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How to carry second spare tire?


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#21 Desert Rancher

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Posted 01 November 2010 - 09:12 PM

Those that are having tire failures and multi tire flats, have they been with the BFG All Terrians???


I always ran BFG A/T's on my Power Wagon and plenty of punctures. mostly sharp rocks or a nasty creosote stump. Sidewall punctures can easily happen on any radial tire. You just shove as many plugs as you can to fill the hole, air up and go. It will not seal forever so you just re-air as needed, but it will get you out of the outback.

Good plugs are required, the ones that are red and about 1/4" thick (looks like rope) and covered with some really tacky stuff. I believe Camel is the brand, plus you need the tools. The skinny black ones are not very good.

When you get a good puncture and hear the air hissing out, haul ass and get some plugs in there before it flattens out. Way easier than pulling the spare.
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#22 MarkBC

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Posted 01 November 2010 - 09:30 PM

I always ran BFG A/T's on my Power Wagon and plenty of punctures. mostly sharp rocks or a nasty creosote stump. Sidewall punctures can easily happen on any radial tire. You just shove as many plugs as you can to fill the hole, air up and go. It will not seal forever so you just re-air as needed, but it will get you out of the outback.

Good plugs are required, the ones that are red and about 1/4" thick (looks like rope) and covered with some really tacky stuff. I believe Camel is the brand, plus you need the tools. The skinny black ones are not very good.

When you get a good puncture and hear the air hissing out, haul ass and get some plugs in there before it flattens out. Way easier than pulling the spare.


You mean like these?:
Camel 15-281 7"hd Truck Repair 30pk Plug Style String Repairs
They look like Slim Jims...

I see some are 4" long and some are 7". Why so long...and which size to get?
So...besides the plugs themselves I'd need...what tools?

I asked a guy at work about mounting a second spare and I also asked him about using plugs to patch the tire. Besides agreeing with a front-receiver-hitch approach, he also told me that he's successfully (temporarily) patched even a large sidewall cut by jamming in "about 40" plugs -- it lasted well enough to get him out of the woods. :blink:
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#23 SunMan

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Posted 01 November 2010 - 10:17 PM

So...besides the plugs themselves I'd need the cement...and what tools?


Like KC I have one of these sets. I've never needed to use it but it seems to be of top quality. I figure if I'm ever in the predicament where I need one it should be the best.

http://www.arbusa.co...ssories/40.aspx
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#24 UglyScout

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Posted 01 November 2010 - 10:25 PM

I have this saftey seal kit in my off-road truck:

Saftey Seal big tire kit.

I have used it 10 times at least. Once you get over the fact that you have to stab a tool into your tire - it is very easy to use. No cement - not 'patches' - just a reamer tool, the plug insertion tool, plugs and lube.

I've have one plug in the tread of a tire for going on 2 years. Still holding great! I had 3 flats on my trailer with only 1 spare on a trip and these plugs helped get me home. I limped one flat into Les Schwab with 5-10 plugs in it and the guy said "Wow - you shouldn't be driving on that tire - how far did you go?" My response "750 miles give or take..."
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#25 HERR42

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Posted 01 November 2010 - 11:26 PM

i went for the safety seal product as well.

the tools are top notch strong as bull!
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#26 MarkBC

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Posted 01 November 2010 - 11:36 PM

OK...maybe I'm convinced about the effectiveness of flat-repair...

Anybody want to buy a second spare tire on a rim? It makes a great camp seat -- fits several sitters. :D
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#27 craig333

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Posted 02 November 2010 - 01:06 AM

You either cut off the excess or just let the road wear it down. Only had to do it once so far. I have the safety seal kit.

I don't know if its luck or skill, but I've seen people with identical trucks, identical tires, one gets flats like crazy, the other has never changed a tire :rolleyes:
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#28 MarkBC

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Posted 02 November 2010 - 01:27 AM

You either cut off the excess or just let the road wear it down. Only had to do it once so far. I have the safety seal kit.

I don't know if its luck or skill, but I've seen people with identical trucks, identical tires, one gets flats like crazy, the other has never changed a tire :rolleyes:


Craig -- or anyone using the Safety Seal system: Do you have the "big tire" version of the Safety Seal kit? That's what the other guys linked to, so I assume that's the right one...but the product description doesn't say if "big tire" means "3/4 ton pickup" or semi...or Menrad camper ;)
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#29 davinski

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Posted 02 November 2010 - 07:04 AM

Hey y'all. This thread brings up a question, but first some input.

I have the regular spare under the back of the dodge ram Sb with HAWK on it. Good for usual travels. I have a front receiver hitch mounted and this allows me to put a spare tire there when traveling off the beaten path (or if I plan to go to Alaska!) I have only had to use a 2nd spare only once, but man was it good to have.

This system works well, but others I have heard say that sometimes a front mounted tire will block air to the radiator and sometimes folks will run hot or overheat. Never had that problem myself, but I have not done a lot of travel in hotter places like the southwest. I notice some increase noise with this setup, but after a while, i find it does not bother me much anymore. In the rain, I find the tire will screw with the aerodynamics of the front of the truck and i get water splatter all over the windshield. This is at highway speeds. I just run the wipers more and it seems to be less of an issue. Of course, the tire will ruin a little of your front view, but usually not a problem (unless parking.....)

One thing i like is that ones that mount to the back often make it harder to open the camper door. the tire has to swing out of the way to get to the door. I would think this would be a hassle. On the other hand, it makes the back door more secure. Hard to be inside in stealth mode if you have to leave the tire swung open. Of course, someone could lock you into your camper if they closed the tire mount with you inside. Someone talked about this somewhere once, but I cannot remember where.

Another trick, when traveling on the state ferries, is to remember the fee is per vehicle until over 20 feet. My camper just fits under this, but with the spare it is a few inches over. When at the kiosk, I make sure to pull as forward as I can so they don't see the front tire as long.....they tend to forget and it and costs a lot less. The only time I have been charged the extra length fees is when I have had the spare mounted on the front. If I mount things on the back, they usually miss it and no extra charge. I notice in Canada, the ferry guys will bring out a measuring tape....If I am not in a rush, I will take the spare and mount off before getting in line. The cost difference can be a lot of bucks, depending on the route. In Washington, especially off season, they seem to care less.

If I had one on the back, I might mount a bike carrier onto it to carry the mountain bike on some occasions. Tried it on the front once, but man those bugs are sometimes hard to get off.

My question to those in the know, is how do you attach the tire/wheel to the mount? I had some large bolts and nuts that came with mine.....was wondering if there is a way to use extra lug nuts as this would be a good way to store them. Not sure if there is some standard for the bolt??? Never hurts to have a few spare lug nuts. Someone also mentioned that they had a spare stolen off a setup like this. I have a lock for the receiver and a wire lock for securing the tire to the hitch as well. Have never actually used it since when off on the backroads this usually isn't a problem. I would imagine getting there is where the problem might be.

Anyone else have useful tidbits for carrying the extra spare?

Dave in Seattle
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#30 UglyScout

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Posted 02 November 2010 - 02:09 PM

My question to those in the know, is how do you attach the tire/wheel to the mount? I had some large bolts and nuts that came with mine.....was wondering if there is a way to use extra lug nuts as this would be a good way to store them. Not sure if there is some standard for the bolt??? Never hurts to have a few spare lug nuts.


I've built a few spare tire brackets for trailer and truck beds and always use wheel studs and lug nuts to bolt them on. That way you only need your tire iron to get them off and not stuck looking for some odd ball deep socket or trying to use a pair of pliers...
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