# Security of spare wheel



## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

I was under the van the other day, checking the spare wheel and it's carrier and freeing up the pins that latch the carrier up.

It occurred to me that my nice alloy spare wheel and it's tyre with loadsa tread would be very easy to nick.

I could replace one on the pins with a padlock, but we all know how useless they are against a set of bolt croppers. Ditto a padlock and chain underneath the van.

Am I being unnecessarily paranoid or should I look for some clever method of theft prevention, maybe a bolt through the wheel that can only be released from inside the double floor or somesuch.

What is the collective wisdom on this, as I haven't found a previous thread on the subject?


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Quit worrying about what might possibly happen and get on with enjoying your motor home.

Owing to the size of the wheel and tyre it is NOT. Going to appeal to yer average loathsome :lol:


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Blimey, that's me told then.

I'm now standing in the corner facing the wall. Feeling totally in disgrace.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Tugboat

Certainly not trying to tell you off!! Just trying to point out that the likely hood of some loathsome git nicking your spare wheel is pretty remote.

If it does go that's what you pays yer insurance for Innit? :roll:


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## Tezmcd (Aug 3, 2009)

Swap it for an Autotrail with the pretty rear mounted wheel and cover - then if it gets ripped off you notice immediately!


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## stevegos (Jun 23, 2013)

Sounds like a perfectly reasonable concern to me. 

Yes a pad lock and chain won't stop it being nicked but it will certainly slow them down and annoy. Do it and give ourself some piece of mind.

Then you can quit worrying about it. win - win!


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

If you do use a padlock just ensure that you prevent the road gunk and crap from seizing up the lock. Maybe one of the plastic electric junction boxes with a slight mod?

Terry


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Oh dear! I think my inclinations are leaning towards you on this occasion. Your idea does not sound a bad one, fixing a long bolt through the boot floor that can only be accessed from inside the boot. However, over the last few years I have not heard of anyone in these threads having a wheel taken, so it could be a bit of overkill.
These days, many vans come without a spare wheel (mine included), so stealing one without having anywhere to naturally store it, could be a problem.
I actually bought one and it is stored and secured inside my garage.


Alan


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

You should be thankful you have a spare wheel. :wink:


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

even with all this gassing going on, not heard of a spare wheel stolen in the list of valuable items taken.   

cabby


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## TR5 (Jun 6, 2007)

If you have an alarm on your vehicle why not fit a loop through the wheel, with some form of connector. Fit to alarm circuit to cover the wheel when the vehicle is unattended.


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## larryn (Apr 22, 2013)

Laughing my head off i wonder how many of us have gone and checked if their spare wheel is still under their MH


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

My MH came used from the dealer with no security on the main wheels at all, which surprised me. I raised the issue and they gave me some as a freebie which are now fitted.

Maybe I am overly security conscious (I tend to have alarms on everything) but I just had visions of some lowlife pinching my nice alloys to pimp up his cargo van. So I choose not to take the chance.

It might be what insurance is for, as a previous poster suggests, but I believe as an owner I have a duty to take reasonable precautions to protect my property. IMO, insurance companies do try to wheedle out of paying out if they possibly can, plus the sheer inconvenience of having stuffed nicked is a right royal pain in the butt.

So, despite MrPlodd's tongue in cheek ridiculing of my concerns, I shall look at ways of hanging on to my spare.


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## alphadee (May 10, 2009)

A perfectly reasonable concern

We had a puncture on a Citroen Picasso only to discover that the spare had been stolen from the underslung carrier. Happened to bump into local police who simply laughed and told us how very common it is for this to happen.

On the MH a fairly expensive item ( I am just replacing 6 tyres at a cost of over £900) worth securing surely ?


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## flyinghigh (Dec 10, 2012)

Talking about a Picasso yesterday had one in for a stolen Cat, there are teams around using hydraulic metal scissors, they can remove a cat in seconds, at £50 a pop for scrap it's a nice little earner for the scum bags,
Your spare wheel is unlikely to go walking but for peace of mind why not try and make it more difficult for them


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Glue the head of a bolt to the spare wheel with a yellow crayon circle round it like tyre shops use. Make it obvious the tyre is useless.

