Thread: Deflated spare tyre

Originally Posted by Triplezed3

Much appreciated John. Was in two minds before - not anymore.

BTW, she’s got a very nice looking rear end

Yes, it’s a nice tight butt isn’t it

Originally Posted by John_D4

Yes, it’s a nice tight butt isn’t it

I particularly like the cutout of the cover over the trailer plug. It's an annoyance (removing/replacing that cover), but have to say that I've never thought of cutting it before!!!

So simple!

Originally Posted by Triplezed3

Hi there,

I am running 810mm diameter tyres. Need a solution for a spare tyre. Not keen on the expense of a spare wheel carrier and don’t want to put the spare on the roof rack. Does anyone keep a deflated spare underneath? I have an onboard air compressor so inflating would not be an issue.

Anything I need to know about? Or is it a bad idea?

My current D4 has the swingaway carrier as I also have an additional fuel tank underneath. In my experience your options are quite limited if you are not prepared to go for a carrier. In previous lives, I have carried spares on a roofrack, and I would advise strongly against pursuing any options up there. The wheel rim combinations are just too heavy to safely remove or replace. Invariably, you will end up damaging the vehicle ( as the wheel rim bounces back at you ) or yourself. I am too old to go clambering around on roofracks, but even younger fitter people are at risk doing this.

If you are prepared to sacrifice internal storage space, look at a vertical rack in the rear cargo area. A roll in rack looks and works well. You just lose space. Another option is don't carry a complete spare, just the tyre. Your call, but I have carried a spare carcass on a roof rack, and it presents few issues compared to a rim/tyre combo. In remote travel I have found getting the right size tyre is the issue a lot of the time. Most farms and small towns have tyre changing gear, and if you have a spare carcass , a carton will normally get a you a free changeover. ( i have never tried one of the manual do it yourself lever options. Watched plenty of people struggle with them though )
Around town with just a carcass. Mmmm not ideal, but you generally have access to tyres and dealers etc in metro situations. Other options should include a good repair kit, and review your jacking options. ( it can be quite difficult to get a jack under the vehicle on rough or loose terrain ).

If you are towing, that opens up other options for carrying spares, just watch the weight and placement.

Originally Posted by Ghost-Who-Walks

I particularly like the cutout of the cover over the trailer plug. It's an annoyance (removing/replacing that cover), but have to say that I've never thought of cutting it before!!!

So simple!

Have to confess, I’d originally cut it to fit over the rear hitch but I didn’t realise that I hadn’t left enough plastic to make the 2 halves stable and it broke. So I tidied up the break and left just the 1/2 on.

I’ve thought about going down the long range tank line also. But realistically I haven’t so far found anywhere that I can’t manage without 2 jerry cans. If I’m going remote I’ll almost always have the camper which I can put 2 Jerry cans on and at a pinch I could also put 2 or 3 in the D4 rear. For me (everyone is different) I can’t justify the expense of a Rear carrier and a tank for the 1 time every 2 years that I need 60-100lt of fuel that I can’t get from some remote fuel station. Just my personal thought tho, not trying to open a can of worms

Originally Posted by John_D4

I’ve thought about going down the long range tank line also. But realistically I haven’t so far found anywhere that I can’t manage without 2 jerry cans. If I’m going remote I’ll almost always have the camper which I can put 2 Jerry cans on and at a pinch I could also put 2 or 3 in the D4 rear. For me (everyone is different) I can’t justify the expense of a Rear carrier and a tank for the 1 time every 2 years that I need 60-100lt of fuel that I can’t get from some remote fuel station. Just my personal thought tho, not trying to open a can of worms

Perfectly logical, John. And well explained. My desire for the long range tanks harkens back to my Series days, wandering around the Vic high country in a SWB with a 10gal tank. My LWB SIII came with dual 16gal tanks and I just loved the freedom of not even remotely worrying about fuel. My V8 Rangie LSE really needed a long range tank as the petrol gauge would literally fall before your eyes in low range and when I converted it to diesel the range literally doubled overnight!
So, for the D4, I asked Brown Davis to manufacture a more streamlined additional tank to give me more exit clearance than their 108L version (which offers the same clearance as the spare tyre) and they came up with an 87L version which is now available from them.
I just love being able to fill up both tanks and not have to worry about fuel until the rear tank is empty and the main tank is getting low. I rarely need to stop for fuel on a trip and I simply drop by Costco to fuel up when I'm back in Melbourne. I can use the the Costco hi-flow bowser, too, to avoid the queue (but you have to feather it to reduce the flow to normal).