rear-bumper mounted spare tire too close to furnace exhaust?

[SteveMessinger]

Hello -

We just purchased a used 2022 Imagine XLS 17MKE, which has the spare tire mounted on the rear bumper right behind the furnace exhaust.

It seems to be pretty warm back there -- is there any chance it might degrade the spare tire? Would it be advisable to put some type of
heat shield between the spare and the furnace vent?

Thanks

[TucsonJim]

Hi Steve,

I know that in the summer time here in Southern Arizona our tires see some pretty brutal temperatures. I'd suggest you purchase an IR heat gun if you don't already have one. If the surface temperature of the tire exceeds 115°F, I'd consider shielding it.

BTW, an IR heat gun is a great tool to keep with you on the road. You can check hub temperatures to see if a bearing or brake is overheating. I like the one from Klein tools.

https://amazon.com/Klein-Tools-IR1-T...s%2C127&sr=8-6

Jim

[BC315RLTS]

Is it possible to move the spare tire mount a little bit to give the exhaust a clearer exit? I had to move a spare tire on a previous trailer because it blocked the view of the tail light.

[Country Campers]

I believe that the factory spare tire mount is under the trailer. Maybe check for that, I am guessing the previous owner moved it for better access.

Brian

[SteveMessinger]

Hi Steve,

I know that in the summer time here in Southern Arizona our tires see some pretty brutal temperatures. I'd suggest you purchase an IR heat gun if you don't already have one. If the surface temperature of the tire exceeds 115°F, I'd consider shielding it.

BTW, an IR heat gun is a great tool to keep with you on the road. You can check hub temperatures to see if a bearing or brake is overheating. I like the one from Klein tools.

https://amazon.com/Klein-Tools-IR1-T...s%2C127&sr=8-6

Jim

Thanks for the reply. I'll check the temperature. I agree that the IR thermometer would be handy to have.

[SteveMessinger]

I believe that the factory spare tire mount is under the trailer. Maybe check for that, I am guessing the previous owner moved it for better access.

Brian

We did get the trailer used, so it's not impossible that the spare was moved from the bottom to the bumper. However, I can't see any sign of any mounting
hardware or even any holes in the belly cover for any hardware, so it looks to me like it was factory installed.

[SteveMessinger]

Is it possible to move the spare tire mount a little bit to give the exhaust a clearer exit? I had to move a spare tire on a previous trailer because it blocked the view of the tail light.

There's only a couple inches between the spare tire and the rear ladder, so it would be hard to move it very much.

[Country Campers]

We did get the trailer used, so it's not impossible that the spare was moved from the bottom to the bumper. However, I can't see any sign of any mounting
hardware or even any holes in the belly cover for any hardware, so it looks to me like it was factory installed.

The factory spare is on a cable that drops down from the underbelly. The control is on the door side which is a hex end on a shaft, the tool for using the stabilizer jacks is the same tool for the spare tire. The original owner may have taped the hole shut in the underbelly. Paul & Deb had a 17MKE and did a thread on adding better setup, I will see if he chimes in or I can find the thread.

Brian

[Country Campers]

Here is the thread New Spare Tire Carrier on 22MLE - Grand Design Owners Forums (gdrvowners.com), sorry it is a 22MLE but still the same. Also it looks like the factory is mounted on the bumper not underneath, sorry for the confusion.

Brian

[SteveMessinger]

Here is the thread New Spare Tire Carrier on 22MLE - Grand Design Owners Forums (gdrvowners.com), sorry it is a 22MLE but still the same. Also it looks like the factory is mounted on the bumper not underneath, sorry for the confusion.

Brian

Thanks for following up on that.

[SteveMessinger]

Thanks for the reply. I'll check the temperature. I agree that the IR thermometer would be handy to have.

A quick check showed 126 degrees on the tire.

[TucsonJim]

A quick check showed 126 degrees on the tire.

That's too high in my opinion. It's not the vulcanizing temperature, but over time, I believe it will degrade your tire.

Jim

[SteveMessinger]

That's too high in my opinion. It's not the vulcanizing temperature, but over time, I believe it will degrade your tire.

Jim

I'll work on a shield of some kind -- thanks for the input.

Steve

[Jlawles2]

So I looked on https://www.ronhooverrvs.com/product...mke-1816147-29 and they show the back of 2 different 17's with neither showing the spare.

Also here on the site: https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...-on-xls-17-mke

You may want to look for the winch control to raise and lower the tire.

[SteveMessinger]

So I looked on https://www.ronhooverrvs.com/product...mke-1816147-29 and they show the back of 2 different 17's with neither showing the spare.

Also here on the site: https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...-on-xls-17-mke

You may want to look for the winch control to raise and lower the tire.

I have looked and don't see anything on the bottom that could be mounting hardware or winch hardware. I really don't think the spare was ever mounted on the bottom.




Thanks

Steve