ALko spare wheel carrier

[RayS]

The new caravan I have just bought has the spare wheel mounted on an Alko carrier just behind the axle - ideal for the weight but not so good for access.
Not having had such a fitting before I decided to investigate the practicalities of changing a wheel such that I could do so in the warm and dry weather away from traffic rather than on a wet cold European motorway one December night.
The wheel is secured to the carrier by a central centralising fastening and also by a bolt which comes up through one of the holes in the steel wheel and is secured with a locknut. This seems considerable over- engineering and is quite difficult to remove when the carrier is pulled out from the support holes and lowered to the ground. The wheel will not come out directly towards you as the ground clearance under the chassis is insufficient even when the front of the caravan is lowered as far as possible to increase the ground clearance under the rear.
The wheel then has to be lifted sideways over the two bolts projecting upwards from the carrier plat. This is extremely difficult for someone less than 100% fit lying on the ground
Putting the wheel back into position is equally difficult and engaging the cenrtal retaining device by feel can take an unreasonable amount of time as the end of the central bolt is uneven.

Although the engineering appears obvious, i found the whole process so difficult that I am wondering if i am doing something completely wrong - but I don't see what.

Advice from the experienced please - failing which i think my nex ploy will be to take out the retaining clips on the off side and drop the entire carrier onto the road before dragging it out and dismantling.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Advice from the experienced please

I had trouble removing the wheel from the carrier on my van when new 5 years ago. The carrier was removed soon afterwards and has lived buried in the garage. My spare wheel travels inside the caravan door, flat on the floor, when going to and from site, and gets put under the van on site (with a chain and lock). Also think of the weight saving when the carrier is not attached.

 

[Gabsgrandad]

If you think that is difficult wait 'til you get a flat in that side tyre, and your ground clearance is 4/5 inches less. Or wait til your up against a m/way barrier or wall or kerb and your haven't the room to slide the thing out. (always carried a ramp to pull that side wheel up onto) ---They are a well thought out piece of kit! hmy: I have managed it several times, but not easy, now at our age it would be a call to Mayday. Fortunately in this van, Swift have reverted to fitting the spare wheel in the front locker again.

 

[Jaydug]

, Swift have reverted to fitting the spare wheel in the front locker again.

That must make the nose weight over loaded. Here's where mine travels (he said smugly

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Here's where mine travels (he said smugly

I miss my Avondale as well.

 

[Hutch]

I aso tried the removing and refiting lark, I have now removed the carrier from my Coachman, saving 6 kgs, and now carry the wheel under the bed in exactly the same position but of course above the floor. Sits on an old bit of carpet qnd is nice and snugly fitted.

 

[DrZhivago]

You are doing nothing wrong - the design is absolutely awful. I bought my van second-hand and the whole thing was rusted up. I took it all off (complete with spare wheel) into the workshop to get the wheel off with an angle grinder. I then re-fettled it, and I cut off that second bolt.

Even with the slides greased I find it impossible to slide the spare back into place with the weight of a wheel on it - it jams unless I put intemediate jacks under the frame - so if I ever used the spare on the road I would just put the punctured wheel inside the van. As Gabsgrandad said, it is nigh impossible to get the spare out if you have a flat on that side : you can jack that wheel up first of course, but then you would get your arms chopped off if the jack collapsed while you were reaching in to free the wheel fasteners. I carry two heavyweight screw bottle jacks for this eventuality.

You wonder if the designers ever tried using it themselves - tried "eating their own dog food" is the expression.

 

[JTQ]

As Gabsgrandad said, it is nigh impossible to get the spare out if you have a flat on that side : you can jack that wheel up first of course, but then you would get your arms chopped off if the jack collapsed while you were reaching in to free the wheel fasteners. I carry two heavyweight screw bottle jacks for this eventuality.

You wonder if the designers ever tried using it themselves - tried "eating their own dog food" is the expression.

The technique here is to use the towcar to haul that wheel up onto some blocks to gain the lift needed to extract the spare before the jack and its dangers get involved. Then with the spare wheel ready, then jack up the van, it being on blocks makers getting a jack under easier or some cases possible, and lift required easier.
I am sure the designers at Al-Ko with its lead placing in this market know what they were doing. I don't like the design but understand how to use the product and accept it is adopted largely to limit the van's selling price.
There is no way I would sleep or live in a van with a newish tyre in the habitation space; try placing a new tyre on a sheet of white paper for a month and see the plasticisers it sweats out.

