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06-20-2020, 02:32 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Central PA, Pennsylvania
Trailer: 2019 Escape 19
Posts: 14
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Is a trailer spare necessary?
Folks,
I would appreciate pro's and con's of the following:
Why should I carry a spare tire for my trailer?
-Tire failure rates seem very low
-The Escape manual suggests that you shouldn't change it yourself
-A can of inflation repair could limp you to the next town
-It is fairly heavy (obviously re-balance tongue wt as necessary)
-It takes up space that could be used for a daily use item
Thoughts please,
Rob
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06-20-2020, 02:39 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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What else would you carry on the rear end? Do you not have a spare in your tow vehicle? Yes you need a spare, otherwise you will be leaving you expensive mobile home along the highway, who knows what will happen to it unattended, I do not want to find out.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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06-20-2020, 02:40 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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The tire is very easy to replace, just drive up on some blocks which you carry to raise the bad tire off the ground and replace. I have done it.....
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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06-20-2020, 02:43 PM
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#4
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Central PA, Pennsylvania
Trailer: 2019 Escape 19
Posts: 14
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And what was the cause of your tire failure? Could it have been temporarily resolved with a can of tire repair?
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06-20-2020, 02:56 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2019 5.0TA "Junior", 2019 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi
Posts: 1,600
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I have only needed a trailer spare once in 20 years. We had apparently picked up a nail or something in a parking lot and a few miles later another driver flagged us down, our tire had gone flat and fortunately we stopped before it completely shredded and damaged the trailer. The tire was trashed, though, and without a spare we would have been stranded on the side of the road, so I was very happy to have a spare.
Some minor punctures can be handled with a can of fix-a-flat, but anything more major usually results in irreparable tire damage. I'd hate to be out in a remote area without a spare - even though it is needed very infrequently, I will always carry one.
__________________
David, Mary, and the cats
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06-20-2020, 03:16 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
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The one flat I've had in almost 50 years of driving was a blow out ont he Escape, after 2 or 3 years of getting it, a Sunday at 5:00 in the dark on a rainy highway. I called Good Sam who sent out a wrecker to change it, they used the spare to replace the totally shredded tire and beat up rim. For the wreckers price I could of had them bring a tire if I didn't have one, don't know about a rim if I had needed one. In this case the rim was still usable. I bought a new tire for the now spare a few hours later when they opened.
With roadside service I could have gotten away with no spare, would have cost a pretty penny and a long wait.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
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06-20-2020, 03:36 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,363
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I've used mine once, and at a campground, lent it to another so they could get their trailer to a tire dealer. While I have AAA, and have never had a blowout, I'd not travel without a spare.
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06-20-2020, 03:51 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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I had a screw in mine, it had gone flat and I did not notice it until stopping for gas. As far as fix a flat, I would not use that in my trailer tires nor my truck tires. On the trailer, it can go flat again and you would not know it, then a blow out happens when the bad tire overheats. I put on the spare using my ramp to raise the good tire. Pulled out the screw and plugged it with plugs I carry. That tire became my spare.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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06-20-2020, 03:55 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: DFW, Texas
Trailer: 2018 21 Sept 7 2018
Posts: 1,073
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I’ve had to change a few trailer tires out due to blow out and picking up debris that left a hole too big to patch or use a can of fixaflat. It’s overkill n takes up some weight but I carry 2 spare tires for our 21 one on the back n one in the truck bed Been thinking of mounting the 2nd under the tongue of the 21. Any thought on that approach for my 2nd spare
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06-20-2020, 03:57 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Rob,
You do not mention your tow vehicle....
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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06-20-2020, 04:00 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldtimer
I’ve had to change a few trailer tires out due to blow out and picking up debris that left a hole too big to patch or use a can of fixaflat. It’s overkill n takes up some weight but I carry 2 spare tires for our 21 one on the back n one in the truck bed Been thinking of mounting the 2nd under the tongue of the 21. Any thought on that approach for my 2nd spare
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I believe Jim Bennett mounted his up front using a kit and winch down, similar to what is on trucks. He then installed a big box in the rear.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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06-20-2020, 04:08 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: DFW, Texas
Trailer: 2018 21 Sept 7 2018
Posts: 1,073
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Ahhh yes remember that thread Ty Jim
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06-20-2020, 04:10 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: London, Ontario
Trailer: 2020 Escape 19
Posts: 1,117
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I have seen at least 100 trailers on the side of the highway with blow tires. A spare is absolutely essential.
