prefered spare tire mount

[schmism]

need to build a mount to hold a spair for my new trailer.

were do you like your spare?

on the front
on the tongue
on the side
under the bottom
other?

would be hard for me to mount to the front because the trailer already has a tool box welded to the front.

i could see issues with the side with loading stuff from the side
i could see issues with the touge in reducing how sharp a turn you can make
i can see issues with under the bottom with maintance and access.

 

[77bronco]

Both my dump and small utility trailers had them mounted on the right front corner.
If you are concerned about loading from the side, you could still mount it on the front corner using a swing away carrier like on the back of a Jeep, and just swing it out of the way when side loading. Wouldn't be that hard to make, or you might find one on CL, or ebay.

 

[Soundguy]

on one I hace a spare mounted to an upright piece of angle on the front corner of the trailer with a flat plate on it and a coule studs thru with 'spare' lugnuts on the studs.. this gives you spares if you loose them.

on my larger trailer I throw it onto the 'v' rails of the tounge and holed it down with a tab on the tounge sticking up thru the hub hole, then another rtetainer plate, then a pin or lock depending on what area of town I'm in..

soundguy

 

[Diamondpilot]

I like the right front corner. On both my boats and also my utility trialer they are right in front of the fender.

I made the one for my utility trailer out of a piece of 2x2 tubing 1/4" wall, 1/2" thick piece of maybe 8"x8" plate, and 2 studs and lug nuts.

Chris

 

[mojoinco]

If you can't/don't want to move the toolbox to mount the tire under it, put it in the bed of the truck. Everything else is in the way. I put one on the drivers front side that worked ok (it is a low wall box bed trailer). Since you rarely need one (hopefully) that leaves the off side (from traffic) of the trailer available for easier access to check loads, etc. And the spare is less accessible to thieves. You might even give it a thump occasionally as you pass it going to the drivers seat. Underneath the frame works if you keep enough tools around to get to it if you have a flat and a load (right....).

 

[Runner]

"would be hard for me to mount to the front because the trailer already has a tool box welded to the front."

I will be having the same issue.

"If you can't/don't want to move the toolbox to mount the tire under it, "

mojo, could you elaborate a little more on this? Do you mean hanging the spare under the tongue, or are you thinking of something else?

I have a couple of boat trailers and the spare is mounted on the side of the tongue, which works fine for them, because they are very narrow in the front. However, I'm afraid if I try that on a flatbed utility, I will be getting into the spare with the rear bumper of the truck in tight turns.

I am thinking of making a removable holder that fits in one of the stake pockets.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Remember if you have a spare you are only 1/2 the way there. I get 5 or so calls a year from customers with a flat that do not have a jack to lift it or the proper sized lug wrench.

I carry a 6 ton bottle jack and a folding 4 way lug wrench. You can get both at your local WalMart for under $30.

Chris

 

[Runner]

I hear ya Chris, be prepared.

In addition to a complete toobox, I carry a floor jack, extra wheel bearings, extra hub, grease gun, tire plugs and a 12 volt compressor.

 

[schmism]

Remember if you have a spare you are only 1/2 the way there. I get 5 or so calls a year from customers with a flat that do not have a jack to lift it or the proper sized lug wrench.

I carry a 6 ton bottle jack and a folding 4 way lug wrench. You can get both at your local WalMart for under $30.

Chris

do those people not have jacks that came stock with the tow vehicle?

I was considering one of the drive on tandem jacks. anyone use one before?

 

[mustangsallysdad]

do those people not have jacks that came stock with the tow vehicle?

I was considering one of the drive on tandem jacks. anyone use one before?

They tend to skid around too much...not a good thing if you are on the shoulder of the interstate...get a decent bottle jack and folding 4-way lug wrench...a couple of scrap pieces of wood can come in handy for a pad or a scotch block, as well.

 

[Diamondpilot]

do those people not have jacks that came stock with the tow vehicle?

I was considering one of the drive on tandem jacks. anyone use one before?

Good luck with it fitting under a trailer with a blown tire or lifting a fully loaded 10K trailer without breaking. One I went out on to help the trucks jack broke. Luckily he still had the tire on.

Do not bother with the drive on jack. It will work some times but if you are loaded heavily you can bend the good axle.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

ditto what DP said.. be prepaired. when i go out of town to get a tractor I take a winch, spare battery, tool box, hi lift jack, spares, oil, lug wrench 4 way.. etc. air comp and tank.. anything I think I might need to get myself off the side of the road.. or to get a dead tractor up on the trailer when i get there.

this includes spare fuel cans.. though I believe I no longer have need of those

soundguy

 

[voltar0675]

I placed my spare under the deck forward (I have a 20 + 5 gooseneck trailer) out of sight of thieves. Attached with two bolts.

 

[Soundguy]

out of site is a good theft deterent. out of site, out of mind.

soundguy

 

[voltar0675]

A few pics...

 

[BruceWard]

I mounted a spare to the rail on the side at the front on both sides.

On the jacking question I added fold down legs to the rear of my trailer that keep the rear from dropping more than a couple of inches. With those down I can jack the front up using the jack to lift all four tires off of the ground. I use a bulldog jack which mounts to a short piece of round tubing welded to the side of the trailer. I built an portable mount for the jack with an extra round tube mount welded to a piece of 2.5" square tubing with the top cut out. I can take the jack off the tongue and place it and this extra mount under the frame of the trailer anywhere to lift a specific wheel.

 

[Egon]

On my Bumper pull the spare sits in the V on the hitch. Works quite well and is out of the way.

In the picture the tire is not mounted.

 

[scottyfletc2007]

do those people not have jacks that came stock with the tow vehicle?

I was considering one of the drive on tandem jacks. anyone use one before?

if you are like me and usually throw the chunk of wood( that keeps the trailer jack from digging into the ground) into the back of your truck ...when ya have a flat, unhook from truck, jack trailer all the way down, put chunk of wood underneath rear side of trailer that flat tire is on then jack trailer back up with trailer jack....not saying this will work on every trailer but has worked on my 18 ft. tandem a couple...this might save ya from a jack rattling around, or help out in a pinch...thanks.

 

[TheTrailerGuy]

if you are like me and usually throw the chunk of wood( that keeps the trailer jack from digging into the ground) into the back of your truck ...when ya have a flat, unhook from truck, jack trailer all the way down, put chunk of wood underneath rear side of trailer that flat tire is on then jack trailer back up with trailer jack....not saying this will work on every trailer but has worked on my 18 ft. tandem a couple...this might save ya from a jack rattling around, or help out in a pinch...thanks.

a great little cheap thing to build for tandem trailers is made with a 6' long piece of 2x8 lumber. cut it in three pieces, 1' long, 2' long and 3' long. stack them up, longest on the bottom to shortest on the top, screw it all together and you have a nice 5-6" drive up ramp for pulling your 'good' wheel up onto so you can change the flat. Just remember to break your lug nuts loose on the flat tire while it is still pinned to the ground.

I'll post a photo of the one i like to toss in the truck while towing later.

 

[Wooddust]

In winter salt on road country, you will find that getting the tire off that has been hung under the trailer one of the worst jobs in your life...and if on the side of a road, you wont get the bolts loose.

I boosted my toolbox and store the spare under it