Spare tire fell off - Montana Owners Club

MuddyPaws · 04-04-2009, 04:58 PM

I don't know what made me look back but 'something' did. I saw a tire laying in the middle of the on-ramp that wasn't there before. So I pulled over and checked the rear of our monty. Sure 'nuff. It fell off.

As I was walking back to pick up the tire a semi pulled over and brought the tire to us. Cool. (The driver was the most adorable blond lady-trucker I've ever seen!)

Afrer we got set up for the weekend I looked at the hanger bracket. The problem is that the bracket is adjustable for different sized rims, and whoever adjusted it must have thought it was going to be used on a tent trailer! I adjusted it so that the rim barely fits and plan on checking it every time I check tire pressures.

HamRad · 04-04-2009, 05:38 PM

Muddypaws,

Sure glad it was nothing worse! You got by pretty good on this one! And how nice of the lady truck driver to bring your tire to you. Sure a lot of nice folks in the world.

On a different subject: We just got home from a two week stay in San Jose. We stayed at the Trailer Tel RV park on Oakland St. just north of the 101. Had a great time in spite of the early rain. What nice weather you folks have.

HamRad

richfaa · 04-04-2009, 05:52 PM

That has happened to many times. we have ours secured with straps.

Dean A Van Peursem · 04-04-2009, 09:20 PM

I've caught ours coming loose a few times. Now it gets checked every stop. I'm suprised more are not lost. The method of securing the spare tire is in need of significant improvement. Defect #46.

richfaa · 04-05-2009, 03:59 AM

We were alerted on this forum early on about the puny spare tire attachment system. Observation confirmed that. We have ours strapped securely . On our previous Rv we carried the spare in the bed of the truck but the camper was a TT. Wish we had room somewhere to get that spare out from under the camper.

indy roadrunner · 04-05-2009, 04:10 AM

I ditto Rich, straps as cheap compared to the loss and damage a spare falling off can do. Besides I just feel more comfortable knowing it is secured with a strap.

TLightning · 04-05-2009, 09:23 AM

I carry my spare in the bed of the truck.

bsmeaton · 04-05-2009, 09:33 AM

MuddyPaws,

Was the adjustment you found on the center span bar or up where the rim rests against the bracket? I guess I never saw anything on mine last time I was under there.

Straps are a good thing. If you secure it with a lock on a cable, be sure to also strap it. The only thing worse than having it fall off is to have it fall off but still be tied to the trailer with a cable. A 120 lb tire and wheel on a leash will beat the butt off that Montana like a naughty stick, breaking tanks and pipes and everyhing else in it's path.

MuddyPaws · 04-05-2009, 05:37 PM

The centerbar, use your imagination here, looks something lke this from the side:

=====]=====[=====

I moved the ] and [ further apart so it now looks like this:

===]========[===

The center hole of the rim just fits between them now.

Anybody got pictures of the tire secured by straps?

bsmeaton · 04-05-2009, 07:30 PM

Thanks Muddypaws

Very creative typing by the way. I guess I better lower the tire and check it out. Mine tends to loosen up every month or so.

ols1932 · 04-06-2009, 01:59 AM

When we lost our spare, we didn't know it until we reached our destination. I'm assuming that it didn't hit anyone. Didn't retrace our steps to see if we could find it. Now, the new wheel and tire are strapped up and padlocked with a bicycle cable. Don't leave home without it.

Orv

Ozz · 04-06-2009, 02:34 AM

Here are two pictures of the straps I put on, I used the ratcheting kind, kind of hard to remove, but you can get them really tight.

excelent · 04-06-2009, 04:08 AM

I also didn't care for the flimsy look of the spare tire carrier. First thing I did was add a ratchet strap across the spare hooking it to the trailer frame on each side. While doing this I noticed that the carrier itself was mounted to the frame with the same self tapping screws they used to screw the underbelly to the frame. I immediately removed the screws and replaced them with bolts. One of the screw heads broke off when I was removing it. Scary.

Clyde n Deb · 04-06-2009, 11:33 AM

OK...........it's on this spring's check list. If spring ever gets here. I'm overdue for the first trip. Getting cranky. Ask Debby.

Ozz · 04-06-2009, 11:57 AM

Clyde, us folks here in the Kansas City area, are wondering when it will get here as well. It's in the 30's here now.

pvcoach · 04-06-2009, 05:23 PM

This is great information! I never considered the possibility of the spare tire coming loose and/or falling off. I have never had a problem with the spare being loose and I have only had to use the Monty spare one time. You can bet that I will be looking this one over before we take another trip. Thanks folks!

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