 10,000K of uneventful travel. The thought of doing a repair in the heat of the day was not very attractive.

I suppose it goes to ones state of relaxation and I must confess that we were pretty relaxed after 3 months of travel but I'm guessing when I'm retired I will be even more relaxed about those issues.

Kind regards

Theo

Couldnt you strap a tyre carcass to the bullbar . No more weight on the arse end and more pedestrian friendly .

Willem,

The way I see it, you are carrying three spares for the car. If you REALLY have to, you will always be able to leave the trailer and continue on to get some help.

Matt.

G'day Willem
Since you're travelling with others doesn't anyone else have the same size tryes? If so highly unlikely insufficient tyres exist between the group. Maybe you could make that a condition for coming along :-)
I gave up on a second spare yonks ago - never seem to totally destroy tyres and just fix the punctures. Mind you I don't go offroad to the extreme extent you do.
Cheers from the Moose

G'day Willem
I'm superstitious, don't talk about tyres, but always use heavy ply light truck in the vehicle and trailers, good tyres on the bus and drive a bit slower, watch my tyres pressures, read the tracks/road and drive a bit slower than everyone else.
I will say it seems to work and keeps my tyre changing skills rusty.
all the best
Lotzi

Willem,

Murphy's Law does seem to apply here- it did to me anyway on my last trip to the Kimberley.

I went without my usual spare on the roof rack as I wanted to sleep up there with my swag- a room with a view.

On the way over, going through Gregory NP I blew out a rear tye and destroyed the rim. I tried all places to get a new rim and finally found a second hand one in Kununurra. I spent the rest of the trip worrying about another similar scenario.

Willie.

PS I just returned this arvo from two days gold sluicing at the the Shoalhaven River. Hard work , but good fun - especiall being next to the river in the heat.

This bit of info is prob not at all transferable, but FWIW, I ride sport motorbikes hard on the black stuff. But when coming up to gravel stop for around 20 mins to let the rubber cool off; reduces punctures big time.

Also have found that whether on the black stuff or gravel most punctures happen when the tread is low, as suggested above.

That said, 5k km out of a back tyre is a good result :-{