[MoparNorm]

But read the fine print. Some will say roadside assistance only covers installing your spare on your car, not hauling your car in if a tire cannot be fixed roadside.

LOL!
I rented a U-haul with no spare yesterday. I told them I need a spare, they said, "Oh! You just call this number and we come fix it!" I said, uh huh, you're going to come 400 miles, into the Nevada desert to bring me a spare while I wait 20 hours?
Somewhere, some bean counter figured it all out, spending $600 per flat tire is cheaper than buying spares...sounds like Marchionne has a twin...

 

[jerseyjoe]

I got a compact spare only, at my age I'm better off with help. Spare only is more useful than that waste of space compressor thingie in the trunk. Have a Harbor freight compressor in my garage. Saving for run flat tires.

RUN FLAT TIRES SHOULD BE OFFERED INSTEAD OF THE COMPRESSOR at time of purchase. All in all my blowout with damaged trim costs more than the tires.

Strike on for SM.

 

[LouJC]

Jeepers learn early on in life, to rely upon no one but yourself, to get out of a bad situation, so we've always carried a full size spare, sometimes two , tire repair kits, extra belts and hoses, extra fuel and a full tool kit.
A full sized spare would be a part of your normal tire rotation, a temporary spare should be treated as perishable after 5 years.

Bean counters and marketeers don't get you home, preparation does.

 

[Dave Z]

I am amazed that compact spares are now a very expensive option on the Fiat 500. I wonder how many junkyard spares are available?

 

[valiant67]

My 5ooc has no spare and I am going to order one. I skipped the top of the line sound system on the Challenger so it got the spare.

 

[vipergg]

I am amazed that compact spares are now a very expensive option on the Fiat 500. I wonder how many junkyard spares are available?

It's $300 fora compact just for the minivans.

 

[valiant67]

Yep it's about $300 for the 500, I think the 500L is a little more.

 

[LouJC]

LOL!
I rented a U-haul with no spare yesterday. I told them I need a spare, they said, "Oh! You just call this number and we come fix it!" I said, uh huh, you're going to come 400 miles, into the Nevada desert to bring me a spare while I wait 20 hours?
Somewhere, some bean counter figured it all out, spending $600 per flat tire is cheaper than buying spares...sounds like Marchionne has a twin...

I had the same exact conversation with the U-Haul guys this weekend, I rented one of their 6x12 trailers to move a couple of our small Walker Bay boats. At least I am in an area where its not so isolated but still.
I am a big believer in spares and being prepared. Two our our road trips are through a desolate area of the NYS Thruway (going from Long Island NY to Montreal Ca for the Formula 1 race, and similar for going to Watkins Glen NY for the NASCAR race) where there is no cell service. Of course the WK has a full size spare, but we also carry:
1 qt of motor oil, 1 qt of ATF+4, 1 qt of the NV 245 fluid, 1 qt of gear oil and pump, a spare serpentine belt, fuses, headlight/tailight bulbs etc.
On the boat:
1988 4.3 OMC Cobra I/O original engine, unknown hrs. Frequently ventures into Long Island Sound. Spares: motor oil, fuel filter, set of spark plugs, points n condenser, thermostat n gasket, raw water impeller, belts, hoses etc. Hard mount VHF radio, spare hand held, GPS linked to panic button on radio, Vessel Assist towing.
Boat trailer: jack/lug wrench, spare tire, spare bulbs.

When I bought our 2 older vehicles new back in '98 (98 ZJ, 98 Subaru OB) the first thing I did to both was to replace the temp spares with full size spares.

My brother used to have a '99 Ferrari F-355, one day we got a flat. I asked him where the spare was and he takes out a can of fix-a-flat, lol I am not kidding on a car that cost $125K. So we wait for the flat bed, but since he was the one of the head guys at Asurion who does most cell phone ins and roadside ins, they showed up pretty fast. Then at the tire shop, we had Larry, Moe and Curley. They could not get the shop lift under the Ferrari, it was too low. They are standing there scratching their heads. I tell my brother give me the manual for this car. I see that Ferrari does offer a normal scissor jack for this vehicle. I tell Moe to go the jack out of the Hyundai in the shop and show him how to jack it up. As a joke I gave my brother a nice scissor jack that Christmas lol....

 

[John Wood]

Speaking of donuts... I had a few of these taking up space in my garage, so back in 2009 when it was time to trade in the old 86 Voyager in the cash-for-clunkers program, I found away to get rid of them and free up some space in the garage. It was an 8 mile trip on these to the dealer's lot. I went very slow on that trip.



I never cared for donut tires and almost always got a regular rim and a full size spare. I usually did a 5 tire rotation. Now, with the 2014 G Caravan, I don't have the choice of a full size spare and had to negotiate for a donut spare.

Regarding the 14 inch tires salvaged from the 86 Voyager.... I used the remaining life of the tires on the 91 Spirit for a couple of years. The 1 size larger really made almost no difference.

 

[valiant67]

I never cared for donut tires and almost always got a regular rim and a full size spare. I usually did a 5 tire rotation. Now, with the 2014 G Caravan, I don't have the choice of a full size spare and had to negotiate for a donut spare.

I made the spare tire part of the deal when I bought my 500L last year. I also skipped the subwoofer option that puts a subwoofer in place of the spare tire when I ordered my Challenger.

 

[Dave Z]

Usually sounds better without the subwoofer anyway (depending on what you play. If you like shaking windows with rap, the woofer's worth it.)