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Old 05-04-2015, 05:21 AM   #1
Dave W
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Spare tire carrier

On our '14 Montana 343RL High Country we have the usual Lippert belly mounted spare. Where the manufacturer installed it behind the rear axle it will drag on very high crown secondary or CG roads or even raised gas station tank fills. I've done done both and have slightly bent one of the mount angles. It sounds like a good idea to have it there, but a High Country is pretty low to start. I don't care much for a bumper mounted spare, but feel like there is only that alternative or throwing the spare in the truck bed. This trailer has a pretty much recessed bumper but it looks like the Ultra Fab carrier will work. Has anyone else done this bumper mounted carrier on a High Country or it's 1st cousin once removed, a Cougar outback? It puts a pretty heavy tire (a 48# LT) and wheel on that 4" bumper.
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Old 05-04-2015, 12:38 PM   #2
mowin
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My Laredo has a bumper mounted spare, but I don't have a recessed bumper. I'd rather have it on the bumper than under the unit, or the bed of my truck.
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Old 05-07-2015, 10:21 AM   #3
gearhead
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I took my spare and put it in the storage bay. Then later had a heavy duty bumper installed. I bought a Ultrafab spare mount but it allowed the spare to hang down several inches below the bumper. That looked like it would drag to me. I got some 3/8" plate and mounted that to the bumper with 4 grade 8, 3/8" bolts. I used the part of the Ultrafab to bolt on the spare wheel. So far so good.
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Old 05-07-2015, 11:13 AM   #4
Dave W
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gearhead View Post
I took my spare and put it in the storage bay. Then later had a heavy duty bumper installed. I bought a Ultrafab spare mount but it allowed the spare to hang down several inches below the bumper. That looked like it would drag to me. I got some 3/8" plate and mounted that to the bumper with 4 grade 8, 3/8" bolts. I used the part of the Ultrafab to bolt on the spare wheel. So far so good.
Yep, that's one of the reasons I opened this thread. My new Ultra Fab bracket just showed up a few minutes ago and I just tried a quick fit up on the bumper. Whatever it is, it will be a LOT better then hanging under the 5er with only ~4" of road clearance. I'll do a rethink if there's a problem and use some of the odd pieces of steel I have laying around and MIG up a mod if necessary. Might do some frame mounted wheels or skids instead if it tends to drag
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Old 05-07-2015, 12:01 PM   #5
lifecamper
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The only problem my spare tire mount on the 4" square bumper has had is that it twists the 4" tube and pops the ends out. I am in the process of making a bracket that will stop the twist and add a receiver hitch. I would much rather have a spare mount than have it under the trailer or in the back of the truck. JMHO
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Old 05-07-2015, 12:21 PM   #6
gearhead
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Originally Posted by Dave W View Post
Yep, that's one of the reasons I opened this thread. My new Ultra Fab bracket just showed up a few minutes ago and I just tried a quick fit up on the bumper. Whatever it is, it will be a LOT better then hanging under the 5er with only ~4" of road clearance. I'll do a rethink if there's a problem and use some of the odd pieces of steel I have laying around and MIG up a mod if necessary. Might do some frame mounted wheels or skids instead if it tends to drag
I had wheels on the Cougar and they got used occasionally. I think I would rather have some skids. Just turn the leading edge upward so they won't hook something and weld them to something solid. I think the diameter of the wheels actually caused them to contact.
The plates that were added for my new bumper will hopefully perform the same function.
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Old 05-07-2015, 12:25 PM   #7
gearhead
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Originally Posted by lifecamper View Post
The only problem my spare tire mount on the 4" square bumper has had is that it twists the 4" tube and pops the ends out. I am in the process of making a bracket that will stop the twist and add a receiver hitch. I would much rather have a spare mount than have it under the trailer or in the back of the truck. JMHO
The factory bumpers aren't much more than tack welded on. And what is supporting them to the frame is paper thin.
Yeah, I never understood why folks want the spare underneath. The last place I want it.
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Old 05-07-2015, 02:31 PM   #8
Dave W
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Where our 5er is parked at present with rear end about 5 feet off the ground, it's pretty easy to see the frame ends. It does look fairly study on this trailer's Lippert frame, but I will take a better look. At least the spare is only the 37 pound Blow Max plus 12 pound steel wheel instead of the 48 pound LT and fancy aluminum wheel on the ground. If it needs some reinforcement, now is the time.
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Old 05-08-2015, 04:36 AM   #9
gearhead
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The frame itself looks pretty good. Mine had 2"x2" square tubing welded to the bottom of the frame, then 2" x 4" welded to that. The bumper was then butt welded to the 2x4. That put the bumper low. I measured the thickness of all the steel last year. From memory it was around .070". If all that structure had been completely "welded out" it may stand a chance. Mine just had a few 2" welds about every 8". You could weld some triangular buttresses and stiffen it, if you don't want the whole enchilada of a new bumper. But I'm not a structural guy.

