Should all towcars carry a full spare wheel, as opposed to a 'spacesaver' spare?
- Monday, 3 November 2008
- 3 Comments
YES SAYS RICHARD HARRISON
I make no secret of the fact that I hate spacesaver spare wheels. No one will ever convince me that they have anything to do with saving space. They have everything to do with the car companies saving money!
That said, I think it would be impossible to insist that full-size spare wheels should be available for all towcars for the simple reason that, apart from 4x4s, no one orders a towcar. They order a conventional car and then have the towing gear fitted. So it boils down to this: should all cars be supplied with a full-size spare wheel? And my answer to that question is a resounding yes!
It beggars belief that for a 100 years or so all cars had full-size spares, until some bright spark, probably a bean counter, decided to save money and fit a spacesaver.
If the spacesaver is only intended to get you to a tyre repairer, it should be perfectly adequate. The problem is that when you’re towing, you are putting more load and stress on a much smaller tread surface.
I would also question the effect the spacesaver might have on the towcar’s steering – especially if it is fitted following a puncture to a front wheel.
NO SAYS JO TAYLOR
In these days of cost-conscious motoring, it really doesn’t make sense to lug around a full-size spare wheel. It’s an unnecessary and unjustifiable dead weight, and over the tens of thousands of miles a car will travel in its lifetime, this amounts to a great deal of extra petrol, with all its environmental implications. The spacesaver spare offers a much more lightweight option.
Modern tyre technology has progressed light years away from Mr Dunlop’s original rubber shoes. Provided they are looked after well, today’s tyres are far more resistant to puncturing. Some cars survive until the end of their life with the spare still in pristine condition. Chances are, a car will never suffer a puncture, so the odds are stacked against it happening in the fraction of the yearly mileage when the car is towing a caravan.
In the unlikely event that a tyre does go flat, most of us are within a few miles of a tyre centre and even if the puncture happens when towing, most of us can call a breakdown service for assistance.
So why take a hit guarding against an unlikely event that is not even a major disaster if it does happen?
Reader comments
Add your commentsNovember 16 12:22
Stuart Gardner
Yes all towcars should have full size spare wheels, first of all the difference in weight and space saved is not great, but more importantly the difference to the handling of the car when you have three full size wheels and one half the width can be enough to be dangerous, it is against the law to have a certain mix of treads of your car, so surely one wheel with far less tread width than the rest, is also not as safe as a full size wheel, even more so if towing.
November 18 16:25
Brian Rowland
I have towed for more years than I care to remember and I have always carried a spare wheel for the towing vehicle and the caravan. It is a form of insurance and we wouldn't drive without insurance even if we don't claim on it. I would not contemplate buying a vehicle that did not have a full spare.
January 22 15:57
Mervyn Glendenning
I hate space saver tyres, and think they are no more than a manufactures cost cut.
They cannot give same performance whilst solo let alone when towing.
So cannot be safe
When I changed my Mondeo for another Modeo (later model with S.S. Wheel) I did swap with dealer for the old full size spare and boot padding(with brand newe Tyre) and gave him Space Saver and plastic infil tray to put in my car to go to auctions undoubtedly, he had no arguement when I said it was for towing needs.
Worse still are these pressurised puncture repairs with electric tyre pump. Can they fix 2 inch split in side wall - no way. Only good thing is Audi Tyre Pump is brilliant - had one donated by friend.