In our thirteen years of ownership of the Triton I can only recall having removed and replaced the spare wheel once to check on the condition of the tyre and find out for myself what sort of a job it would be if I had the misfortune to have to attempt an emergency roadside repair. (I took this picture in October 2016 so it must have been eight years ago.)

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Yesterday I suddenly wondered how easy (or difficult) it would be for a mechanic to change a caravan wheel at the roadside if we were unlucky enough to have a puncture on our travels. As it turned out, I'm glad I did.

If you haven't yet tried to remove your spare wheel from its underslung rear cradle it might be a good idea at least to check that any padlock fitted can still be easily unlocked and you know which of your keys fits it.

The steel spare wheel is held under the rear floor of the caravan in a wire frame that pivots to allow it to be removed towards the rear of the van. The rear-mounted fastening clamp is also pivoted and when removed the cradle holding the wheel is retained by a short chain attached to it with a carabiner type clip.

The carabiner on our van had practically rusted away and parts of the cradle and its retaining fastener were also quite rusty.

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My first problem was that the padlock was seized but, to my amazement, after a couple of squirts of GT85 spray the key turned and it could be removed. I then spent a frustrating amount of time trying to wrestle the wheel out of its cradle before realising that it must be secured to the cradle somehow. This turned out to be by means of a vertical, threaded stud that passes through the centre of the wheel holding it to the cradle by means of a large domed plate and a thankfully nylon wingnut that was held in place by a 'P' clip that is pushed through a hole in the stud. As access to this area is difficult for an old man I had to work all this out by touch rather than by sight.

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When the fixings had been removed it was relatively straightforward to wiggle the wheel out under the back of the caravan. When I get time I will have to clean up and respray the wheel and also fit a new length of chain but for now they will have to do. The tyre has clearly never been in contact with the road and although old (I bet it is the original that was supplied with the van in 2003) it appears to be in serviceable condition at least for emergency use. If you look closely at 2 o'clock, 7 o'clock and 10 o'clock you will see wear in the sidewall caused by its rubbing against the cradle frame. This wear is only superficial.

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Before replacing the wheel I removed the rear part of the cradle, wirebrushed it and part of the main frame and the domed plate and gave them a coat of silver Hammerite that I had lying around. I fitted a new split pin in the rear part of the cradle and a new stainless steel carabiner (four for £4.19 from Amazon) before refitting the spare wheel ready for our upcoming holiday.

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From left to right: the rear locking part of the cradle; domed wheel retaining plate; nylon wingnut and 'P' clip;stainless steel padlock; new split pin and carabiner.

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This is how it all goes back together.

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Spare wheel reloaded and ready for the off.

A few words of caution.

1. access to the spare wheel is difficult particularly if you are getting on in years and/or not in the best of health. As I'm sure many will agree, getting down is not so bad, it's the getting up again that is the problem.

2. a steel wheel and tyre are bloody heavy, particularly if you are operating in a confined space and I'm sure it would be quite easy to do oneself a mischief heaving on a recalcitrant wheel trying to get it over the securing stud and then lifting the cradle up into the locked position. So be careful and if in doubt get someone younger and fitter to at least check that your security lock can still be operated and with which key.

3. if your caravan roadwheels are aluminium and your spare is steel you will need to carry a set of wheelnuts with the correct taper to allow the steel spare to be fitted safely and correctly. Be sure to check that you have these on board before you go touring.

Rest assured that I have no intention of trying to change a caravan tyre at the roadside myself, that's what Red Pennant and my UK breakdown insurance are for but as I was imagining a rescue mechanic having to cut my lock off with an angle grinder at least I now don't have that worry.

We removed ours several years ago and it now travels in the boot of the car.
You also have to remember that if your Eribafolk has a flat tyre the underside will be even closer to the ground.
Randa

Quote: Poptop320 wrote in post #7

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I put mine in a sandwich bag and taped it upside down to the cradle out of harms way.

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