Ray.


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## blongs (Jan 12, 2009)

Get some security for it if you are worried, mine was stolen earlier in the year.

MHF Forum Post

Ben


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Thanks for the link Blongs, hadn't seen that thread. I had looked at the 'wheels' section, I guess there are still large sections of the forum that I haven't had time to look at yet.


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## selstrom (May 23, 2005)

After it took the AA man over half an hour to remove ours I doubt any theif will want it. Will also need a 27mm socket and the air suspension will have to be in the raised position.


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

Ok so I've got too much time on my hands...

Tugboat your post made me think that my spare wheel actually has my best tyre attached to it and is just there for the taking when we are not using the van. I have looked in my garage (in the corner where all the things are that I thought might come in handy some day) and now have a plan for how to protect the spare.

My main worry was that when I came to use the wheel the padlock would be seized up having been exposed to all the elements whilst dangling under the van.

I have put the following together and will order a better quality cable and padlock. In the photo's I have just removed the grommets and not pierced them as the box is required for another job.

Like I said...far too much time on my hands. 

Terry


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

My own cunning plan is to insert a heavy duty bolt through one of the holes in the wheel, the bolt then goes through a hole in the double floor, through a backing plate, then it will be drilled to take a padlock which will thus be inside away from the elements. A rubber washer will be fitted top and bottom to eliminate rattles.

I found my spare was placed in the rack with the boss downwards, presumably to make easy access to the valve for pressure checks. This caused the alloy to chafe and be damaged on the carrier.....Grrr! I have now turned it the other way up, so when a bolt is put through it there will be no access for toerags to cut the bolt.

I know that tyre valve extensions are available, I need to find out if they allow pressure to be read as well as added.

This plan is, of course, open to modification/ complete alteration! :lol:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Why do we (some of us) carry a nice new spare around all the time.??
After all it is just that..... a spare that is likely to be used very occasionally.
Surely a well used but still sound one would be more reasonable here.

After 21 years I had to use the spare that came with our car. It was totally unused and looked like new. Sadly I have in reality wasted that tyre as I would not rely on it in use and now only as a spare.

Ray.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

tugboat said:


> I know that tyre valve extensions are available, I need to find out if they allow pressure to be read as well as added.


Yes TB they are it is just an extension with a Schrader valve as on the tyre/tube so treat as the normal one


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

raynipper said:


> Why do we (some of us) carry a nice new spare around all the time.??
> After all it is just that..... a spare that is likely to be used very occasionally.
> Surely a well used but still sound one would be more reasonable here.
> 
> ...


A mechanic once told me that you're supposed to rotate your tyres, I said I do every time I drive it, he just looked at me.


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

I ordered one of these today.

http://www.tyrepal.co.uk/products/tb99-4-or-5-wheel-tpms

via their phone line as I was making a query.

They did the basic 4-wheel set-up for £125, and a fifth sensor for another £25, so £150 plus a fiver for postage.

I'll report back once it's on trial, as there have been some mixed reports, but the guy on the phone was very helpful, so hopefully their aftersales service will be OK.


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

On all of our cars as well as the motorhome, I tend to use the 'new' spare when first replacing the driving tyres, swapping it for the old one with the most tread, thus saving the cost of buying a brand new one. But then I am a Fifer . . .

On subsequent renewals of the driving tyres, I discard the old spare again, replacing it with the best used driving tyre to keep it within a reasonable age.

On the motorhome, I also clean and check the condition of the underslung wheel and cage, derusting and repainting as required, as well as greasing the retaining bolts etc. 

This after the AA man struggling to release it some years ago . . .

Incidentally, Tugboat, I'm curious to know why having arranged for the bolt to terminate inside, it then needs a padlock??


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

It has to be impossible to unscrew the bolt from outside (obviously). I figured it's easier to apply a padlock than to faff about with nuts, locknuts, nyloc etc. That's all.


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

tugboat said:


> It has to be impossible to unscrew the bolt from outside (obviously). I figured it's easier to apply a padlock than to faff about with nuts, locknuts, nyloc etc. That's all.


