Whilst chatting to the people on the upcoming Loire Valley group trip, the subject of spare tyres came up- and whether we should carry them, especially when not in Europe.

If your motorhome doesn't have a spare wheel, don't panic.

It's not unusual.

In fact, MANY modern motorhomes don’t come with a spare wheel at all. Instead, you get some sort of tyre repair kit—usually a bottle of sealant (the infamous tyre “gunk”) and a small compressor.

Which is all very well…

…but is that really what you want to be relying on if you get a puncture halfway up a mountain in France? 😬

So, should you carry a spare wheel on your motorhome?

Annoyingly, I don’t think there’s a simple yes or no answer.

The argument FOR carrying a spare

The obvious advantage is that a proper spare can get you moving again after damage which a repair kit simply can’t fix.

Tyre sealant can be useful for some small punctures in the tread.

It can’t magically repair a shredded tyre, a damaged sidewall or a blowout.

And if you’re somewhere remote—or somewhere your exact size/specification of tyre isn’t readily available—having a spare with you could save a LOT of time and hassle.

But…

A spare wheel isn’t quite as perfect as it sounds

Firstly, there’s the weight issue.

Motorhomes aren’t known for having masses of spare payload, and a spare wheel and tyre can easily take a noticeable chunk out of yours.

Then you’ve got to find somewhere to store it.

And there’s another question which is arguably even more important:

Would you actually change it yourself?

For most of us, that answer is- of course not. It's just there for the breakdown recovery to change.

And sure, sometimes they can do that. But often you've got a flat tyre next to the side of a busy road, which means you still need to be towed off to another location, which could easily be a nearby garage.

(Even if you carry a spare, good breakdown cover is still something I’d strongly recommend.)

If you’ve got the payload and somewhere sensible to store one, I can absolutely see the argument for it—particularly if you spend a lot of time travelling in remote areas.

If you DO have one fitted, please make sure it's checked and maintained regularly; not just the tyre but the cage and mechanism too.

What if you DON’T carry a spare?

This is the situation many of us are in.

First step- know what you've got in your motorhome.

Seriously—go and look.

Because discovering that your bottle of tyre sealant expired three years ago while you’re standing beside a flat tyre is probably not going to improve your day. 😂

I had this entire conversation (with myself!) when I went to both Iceland and Nordkapp. Travelling so far alone made me anxious about not being prepared for everything- and getting a flat tyre is a fairly common problem.

To combat it as best as I could, here's my setup:

1- Fit decent motorhome tyres.

I have used Michelin CrossClimates for years and refuse to fit anything else. They've served me well in snow, muddy fields, leaves, ice and horrendous rain.

2- Carry a decent 12v tyre inflator

These aren't just for punctures. Motorhome tyres run at relatively high pressures, so being able to check and inflate when on a long trip is really helpful (and avoids going to a garage where the motorhome can't get anywhere near the tyre inflator pump!)

They’re also really useful for topping up your tyres before a trip if your vehicle has been stood for a while.

​Here's the one I have. When you're shopping, look for heavy duty inflation time and ideally one that's cordless so you don't have to try to run the cord to the back of the motorhome. I also preferred one that's rechargeable and doesn't need to be connected to the battery- not always easy to do when you're alone.

3- An in-date puncture repair/sealant kit

If your motorhome came with tyre sealant, check the expiry date and make sure you know how to use it BEFORE you need it.

Also remember that sealant isn’t suitable for every type of tyre damage. Again, good breakdown cover is a must.

Here's the puncture repair kit I carry (fingers crossed I never need to use it!) and this is the sealant​

And there’s one other gadget that might be useful…

A tyre pressure monitoring system

Another option is a tyre pressure monitoring system.

TPMS continually monitors your tyre pressures and warns you if something starts going wrong.

Some vehicles have this fitted already as part of the system.

But many motorhomes don't.

Which is a shame, as having a slow puncture can be hard to detect in a big, heavy vehicle—especially if it’s at the rear.

An aftermarket TPMS like this usually has small sensors which fit onto each tyre valve and a display in the cab showing the pressure (and often temperature) of each tyre.

If one starts dropping unexpectedly, you can hopefully pull over and investigate BEFORE it becomes a much bigger problem.

Oh, and if you don't know if you have a spare wheel or not, ask at your next MOT. A member of our group discovered she had one fitted that she had no idea about! 😬

Safe (and puncture free) travels,

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