Spare wheel carrier

[Pop's]

Morning
I have a Bailey phoenix 420 and was hoping to fit a alko spare wheel carrier. But it looks like the battery box is located where the carrier would go? Any ideas as would like to free up the space in the van for storage

Thanks in advance

 

[Buckman]

Morning
I have a Bailey phoenix 420 and was hoping to fit a alko spare wheel carrier. But it looks like the battery box is located where the carrier would go? Any ideas as would like to free up the space in the van for storage

Thanks in advance

TBH many of us have removed the ALKO spare wheel carrier and either carry the spare inside the caravan or in the front locker. Spare wheel carrier can be a real pig to get out from under the caravan, but wait and see if any one else says the same.

 

[Raywood]

The Phoenix does not have a front locker and is a two berth with no place on board to store a spare wheel that I can see. I can only suggest you have a word with the dealer who may be able to help. The ALKO one is a not well thought of but I cannot think of anything else on the market.

 

[Pop's]

Thanks ,will check with Bailey but probably just as easy to keep in the caravan when travelling

 

[Jcloughie]

If you can’t keep it in the boot. Some people get a decent bag. Put the wheel just inside the door, and slide it under the van when stopped. A bit of a pain, but if needs must….

John

 

[DaveA1]

I have a two berth Swift Challenger, don't know your layout, surly not that different.

Like others I removed my carrier. and made a space for it under the nearside bed, just in front of the axle. Han to moved/ twist the under bed support, cleaned and resprayed, nice and dry and clean if I need it. Used part of the old carrier to bolt it down

 

[Paullus1959]

TBH many of us have removed the ALKO spare wheel carrier and either carry the spare inside the caravan or in the front locker. Spare wheel carrier can be a real pig to get out from under the caravan, but wait and see if any one else says the same.

I am completely in agreement with Buckman and others who have removed the carrier. I haven't actually removed my carrier yet but it is a priority job for early Spring.
It is a vile contraption and extracting the spare wheel from it is a pig. Fortunately I've only ever done it once and that was in the storage yard in daylight on firm level ground. Even then I was surprised just how high the caravan had to be jacked up to be able to drag the wheel off the carrier without it fouling the caravan skirt.
What makes it worse is that to actually release the carrier this is best achieved lying down on the ground.
The idea of doing it at the side of the road at night in the pouring rain doesn't bear contemplation.

 

[Hutch]

I am with the others on this. Tha ALKO carrier is real pain, mine now lives behind the garden shed, carr the spare wheel under the bed in the caravan.

 

[Ern]

How about the Bailey spare wheel carrier? They are designed for Bailey caravans.

 

[DaveA1]

How about the Bailey spare wheel carrier? They are designed for Bailey caravans.

Looks the same to me?

 

[Buckman]

I am completely in agreement with Buckman and others who have removed the carrier. I haven't actually removed my carrier yet but it is a priority job for early Spring.
It is a vile contraption and extracting the spare wheel from it is a pig. Fortunately I've only ever done it once and that was in the storage yard in daylight on firm level ground. Even then I was surprised just how high the caravan had to be jacked up to be able to drag the wheel off the carrier without it fouling the caravan skirt.
What makes it worse is that to actually release the carrier this is best achieved lying down on the ground.
The idea of doing it at the side of the road at night in the pouring rain doesn't bear contemplation.

We had a blow out with our previous Lunar while on the motorway and had to pull over. It took the technician about 30 minutes to remove the carrier to acess the sapre wheel as the caravan was down on the nearside and it was a twin axle. It was too low for the jack to go under the axle due to the ground sloping away. On our return we got the dealer to remove the carrier and put the spare wheel inside the caravan under the bed.

 

[otherclive]

I’ve always removed my Alko carrier fir the reason others have said. Plus if you are abroad and need to use it then it’s not a safe procedure. If I did not have front locker stowage or I was noseweight sensitive it went in the caravan by the door or over the axle. . That way it was easily accessible. On site it was pushed under the caravan and chained to the chassis. It couldn’t be seen even if there wasn’t an awning up.

 

[Ern]

Looks the same to me?

I don't think so, Dave. Bailey introduced their own wind down design a while back, and as they make the caravan with the battery in the floor, I would have expected their spare wheel carrier to fit.

 

[Bluetonic]

Had one on our original Bailey Pageant S6, which of course was seized solid when we actually needed the spare.
Bought our current Bailey Pegasus T/A and the previous owner had removed the carrier. Spare is stored under the rear bed and I've saved about 7kg off the payload, which until we bought a heavier car really mattered at the time

 

[Beachball]

When our caravan gets a service in April we will have our spare wheel moved from it carrier and put in the front locker .so it easy access .

 

[Jaydug]

It's a pity that more caravan builders didn't copy Avondale's idea and put the spare wheel in a well under the floor. The wheel can be accessed in minutes.

 

[Jcloughie]

It's a pity that more caravan builders didn't copy Avondale's idea and put the spare wheel in a well under the floor. The wheel can be accessed in minutes.

Agree 100%. And it would be easier today with the use of loose carpets.

John

 

[Darren.H]

I removed our spare wheel carrier in the first few days of owning the caravan, I had weight issues.
Even with up grading the weight plate I wasn't happy, so off it came and for a while the spare went in the boot of the car as ballast.
Laterly when we purchased a couple of ebikes the spare had nowhere to go so we towed without it, relying on AA membership for assistance if and when required.
I would imagine the call out fee and other costs make it an expensive alternative to a spare if called upon!

 

[Raywood]

Agree 100%. And it would be easier today with the use of loose carpets.

John

Avondale dropped the idea after a couple of years but I have no idea why. It did seem to be the best answer to the problem so far.

 

[Jaydug]

Avondale dropped the idea after a couple of years but I have no idea why.

Avondale didn't drop the idea "after a couple of years". The under-floor wheel well was a feature of their superior build quality over many years. Avondale's troubles began in 2006 when the accountants began to have more influence than the quality control managers. Cost-cutting brought about the end of the wheel-well and also because of slip-shod methods on the production lines, caused many caravans to be returned to the factory with split rear panels. The financial crisis of 2008 brought about the closure of the business.

 

[Buckman]

Avondale didn't drop the idea "after a couple of years". The under-floor wheel well was a feature of their superior build quality over many years. Avondale's troubles began in 2006 when the accountants began to have more influence than the quality control managers. Cost-cutting brought about the end of the wheel-well and also because of slip-shod methods on the production lines, caused many caravans to be returned to the factory with split rear panels. The financial crisis of 2008 brought about the closure of the business.

I thought that they carried on manufacturing statics. I do vaguely recall issues with panels. Earlier models were quite well built and sturdy.