Where to carry a second spare?

Qweaver · May 03, 2014, 05:07:42 PM

I'm trying to figure out where to mount a second spare tire on my diesel pickup. I can not put in on the rear because I'm using a receiver mounted cargo carrier and I have to have access to our truck mounted camper. Installing a front mounted receiver and making a tire mount to fit it seems like the only choice. I wonder if the air restriction caused by the tire would effect engine cooling. We will be going thru a lot of hilly country. I saw a lot of vehicles do it while we were in Australia and it's pretty hot there.

pineywoods · May 03, 2014, 05:53:14 PM

A receiver mounted on the front bumper of your truck is a very handy option. Not only can you carry a spare tire there, a receiver mounted winch can save your bacon. A ball hitch there makes a world of difference when maneuvering a trailer in tight spots. OH, and naw it won't make much difference in cooling unless you run 90 mph.. :

Warbird · May 03, 2014, 05:55:01 PM

An ankle holster works well. Oh, you meant tire. Sorry.

LeeB · May 03, 2014, 11:17:55 PM

I got a pretty good dunlop over my belt and working on another under my chin. :(

Qweaver · May 04, 2014, 12:15:43 AM

Except for the hurricanes, we loved our 30 years in south Texas. But we are having a great time back here in the hills also. What a great country we live in.

sandhills · May 04, 2014, 01:24:17 AM

One on the front, one under the bed in the camper ;D.

Seaman · May 04, 2014, 06:49:57 AM

Nice one Warbird!

Qweaver · May 04, 2014, 09:23:28 AM

We are having second thoughts about the rear cargo carrier. I think we will have enough room beside the camper base and in the back seat of the truck. The rear carrier also make getting in and out of the camper more difficult. We are going camping for two days at the local lake camp grounds just to give our setup a dry run.

scsmith42 · May 04, 2014, 11:24:55 AM

Quote from: pineywoods on May 03, 2014, 05:53:14 PM
A receiver mounted on the front bumper of your truck is a very handy option. Not only can you carry a spare tire there, a receiver mounted winch can save your bacon. A ball hitch there makes a world of difference when maneuvering a trailer in tight spots. OH, and naw it won't make much difference in cooling unless you run 90 mph.. :

+1. It seems like 40 years ago I used to see pickup trucks with campers on the back and spare tires on the front all of the time. As long as the tire is not too close to the grill the air flow should be ok.

Qweaver · May 08, 2014, 09:42:43 AM

I ordered the second front mount receiver because the 1st one did not fit. The camping trip next week will let me try it out going thru the mountains. We made the rear receiver mount steps yesterday out of 1.5" Oak. Looks pretty snazzie and will make getting into the camper less of a mountain climb.

Qweaver · May 08, 2014, 07:11:17 PM

Got the receiver mounted. It was a B-----! I finally just cut away enough plastic fascia so that I could get a socket wrench in there. Really well made DrawTite hitch tho'. Perfect fit just hard to get to the bolts. I'll fab the tire mount tomorrow. Tuckered today.

Qweaver · May 09, 2014, 07:02:52 PM

Here are the receiver mounted tire carrier and steps to the camper. It has been years since I welded every day and I had really forgotten just how difficult it is to stick weld 1/8" wall tube with 1/8" rod. I did use backing strips in the butt welds so I did end up with fully penetrated strong welds. I am going to weld webs on that 90 just to be safe. Also going to shim the 2" tube that goes into the receiver to stop any flopping around. I would have liked to use heavier wall tube but it's what I had.

sharp edge · May 10, 2014, 01:30:07 AM

Can't you buy tires on your trip? Why 2.

SE

scsmith42 · May 10, 2014, 04:05:29 AM

Looks good. Either a gusset or a fishplates on the outside of that 90 might be a good idea, and it appears to have room between the tubing and the bumper for a large gusset. That spare is a lot of mass with a nice bit of leverage against the 1/8" wall tubing.

Ianab · May 10, 2014, 05:36:08 AM

Yeah, as a long term thing a gusset will make it last 10X longer.

That's the difference to falling off in a couple of years though metal fatigue, or outlasting the truck, and probably us :D

Ian

Qweaver · May 10, 2014, 07:21:15 AM

Quote from: sharp edge on May 10, 2014, 01:30:07 AM
Can't you buy tires on your trip? Why 2.
SE

Several people that have been there have recommended that I carry two. Who am I to argue with that?

beenthere · May 10, 2014, 09:42:11 AM

For the longer travel days, I'd take off the spare on the front and store it in the camper while driving. As mounted, it will push a lot of air that will show up at the fuel pumps.
Not very handy to do that if stopping a lot to use the camper, but something I'd consider.

LeeB · May 10, 2014, 01:53:42 PM

Quote from: sharp edge on May 10, 2014, 01:30:07 AM
Can't you buy tires on your trip? Why 2.

SE

Because he's driving a chevy? :D

Qweaver · May 10, 2014, 03:34:48 PM

The more that I looked at that front mounted spare...the less I liked it. So out with the double back seat and in with the spare. Actually more room with the spare in there than with the folded down seat. So the five seater is now a three seater. But I like it. $144 for the front mount receiver and a wasted day but I wanted the front receiver anyway. Loading up Tue. Shake down camping Wed and Thur. Final adjustments until we leave on the 22nd. WaHoo!

Chuck White · May 11, 2014, 08:08:14 AM

I had one of my spares mounted on the front like that when I left Alaska (back in 89) and I was a little nervous about "what if the tire fell off", so I took some small chain (heavy enough to hold the tire) and put it through the rim, then through the grill, up over the hood latch and back out and locked it with a small padlock!

A peace of mind thing! :