Spare wheel mounting On rear of A Class

[barge1914]

Has anyone come across a solution to fixing a spare wheel on the back of an A class that doesn’t involve heavy tow bar like metalwork underneath. If I go for a new van I want to move spare wheel from below and fix it in place of the bike rack (photo) that I don’t want. using hopefully the existing fixing points...

All in order to free up space underneath for a decent sized gas tank.

 

[harrow]

Has anyone come across a solution to fixing a spare wheel on the back of an A class that doesn’t involve heavy tow bar like metalwork underneath. If I go for a new van I want to move spare wheel from below and fix it in place of the bike rack (photo) that I don’t want. using hopefully the existing fixing points...View attachment 75330
All in order to free up space underneath for a decent sized gas tank.

There will be quite a lot of weight mounting a wheel on rear, will the wall be strong enough ?

 

[trevskoda]

To heavy so do build a anti shunt bar with s/wheel mount which i built for mine with racks to carry extra fuel or water etc.
Then use the space left under van for a gasit refillable tank.

 

[trevskoda]

Definitely, far too heavy!
get an A Class with a Garage and fit inside!
Keeps it clean and like new!
Also fit it to the front of garage to keep weight forward

Good idea if on a fixed rack so will not take flight in a crash. i just like on my bum saving space,i could have fitted under van but hard to get at on a wet dark night.

 

[trevskoda]

Definitely, far too heavy!
get an A Class with a Garage and fit inside!
Keeps it clean and like new!
Also fit it to the front of garage to keep weight forward

Stops tailgaiters ,looks proper job to.

 

[barge1914]

One of our previous A Class vans, had a double floor and the wheel went in through a side locker door
This got the weight forward

Thanks, however we are limited by our drive length to a sub 6m van, and by age/licence to sub 3.5T, so the we won’t have the luxury of garage or double floors.
I wonder about the comments re-too heavy. Would an alloy spare wheel and tyre really weigh much more than the 4 bikes on a rack which the manufacturers have designed the original fixings for?

 

[barge1914]

Hmmm. I seem to have answered that myself...
Weight of 16 inch alloy wheel and tyre 25-29kg
Weight of 4 bikes 4x10kg=40kg +rack.

 

[yeoblade]

MY 2 x bike rack is rated at 60kg, no way my steel 16" spare weighs that.

 

[barge1914]

Stops tailgaiters ,looks proper job to.

That Intrepid van with 2 tyres looks like it has the wheels bolted on an aluminium plate fixed direct to rear walls of motorhome. I did wonder about bolting a spreader plate with wheel bolts to the fixing points. However since the plate would end up bigger than the wheel I would have to think about how to secure the bolts so the ungodly don’t undo them and waltz off with the wheel. And perhaps get it powder coated to match the van colour. Probably not too onerous to fabricate, but I was trawling for ideas in case someone has come across a ready made solution to save me reinventing the wheel...so to speak.

 

[barge1914]

OK not an A class, but has a garage
5.99 metre

374-t

incidentally
Check out Hymer A Class
Models 444 and 504

Quite fancied a Hymer, however the range of layouts now available sub 6m seem to be more limited cramming in fixed beds and a separate minuscule seating area which doesn’t appeal to us.

 

[trevskoda]

That Intrepid van with 2 tyres looks like it has the wheels bolted on an aluminium plate fixed direct to rear walls of motorhome. I did wonder about bolting a spreader plate with wheel bolts to the fixing points. However since the plate would end up bigger than the wheel I would have to think about how to secure the bolts so the ungodly don’t undo them and waltz off with the wheel. And perhaps get it powder coated to match the van colour. Probably not too onerous to fabricate, but I was trawling for ideas in case someone has come across a ready made solution to save me reinventing the wheel...so to speak.

I would never powder coat anything that goes outside,fine for bar stool legs or banisters.

 

[yeoblade]

I would never powder coat anything that goes outside,fine for bar stool legs or banisters.

Really, I powdercoated the box section steel rear 'Bumper' I made and it's still looking fine after a couple of years.

 

[trevskoda]

Really, I powdercoated the box section steel rear 'Bumper' I made and it's still looking fine after a couple of years.View attachment 75364View attachment 75364

Please tell me how they are touched up,remember i was a anticorrosive engineer and ran a biz doing all types of coatings,as i said tuff for things that get a bit of abuse indoors but just look at car wheels,all flaky after a few years and the only way to remove is burn and shotblast.
Two pack epoxy zinc rich followed by 2 pk poly finnish,all laid down on a shotblasted surface,same way ships are painted.