# Spare Tire Defective



## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

Tonight I drove Larry from storage to my house so it can go to the dealer tomorrow for more warranty service. When I got home, I discovered a screw in the left-rear tire w/active air loss.

Imagine my surprise when I found the spare tire had a hole in it. I pumped it up to 50psi and it immediately started hissing from within the tread. Anybody else have this problem? Luckily this happened at my house, and not at night in the middle of nowhere.

Tomorrow I'll be calling my dealer to find out how they plan on getting my trailer to their place for service









I'm planning on asking for a complete replacement spare ... if it's a defective tire, I don't want it anywhere near Larry. It must be defective, since it never was near the pavement and any nails.

I'll keep you posted.

Ed


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I didn't have that happen, but I have checked my spare. On another thread not to far back, we discussed the issue of the spare not having the same nut as the other tires. That is, it takes a different socket to take the spare off than the one used to hold the tires on. That doesn't seem to be a very good design feature to me. Everyone should check their spare and make sure they know how to change it and have the equipment to do so. Let us know how your dealer handles this little problem.


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

vdub said:


> On another thread ... we discussed the issue of the spare not having the same nut as the other tires.Â That is, it takes a different socket to take the spare off than the one used to hold the tires on.[snapback]52870[/snapback]​


My 26RS has _exactly _the same size nut on both. I was initially fooled by the plastic cover over the nut on the four wheels, but once I removed the cover the size was the same as the spare mount.



vdub said:


> Everyone should check their spare and make sure they know how to change it and have the equipment to do so.[snapback]52870[/snapback]​


I agree. However, I don't think I'll be carrying a heavy duty jack on trips ... too heavy. I've got good towing/road-assistance with my insurance carrier (Progressive) and for trips I think I'll rely on them. Opinions?


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

As for the spare tire, I would ask for a replacement spare!

Don


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

Be interested on if the dealer helps you get the Outback to the dealership since that requirement is in no way covered by the warranty nor the dealer agreement with Outback/Thor.

Your tire warranty is seperate from your Outback - I am sure that OUTBACK Dealer will swap out the tire for you but my bet will be that he will tell you to either bring the tire in and he will swap or "once you get the tire fixed, bring her on in"...

But I have been surprised before --


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

My spare has 3/4" nuts and I believe the wheel lugnuts are 21mm or something like that, but they are different.

One thing you can do to jack up a flat, drive the good tire up on blocks, that will raise the flat tire off the ground, many times this can be done and you don't need to jack the trailer up. try it at home without a flat tire and see how it works.


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

hurricaneplumber said:


> My spare has 3/4" nuts and I believe the wheel lugnuts are 21mm or something like that, but they are different.
> [snapback]52889[/snapback]​


Mine too!



hurricaneplumber said:


> One thing you can do to jack up a flat, drive the good tire up on blocks, that will raise the flat tire off the ground, many times this can be done and you don't need to jack the trailer up. try it at home without a flat tire and see how it works.
> [snapback]52889[/snapback]​


I have something even a litle easier -- I take my cell phone -- dial AAA -- and then open a cold one until they arrive..


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## begood (Jun 9, 2004)

My 26rs had this hole in the spare. i was lucky to see it at PDI so the dealer switched it with an other outback. (don't know if they changed it after).

This issue should be added to the PDI list!

My nuts are different size for wheels and spare.

have a nice day!


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## Fire44 (Mar 6, 2005)

I haven't had any problems with the tires on the Outback.....Yet. The first thing I bought for the camper was a lug wrench and a 6 ton bottle jack. The jack only weights about 3 pounds and I have used it to support the tongue of the trailer when I was installing the electric jack. As for road assistance, I think that I can spend the 10-15 mins it takes to change the tire instead of waiting for a hour or so for someone else to come and do it for me.

Gary


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

I try to make it a habit of checking the spare pressure when I check the others. I found a socket in my tool box that fits the nuts on th spare bracket.

Mike


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

Fire44 said:


> The first thing I bought for the camper was a lug wrench and a 6 ton bottle jack.
> [snapback]52898[/snapback]​


I'll be buying a bottle jack shortly









Exactly where on the Outback do you jack it up? The instructions, as usual, are useless.

Do you have to put the jack on the frame (as implied by the instructions), or do you jack that beefy piece of metal that comes down between the tires that the springs are attached to? I know not to put the jack on the axle.

Ed


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

They say on the chassis itself. Obviously use good wood to get the bottle closer. Its heavy.

John


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## TheMillers (Aug 8, 2005)

Roadside Assistance is great if you get cell reception. Unfortunately when we're going camping to get away from it all, reception may be sparse. I'd hate get a flat in the middle of the Mojave desert with no way to change my spare! I'm glad I read this post. I didn't think about needing a different jack for the trailer than what is in my truck. I like the idea of using blocks since I already got them. I'll have to check the nut size on the spare.

Bruce


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

In addition to a 6-ton bottle jack, we carry two other tire-related items. First, I carry a portable air compressor (Wal-Mart) that works with cigarette lighter power. Has a built-in pressure gauge, too. Second, a bottle of Fix-a-Flat. On one trip this year one tire on the TV was way under pressure after camping one night. Used Fix-a-Flat and the tire has not lost air since.

