Spare Tire Disappeared

[flybouy]

Years ago I worked in Baltimore in the city and several cars on the parking lot had their battery stolen. The police told everyone to be extra vigilant as they would comeback the following day and steal the batteries again as they new they would be new batteries the second time.

[bbells]

It reminds me of a funny story. I was driving down 394 near Minneapolis (a very busy trunk line) when the spare tire fell off of an RV and slid into the middle of the lane next to me. I called 911 to tell them someone should get it. The dispatcher responded with a vehicle can't go anywhere with only 3 tires. I repeated that it was the spare and a spare tire had nothing to do with the ability of a vehicle to move unless it had a flat tire. He hung up on me. Last time I called 911.

[JimSchwenk]

Originally Posted by Stanbro

I am the OP.

The spare tire was definitely there when I picked up the trailer. The top side of the metal bracket that goes through the center hole of the wheel and is attached to the cable hoist has wear marks that indicate it once had a wheel hanging from it. There are also circular dust marks on the two right-angle stops on the underside of the trailer that the tire gets pulled up against.

The spare is/was mounted behind the axles so it is remotely possible that it could come loose and not do any damage as it departed. I travel across a bumpy gravel road going to/from my house and travel below 10 MPH for over 1 mile to reduce dust. Perhaps I will find it along the side of the road when I get back from our current outing.

Thanks to everyone who replied. I appreciate your input.

Have you had the trailer in for service since you took it home? If you never actually saw it hanging there, all the wear marks tell you is that at one time there was one there, probably when it left the factory. Somebody at the dealership may have needed it. And yes, they would take the time to put things back nice and tidy, especially if it's a tight shop where everyone covers each others' back.
I never knew I didn't have the tool to hand crank my stabilizers up and down until the motors stopped working. Went back to the dealer and they swiped one from another unit. When you do your walk through, sometimes you let yourself get distracted and forget to hold them accountable for every little thing.
Story number 2: In 2004 I bought a brand new car. Took it back to the dealer for service when it was a couple of months old. Nothing electrical ever gone wrong with it and it was in for totally unrelated work. When I picked it up they said, "Oh, and while were working on it we discovered your battery was bad so we replaced it under warranty." Baloney. Someone who worked there needed a battery for their car. Oldest trick in the book...

[packnrat]

i had a spart tire/rim taken off my pu truck. and yes they do roll it back up. that way you do not know it is missing.

[AbHDToyHauler]

Originally Posted by bbells

It reminds me of a funny story. I was driving down 394 near Minneapolis (a very busy trunk line) when the spare tire fell off of an RV and slid into the middle of the lane next to me. I called 911 to tell them someone should get it. The dispatcher responded with a vehicle can't go anywhere with only 3 tires. I repeated that it was the spare and a spare tire had nothing to do with the ability of a vehicle to move unless it had a flat tire. He hung up on me. Last time I called 911.

Wife and I were travelling across desert in California on one bike and blew back tire. Highway Patrol stopped to see if we were ok and needed any help. I was on cell phone with AAA arranging a truck to pick us up. Was standing beside police car and girl on phone said " Please have your spare tire out and ready to install !" . I said "Lady it's a motorcycle. I don't have a spare tire! If I did I wouldn't have called " Cop starting laughing out loud. Says "Wow, welcome to our world" HAHAHAH They did send the truck and it was went well in end but still funny !

[ciara_belle]

Originally Posted by Dave W

All it takes is a 3/4: wrench to drop that wheel and tire. Someone needed a tire,

This is the 2nd time i've seen an alpine "loose" a spare. In 9 years of owning a carriage we've never 'lost' a spare.. but in order to drop the cable in an carriage you have to unlock the back basement (and empty it, if you have a bunch of stuff in there lol) and unwind the cable from In there with a floor bolt system (w. a long wrench they provide).

Seeing these posts - i think i want to put my spare in the locked front basement for the new alpine on order... !

ciara

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by ciara_belle

This is the 2nd time i've seen an alpine "loose" a spare. In 9 years of owning a carriage we've never 'lost' a spare.. but in order to drop the cable in an carriage you have to unlock the back basement (and empty it, if you have a bunch of stuff in there lol) and unwind the cable from In there with a floor bolt system (w. a long wrench they provide).

Seeing these posts - i think i want to put my spare in the locked front basement for the new alpine on order... !

ciara

I think it's pretty much across the board the same with LCI frames, Our last 5er, a Glendale Titanium could cause grievous personal body damage if you weren't aware of the challenge removing the spare from its hidey hole in the rear of the frame

[lt_cowboy]

Originally Posted by Javi

If I remember correctly, I saw a recall on that or something like it.. where the spare didn't match the sticker...

They sent out replacement stickers as a recall remedy.

[GlennB724]

a short while after getting our new Alpine fiver, we got a letter from Keystone stating that instead of the ADVERTISED and specified tire matching the road tires, they had actually delivered it with a LOWER grade / rated spare. The "Fix" for this mistake was NOT to supply the promised / proper tire, but to send a NEW DOOR FRAME STICKER so the trailer would have the "legal" sticker INSTEAD OF THE PROPER TIRE, (that we paid for, as the original description said all the tires matched.) Wife reported / complained to Keystone Customer Service... no satisfaction, just said that's the way it is. (Add this to the long and growing dissatisfaction with Keystone and RV business in general.)

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by GlennB724

a short while after getting our new Alpine fiver, we got a letter from Keystone stating that instead of the ADVERTISED and specified tire matching the road tires, they had actually delivered it with a LOWER grade / rated spare. The "Fix" for this mistake was NOT to supply the promised / proper tire, but to send a NEW DOOR FRAME STICKER so the trailer would have the "legal" sticker INSTEAD OF THE PROPER TIRE, (that we paid for, as the original description said all the tires matched.) Wife reported / complained to Keystone Customer Service... no satisfaction, just said that's the way it is. (Add this to the long and growing dissatisfaction with Keystone and RV business in general.)

Don't look in the trunk of your Ford, GM or Chrysler vehicle at the "mini-spare" that replaced the "full size tire" years ago. Heck, now days, more and more cars don't even have a spare, they come with a can of "tire inflator" to use in the event of a flat.... And, as for trucks, buy the expensive aluminum wheels and upgrade tire package with OWL tires, you still get a steel wheel with a black sidewall tire as the spare. In fact, buy the "extra price 20" wheel package and you still get an 18" spare from most manufacturers.

CHEAPING OUT is not reserved for Keystone and the RV business in general.