Tow car spare wheel
We are new to towing and are pondering the merits or otherwise of a spare wheel for the tow car. Many vehicles do not have a spare wheel these days and that includes the new Land Rover (LR) Discovery Sport when fitted with a towing hitch (it does have a
tyre repair kit). We could simply purchase a 'skinny' wheel (£350) and carry it in the back at the cost of space or there is another very expensive option (+£1900) which LR call the Towing Package which would provide for a full size spare.
Does anyone have strong views or experience/advice?
Comments
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,Hi Uncle ' Why not try your local car breakers for a suitable spare ??0 -
We`ve just bought a car with only a tyre repair kit simply because its the car we want. Red Pennent or Mercedes will assist in the event of an unrepairable puncture, so I shall not lose sleep. Recheck the Discovery, I was under the impression if you could
opt for the five seats and deployable tow bar you could have a full size spare.0 -
when we had the smax i bought a full size spare had the car four years and only used it once. the thing with not carrying a spare is if you have a flat and the tyre is beond repair you will have to wait untill your resuce service can get a new tyre, if at
night or on a Sunday it could take a while to find a tyre depot open and you would have to settle for what ever tyre they had in stock.we are just changing car again and this one will not have a spare , so before the towing season begins will have to pick
up a full size rim and tyre . I will then feel ok when towing.0 -
I was advised exactly the same as Tigi that by dropping the +2 child size seats you could have the deployable tow bar and the full sized spare wheel. I have little faith in the 'repair' kits requiring filling the tyre with foam as that only works on small punctures such as nails. Any serious deflation cannot be inflated with the sealant. Also I was told by a local tyre service that once filled with foam the tyre cannot be repaired?? Relying on a breakdown recovery to source and then fit a replacement tyre sounds like hours of waiting, worse still in rural areas. I would always cary a spare (full size) as a last resort then a 'skinny' providing it was ok to use whilst towing.
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Thanks very much, it's always good to hear other views. It is absolutely correct that with the electric deployable towing hitch and the two 'child' seats removed the Discovery Sport can have a full size spare wheel - that's the £1900! I just thought this
was a high price for a spare wheel!0 -
The tyre repair kit option puts a sealant into the tyre, this may or may not work depanding on the nature, size, position of the puncture. That's why if you have a nail or similar through the tyre the advice is to leave it in situe. Since 2012 new cars should be fitted with TPMS. If your car is fitted with the "Direct" type, there will be sensors in each wheel. Each sensor has a hole through which it samples the tyres air pressure every few minutes and relays this info to the ECU. The sealant could easily block and render the sensor useless which then needs to be replaced increasing the final bill.
The space saver option has it's limitations when driving solo, the advice is no more than 50mph. If I had a caravan in tow I might be prepared to limp along at 30mph but would not like to tow on a motorway. If your car's manufacturer advises against towing with a spacesaver and you do, then this may well have implications with your insurance.
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Thanks again. All this leads to my next question; does anyone have experience with electrically deployable towing hitchs? I thought they may be suseptible to water and debris ingress and become less reliable than a manual fit for example - which is why
I went for the manual fit. However, there is still time to change that.0 -
Thanks again. All this leads to my next question; does anyone have experience with electrically deployable towing hitchs? I thought they may be suseptible to water and debris ingress and become less reliable than a manual fit for example - which is why
I went for the manual fit. However, there is still time to change that.Not personally, but given the choice of the two, I'd choose electrickery ...... they always seem to be so neat & nigh on invisible. I've seen a few in action on VAG vehicles ... very impressed. A manual detachable can be problematic if you don't maintain
them and become difficult to fit or remove ... I'd expect the same for the electric version.0 -
Quite simply would never tow without a full size spare wheel, if the vehicle supplier doesn't fit one, I would choose another vehicle that did, for me it's a deal breaker. I do not bother with detachable tow-hitch, my present vehicle has one, but I never remove it.
Not fitting a full sized spare,
on a supposed cross country vehicle seem's to me to be beyond stupid, try calling a rescue service to a field in the Highlands.
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With you on that rays I have stipulated I wouldn't buy the car without full sized spare and got one as part of the deal.
there's not always room for the full sized wheel/tyre to fit in the well/stowage, there's not in mine. It's bad enough if you have to put a muddy/wet wheel from the car into the boot till you get to a tyre place
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My son had a puncture in France and it was VERY expensive because of the space saver spare a Volvo I think but I can't remember all the details of the mishap. Because he is wheelchair bound he may have had to drive further than most of us would on the flat
tyre and wrecked the wheel.
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Given the increased probability that 4x4 SUV type vehicles will be towing, it seems incredible that a spare wheel, whether full or spacesaver, suitable for the purpose is not part of original equipment. I suppose a case for small runabouts that are more
likely to always be in a suburban environment not having a spare could be made but for 4x4/SUV types flies in the face of logic.0 -
Yes CY it was one of my first questions when buying the Skoda and the Mitsubishi. Not long ago I was picnicing with van in layby when I met a Swiss couple needing to change to a space saver in their hire car and decided I never wanted one! Poor things
had no clue about security nuts or anything! And we're late for a party! Pity I forgot my drill for caravan steadies would have made the job faster still! Pity I didn't take the money offered for directing the job too!0 -
Its a full size spare for me + repair kit on board. I never use the security wheel nuts either. Drop the adaptor and loose it in the gunk and it wont matter what size the spare is. I dont know what other people think, but alloys are cheap enough these days, and its easier to buy them than nick 'em.
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but alloys are cheap enough these days, and its easier to buy them than nick 'em.