Randy


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## Fire44 (Mar 6, 2005)

The frist time I used the jack I placed a board under the jack and one on top of the jack and tried to jack at the rear spring hanger.......guess what, the spring hanger just went right through the board....

The second time I used the jack I place the jack under the axle at the spring and jacked it there....it worked but I didn't put a board under the jack.......guess what, not only did I get the trailer lifted but I pushed the jack into the ground about 6"....had to dig the jack out till I could get the the release at the bottom.

I now place a board under the jack and lift on the axle....

Another way you can do this is to place your leveling boards in front or behind the non flat tire, making a large stack and use the TV to push or pull the trailer up onto the levellers.....haven't tried it yet but it would be easier...

Gary


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

Ghosty said:


> Be interested on if the dealer helps you get the Outback to the dealership since that requirement is in no way covered by the warranty nor the dealer agreement with Outback/Thor.
> [snapback]52887[/snapback]​


I didn't really expect the dealer to come out to the house, but I wanted to push a bit given that I thought the spare was truly defective.

The dealer offered to take the tire to a tire outfit (Les Schwab) for analysis. Since I work right next to Les Schwab, I took it in myself. It turns out that my spare had clearly been run before (there was a small bit of wear) and the hole was from a nail.

Now that moral authority is on my side ... I've asked for a brand new spare from the dealer.



LarryTheOutback said:


> My 26RS has _exactly _the same size nut on both.
> [snapback]52871[/snapback]​


I was wrong. They are different, but luckily they both are covered by my lug wrench.



tdvffjohn said:


> They say on the chassis itself. Obviously use good wood to get the bottle closer. Its heavy.[snapback]52928[/snapback]​


That's what I did with my new 6-ton bottle jack. The only thing that makes me nervous is that the gas line is very close to the frame on the street side, so there is not much room if the jack slips and not much room for the jack stand.

Thanks for all the help.

Ed


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

Fire44 said:


> I now place a board under the jack and lift on the axle....[snapback]52965[/snapback]​


The manual from AL-KO says absolutely *DO NOT lift by the axle *because you will bend it. All the documentation (and advice from this forum and the dealer) says to *lift by the frame ONLY*.

Ed


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Agreed, the axles will not withstand the load. Using a floor jack I have lifted mine between the wheelso n the steel between the springs. I would never use a bottle jack at that location tho.

I have lifted cars, tractor s, trailers and fire trucks yet I was a little nervous lifting the camper. Everything else has wheels at the corners and so weight is distributed a little. When you lift one side of the trailer completly, your balance is now on the opposite 2 wheels and your jack. If your trailer is grossed at 6500 ibs , you are picking up a good percentage of half the weight.

I believe it was Jim that suggested using boards under one tire to get the other off the ground. Works on trucks, it should work on a camper and it is safer.

John

Safety first


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

I drove the trailer up on the good tire (as some have suggested) so I could remove the flat without using the jack. Unfortunately the weight of the hub and tire made it impossible to remove the tire because that side of the axel dropped down toward the ground.

So, I had to use the bottle jack to lift the trailer up by the frame. I put a jack stand under the frame so if things fell they would only go an inch or so. Still, I wasn't super comfortable. I wouldn't want to be doing this by the side of the road with tractor trailers going by.

If anybody has a better way, I'd love to hear it.

Ed


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## begood (Jun 9, 2004)

LarryTheOutback said:


> Fire44 said:
> 
> 
> > I now place a board under the jack and lift on the axle....[snapback]52965[/snapback]​
> ...


It's certainly right but once my dealer did lift it by the axle and the only thing that went up was the axle and the wheel not the trailer (at least not significantly). So that means that less weight is being lift IMHO. i imagine that it acts exactly like making this wheel climbing on a stack of levellers while the other didn't (the other method suggested but the flat wheel is 'climbing' instead of the good one).



LarryTheOutback said:


> I drove the trailer up on the good tire (as some have suggested) so I could remove the flat without using the jack. Unfortunately the weight of the hub and tire made it impossible to remove the tire because that side of the axel dropped down toward the ground.
> 
> So, I had to use the bottle jack to lift the trailer up by the frame. I put a jack stand under the frame so if things fell they would only go an inch or so. Still, I wasn't super comfortable. I wouldn't want to be doing this by the side of the road with tractor trailers going by.
> 
> ...


I guess that once there was not much weight on this dropped axle, the jack under the axle could have lift it just enough to remove the wheel. A good compromise between the two methods.

So, personnaly I believe this method is the best:








1) remove the weight on the flat axle by climbing the good axle on levellers
2) lift the axle with a jack just enough to remove the flat tire.

but i may be wrong on this.

What do you think of this?


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

begood said:


> So, personnaly I believe this method is the best:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In my case, there wasn't enough room to get the bottle jack under the axle to do this. I thought of it, but couldn't get it under there. Besides, I didn't want to stick my body under the trailer while supported on only one tire


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## begood (Jun 9, 2004)

LarryTheOutback said:


> begood said:
> 
> 
> > So, personnaly I believe this method is the best:
> ...


I have a floor jack, the low profile style on wheels. Maybe this could do it?


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## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

begood said:


> I have a floor jack, the low profile style on wheels. Maybe this could do it?
> [snapback]53016[/snapback]​


It would work great, but I don't want to pack one with me







I'm still looking for the best tire changing procedure with just the stuff I bring with me on the road.

Ed


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