Spare wheel / tyre
Hello All,
Just prepping our new for us caravan for summer and I've realised that I don't have a spare wheel.
I'm quite surprised after reading around the internet that they don't come as standard so I'm looking for advice.
The handbook states my Elddis Avante has a wheel rim of 5.5j x 14 with a tyre of 185 r14 102. It's a 5 nut wheel.
I've looked around and found wheels at this size but they have measurements following them in mm (100, 110, 114) which puts me off buying as I'm not sure which one is correct.
As for tyres I'm more than content to source those, just need advice for size of wheel rim please? Any specialist suppliers known by anyone or should any 5.5jx14 fit the axle?
Many thanks,
JP
PS - I'm not a fan of these blow in gums and emergency repair kits, I'd rather have the wheel itself.
Comments
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A complete replacement is a really good idea since when a caravan tyre goes it so often shreds, sometimes damaging the rim even. Perhaps this is because trailer tyres are different from car and van types and run at quite high pressure if a single axle.
I would suggest your friendly local caravan breaker as a source of a rim, and perhaps even a tyre. Go armed with the knowlege of how to read the age of a tyre from the code moulded on the sidewall, though, as you would not want one with little of its life span left.
Then all you have to worry about is where to carry this great hefty lump on your travels!
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Does this help? https://www.caravanparts.co.uk/caravan-wheel-rims-ins-wheel-rims-c-124_126_138.html
David
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"PS - I'm not a fan of these blow in gums and emergency repair kits, I'd rather have the wheel itself."
Added to which, I think you will find that in the small print in most Recovery / Breakdown contracts (certainly Mayday), that if you don't have a spare wheel, the recovery company will provide wheel and tyre at your expense.
This has caused me to go to the considerable expense of acquiring a roof rack and full-size spare for my Touareg (since the car doesn't have a spare and the well in the boot is taken up with the Adblue tank) - simply because where would anyone get a spare wheel for that car at, say, 2pm on a Sunday afternoon!
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where would anyone get a spare wheel for that car at, say, 2pm on a Sunday afternoon!
Trolley jack, wheel brace, two bricks, ASDA car park (other suppliers are available).
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• For all vehicles, caravans or trailers and motorhomes you must always carry a legal and serviceable spare wheel or a manufacturer supplied or approved emergency tyre inflation kit and equipment and keys for any tyre security devices when supplied by the manufacturer.
• Transport your vehicle, you and up to 7 passengers that are in the vehicle at the time of the breakdown to a local place of repair or to a destination of your choice if the fault
or damage cannot be repaired at the scene of the breakdown or locally by the end of the working day (we will not pay for any other recoveries); or pay a contribution towards
labour costs following agreement between you and us if a fault can be repaired locallyThis is what Britannia rescue say. So no need to worry if the tyre repair kit doesn’t work they will take you to tyre depot. If 2pm on Sunday they will take you home or to your site. When on site call tyres on the drive Monday morning. Where is the problem. And also any caravan or trailer on the vehicle is covered.
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Does your Merc have a spare then MM? I did Many years ago drive what then was a 32 ton truck, in those days we used to carry a spare and have to change wheel if we got a puncture even on the motorway. As the days and years went trucks got bigger and went to 44ton. We got to the stage of not carrying a spare, so got out of changing wheels. If we got a puncture at 2 PM on a Sunday no problem, ATS would come and change the tyre.
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It does have a spare .... a skinny steel rimmed spare.
Back on topic .... I have to concede that the spare on my caravan isn't the easiest of things to access. It's on a sliding tube type carrier under the back of the caravan and not that easy on the safety of my drive let alone a motorway hard shoulder .... assuming you're lucky enough to have a hard shoulder to use instead of these stupid 'smart; motorways.
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You could get a flat on the way home.
Indeed I could as I have had at least two in the last 25 years.
If I had a flat and a spare I would still call the breakdown.
So would I.