 

[Hutch]

Then , Leave the new tyre outside for a while. Trying to get the carrier back into place , without the wheel on it is bad enough, I am happy with my tyre under the bed with a lot of Spare kit. For repairs on route. Preferable than being stuck on a road fighting with a stupid wheel carrier, thats upside down to check the pressure on it.

 

[JTQ]

I don't frequently, though I regularly check the spares pressure at annual service. As with my car I know that for the van's and bikes I carry a very effective track pump should extra inflation before use be needed.
Both my car and my wife's car feature spare carrier arrangements where the spare wheel removal is needed to do this, so caravans are not unique.
When I had the Al-Ko carrier [ for 11 years] I made the point of including servicing that during my annual routine, so I was well used to deploying it and it was free to operate.

 

[otherclive]

Like many others here I stopped using the Alko carrier on my last van. Not only is it very difficult to use even when you don't have a flat tyre but when in Europe it would be downright dangerous. I carried my wheel inside the van over where the carrier was. On site I shoved the wheel under the van and secured it with a security chain. My current van has the wheel inside the front locker. Although since she can be a bit nose heavy I do sometimes relocate the spare wheel to over the axle.

 

[Gabsgrandad]

Jaydug wrote - "That must make the nose weight over loaded." - - Surely you can adjust the nose weight? - Vans for years never had spare wheel carriers underslung! - And had them in the front lockers, even Avondale before they put a hole in the floor. (Ps didn't they go 'bust'?)

 

[otherclive]

I don't frequently, though I regularly check the spares pressure at annual service. As with my car I know that for the van's and bikes I carry a very effective track pump should extra inflation before use be needed.
Both my car and my wife's car feature spare carrier arrangements where the spare wheel removal is needed to do this, so caravans are not unique.
When I had the Al-Ko carrier [ for 11 years] I made the point of including servicing that during my annual routine, so I was well used to deploying it and it was free to operate.

I too practised with mine but as the OP said it's extremely difficult to manoeuvre it around. Carrying the spare inside is much quicker and safer if you do have to change a wheel. Also the Alko arrangement is a hazard if being used abroad.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

even Avondale before they put a hole in the floor. (Ps didn't they go 'bust'?)

Unfortunately, yes, they did go bust. They were also the first to have the gas bottles over the axle. Sensible idea.

 

[Raywood]

Like many others here I stopped using the Alko carrier on my last van. Not only is it very difficult to use even when you don't have a flat tyre but when in Europe it would be downright dangerous. I carried my wheel inside the van over where the carrier was. On site I shoved the wheel under the van and secured it with a security chain. My current van has the wheel inside the front locker. Although since she can be a bit nose heavy I do sometimes relocate the spare wheel to over the axle.

I would carry the wheel in the caravan when towing to avoid the nose weight problem and then put it in the locker on site if it has to be moved out of your way. My only consolation with the carrier is that Mayday will do the job if I need them to.

 

[otherclive]

Like many others here I stopped using the Alko carrier on my last van. Not only is it very difficult to use even when you don't have a flat tyre but when in Europe it would be downright dangerous. I carried my wheel inside the van over where the carrier was. On site I shoved the wheel under the van and secured it with a security chain. My current van has the wheel inside the front locker. Although since she can be a bit nose heavy I do sometimes relocate the spare wheel to over the axle.

I would carry the wheel in the caravan when towing to avoid the nose weight problem and then put it in the locker on site if it has to be moved out of your way. My only consolation with the carrier is that Mayday will do the job if I need them to.

Only times I need to move it into the van are if I'm carrying extra gas such as Campinggaz together with my normal propane. Although as calorlite is no longer available I may be putting the spare into the caravan more frequently. They say weight bearing excercise is good for helping to retain bone density. Well you certainly get plenty of that as a caravaner.

 

[RayS]

Thanks everyone for replies. Good to know it's not just me.
I plan to contact Alko but anticipate something along the lines that the complaint to nuber sold ratio will be very small.
My previous Elddis van was not on an Alko chassis a d had what can only be described as a galvanised wire basket as a carrier, slightly further aft than the alco. It had a simple catch which when operated droped the side of the basket onto the road and you could then pull the wheel outdirectly toward you. Not perfect but much better than the Alko. Despite considerable search I have not been able to find the manufacturer. Any suggestions welcomed.