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Subject Topic: Car spare wheel in Europe Post Reply Post New Topic
Personoskar
25/2/2017 at 4:15pm
 Location: nottinghamshire
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If the car has a repair kit is it necessary/advisable to carry a spare wheel across Europe - bearing in mind I'm towing a caravan and am conscious of extra weight.
I understand it is a requirement for Spain - does everyone who drives there carry one?


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Personsaxo1
25/2/2017 at 4:22pm
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For Spain a spare wheel or a repair kit is acceptable.
saxo1


PersonOpensauce
25/2/2017 at 4:30pm
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Your choice. The lack of a full size spare will turn an annoying half hour delay into a delay that could last for days.


Personsaxo1
25/2/2017 at 5:07pm
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As sad the choice is yours.
I can't remember the last time I had a puncture and the number of punctures I have had in 61 years of driving,30 years of which were average 25000 miles per year,would be in single figures and have never needed to change a wheel on the road!
That has now probably put the mockers on it and I'll probably have has many in the next 2000 miles!
saxo1


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PersonBerriow
25/2/2017 at 5:20pm
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The last puncture I had was a big blow out on the autoroute near Poitiers - the repair man came out and changed the wheel on the hard shoulder with traffic inches from him, and then he went off to look for a replacement tyre for us.

You would think a tyre for an old style Freelander would be available off the shelf in a city that size - not at Bank Holiday weekends they aren't. We decided not to wait and drove back to London on the spare and bought another tyre when we got there, but wouldn't have gone far on a skinny wheel.


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Personjandjstott
25/2/2017 at 8:31pm
 Location: Ross on Wye
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A repair kit is totally useless in the event you get a split in the sidewall of the tyre or even a major puncture in the tread. Once used the repair kit will invariably mean a new tyre as the adhesive ruins the tyre.
All down to manufacturers trying to save weight to improve their fictitious mileage figures.
Personally I wouldn't dream of going to Europe without a full size spare which I paid extra for on my car. Hopefully I will never need it but the peace of mind knowing I have it is well worth the cost and the less fuel consumption.
John


PersonFrancais
26/2/2017 at 8:45am
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My father always told me, when buying a car always remember to check that there is a spare wheel in the boot!

I drive a firms VW Golf, and that comes with a Space Saver spare, I can't see the point, they might as well have just put a full size spare in there.

A friend of mine had a Skoda Superb, and that came with no spare, just a tin of gunk and a compressor, I think he ended up getting a spare wheel from the scrap yard.

It does not take much to get a puncture, I even got two on the same day once!


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Personfleck2
26/2/2017 at 9:08am
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The repair kits are useless, believe me I know from experience on the M6 one Sunday evening, not good. I always carry a spare now.


PersonOpensauce
26/2/2017 at 9:15am
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Plenty of cars can fit full size spare in compartment & they have them for other markets. I think the idea of repair kit or space saver is that it keeps weight down so car can have lower emissions figure.

Biggest risk of puncture in camping situation is nails in tyre on rough ground campsite roads & also rough stone car parks found in southern places. It's good to check tyre pressures regularly while on site. If pressure is down on one of the tyres then inspect carefully for nail in tread. This is usually repairable locally if tyre has not been run flat. Drive into local tyre place & they will do a proper tyre off repair for 15-20€.

Tyre repair kits only do a temporary repair & tyre should be repaired properly asap. There is conflicting info as to whether a tyre can be repaired properly after the temp repair kit has been used but if garage insists you need a new tyre then you are stuck & French tyre places do not have overnight delivery like UK. If tyre size not in stock it could take days.

I suppose this would be considered a breakdown & get you a hire car. I've actually seen cars with punctures uplifted from campsites on breakdown trucks. Flippin' eck, I have 5 steel road wheels on my Berlingo with jack & wheel brace. Same for my caravan. A punture for me is half hour delay & get tyre repaired cheaply at my leisure.

Post last edited on 26/02/2017 09:21:53


PersonSGThomas
26/2/2017 at 9:17am
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When we bought our Skoda Elegance there was one of those toy town wheels in the wheel well.

Strangely, for a mere £75 extra, a full size complete wheel, in its custom moulded cradle, was supplied.

It has never been used. But what is guaranteed, is that the time we go out without it, punctures will occur (Sod's Law paragraph 1)


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PersonBernie47
26/2/2017 at 10:10am
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When I ordered my car last year I specified that I wanted a spare wheel.
The dealer said he would exchange the kit for a spare, but when the car came it already had a spare wheel. It appears that Ford have realised that people want spares.

-------------
Bernie


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