Having a flat and no spare to me is a minor inconvenience
For me a PITA
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Tell me about the Alko carriers pain in the backside. We struggled with it at ATS getting the wheel out to change the tyre. Going off topic it was on a Coachman caravan, at the 1st service done at Crossley caravans they told me that the tyres were 3 years old on a 1 year old caravan. Went to Marquis where I bought it, they in turn contacted Coachman who refused to do anything. So I told marquis it was their problem. To cut a long story short I threatened them with trading standards. They then agreed as a gesture of goodwill to replace the 3 tyres . That is how I ended up at ATS.
Moral of story check age of tyres even on a new van
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Yes, I accept that my solution is somewhat OTT, but perhaps that's me! We had the opposite experience when a tyre on a boat trailer (that I had borrowed and didn't have a spare) blew on the M5. Shredded the tyre completely and damaged the wheel. We were on our way to Dartmouth and after a lot of messing about by the recovery company, we spent a week on holiday in Dartmouth whilst the dinghy spent its holiday in a garage in Weston-super-Mare!
When we went to collect the boat/trailer, I was charged £150 for an 8" wheel and tyre that I could probably have sourced for £25 at home - but they knew I didn't have much option but to pay up.
I accept that there are other options/alternatives - but my way solves the problem at minimum inconvenience to me and I have always been of the belief that if it can go pear-shaped, it will!
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Also while on about spare wheels on caravans, I have found it does no harm to grease the two Galvanised poles that the wheel sit's on under the van on AL-KO and B P W carriers. The inner pole get's very dry and very stiff to get open at the side of the road on a Friday night or any other time. I did our's as soon as we got the new van home and found it very dry.
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Same here. But past working jobs has a lot to do with it. I changed truck wheels on my own and thought nothing of it, but now it's classed as a skilled job, which it is, but times have changed, maybe for the better.
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Ditto, but must admit not a fan of AL-KO carriers, my current Coachman has one fitted and as the Coachman comes with slightly larger wheels than some it is difficult to remove the spare. Fortunately only ever had 1 puncture and ran for just over 1 mile to safe lay-by, Tyron bands fitted, tyre and rims no damage. Had an Avondale previously spare tyre was in a well just inside the door, magic, lift up the hatch take out the tyre, why others cannot do the same is beyond me.
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Buy a proper car !! Seriously , modern cars are a pain . To much electronics , weight saving , or penny pinching not suppying spare wheel . stick to my old landies.
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Since AL-KO brought out the caravan side of BPW they fit the same carrier on both chassis. We have a Knaus Starclass with a BPW chassis with the same carrier as your self. I also think that the Avondale was the best place to put the spare wheel, easy to get to and right over the axle
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Ah! The days of yore, taking the tyre off the rim at the roadside to repair the puncture with glue and a patch, and then pumping it back up with a foot pump. I would not want to do that nowadays (I didn't want to do it then either) but there is a little bit at the back of my brain that has missed the passage of time that still thinks I should be able to do it.
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There are two points IMO of importance here, not yet raised.
- There are the issues of the carrying of a spare, its bulk and probably more importantly the payload reserves to carry its weight. If it goes onto the van there is a big chuck of what typically is a pitiful payload taken by the tyre, rim and a carrying device. Plus if carrying a spare, a jack man enough for the job could be desirable so opening up also doing a DIY change.
- I would certainly and strongly recommend an investment in a TPMS for the van wheels. Even a minor puncture can lead to catastrophic tyre break up, as we continue to drive on unaware whilst the deflating tyre progressively overheats. Only coming aware when it gives way structurally or the drag is so great, long after it has been damaged beyond repair by the heating. With a TPMS, whilst the puncture remains an issue, its early discovery gives better options such as, topping up the air and probably the choice of finding a safer more practical stopping place.
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I am also a fan of TPMS especially on the caravan I`ve used Tyrepal for the past couple of years without a problem over around 7000` towing never lost the signal and still on the original batteries. The system also gives the wheel temperatures which after a bit of experience can give warning of a binding brake or overheating on steep hills. Its surprising just how the temperature rises on the wheel facing the morning sun in warmer climates.
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