What LT's are you running? Any clearance issues?
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Old 05-08-2015, 03:49 PM   #10
77vetter
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Hide a Spare

Have you looked at the BAL Hide-a-Spare ? It looks like a good option and gives max clearance underneath.

We currently have a bumper mounted spare but there is also a receiver hitch that we like to use with our bike carrier so the spare is now in the truck bed. Thats why we are looking at the BAL Hide-a-spare.
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Old 05-09-2015, 03:22 AM   #11
Dave W
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Originally Posted by 77vetter View Post
Have you looked at the BAL Hide-a-Spare ? It looks like a good option and gives max clearance underneath.
Yes, I looked at it as an alternative to the Lippert version that I already have on the trailer but it looks like it still hangs pretty low though.

For yours, do some 'net wandering. If I remember correctly, there is a bolt on receiver that will hold a tire and a bike carrier - maybe eTrailer.
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Old 05-09-2015, 05:41 AM   #12
gearhead
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 77vetter View Post
Have you looked at the BAL Hide-a-Spare ? It looks like a good option and gives max clearance underneath.

We currently have a bumper mounted spare but there is also a receiver hitch that we like to use with our bike carrier so the spare is now in the truck bed. Thats why we are looking at the BAL Hide-a-spare.
Even if it caused no clearance issues, I don't want the spare underneath. I want it where I can cover it and keep it reasonably clean. I don't want to put on a pair of coveralls to wrestle a spare tire. I want it in plain sight so I will remember to check the air in it occasionally.
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Old 05-20-2015, 10:40 AM   #13
Dave W
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Just a quick update -
The Ultra Fab spare mount arrived and I installed it on the back bumper. I have to say that it doesn't instill confidence as it is a pretty light fabrication for a 37 pound China Bomb tire and 12 or so pound wheel bouncing around at the furthest limits of the rig and worse yet when that tire gets replaced by a much heavier LT. Also, it's really made for a 14 or 15" wheel with a much smaller hub hole. I'll dig into my odds and ends, drag out the MIG welder and use whatever parts of it that will work. From what I can see so far, the mount bolting needs to be at least 7/16" with 1/2" even better along with a plate or angle iron on the bumper backside. The U-bolts are supposed to be 3/8" - NOT - they are 5/16" with some odd ball metric thread or sloppy SAE 3/8". Instead of the swing down arrangement, I bolted it together. It will be welded and possibly boxed or at least reinforcements added. The two bolts that hold the tire in place - will be welded. It's great fun trying to fit a 1/2" lug hole to a 1/2" bolt that's flopping around while you are trying to hold the tire in place, unable to see what you are doing. Then it really should be a couple inches further away from the trailer body to protect that piece from a ding plus give me better access to the Marinco power plug.

When all said and done, it might just be better to fling the dam' spare in the truck bed ........ but not nearly as much 'fun'
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Old 05-26-2015, 12:07 PM   #14
orvlin
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I put the BAL hide a spare under the rear of my 2014 Cougar 327 5th wheel took about 45 minutes to install, it's right behind rear tires lots of ground clearance.
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