Carrying Two Spare Trailer Tires

[Lonestar]

I moved my spare from under to out back on a Curt receiver mount tire carrier. I left the original mount in place so could put a second tire there.

Could you post a link to this tire carrier please?

On my previous trailer I ran a chain around the frame brackets to ensure that if the winch cable broke I would not lose my spare. A lock also prevented potential theft. I have not lowered the spare on my new reflection but it doesn't look like it's going to be easy to find the frame without cutting the underbelly material.

I like the way Rob used a 3/5" socket and assembly to prevent the winch from unwinding, but my main concern is the small cable breaking.

[Yoda]

I got it from etrailer along with the anti rattle device to lock the hitch down for no bouncing sided to side or up and down.
https://www.etrailer.com/s.aspx?qry=BX88224
https://www.etrailer.com/Spare-Tire-...rt/c31006.html

[Dave27]

Having had to change out a trailer tire twice for non-catastrophic pressure loss identified by my TPMS (bad valve stem and nail puncture) I was then left with travelling without a usable spare. Add to this that a catastrophic tire loss means that the other tire on the same side is severely overloaded for some length of time . . . travelling with two spares is a good idea. But where to put the second spare? In the truck? On the back bumper of the trailer? Hmmm?

It seemed to me that the best place for the second spare tire would be under the trailer beside the first spare tire. Originally, I planned to go behind the original spare, but this got into interference with one of the slide drive mechanisms, so I ended up moving the first spare over and placing the new one beside it. This does mean that one spare is accessed from the street side rather than the curb side, but this is workable. This does keep both spares in the low-bounce, reasonably well protected, area just behind the axles.

More details in the attached.

Rob

Hi Rob,
As always, you do an incredible job. I like the idea of adding insulation in the back. what did you use for cross bars?
thanks,
Dave

[Cate&Rob]

Hi Rob,
As always, you do an incredible job. I like the idea of adding insulation in the back. what did you use for cross bars?
thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave,

I use 1” x 2” x 1/16” wall rectangular tube for cross bars. (I started using this on the frame for the forward opening doors). For the aft cross bars, I used this same material welded to 1” x 4” x 1/8” end plates that bolted to the webs of the frame rails.

Rob

[Jeff Sibley]

While looking at part numbers to order ran across a 18 3/4" shaft version of the tire holder.
* now I only need to modify one winch shaft!
link: https://store.lci1.com/offset-winch-...on-166781.html

[Jeff Sibley]

It seemed to me that the best place for the second spare tire would be under the trailer beside the first spare tire.
Rob

Made modification on my Solitude 344GK and the measurements are the same. I ended up ordering the 37 1/2 version since the shorter I shared was not in stock... I cut my at 18" and let the lug nut side stick a little extra through the frame.
* Rob did a great job with the writeup! hardest step was drilling through the frame with a hole saw...

[Cate&Rob]

Jeff Sibley

Hi Jeff,

Good to see that this worked out for you. We have now towed ours for 5 days & 1500 miles (Ontario to Florida) over some typically rough roads and both spares are still in place . The new tire lift did relax a little (cable stretch I guess) and had to be tightened up. The original lift stayed tight to the underbody. The new lift stayed tight to the underbody once it was snugged up.

Agreed that the most difficult part of the project was the hole saw through the web of the frame I beam . . . although, that web was significantly thinner (maybe 1/8") than I was expecting.

Rob

[howson]

Having had to change out a trailer tire twice for non-catastrophic pressure loss identified by my TPMS (bad valve stem and nail puncture) I was then left with travelling without a usable spare. Add to this that a catastrophic tire loss means that the other tire on the same side is severely overloaded for some length of time . . . travelling with two spares is a good idea. But where to put the second spare? In the truck? On the back bumper of the trailer? Hmmm?

It seemed to me that the best place for the second spare tire would be under the trailer beside the first spare tire. Originally, I planned to go behind the original spare, but this got into interference with one of the slide drive mechanisms, so I ended up moving the first spare over and placing the new one beside it. This does mean that one spare is accessed from the street side rather than the curb side, but this is workable. This does keep both spares in the low-bounce, reasonably well protected, area just behind the axles.

More details in the attached.

Rob

I'd read this post previously but while under my trailer today and looking at it--this is definitely doable! Added to my "down under" list of projects.

Thanks again for the excellent documentation, Rob.

