Should i take a spare tyre carcass?

[Jaysea]

I am about to head off for 3 months from Sydney up the old Ghan to alice then through NT to Darwin, across the Savannah way and back through central queensland. 

I am towing a trailer that has matching wheels so that makes it 2 spares (one on car and one on trailer).

The question i am pondering is if I should also carry an extra spare tyre which i have (no rim)?  I could throw this on the roof of the camper.  Trying to think about disadvantage of extra weight and real likelihood of doing 2 tyres.  I know this is possible but is the extra load worth it?

thoughts appreciated

[allan.kidd]

I had a similar plan – extra tyre but no rim. I bought all the gear to remove the tyre from the rim – bead breaker and tyre levers.

I decided to practice it at home before the trip. After about 3 hours I had succeeded in getting the hub just past one of the tyre walls – this was using rubber mallets, tyre levers, lots of soapy water, copious swearing, etc etc. The tyre was a 31" Cooper STT.

Even if I had succeeded in getting the old tyre off, there was still the problem of getting the new tyre to seal and take air pressure.
I decided that, for me, this was not a viable solution.

So, if you decide to go down this route, I suggest you try to do the process before you leave.

[Brumbypt]

I took 2 with me around Aust, well took em for half the trip.

It was good exercise lifting them up onto the top of the camper and off again every day.

If you have it, take it.

if you have a rear wheel hanger then think about tying it to spare wheel to save it from being on the camper roof rack that I assume you will have to take it off to set the camper up.

But for sure take it.


Peter,
sent by telegram stop

[Brumbypt]

Please post some pics of your camper and vehicle so we can correctly give you the right suggestions about how to take your carcus.


Peter,
sent by telegram stop

[KingBilly]

Changing a tyre in the dirt, in the sun, on the side of the road, is tough work.  I would take a complete wheel if this is possible.

KB

[muzza01]

Changing a tyre in the dirt, in the sun, on the side of the road, is tough work.  I would take a complete wheel if this is possible.

KB

I agree 100 %

[Jaysea]

thanks for your thoughts

Please post some pics of your camper and vehicle so we can correctly give you the right suggestions about how to take your carcus.
Peter,

carrying the tyre on the camper is not a problem as the rack on the roof of the trailer does not need to be removed to set up camp



But i agree KB it is a PITA to replace the tyre when out in the bush and something I am not keen to do.  My thoughts were carrying 2 spares should cover me while travelling and the spare tyre would at least mean i could get to a station/roadhouse i could replace the tyre if needed rather than having to wait for one.  But is this overkill??

[MDS69]

As you have already said you have two spares fitted to rims. I reckon the majority of your tyre issues will be punctures that can be repaired with plugs. If you get a side wall puncture use one of your spares and replace the tyre in the next convenient town.

[Ynot]

As you have already said you have two spares fitted to rims. I reckon the majority of your tyre issues will be punctures that can be repaired with plugs. If you get a side wall puncture use one of your spares and replace the tyre in the next convenient town.

I would go with that except if it was a difficult tyre size to source, then maybe I would take a spare case


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[speewa158]

That could be the besty 25KG you take with you . lf you have it chances are you wont need it , insurance . On the other hand , you can as l have had to do $450 per tyre delivered to you on the road side , then fit them . l lost 3 tyres on the way to Innaminka from Birdsville . stuffed up 2 days of the trip .  SOOOO Take Them       

[grizzly]

I took spare wheel and Tyre through central Australia in 07. Did use vehicle spare and the extra, both tyres delamination from age and overloaded( they did have 60,000 km wear), leaving no vehicle spare,brought a second hand Tyre in Burke to be safe till we got home, Then replaced all tyres.
Lesson learned on loading
Grizzly

[Patr80l]

How remote will you be?    If you have two spares you would be unlucky to destroy a third tyre (ie do damage more severe than you can plug with a tyre repair kit).
If things get really dire (ie no spares and a medical emergency), you can use your third and fourth spare wheels that are under the trailer.    (ie unhitch and leave the trailer behind)

[speewa158]

Ummm leave the trailer , drive on . Theres no point going back as there wont be anything  to gather up . A CT parked ALL by its self  screams rip me off l am Abandoned . Run the CT on its rims if you have to but D O N T  leave it behind  .
                 No matter where you are there is always somebody behind you or coming the other way  .
                                                                             

