Thread: spare tyres - actual times you needed a second spare

Never .

When I was towing the Van with the Defender I had LR wheels fitted to Van , Thus I had 2 spare . one on the van , one on the Tug . Only ever needed the one spare.

Ditto with the Iveco , I carry 2 spares & never 'needed' either .

IMHE, going really remote off the tar without at least 2 spares is, to some extent, a recipe for needing an extra

Example of actual data ?: I carried 3 (2 on the vehicle and 1 on the trailer) on one of our trips to WA towing a trailer with rims common to the D1. Travel included a great deal of driving off highway on the worst stoney roads (including eg.Balladonia - Esperance & Caiguna - Israelite Bay).

I ended up using all 3 but the extras enabled the trip to continue until I was able to get replacements/repairs. Other trips I haven't needed to use any of the spares.

Obviously there are preparation, tools & active driving measures you can undertake to minimise the risk, and, in some respects tyre engineering has improved out of sight (depending on make).

But, there is a great deal of remote Oz, including Port Augusta & Esperance, where you will wait days for a replacement tyre of the correct size if one gets ruined (particularly if your incident is on a Friday/Sat/Sun).

If you do take 2 and get back without having to use any spares - you can look on it from a Zen POV or consider it as a "bit of insurance".

BTW, don't forget to check the "best by" date on your baked beans and spaghetti

The very best of luck to you MLD, and please report back on your experience, either way it will be informative .

I used to carry two with my old defer....never had a flat

New defer, only planning to carry one.
haven’t really done any trips other than high country at 70th, did get one flat and repaired with plugs

I can't recall any time I have needed a second spare, but I can recall times I have been worried about not having one because I had wrecked one tyre and had a long way to go before the next possible place to get one.

As 87County says, though, there are a lot of places where you could wait days at least for a replacement. And if your tyre size is not a widely size (check with your tyre dealer!) this wait could apply to a lot more places.

Having said that I drove to Perth and back with only one spare.

Murphy always follows me too close behind to not carry 2 spares....

If you know how to mount and de-mount a tyre, you can get by with just the carcase.

Originally Posted by donh54

If you know how to mount and de-mount a tyre, you can get by with just the carcase.

I always encourage those contemplating carrying a second carcass to actually try pulling a tyre off the rim at home....booths times they have decided to get the spare carcass fitted to a rim

I used to live in Tom Price when the road from Nanutarra to Tom Price was all dirt and this stretch of road used to "eat" tyres so carrying 2x spares was a necessity and on several trips I would use both spares.
Yes with modern tyres and making sure that the tyres are in tip top shape before you head off will rarely necessitate the need to use more than one spare or even get a blowout at all But I am a firm believer in Murphy's Law and I like to be prepared for any contingency so I still carry 2x spares and I do this for everything truck's caravan and boat trailer.
Carrying the extra spare will also afford you some flexibility in where and when you choose to replace a damaged tyre.
If you have to replace a tyre in a remote location you have the problem of the type/size being available and also the excessive costs of the tyre.
Having the extra spare will usually allow you to travel to a major town/city and easily get the type/sized tyre you want and also save hundreds of dollars as well