[howson]

I will keep an eye on these modifications during our upcoming trip to Florida.

Rob,
Just about to tackle this project. Any update or "lessons learned" now that some time has passed that you'd do differently?

Howard

[Cate&Rob]

Rob,
Just about to tackle this project. Any update or "lessons learned" now that some time has passed that you'd do differently?

Howard

Hi Howard,

The two spares have stayed securely in place. The new cable stretched a little in the first few hundred miles, but after I tightened that up, everything has been fine. There is nothing that I would do differently.

Rob

[howson]

There is nothing that I would do differently.

Since I don't have your mad welding skills I tackled this a bit differently.

Based on what you wrote in post 16 and rough measurements I'd made, I ordered the 16" version of the Lippert winch, the one with the cotter pin. At first look it appeared it would work (spoiler: it did!).

Pic 1: The rod on the OEM assembly tire winch rod (this one was welded to the winch) stuck out about 3.5".
Pic 2: The 16" winch I purchased.
Pic 3 & 4: Initial look to see if it will work.


As others have documented, the "scary" part was cutting the hole in the trailer frame. I went with the OEM 1.5" hole, duplicating on the street side what was on the curb side (OEM). I did not reinforce the new hole, but did install a rubber grommet. The main difference between the welded rod versus the pinned rod is the latter "flops" around. The rubber grommet will keep from hearing the rod bang around under the trailer.

The new installation has the winch rod sticking out of the frame just over 2"--plenty of rod IMO. I did not add a hole to the trailer skirt (like the one on the curb side) for the manual winch handle. I'll be using my DeWalt power drill with a socket and there should be plenty of room on the street side to get under there with the drill, even with the slide all the way in.

I also installed a "lock" on the winch rod which I believe is very similar to what Kim (ChiefBlueMan) first showed me a few years ago.


For the original winch rod that was now (obviously) way too long, I decided to take a chance and hope the inner pin coming out of the winch body would be the same (had a hole for a cotter pin) like the new one I'd just installed.

First step was to cut down the rod to the exact length as the new one and set it aside.

Then I cut down what was left of the outer rod until I could clearly see the end of the winch's inner pin. I then carefully ground down what was left of the welded rod with a dremel tool until the outer rod (the one I'd just cut down) slid back over the inner pin. (I also found the inner pin had the cotter pin hole--yea!)

Last step was to put a hole in the outer rod for the cotter pin to go through. That was easy with the Drillblock I'd recently purchased. (I've used that gadget quite a bit already!)


I also added a grommet in the original OEM hole and added a lock here, too. The one spare wheel & tire I have went in the curbside position.

BTW--where did you get the extra wheel for the second spare tire???




The second wheel & tire will be one of the four Goodyears I have on the trailer now (when they get replaced).

I'm ready for Alaska, JP! (He's not on here but hopefully will see this later). That goes for you, too, TucsonJim. Who knows, maybe we'll end up there together! (That would be a hoot. Do we have enough payload for all the IPA???)

Thanks again for the idea, Rob, and the excellent documentation.

Howard

[Cate&Rob]

howson
Hi Howard,

Great write-up and very similar result to my installation. The OE method of welding the drive tube to the winch shaft “flops about” too, because they never bothered to center the shaft in the tube. Your pinned connection is probably better than the welded connection because it will allow a little flex during rotation. After I realized that the shaft and drive tube were not concentric, I was going to go back and correct this . . . but, how many times am I actually going to lower these spares? I hope, not very often!

Rob

[Canyonlight]

That goes for you, too, TucsonJim. Who knows, maybe we'll end up there together! (That would be a hoot. Do we have enough payload for all the IPA???)

Thanks again for the idea, Rob, and the excellent documentation.

Howard

Did someone say IPA AND Alaska in the same post......now we are talking ! Count Carol and me in !

Dan

[howson]

Did someone say IPA AND Alaska in the same post......now we are talking ! Count Carol and me in !

Dan

Sounds like the caravan is assembling...saddle up them horses!

[steve&renee]

I tackled this a bit differently.

I think I followed everything you documented, but I don't see where/how you attached the winch to the trailer/frame. Since I haven't dropped my coroplast, I don't know how the original winch was attached, or how you re-attached the original winch and attached the new winch. Do tell -- and if you have pics, please share them.

Thanks.

-Steve