__________________
Had 2 Escapes, 17b, 19, went back to a pop up that fit in the garage. 2018 Coachman Clipper RBST HW AFrame
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06-20-2020, 04:20 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,234
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I rented a cargo trailer once to haul one of my kids stuff home from college. It was 600
Miles one way. After I rented the trailer and got ready to hit the road I realized there was no spare. The place where I rented the trailer was closed and when in contacted the manager at home she said “we don’t have spares for the trailers we rent.” I made the trip without a spare round trip without incident. I promised myself I would never tow a trailer without a spare again. My current setup on the 21 is with all five tires in rotation so when they wear out I don’t have an aging spare but rather 5 tires that I got the full good out of. Working for me at about 37,000 miles and rotating at 8 to 10,000. The most worn tire on the trailer started out on the right rear and is now on the left rear. It will end its life as the spare having made the circuit and I’d guess about 42,000 miles when all 5 get replaced. Or somewhere around 34,000 on each tire. I have a utility trailer with 14 inch wheels but 15’s will fit under the fenders. It has good but older rubber. So I’m planning to buy three 15 inch rims with my stimulus debit card and have an unending supply of not so old, in still relatively good shape, tires for the utility trailer. The furthest I’ve towed this trailer on one trip is 250 miles round trip. Usually it’a only 20 or 30 miles. And I’ll still have a spare with me. When I took the F-1 to Idaho in 1970 I didn’t have a lot of money but I had good brakes and good tires on the ground and three spares. Only had one go flat all summer. It was in the Bitterroot mountains, 11:00 at night coming back to my lookout. But that’s another story. Spare tires, always. Dead in the water, never.
YMMV
Iowa Dave
__________________
Ain’t no trouble jacking a double Burma Shave
Dave
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06-20-2020, 04:33 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,743
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Seriously? And the second spare was unusable because the flailing cords from the first cut it up.
There are a lot of things that can be left at home but a spare isn't one of them.
Ron
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06-20-2020, 04:38 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Madison area, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2016 Escape 19 Chevy 2012 Express 3500 Van
Posts: 1,734
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Test fate.
Try running without a spare. Given my fate, I'd for certain have a tire incident. Carry a spare, and I'll likely rarely need it.
Test your luck. Empirical testing is always valid.
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06-20-2020, 07:13 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Tampa Bay Area, Florida
Trailer: 2015 Escape 5.0TA (Little Elsie) Extensively Personalized
Posts: 2,960
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
As far as fix a flat, I would not use that in my trailer tires nor my truck tires.
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I’ll second that. I wouldn’t use it in a bicycle tire. I might use it on a riding mower/lawn tractor because the likelihood of injury when it fails to work properly isn’t very high on slow moving yard maintenance equipment.
__________________
What a long strange trip it’s been!
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06-20-2020, 08:01 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19
Posts: 2,716
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldtimer
It’s overkill n takes up some weight but I carry 2 spare tires for our 21 one on the back n one in the truck bed Been thinking of mounting the 2nd under the tongue of the 21. Any thought on that approach for my 2nd spare
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The spare tire fits real nice within the rails of the tongue. Keeps someone from driving it through the back of your trailer.
More information on how I did it can be found here:
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post278711
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06-20-2020, 08:53 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Santa Rosa County, Florida
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 Tow: 2024 Toyota Tundra
Posts: 3,097
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You should carry a spare in case this happens to you. Yes, I should have changed out this tire before leaving home, but I didn't, and having a spare saved me from my mistake.
__________________
Mike Lewis
She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie-- propane
Photos and travelogues here: mikelewisimages.com
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06-21-2020, 04:57 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Trailer: 2018 5.0 T/A "Escaper"
Posts: 209
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I wouldn't risk going without a spare and always have a good bottle jack, tire plugs and compressor along also. Good peace of mind especially on less traveled roads where services are sparse.
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