[Rumpig]

I've been to places such as The Cape, across the Simpson and up through the Gulf and never gotten a flat tyre yet, so if it was me i'd just take the 2 you already have on the vehicle and camper, aswell as a repair kit for plugging holes...and know how to use that repair kit!!!
Maybe i've just been lucky on my trips, but the fact i go away with new or near new LT tyres fitted, aswell as deflate the tyres when i hit the rocky sections, i'd like to think plays a part in the no punctures thing. I have gotten a flat tyre on my old Hilux whilst outback many many years ago, but those tyres were barely street legal let alone right for travelling outback roads on IMHO...lol
in saying all that...the extra weight of the carcass is minimal compared to what you'll already be lugging around, it wouldn't cost much to get it fitted onto the rim in a town somewhere should you destroy one along the way. I'd think the chances of you detroying 3 tyres between towns would be pretty remote unless they were crap quality tyres to start with, or you didn't deflate them for sharp rocky roads. If you're not a fan of deflating the tyres for such terrain (some people aren't), then see how it goes on the trip, worst case scenario if you destroy 2 tyres in one area you could always deflate them then and hope to get out of where you are without a spare, or take the ones from the camper to go get help or even drag it slowly on the rims as Speewa has said if you're concerned about leaving it behind.

[speewa158]

Destroying the bags is not hard to do when the grader is out front splitting rocks to sharp shards . & then the spare on the back manages to get 12 KM before it explodes out the side wall . A set back then  , but now a point of discussion over a  or 2             

[cheif carlos]

Also install tyres monitors most major non repairable damage is done when no air in tyres

[speewa158]

l have driven from 1 end of the country with never a trouble with tyres . l have also driven 2.5 km from home to find a length of wire to stuff your day . 

[Brumbypt]

if you have tyre plyers then practice at home.
You should be able to change a tyre off a rim (With a healthy body) in about 10 or 15 minutes.

So ok, most occasions will mean you take your carcas to the next town after your puncture, and get them to fit it. this will save you having to wait a week for them to receive a tyre on special delivery to suit your needs.

So I say take ya carcas, its lighter than a third spare. and it could save you, or you might be able to sell it to someone along the tracks and make some money.


Practice changing the tyre at home.
But use steel rims, mark where the tyre valve is so you can put the original tyre back on correctly.


practie practice practice changing a tyre..

I have show experienced 4wders how to do it and they are surprised how easy and quick it is.


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[lostindust]

Leave the carcass at home with somebody who can put it on bus freight etc. that way you don't carry it, but you know there is a spare somewhere in the country if you destroy the tyre...bus freight is reasonably cheap and covers a lot of major centres.

[Jaysea]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.     Always good to get practical experience. 

The consensus is:
 - If I leave it at home i will definitely end up spiking three tyres on some old rail spikes and spend the entire rest of the trip complaining. 
 - If i take it I will go for the entire trip without even the need for a tyre plug.

So it looks like it is coming with me for a long trip to Darwin and back 

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Always better to have it and not need it.
Getting tyres in the bush can be a worry.

[JCAT]

I'm taking a carcass as a second spare for the tug, just sitting it up on the rack and hoping I don't need it.

[Brumbypt]

Good, I am glad you are taking it.


Sent by telegram stop

[chester ver2.0]

I had a similar plan – extra tyre but no rim. I bought all the gear to remove the tyre from the rim – bead breaker and tyre levers.

I decided to practice it at home before the trip. After about 3 hours I had succeeded in getting the hub just past one of the tyre walls – this was using rubber mallets, tyre levers, lots of soapy water, copious swearing, etc etc. The tyre was a 31" Cooper STT.

Even if I had succeeded in getting the old tyre off, there was still the problem of getting the new tyre to seal and take air pressure.
I decided that, for me, this was not a viable solution.

So, if you decide to go down this route, I suggest you try to do the process before you leave.

Take it but dont bother with the changing gear i take a carcass but more with the plan in mind i will have a garage in the next town change it for me. As i do not want to be sitting around then have to pay exorbatant freight costs waiting for a tyre to turn up to the middle of nowhere