Safety when changing spare wheel.

[otherclive]

Noting the article in PC on the trip to Sardinia where the outfit suffered a nearside caravan tyre blowout, which required the spare wheel carrier to be pulled out into the moving traffic stream. I had a similar issue on my one and only puncture but then started to carry the spare in the van when abroad. Now I tend to carry it in the van on nearly all outings. It just gets stored on the carrier when the van goes bback into store. On site I use a motorbike security chain to lock the spare to the chassis. It would be nice if manufacturers gave more thought to stowage of the spare wheel. In the front locker is not too bad providing noseweight can be maintained but wasn't it avondale who had a stowage in the van that kept the spare wheel clean and accessible? time to turn the clock back perhaps. Or perhaps safety doesn't sell vans?

 

[RogerL]

I suspect that most caravanners who go abroad are oblivious of the fact that, as delivered, the spare wheel is taken out of the Alko holder on the left, ie into the traffic stream - it can be changed over but then it's on the wrong side while in the UK.
Avondale's through-the-floor arrangement was wonderful functionally but weakened the chassis integrity as the Alko wishbone design relies on good torsional strength in the floor.
Personally, I'd prefer the spare in the front locker AS LONG as the manufacturer has taken that into account at the design stage - judging by some recent caravans' ex-works noseweights that doesn't always happen, even without the spare there.

 

[xtrailman]

We did have the spare wheel inside the front locker on our 2004 senator.
On the Valencia, i have removed the Alko carrier to the loft, to join the other one.
Its now secured under the fixed bed, were it lives nice and clean, and accessible, with the spare jack inside, just like our beloved Avondale, (which also had the gas locker over the axle).
Removing the carrier also gives a little more load allowance.

 

[hgv dave]

hi all
thanks for that idea ray.........having just bought a coachman laser 600/4 where the spare wheel is under the van,my previous van was a swift rapide where the spare was in the gas locker,i had never even thought about moving it...............i will be next weekend
thanks again

hgv dave

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I have removed the Alko carrier and its extra shelving in the garage now with the spare wheel under the fixed bed after several threads on this topic on the forums
I was under the van yesterday wiring and it was so much easier not having to avoid the spare wheel

It used to be standard for the spare wheel to be in the front locker but todays heavier vans have much bigger and heavier spare wheels and some makes of caravans are already very nose heavy without the spare or in some cases anything in the front locker