Write your comments here... Tell the theives that, at least Kia are now making an anti theft system for their spare wheel on the Sorento. I had it fitted on my car two weeks ago.
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With you on that rays I have stipulated I wouldn't buy the car without full sized spare and got one as part of the deal.
there's not always room for the full sized wheel/tyre to fit in the well/stowage, there's not in mine. It's bad enough if you have to put a muddy/wet wheel from the car into the boot till you get to a tyre place
Write your comments here...Fit it on the back door, it's what 4x4s always used to do, before the style over practicality bods stuck their finger in. I noticed a British Ford SUV with a 65 plate with a rear mounted full size spare the other day ,so, perhaps the wheel has turned full circle (pun intended) !
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Nuggy. Locking wheel nuts, easily defeated.
http://www.lockingwheelnutremover.co.uk/0 -
but alloys are cheap enough these days, and its easier to buy them than nick 'em.
Write your comments here... Tell the theives that, at least Kia are now making an anti theft system for their spare wheel on the Sorento. I had it fitted on my car two weeks ago.
Write your comments here...Alloy wheels are a bit like car radios, almost impossible to sell s/h, mind you some cretins will still try to steal them, even though they have a shed full of unsold ones.In their DNA I suppose.
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, but alloys are cheap enough these days, and its easier to buy them than nick 'em.
What do you consider to be 'cheap'? Though nothing like the most expensive, mine are nearly £1500 a set
click here and would you get a spare front wheel, rear wheel or both? .... just in case.
A lack of spare or space saver isn't
the best idea in the world, but they're here to stay so no point in worrying. And though they do happen, flat tyres & 'blow outs' are less common these days than they used to be.0 -
Nuggy. Locking wheel nuts, easily defeated.
http://www.lockingwheelnutremover.co.uk/Write your comments here...I was talking about the spare wheel/tyre which is slung under the rear of the car. All the thieves have to do is reach under the back of the car and cut the cable. Can be done in seconds. A new wheel and tyre cost a lot of money.
At least mine is now safe, I hope!0 -
Unclemort, to get back to the question of whether to have a spare wheel or not, are you aware the RAC offer a mobile tyre fitting service, free call out if you are a member. Check their web site out >here< This in my view good news for those of us who do not have a costly spare wheel which stands a fair chance of never being used. I accept the risks and have their call out number programed in my mobile phone.
If you intend travelling on the Continent, Red Penant will cover you for an excess of £100 but it would be wise to at least take a spare tyre with you.
In fifteen years I have only ever had one puncture on my motorhome and that was a slow one detected on my driveway. The last time I had a punctured car tyre I was working and I have been retired 20 years. In my book, with a correctly loaded vehicle and well cared for tyres, the risks are very small and, if the worst should happen and you don't mind any delays, accept the lack of a spare wheel.
peedee
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All questions rather than definitive statements:
Only info I could find said one puncture per 38k miles (so if you have 2, inside this I can go 76k?).
Tyre failure on motorway usually means tyre is scrap.
Repair goo unlikely to fix blowout and as said, tyre cannot then be repaired.
Obviously regular check and immediate repair of slow punctures helps as does greater tread depth.
Let experts deal with problems on motorway and anywhere else unless safety is assured and you can cope.
We also accept lack of spare but do carry jack and plugging tools for simple repairs otherwisebreakdown cover will deal with it at the (hopefully rare) expense of time.
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Space saver spare wheels not advisable by C.C....Buy good quality steel rim from your local car breakers and likewise a thoroughly approved used tyre for it...the rim cost £5 and the tyre £20.....get new valve and balanced and you are sorted.
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We`ve just bought a car with only a tyre repair kit simply because its the car we want. Red Pennent or Mercedes will assist in the event of an unrepairable puncture, so I shall not lose sleep. Recheck the Discovery, I was under the impression if you could
opt for the five seats and deployable tow bar you could have a full size spare.There is a substantial excess on Red Pennant if you do not have a servicable spare wheel and I suspect you will be charged the full resale price for the new one rather than the actual price at a tyre dealers. On top of this there is the possibility that
you get the problem in an area where your mobile gets no signal. Possibly the signal problem is more relevant to those of us up here in Scotland but it can happen in any area.0 -
Englethwaite Hall has bad signal so when RAC couldn't find me with a puncture there it was a VERY long wait! Puncture caused by a previous person on the pitch leaving about 30 screws behind one of which wrecked my tyre! Most breakdown people I have used
over the years have been very slow to respond. I would rather do it myself! Even at my age!0 -
Space saver spare wheels not advisable by C.C....Buy good quality steel rim from your local car breakers and likewise a thoroughly approved used tyre for it...the rim cost £5 and the tyre £20.....get new valve and balanced and you are sorted.
and, as said, where do you put it?
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I agree, and for that,I need a spare wheel. Perhaps I have been unlucky ? But I have had 3 punctures in 3 years, 2 in the car, which luckily has a spacesaver, both screws laying in the road, and repairable. And one in the motorhome, full sized steel spare, hung on the back of the van. Not repairable unfortunately. No way would I chance going without a spare, because it is a gamble. And I am not a gambler. Wouldn't buy a vehicle that didn't have a spare wheel, no matter how nice it was.
Autotrail sensibly hang a spare wheel on the rear wall, and cover it with a stylish plastic cover.
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The excess on Red Pennent is £100 hardly substantial, even with a new tyre its only a good meal out! I agree the wait for someone to turn up might be a bit painful. Blowouts are just as likely as a mechanical explosion and in any case if a blow out towing
a caravan at speed occurs the lack of a spare will probably be the least of my worries.0