You could just use a D shackle, if you're drilling a hole in the bolt anyway, much cheaper than a padlock . . .

(did I mention I was a Fifer?!!) :wink:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

rogerblack said:


> On all of our cars as well as the motorhome, I tend to use the 'new' spare when first replacing the driving tyres, swapping it for the old one with the most tread, thus saving the cost of buying a brand new one. But then I am a Fifer . . .
> 
> On subsequent renewals of the driving tyres, I discard the old spare again, replacing it with the best used driving tyre to keep it within a reasonable age.
> 
> ...


Gosh Roger, such dedication.!
I had the same idea but am always lacking in inclination and time. Just another of those jobs to do 'later'. Like 21 years on the car... :roll:

Ray.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I'd round over the bolt head and weld a plate to it with a spigot to go through one of the wheel bolt holes so it couldn't turn at all, and inside a simple R clip, then no keys or combinations to lose or forget.


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Now look here, fellers, ya gotta stop coming up with these ideas or I'll start worrying you're smarter than me. I like the R clip, wonder if they do a keyless version? :roll: :lol:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

tugboat said:


> I like the R clip, wonder if they do a keyless version? :roll: :lol:


Arr.


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

tugboat said:


> Now look here, fellers, ya gotta stop coming up with these ideas or I'll start worrying you're smarter than me. I like the R clip, wonder if they do a keyless version? :roll: :lol:


Yes, as R clips are even cheaper than a D shackle I'm ashamed not to have suggested that. 



raynipper said:


> . . .
> Gosh Roger, such dedication.!
> I had the same idea but am always lacking in inclination and time. Just another of those jobs to do 'later'. Like 21 years on the car... :roll:
> Ray.


I'm making up for lost time, Ray - having had company cars for decades and not having had to do a thing on them, all my attention has been lavished on the motorhome and now the 'family' car.

Not sure about 'dedication' though, more a certain amount of regular 'encouragement' from Mrs B, after spending longer than needed on a dark wintry roadside on that previous occasion when the AA man struggled to remove the spare . . . :lol:


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Regarding not carrying a spare wheel.
My van came complete with four wheels!
I gained a hole in the sidewall in Spain a few weeks back.
What to do? I have the funny gooey stuff to pump in with the supplied emergency pump but being a hole, it would not work. Fortunately a couple of weeks before we went away, I saw a new tyre and wheel, exactly matching mine and bought it for £75.

After having it fitted, I was so nervous I may get another puncture that I paid 175€ to buy another tyre in France.
Strange behaviour, as last year on the same journey, I had no spare tyre and never thought about it.

Alan


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

tugboat said:


> I ordered one of these today.
> 
> http://www.tyrepal.co.uk/products/tb99-4-or-5-wheel-tpms
> 
> ...


Ordered the Tyrepal on Friday, arrived yesterday, good service huh?

Went outside earlier between the showers, fired up the monitor, and fitted all the 5 sensors, easy peasy good clear instructions.

Initial impression is that it is a quality piece of kit. Once the biblical storm :roll: passes over I'll give it a test out on the road.


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## Spiritofherald (May 18, 2012)

tugboat said:


> .... Am I being unnecessarily paranoid ...


Yes


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Thank you so much for such a beautifully crafted and erudite reply.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

tugboat said:


> Thank you so much for such a beautifully crafted and erudite reply.


Erudite? Is that like black chrome.


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## Spiritofherald (May 18, 2012)

tugboat said:


> Thank you so much for such a beautifully crafted and erudite reply.


 I hope that didn't come accross as abrupt or rude, just giving my opinion to your query.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Spiritofherald said:


> tugboat said:
> 
> 
> > Thank you so much for such a beautifully crafted and erudite reply.
> ...


You can't get much more abrupt that one word   , but Tugsie wouldn't know rude either.


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## tugboat (Sep 14, 2013)

Well I know you are rude, Big Chief Bears Humping!


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## Habilis-abilis (Feb 10, 2012)

On the usual type of underslung spare wheel carrier it is easy to drill some holes to put a long shackle padlock through preventing it from being unhooked.
As said before keeping the lock working is the problem.

PS. Loathsomes will steal the strangest things for no reason.


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