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Old 07-15-2021, 07:24 AM   #1
thewhitehat
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Hard Shell Cover for Spare?

Does anyone know where I might get a hard-shell cover for my spare 15" tire? It is mounted on my back bumper. I've had four or five soft covers blow off during trips despite my best efforts to keep them on. Short of winding duct tape around them, I can't seem to keep them. The sun hits my back tire pretty hard when I have it stored, so just leaving it off is not an option.
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Old 07-15-2021, 07:37 AM   #2
sourdough
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I've never had a hard spare tire cover but have had the vinyl ones blow away. I finally replaced it with a good cover from BesTop and it never loosened or came off again.
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Old 07-15-2021, 08:40 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thewhitehat View Post
Does anyone know where I might get a hard-shell cover for my spare 15" tire? It is mounted on my back bumper. I've had four or five soft covers blow off during trips despite my best efforts to keep them on. Short of winding duct tape around them, I can't seem to keep them. The sun hits my back tire pretty hard when I have it stored, so just leaving it off is not an option.
I bought a cover for my Jeep spare & thought I'd break my fingers trying to stretch it on, no possibility of it blowing off.
I'd recommend finding a cover in the appropriate size not necessarily for RVs & give it a try.
If your spare is mounted to the flimsy sewer hose bumper I don't think I'd add more weight with the hard cover, its most likely at it's max weight, or beyond, with the spare.
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Old 07-15-2021, 08:46 AM   #4
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Do a google search for "continental tire cover". They are rather expensive for a hard cover.
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Old 07-15-2021, 09:32 AM   #5
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Kind of lame but would a propane tank cover fit?
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Old 07-15-2021, 11:14 AM   #6
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I think I’d rather use duct tape
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Old 07-15-2021, 12:37 PM   #7
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My first camper, a Dutchmen Sport Lite had a rear bumper mount spare tire. Lost my cover. After that, I removed the mount. My Keystone Springdale had a spare tire mount on the rear bumper. I removed it the day I took delivery. My Keystone Outback had a spare tire mount on the rear bumper. I removed it also the day I took delivery. My Keystone Montana fifth wheel has a tire mounted under the camper. I left it, no cover.
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Old 07-15-2021, 02:29 PM   #8
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So I guess I should trade for a fiver.
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Old 07-15-2021, 02:57 PM   #9
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So I guess I should trade for a fiver.
Trade trailers to upgrade the spare tire cover ????

Now not any DW I know would fall for that one....

There are several "qualities" of fabric/vinyl tire covers just like there are several "qualities" of most anything from Alarms to Zip Ties. You can find a quality cover that won't blow off the spare tire. The "trick to success" is to make sure you buy the correct size. Too large and it's easy to install but may blow off the tire/too small and it's a "bear to install" but won't blow off and may be impossible to remove if you do need to use the spare.

Like Goldilocks and the three bears, some are too big, some are too small and some are "just right" .....

I'd stick to a fabric/vinyl tire cover in white or a light color. Black ones produce extreme heat under the cover and can "bake your spare".

That said, if you've got your heart set on wanting a "hard spare tire cover" expect a hassle every time you try to "disassemble it to check tire pressure" and plan to "cuss it when the spring snap locks get rusty and won't hold well.... Plus, it takes two people to reinstall it after checking tire pressure. One person to hold the disc in position and one to "dance around the disc holder" to position the chrome ring and secure those rusty spring snap locks....

Here's one source. Don't look at the pricing if you have any kind of cardiac condition: https://boomco.com/shop-by-accessory...caAo75EALw_wcB
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Old 07-15-2021, 03:45 PM   #10
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To me a $15 to $20 tire cover is good. Every couple of years just replace it before the elastic streaches or the plastic gets brittle and it becomes litter. Back into a tree or a fence and just "kiss it" and you're out 300 bucks. I guess I'm too old to be vain about how the spare tire looks to ghe guy behind curssing me because he's behind me.
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Old 07-15-2021, 05:35 PM   #11
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I've never had a hard spare tire cover on an RV and the only problems I've had were with the cheap OE covers they give you for free. The only "hard" spare tire cover I owned was on a Hummer and I hated removing/replacing it; give me a good vinyl/fabric one any day.
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Old 07-15-2021, 05:54 PM   #12
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We had a hard tire cover on our Holiday Rambler. It was a "chrome ring with spring snap locks and a fiberglass disc with the "HR swoosh" decal on it.

