Spare tyre

[wildebus]

I think another reason why a tyre may not be reparable is if you get a flat and you don't notice soon enough and you get damaged from running on the flat. This is another good reason why a TPMS system is so useful ... if a 'conventional' puncture, you get good notice in time to stop and check.

 

[1 Cup]

I drove at lower speeds about fifteen miles on a puncture tyre on rear of my front wheel drive, chrysler voyager !. From Dulwich South London to Dartford Kent. So dragged it home, as I lost locking nut thing . called aa when I got home in the morning and the good man removed all four locking nuts . Wheel and tyre got hot but no flames. Keep moving untill safe place to stop could be home or service stations if no spare . Just exercise your right to silence and travel! if stopped by bizzys.

New wheel and tyre needed but Hay ho ho ho !. Not run over by some old fart and killed, just to use the government's fear tactics. Safety First. Lol

 

[sdjksx]

Thanks all. I conclude that gunk ad compressor keeps you legal in Spain, but in practice, not really relliable, therefore should consider carrying spare wheel.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

They came to me when I got a slashed sidewall on a country lane over near Millers Dale, in the Monsal trail car park. It seems they only had one of these universal spares and it hadn’t yet come back from the day before. I didn’t ask if it was one per van or one per depot as it made no difference to me if there wasn’t one. They used one of those neat fold out, extendable Dolly things, marvellous invention but scary on narrow lanes.

The driver decided to go the short route back to our house, about a mile, rather than the longer route out and around Buxton, about 10 miles. It took about an hour to do the mile as the dolly didn’t allow another vehicle to pass.

It must be a good 5 years since I have had a puncture on a car so good to hear they have changed the formula of the gunk. Kwik Fit and ATS wouldn’t entertain doing anything to the tyres once gunk filled back then. I thought it was due to the mess rather than what it consisted of, whatever, they didn’t like it. Sidewall damage was the biggest threat where I used to live as you would get sharp slivers of stone exposed at the edge of the road, car comes the other way so you pull over just a bit too far…

More likely they wanted to sell you a tyre instead Neil.

 

[wildebus]

More likely they wanted to sell you a tyre instead Neil.

wouldn't be too surprised at that. after all, the gunk may have covered the inside of the whole tyre, but once the hole is found, the repair patch is only a couple of inches square at the most so it is not as it the whole tyre inside needs a clean.

 

[Nabsim]

More likely they wanted to sell you a tyre instead Neil.

It was a mobility car but it had to have a new tyre, you can’t repair slashes on sidewalls. That’s the only type of puncture I have had when I have had cars with the gunk and compressor. Sod’s Law

 

[The laird]

Mines never had a spare so got 2nd hand steel and new tyre albeit it's got alloys I'm lucky I have a large garage and fitted it in the middle of garage due to previous posts stating gas is abso crap from when I did recovery years ago b4 the gas was supplied as standard ,imho it shouldn't be allowed as when a deep cut or sidewall damage it's no use but saying this if you puncture is on the drivers side and on a motorway would you change it cause a lot of drivers got give much space when passing non mobile vehicles I tend to try n shift lanes out the way

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I might have when I was fit enough changed my own but now if you tell recovery you're in a dangerous place and disabled they give you priority.

 

[wildebus]

Check with your recovery policy’s folks. I know that some will not come to you if you don’t carry either a spare tyre or wheel/tyre. I don’t remember if they counted the compressor and gunk option on the policy that said about the spare. Every time (3) I have occasion to use the gunk it was useless due to damage being sidewall on country lanes. The gunk also rendered the tyre scrap if it did manage to be useful.

Out of interest, I asked an RAC guy last night what his policy was on this matter ... He said he carried the "universal" (my word) spare and adapters, but he did not think it was suitable for motorhomes for weight. And he said a lot of patrolmen were 'not impressed' with people without spares. And finally the response may depend on your policy, as you suggest, and their support *may* be limited to getting you in a safe place (as opposed to a resolved situation). So to a degree you may have to hope you catch the guy on a good day in a good mood!

I am pretty confident that my policy - AA via Nationwide Bank - would deal with this as the policy wording specifically includes Motorhomes, and also talks about providing onward travel, replacement transport, hotel, etc whilst breakdown rectified and if the lack of a spare wheel is part of the Motorhome specification, the driver cannot be responsible for that limitation I think.

 

[wildebus]

A thought just occured to me ref the "gunk" .... it has a shelf life to it. That is measured in years for sure, but the chances are for many here that that data will be long passed on both their Spareless Motorhomes AND spareless cars.
Might be something worth checking - even if just to keep any recovery policy good if the wording says a repair kit must be in the vehicle and in good order?

 

[trevskoda]

I have tried that gunk on 2/3 ocasions in cars and found it useless, side wall punture or tyre of the bead, by the time i get slowed down from top speed the tyre is fooked.

 

[Robmac]

Mines never had a spare so got 2nd hand steel and new tyre albeit it's got alloys I'm lucky I have a large garage and fitted it in the middle of garage due to previous posts stating gas is abso crap from when I did recovery years ago b4 the gas was supplied as standard ,imho it shouldn't be allowed as when a deep cut or sidewall damage it's no use but saying this if you puncture is on the drivers side and on a motorway would you change it cause a lot of drivers got give much space when passing non mobile vehicles I tend to try n shift lanes out the way

A lot of employers remove the jack from the vans these days Gordon so their drivers can't attempt roadside wheel changes as it is deemed too dangerous.

 

[colinm]

A lot of employers remove the jack from the vans these days Gordon so their drivers can't attempt roadside wheel changes as it is deemed too dangerous.

Having seen a van driver changing a drivers side wheel on M1, I can see why.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Leave the wheel and remove the jack would seem a sensible policy, then you can't DIY it.

 

[Heppy]

Leave the wheel and remove the jack would seem a sensible policy, then you can't DIY it.

That’s exactly what I’ve done

 

[Annsman]

If you have a weight capacity problem, (the van not you!), just carry the actual spare tyre, instead of the full wheel and tyre. You can then call out a tyre company, or your insurance can, and they just swap the tyre on the existing wheel. Or, and this was suggested to me by a French Tyre company about 5 years ago, just carry an innertube for that sized tyre. They actually gave me one when they changed put my spare wheel on, following a puncture in Millau.

 

[trevskoda]

If you have a weight capacity problem, (the van not you!), just carry the actual spare tyre, instead of the full wheel and tyre. You can then call out a tyre company, or your insurance can, and they just swap the tyre on the existing wheel. Or, and this was suggested to me by a French Tyre company about 5 years ago, just carry an innertube for that sized tyre. They actually gave me one when they changed put my spare wheel on, following a puncture in Millau.

Its illegal to fit tubes in tubles tyres and very dangerous as the ribs inside modern tyres will rip it to bits.
Tubes are for wheel barrows and kids bikes.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

the only issue with just carrying a tyre is you then have to hope there is a place to fit it as the recovery man surely won't, just take the full wheel and tyre.

 

[trevskoda]

Not forgetting if you buckle or split a rim, best to carry a spare always.

 

[Annsman]

Not forgetting if you buckle or split a rim, best to carry a spare always.

I do carry both wheel and tyre, but I have the payload capacity to do it. Lots of vans don't. I was just passing on the tip I was given. To reply to Pudsey, if you ask for a tyre company to come out, they will fit just a tyre, or inner tube, if you ask. It saves them coming back out with a new tyre, or having to sort out a tow. It probably depends on your insurance, if you are using them.