Seized spare wheel carrier - safety concern

handsj replied on 17/03/2023 15:22

handsj

Posted on 17/03/2023 15:22

Currently refitting the wheels on our 6 year old caravan having changed the tyres due to their age. So I went to use the spare wheel to help make the job safer and easier.

Problem: the carrier was completely seized and just refused to pull out as it should, to access the spare wheel. So no spare wheel!

Solution: Used pliers to take out the split pins from the opposite end of the carrier, then dropped down the whole carrier unit with spare still attached. I then used the spare to facilitate removal of the wheels to enable tyre replacement.

BUT the carrier remains seized solid. I leaned it vertically against a wall and have sprayed WD40 down the mounting tubes over several days. But the tubes remain seized. Does anyone have a solution to this problem?

My safety concern is that if we'd had a puncture on the road then changing a wheel would have been impossible! I would have thought that as part of the annual service the spare wheel should be extracted for inspection. But apparently this is not the case - they merely check the pressure from underneath! So it would appear that the spare wheel carrier is designed to seize and the annual manufacturer-recommended chassis maintenance doesn't even include it.

Thought I'd raise this here to warn others as it's easy to overlook the spare. If I can free-up the tubes then I'll be greasing them liberally before refitting!

Steve

20 replies

flatcoat replied on 17/03/2023 19:01

Member

flatcoat

Caravanner from West Yorkshire

Posted on 17/03/2023 19:01

Try heat from a blow lamp and judicious hammering.

dave the rave replied on 17/03/2023 20:48

Member

dave the rave

Posted on 17/03/2023 20:48

The spare wheel carrier should be lowered at the annual service and the tubes greased,Whilst the carrier is lowered you can (unless the wheel has been mounted upside down) check the tyre pressure!So perhaps you should have a word with the person who does not do a proper annual service!!!!

watto64 replied on 17/03/2023 20:52

Member

watto64

Caravanner from Staffordshire

Posted on 17/03/2023 20:52

good advice about the heat and hammer, on reassembly use some copper based grease to prevent further seizing as it is more resistant to the elements.

1 person likes this

dave the rave replied on 17/03/2023 21:14

Member

dave the rave

Posted on 17/03/2023 21:14

A 6 year old caravan should have the later carrier which has plastic "seals" at the joints between the tubes and heat will destroy them!

flatcoat replied on 17/03/2023 22:27

Member

flatcoat

Caravanner from West Yorkshire

Posted on 17/03/2023 22:27

The seals can be replaced. If the carrier is immovable the seals can no doubt be prised out, if not then sacrificing them is probably the only solution.

cyberyacht replied on 18/03/2023 08:35

Member

cyberyacht

Motorhomer from Hampshire

Posted on 18/03/2023 08:35

With my last caravan, I ditched the carrier(weight saving) and stowed the wheel under the French bed. Its predecessor, an Avondale Dart, had a stowage tray in the floor of the van, away from the road crud.

handsj replied on 18/03/2023 10:34

Member

handsj

Caravanner from Wiltshire

Posted on 18/03/2023 08:35 by cyberyacht

With my last caravan, I ditched the carrier(weight saving) and stowed the wheel under the French bed. Its predecessor, an Avondale Dart, had a stowage tray in the floor of the van, away from the road crud.

Posted on 18/03/2023 10:34

No French bed I'm afraid, it's a traditional compact 2 berth. We once had an Avondale Mayfly with the spare wheel stored in the same way as yours. Brilliant design, super caravan. I wish the Brits still made caravans with the same quality workmanship. They really don't these days! The seats were sprung and very comfortable in our Avondale, wish we'd kept it. 😌

Thanks to all for above replies. I will try some gentle heat, as I don't want to destroy the galvanising. I'll keep squirting in the oil and hope it shifts eventually as we'll need our spare wheel available for touring.

Tinwheeler replied on 18/03/2023 10:46

Tinwheeler

Campervanner from Cornwall

Posted on 18/03/2023 10:46

We used to carry our caravan spare wheel in the back of the car because the Alko wheel carriers are the work of the devil.

2 people like this

Takethedogalong replied on 18/03/2023 10:50

Member

Takethedogalong

Posted on 18/03/2023 10:50

Why not simply shove the wheel inside the van when travelling, wrapped up of course? We did this for years with ours, knowing what an absolute pain it was to get out, check regularly, maintain the underneath cradle. It travelled over the axle, on the floor. On site we simply stored it under the van. It wasn’t a major obstacle when we stopped for a break enroute, and just seemed the simplest, least time consuming, and easiest solution to us. Only needed it once thankfully, but was no issue at all changing the flat for the spare🤷‍♀️

handsj replied on 18/03/2023 16:18

Member

handsj

Caravanner from Wiltshire

Posted on 18/03/2023 10:50 by Takethedogalong

Why not simply shove the wheel inside the van when travelling, wrapped up of course? We did this for years with ours, knowing what an absolute pain it was to get out, check regularly, maintain the underneath cradle. It travelled over the axle, on the floor. On site we simply stored it under the van. It wasn’t a major obstacle when we stopped for a break enroute, and just seemed the simplest, least time consuming, and easiest solution to us. Only needed it once thankfully, but was no issue at all changing the flat for the spare🤷‍♀️

Posted on 18/03/2023 16:18

Your comment reminds me of our first caravan, back in 1984. It was an ABI Piper 1400L, a very basic van with no room for a spare wheel. So we did just that, travelled with it inside on the floor then under the van when on site. Happy days!

But I would have thought the caravan industry should've moved on from that? But then again, maybe not..... 🙄

Meantime, still applying the WD40.......