The inside of the chrome ring was always rusty, filled with road dust that turned to mud when it rained and then to cement when it dried out again. The fiberglass disc required two hands to hold it in place on the tire so someone could position the chrome ring around it. Whoever was operating the chrome ring had to "twist around the person holding the disc in place (there's never enough room for 2 people in that tiny space in front of the spare)

And to "add insult to injury" after about 5000 miles of towing, the fiberglass disc had a "worn spot around the perimeter where the chrome ring rubbed from the road vibration... Any time you tried to reassemble the cover, it was "near iimpossible" to position the disc so the worn part was hidden from view. Almost always, it was off a half inch one way or another and always looked "hoakey" with the scratches visible. I suppose someone could spend "lots of time" and carefully position it so it was in the correct place and the worn spots didn't show, but to me, life was just too short to fight the cement that glued the chrome ring to the tire tread and it always looked like it had been through a wreck with those worn spots always visible. I finally turned the fiberglass disc over to the blank side when we put the trailer up for sale. The "empty space looked better than the intended side"...

Never again will I have a "hard spare tire cover"..... Much too much work for two people to install and a man and a hammer to remove.
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Old 07-15-2021, 06:16 PM   #13
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OK you convinced me. I’ll just try to find one that is the right size and fits snugly. Maybe I’ll just remove it when I’m on the road.
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Old 07-15-2021, 06:52 PM   #14
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OK you convinced me. I’ll just try to find one that is the right size and fits snugly. Maybe I’ll just remove it when I’m on the road.

Reference my post #2; high quality, fits tight and after many thousands of miles never wanted to come off....but it did love 303 to make him "shine".
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Old 07-15-2021, 07:27 PM   #15
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I gave up on spare tire covers and even having the tire on the bumper. They sit it the garage until I go somewhere and then the spare(s) go in the truck bed. If I could not do that I would mount 1 under the RV.
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Old 07-15-2021, 08:16 PM   #16
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I installed a BAL underslung tire carrier on my Cougar. It's been there since it was new (almost 8 years) and still working perfectly. I can stand beside the trailer, pull the spare out from under the trailer completely and lift it off the rack without crawling under the trailer or having to "get in the mud" to access the tire. It's less than $100 most places, takes about 30 minutes to install (be careful not to drill through a tank that "might be hiding behind the frame rails")

Here's one source. I've never bought anything from them, just did a Google search and they were one of the cheapest list price for the carrier. https://www.homecome89.com/products/...oaAneJEALw_wcB
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Old 07-16-2021, 04:16 AM   #17
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I installed a BAL underslung tire carrier on my Cougar. It's been there since it was new (almost 8 years) and still working perfectly. I can stand beside the trailer, pull the spare out from under the trailer completely and lift it off the rack without crawling under the trailer or having to "get in the mud" to access the tire. It's less than $100 most places, takes about 30 minutes to install (be careful not to drill through a tank that "might be hiding behind the frame rails")

Here's one source. I've never bought anything from them, just did a Google search and they were one of the cheapest list price for the carrier. https://www.homecome89.com/products/...oaAneJEALw_wcB
Now you’re talking. This looks like a good idea and something I will definitely check out. For the cost of all the tire covers that I’ve lost, I could afford one of these. Thanks again.
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Old 07-18-2021, 04:57 AM   #18
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We have had this cheap one since Jan 2020 with no problems. Bought on Amazon for like $15. If it blows off, I have an excuse not to replace it. Wasn't exactly my idea originally anyway.
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Old 07-18-2021, 05:32 AM   #19
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I still have the original "Keystone" spare cover and sometimes wish it would blow off so I can get something that looks better... it is a little tacky after 7+ years of sun and that hailstorm back in 2016.

I saw a post from someone that has the same trailer as me, they had installed the BAL under frame mount and drilled right into the fresh tank installing I am tnot sure there is a good place to install one for me.

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Old 07-22-2021, 08:31 AM   #20
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OK you convinced me. I’ll just try to find one that is the right size and fits snugly. Maybe I’ll just remove it when I’m on the road.
I have used a flat, adjustable bungee cord strapped across the cover horizontally and hooked firmly to the back side of my spare tire on my boat trailer. Make sure you get the proper size cover for your tire. This works great keeping my cover on the spare tire. Mind you, it was in and out of water, which has far more weight and stress on it than wind. They both wear out about the same time but keep an eye on both and replace when needed. Never lost another cover using the bungee cord. The bungee cord is flat, adjustable, and about 3/4 inch wide and seems to work better than a round one. You can get them at most any hardware store. Problem solved.
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