| [GMCnet] Running without a spare? [message #104735] |
Mon, 01 November 2010 00:14  |
Bryan Davies
Messages: 18
Registered: October 2010
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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That spare tire that has been hanging off the rear of my coach has been there for as long as I can remember and I have never needed it. I am running a quad bag system (no sway bars) which leads me to believe that if i do blow one that I can isolate a bag and traverse some distance where there is a Costco or Walmart with a compatible tire at a reasonable price. Worst case is that i pay retail out in the boonies someplace (maybe $75 more). Anyone else out there gutsy enough to have been doing what I am thinking? For a while there i had the spare stored on the floor mid coach while I built my through the bumper hitch and assembled the fiberglass bumper cover and suspected the coach was handling better because of the weight distribution. I am tempted, or at least curious to see if i can figure out how to run a lightweight emergency spare.
Bryan '76 Eleganza TN
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| Re: [GMCnet] Running without a spare? [message #104739 is a reply to message #104737] |
Mon, 01 November 2010 00:49  |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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Well, I used mine once on a Sunday night after dark on a 2 lane road in Mississippi. I was happy I had it. 15 minutes to change the tire and I was on my way.
Running on one wheel in the rear instead of 2 means double the weight on one tire. I do not know how practical that approach is considering that there is something over 4000 pounds on those two wheels. You propose to put that weight on one. I would not plan to go very far. I'm sure you would have to air up that remaining tire to 120 PSI or so to handle the extra weight.
I wonder if they make a load range G or H tire in our size?
On the other hand there are a lot of people running without spare tires.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: [GMCnet] Running without a spare? [message #104748 is a reply to message #104735] |
Mon, 01 November 2010 07:42 |
jknezek
Messages: 1057
Registered: December 2007
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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Do to a dry rotted spare we were running essentially without one the last few years. Stripped the tread coming back from VA a few weeks ago and had to limp in to Pigeon Forge where we got a new tire and a spare. I don't want to do that again. Of course, it's compounded by still running the original sizes which are getting hard to find. Knowing what I know now, with the odd size, I feel much better having a good spare...
Thanks,
Jeremy Knezek
1976 Glenbrook
Birmingham, AL
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| Re: [GMCnet] Running without a spare? [message #104754 is a reply to message #104745] |
Mon, 01 November 2010 09:16 |
willietrucker
Messages: 83
Registered: April 2010
Location: Central Texas
Karma: 0
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We have always run with a spare. We have loaned out our spare to other GMC'ers who have had a flat more than we've used it ourselves.
Of course, if you have a front tire blow out, you've got a bigger problem than just needing a spare, like bringing the GMC to a safe stop. Changing the front tire out for a rear tire can be very tricky if you've got only one jack even with a quad bag system.
Tom Henderson
Elgin, TX
'76 Birchaven 23'
GMC..."Gimme More Cash"
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| Re: [GMCnet] Running without a spare? [message #104756 is a reply to message #104735] |
Mon, 01 November 2010 10:08 |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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Senior Member |
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| Bryan Davies wrote on Mon, 01 November 2010 01:14 |
That spare tire that has been hanging off the rear of my coach has been there for as long as I can remember and I have never needed it. I am running a quad bag system (no sway bars) which leads me to believe that if i do blow one that I can isolate a bag and traverse some distance where there is a Costco or Walmart with a compatible tire at a reasonable price. Worst case is that i pay retail out in the boonies someplace (maybe $75 more). Anyone else out there gutsy enough to have been doing what I am thinking? For a while there i had the spare stored on the floor mid coach while I built my through the bumper hitch and assembled the fiberglass bumper cover and suspected the coach was handling better because of the weight distribution. I am tempted, or at least curious to see if i can figure out how to run a lightweight emergency spare.
Bryan '76 Eleganza TN
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Bryan,
If you are crediting the removal of the spare tire with you better handling, I would suggest you are mistaken.
In the past year I have run with: No spare on the mount, One spare on the mount and two spares on the original spare tire mount. I have a very light 23' coach and it should have made even more of a difference.
This plan requires that you be running 16" wheels as 16.5" tires are now difficult to come by. You are saying 75+ on a good price - Right?? 200$ could be easy to do on the road.
If you choose to run without a spare, just be sure your road service contract is good. Last time I needed the spare, I found that I could not lift the front of the coach with the factory jack without damaging the bumper. I called for road service, we even told them that that they needed to bring a 2-ton floor jack. The service truck did not have jack that would fit under the frame with the tire flat.
It was frustrating, but we were only delayed by about four hours.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: [GMCnet] Running without a spare? [message #104758 is a reply to message #104756] |
Mon, 01 November 2010 10:24 |
gmcrv1
Messages: 839
Registered: August 2007
Location: Memphis
Karma: -1
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Senior Member |
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I have been casually looking for a 16" wheel to bail me out should I get a
flat. I put a nice set of Eagles on that I got from Jim K. Best looking
thing on the coach. Now I have a 16.5" tire 15-20 years old?) on an
original rim - I'll assume that qualifies as not having a spare at all. I
have thought of finding a good use 16" tire and mounting it on any 16" rim.
If I do get a flat at least I have a tire with me that I can have swapped
out for the flat.
Comments, concerns - constructive criticism - always welcome.
Thanks,
Tom Eckert N2VWN
73 Glacier
Oakland, TN
On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 10:08 AM, Matt Colie <mcolie@chartermi.net> wrote:
>
>
> Bryan Davies wrote on Mon, 01 November 2010 01:14
> > That spare tire that has been hanging off the rear of my coach has been
> there for as long as I can remember and I have never needed it. I am running
> a quad bag system (no sway bars) which leads me to believe that if i do blow
> one that I can isolate a bag and traverse some distance where there is a
> Costco or Walmart with a compatible tire at a reasonable price. Worst case
> is that i pay retail out in the boonies someplace (maybe $75 more). Anyone
> else out there gutsy enough to have been doing what I am thinking? For a
> while there i had the spare stored on the floor mid coach while I built my
> through the bumper hitch and assembled the fiberglass bumper cover and
> suspected the coach was handling better because of the weight distribution.
> I am tempted, or at least curious to see if i can figure out how to run a
> lightweight emergency spare.
> > Bryan '76 Eleganza TN
>
> Bryan,
>
> If you are crediting the removal of the spare tire with you better
> handling, I would suggest you are mistaken.
>
> In the past year I have run with: No spare on the mount, One spare on the
> mount and two spares on the original spare tire mount. I have a very light
> 23' coach and it should have made even more of a difference.
>
> This plan requires that you be running 16" wheels as 16.5" tires are now
> difficult to come by. You are saying 75+ on a good price - Right?? 200$
> could be easy to do on the road.
>
> If you choose to run without a spare, just be sure your road service
> contract is good. Last time I needed the spare, I found that I could not
> lift the front of the coach with the factory jack without damaging the
> bumper. I called for road service, we even told them that that they needed
> to bring a 2-ton floor jack. The service truck did not have jack that would
> fit under the frame with the tire flat.
>
> It was frustrating, but we were only delayed by about four hours.
>
> Matt
> --
> Matt & Mary Colie
> '73 Glacier 23 Chaumiere (say show-me-air)
> SE Michigan - DTW 3.2/4R
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> List Information and Subscription Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
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