Many camper vans do not come from the factory equipped with a spare tire. Some van owners don’t even notice. Others choose to continue to go without a camper van spare tire on purpose, thinking they will find other ways to handle a flat if such a problem should arise. Still, others go ahead and find a way to add a spare tire to their setup.
Honestly, I can understand all sides of this particular issue. I don’t always notice what’s missing until I need it, so I could easily be in the first camp. If I did notice, I might consider going without, but in the end, I’d likely splurge and get a spare for peace of mind.
If you’re on the fence about whether you need a camper van spare tire, here’s what you need to know.
Where’s My Factory Spare Tire?
First, let’s talk about the fact that so many van campers come without a spare tire. This seems a little odd since pretty much any other type of RV or vehicle will be equipped with some sort of spare. Why is it that campervans are missing this seemingly vital piece of equipment?
Well, for the most part, camper van manufacturers don’t include spare tires in their rigs to save weight and space. After all, vans are the smallest of the motorhomes, and there isn’t a lot of extra space to spare. On top of that, keeping a van under the safe weight capacity can be tricky.
Removing the camper van spare tires helps on both fronts, but is it a good idea?
Why Many Vanlifers Choose to Carry a Spare
Many vanlifers would argue that it is not a good idea to go without a spare and that all van owners should find a way to carry a spare tire. While some things can help if you have a flat tire, these won’t always fix the problem, meaning you might just find yourself stranded if you don’t have a spare tire on hand and the tools to put it on.
This is especially true if you tend to wander far off the beaten path. Really though, even if you just happen to drive through a rural area with few services around and no cell reception, a blowout would be a huge problem if you didn’t have a spare on hand. Even once you manage to get in touch with someone, you’ll likely be waiting on a tow truck for a very long time, and then you might be stuck paying a huge amount for a replacement tire if you’re in an area with limited resources.
Options for Those Who Choose Not to Carry a Spare
Still think you can get away with skipping the camper van spare tire and saving yourself the space and added weight? In that case, you will want to have some other backup plans in place.
Some of the best options include the following.
Run-Flat Tires
You could choose to invest in run-flat tires (RFTs) for your van. These are tires that can be driven on for some distance even if they go flat. This could be handy if you drive many miles to reach a tire repair shop.
Unfortunately, these tires are super expensive. They’re also heavy, meaning more weight added to your van and slower acceleration and stopping.
Tire Plug Kit
You’ll have to learn how to use it, but a tire plug kit will allow you to plug holes in your tires the right way, allowing you to repair a flat on the fly. Sure, you could invest in Slime tire sealant or Fix-a-Flat, but those tend to make a mess of the tire, and tire shops will charge to clean up the mess when you go to have the tire adequately patched down the line.
Air Compressor
If you find yourself with a flat tire, you will need a way to add air to it. That’s where a small but mighty air compressor comes into play. Make sure you get one that will reach the PSI required by your van tires, and make sure you can run it using the batteries you have in the rig.
Roadside Assistance
If you don’t carry a camper van spare tire, roadside assistance is going to be your only hope in case of a total blowout. Therefore, it is essential that you have reasonable, reliable roadside assistance that you know will help you out every time. I’ve had Coach-Net for many years and have been very happy with them. That said, many prefer Good Sam.
Starlink
Sometimes, cell reception is completely unavailable. Make sure you have a way to contact roadside assistance in these situations. Starlink will work pretty much anywhere as long as you have a battery and a pure sine wave inverter (not a modified sine wave inverter) to run it. Just know that if your location is too remote, roadside assistance may be unable to send help.
When a Spare Tire is Truly a Must-Have
In my opinion, you should always carry a camper van spare tire. That said, certain situations make a spare even more necessary.
These include the following.
Off-Grid Adventures
If you’re going off-grid, you are likely wandering very far from civilization. This means no cell reception and no services, and it likely means driving on some rough roads that can damage tires. In this case, I highly recommend carrying a spare tire and knowing how to use it.
Long Distance Travel
You’ll probably want to carry a spare tire if you travel long distances. After all, you’re bound to find yourself in rural areas sometimes, and it would really stink to find yourself in the middle of nowhere with a flat and no way to get help.
Travel to Areas with Limited Services
We took our motorhome down to Baja, Mexico, a couple of winters back. The roads were sometimes rough, and services were few and far between, and wouldn’t you know it, we ended up with a flat tire on our tow dolly and another on our motorhome. Thankfully, we carried spare tires for both, and we replaced both spares as soon as we reached a tire shop that had them in stock.
If you know you’ll soon be in an area with limited services, grab a spare before you head out!
Peteco from Class B Forum says, “2 flats in 10 years with my Chevy Roadtrek. One occurred in a remote area. Thankfully, at 65, I can still change a tire, but that will end someday. Had two younger folks offer to help with the change in the remote trailhead parking area. Glad I had a spare onboard.”
Options for Storing a Campervan Spare Tire
The issue many van owners have is not with buying a spare tire but with finding a place to store it. There are a few ways to solve this problem.
Under the Van
Many large vans that do come with a spare tire will have it mounted underneath the vehicle. This winch could allow you to mount your spare tire in the same way, provided you have an empty space and enough ground clearance. This is a good option because it puts the tire out of the way of pretty much everything else.
Door Mount
The most common solution is to mount the camper van spare tire to one of the rear doors on the van. There are a number of aftermarket mounts on the market that work for this. Make sure you choose one that works with the type of van you have, and mount the tire to the door you will open the least to make things as easy as possible on yourself.
Hitch Mount
There are a number of universal hitch-mounted spare tire holders out there. These can be used in the back or the front hitch receiver. That said, both options do have drawbacks. In the back, you will be blocking access to the rear doors, and in the front, you could potentially block airflow, which could be problematic if you drive in extreme heat.
That said, many vanlifers have said they mount in the front without issues.
Roof Rack
I’ve also seen some spare tires that sit on the tops of vans. I can’t say I fully understand how the van owners get the tires up there or how they plan to get them down to use them, but this could be a solution if you can figure those things out. Make sure you get a spare tire carrier that is compatible with your roof rack so the tire is held securely in place, and use a tire cover to protect the spare from UV rays.
What do you think? Is a camper van spare tire necessary? Will you be adding one to your van setup? Hopefully, this article helped you make the best decision for you!
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