Where to keep spare wheel?

[CaptainProg]

I have a 2002 wheelchair access Caddy that I am converting into a campervan. As there is a wheelchair ramp, I'm guessing there is not a sensible place under the van to store the spare (the ramp arches down to meet the bottom of the bumper, and I'd guess that this space [underneath] is the usual place for a spare, but correct me if I'm wrong).

At the moment, the spare is mounted on a bracket just above the right rear wheel arch, i.e. inside the van. This is valuable space that I'd like to turn into a set of cupboards.

Can anyone suggest an alternative place to store the spare tyre? I've been looking for brackets to mount it on the back door, but can't find anything online. As far as I can tell, mounting somehow on the roof is dangerous (due to weight distribution?) It may be possible to mount somewhere else on the bottom of the vehicle, and I'm also entertaining the possibility of simply not carrying a spare at all. All suggestions welcome.

[tommyzooom]

What about a can of the puncture foam, I've never used it, but a lot of cars now come with this, and no spare

[Beaker2135]

What tommyzoom said. Slime do a kit with a compressor that will sort anything less than a blowout. There's the AA for that
http://slime.com/223/products/safety-spair-70005/

[shanky887614]

I have a 2002 wheelchair access Caddy that I am converting into a campervan. As there is a wheelchair ramp, I'm guessing there is not a sensible place under the van to store the spare (the ramp arches down to meet the bottom of the bumper, and I'd guess that this space [underneath] is the usual place for a spare, but correct me if I'm wrong).

At the moment, the spare is mounted on a bracket just above the right rear wheel arch, i.e. inside the van. This is valuable space that I'd like to turn into a set of cupboards.

Can anyone suggest an alternative place to store the spare tyre? I've been looking for brackets to mount it on the back door, but can't find anything online. As far as I can tell, mounting somehow on the roof is dangerous (due to weight distribution?) It may be possible to mount somewhere else on the bottom of the vehicle, and I'm also entertaining the possibility of simply not carrying a spare at all. All suggestions welcome.

it would be fine on the roof thanks to the roofbars available etc.

you could always go to a bodyshop and get them to knock a doormount up for you, i think one for a 4x4 would only require a little modding

[SnoWhite]

If your caddy has a rear barn door set up, then it might be possible to either bolt on a standard rear door carrier bracket taken from a vehicle with a similar size 5 bolt configuration (possibly a Discovery or a Landrover). However the wheel would need to attach to the larger door, which will be subject to a lot of extra load so will probably need additional strengthening inside, and the hinges will get extra wear.

To avoid this, there are specialist companies who fabricate custom designed spare wheel mounting brackets which support the wheel on its own external hinges and mounting brackets. http://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en ... 3-lr4.html. They will be able to advise whether something like that can be modified to work with a Caddy barn door or tailgate.

You are correct in your assumption that the standard spare wheel stowage on a Caddy is on a bracket under the rear floor - which will have been removed when the wheelchair access ramp was installed. A genuine VW roof rail and bars system is however rated to 100kg so is able to support the weight of a spare wheel, but it would need a really secure anchorage to stop it coming loose and becoming a missile under severe braking or a collision. Any external mounted spare wheel might be a theft target.

Obviously if the spare is on the roof then anyone with reduced mobility is probably going to need help to deal with a flat anyway. So the goop and compressor kit (VW part no 2K0 601 703) which VW offer as standard on many models might be the best way to go.

If you really want to keep a spare then I guess you could check with VOSA if they would allow you to copy the LandRover style bonnet location. It will probably impact on forward visibility and would probably need some sort of written dispensation/approved from VOSA when it goes to an MOT, as it puts something fairly solid in a pedestrian collision zone. They may be a bit more flexible on what is allowed for a mobility adapted vehicle.

Good luck

SnoWhite

[NZDubNurd]

7 seat Tourans have a bottle of goo, and a compressor (loud enough to wake the dead!).

You could steal them from a car at the breakers.

I no longer have the hidey hole for them, so the goo is in the glovebox, and the compressor in the storage box in the middle row floor.

I'm sure you could hide them in a Caddy somewhere, and it means if you only have a slow leak, you can just top up with the compressor, instead of probably ruining a tyre with goo.

[torque777]

Some caddy's came with goo and inflation kit.., it sat in the shelf above driver

[Avalanche]

It might be worth considering a space saver wheel, apart from the obvious of taking up less space meaning it maybe able to be located under the vehicle, it will also weigh less if you wanted to put it on an external mount on rear doors etc.