# Fiat Ducato No Spare Tyre



## chicago68

We have a Ducato based motorhome with no spare tyre ('fix & go' system instead) but a bulky and heavy jack supplied with the vehicle. As we can never change a wheel (we do not have a spare!) do we have to (by law etc) have to carry the jack? 

Help appreciated. Thanks


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## rayc

There is no law requiring you to have either a jack or a spare wheel. I wouldn't travel without either but thats a personal choice.
I just wonder what your contingency is if you get a puncture which the pressure system will not fix or you kerb a wheel, hit a rock etc.


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## Avante524

*spare wheel*

Hello, I would not travel without a spare wheel and jack, as said the 'fix and go' foam would not repair and inflate certain types of puncture, but if you have a spare wheel and jack, if not yourself one of the breakdown services will have you on your way very quickly and you can get the puncture repaired safely in your own time.

cheers. Bill.


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## carol

Many of us have had this dilemma and solved it in various ways, we purchased a spare and carry it in our half-garage, others have gone for ultra-seal - as others say fix-and-go will not fix all types of options.

I know of a member on a different list - who had to have the AA guy take him to purchase a spare - but in our experience with blowouts - it isn't always possible to get one immediately, hence our choice to go for our own... 

Best of luck - 

Carol


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## chicago68

Thanks all for these insights. I will investigate a potential location for a spare - but does anyone just rely on the supplied 'fix & go'?

Thanks again


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## clodhopper2006

chicago68 said:


> Thanks all for these insights. I will investigate a potential location for a spare - but does anyone just rely on the supplied 'fix & go'?
> 
> Thanks again


Thats all I have, plus my RAC cover of course.


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## chicago68

Great - it is not just me!


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## short-stick

I would never rely on the fix and go...
The law of $0d dictates you will always get a puncture in the worst place at the worst time... And I have also had the misfortune in having to pay a French tyre dealer way over the odds for a tyre when they were the only people that could supply me a replacement for my ruined tyre... By way over the odds I mean over £200 for two caravan tyres, the same were £60 the pair in the UK....
Just think how much a motorhome tyre at £100 could be marked up!!!!
Want to take the risk?


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## AberdeenAngus

Chicago68

I did a survey a wee while ago and reckon that about 1/2 of all punctures won't be helped by fix & go.

There's about a 1% chace per thousand miles that you'll wish you had a spare.

My van doesn't have a spare either but I don't like them odds.
I'm getting one.

By the way.....where was your jack located ?


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## clodhopper2006

AberdeenAngus said:


> Chicago68
> 
> I did a survey a wee while ago and reckon that about 1/2 of all punctures won't be helped by fix & go.
> 
> There's about a 1% chace per thousand miles that you'll wish you had a spare.
> 
> My van doesn't have a spare either but I don't like them odds.
> I'm getting one.
> 
> By the way.....where was your jack located ?


any links available to this survey?


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## short-stick

Everyone that is buying a spare, here's my top tip...
My father and brother are in the tyre trade and this draws on their experience and common sense...
1 - Don't buy a brand new wheel, look for people that have bought alloys and buy a steel wheel second hand, save loads. 
2 - BUT, if your van has alloy wheels, to use a steel spare you may need different wheelnuts - CHECK
3 - BIG SAVING - Don't buy a motorhome specific tyre for your spare wheel, buy a genuine 8 or 10 ply commercial van tyre that is load rated the same as your existing tyres, and buy one of the "cheaper" tyres. My brand new spare tyre cost me £50 fitted, my new unused seconhand steel wheel cost me £20.
The only difference between "normal" van tyres and camper specific tyres is to compensate for the van being parked up for weeks at a time.... So you put your spare on, then fix or replace your puncture when and where you can at a price you're happy with...


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## 106559

I like that one.


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## Bubblehead

Hi

I always carry a spare yes it does take up space and weight allowance but its better to have one than not. As when you need it it will be when you cant get a repair service for hours or your stuck in a dangerous situation and left to wait for hours - IMHO its just not worth not having a spare.

If anyone needs a wheel, I have 5 steel rims (16") that came with our van as it was fitted with alloys. The 6th one I carry as a spare, fitted with a comercial van tyre (£70).

If anyone wants one PM me, Im looking for £25 per wheel (delivery milage only)


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## rayc

I asked my local fiat dealer to give me a price for an X250 15" wheel fitted with a Continental CP tyre. The price quoted was £250!


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## ColinC

I think you will find you need to jack up the vehicle before you try reinflating it with the 'fix and go' kit.

Because of payload constraint we have decided on a 'halfway-house' regarding a spare. We have a spare tyre but not a spare wheel. The theory is that putting a new tyre onto the wheel is something that most garages should be able to do. Also that on the basis of past experience a 3.5 ton motorhome is probably going the wreck the walls of a tyre even if the initial puncture was just from a nail. Thus we do not need to hunt around for the correct tyre, it is always with us.

Colin


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## AberdeenAngus

Clodhopper
Just the survey I did on this site a few weeks ago.

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-631817-.html#631817

Got a fair few responses. And, as their replies were pretty consistant, i'm happy to go along with the results.

Not enough responses to make it statistically watertight however.
Therefore I won't be going into print as I had hoped.

If you think the mob on here are pedantic sods, you want to try statisticians.


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## sweetie

I have one 16" wheel left to fit current fiat X250 chassis £30.00 plus £10.00 carriage. Rim only no tyre.
Steve


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