Weight of Isata 3 Spare Tire & Wheel

[lilbroduck]

Is there any info on how much the Isata 3 (circa 2018 FW) spare and wheel together weigh? And same question for them individually?

Thanks!

(Quote below is from a related, closed thread)

Originally Posted by hpdrver

We have Alcoa wheels and have been told that the lugs must be changed if a steel wheel is substituted for the Alcoa wheel. To save weight and reduce problems, I removed the spare and dismounted the tire from the wheel. I then put the tire in a large garbage bag and remounted the tire only in the spare tire carrier.
My thinking, is if I have a flat on a steel wheel or Alcoa wheel, roadside assistance can mount my spare tire on either wheel and when home buy a new tire for spare. I would not have to put a new tire on a wheel and change out wheels on the coach.
The only flaw is if my wheel is destroyed when the flat occurs. In 30 years of running coaches this has never happened to me, so I will take the risk.

[chroniekon]

If you have the LT215/85r16 Continental Vanco tires, the item weight shown on Amazon is 33 lbs. Not sure on the wheel weight.

[bclemens]

I think we calculated about 60 lbs.

[lilbroduck]

Thanks, chron and Brian. The tire ID chron quoted is the exact one that's on our I3, and you saved me the lookup. And Brian, I knew you or Brandon would be the best source for the wheel. So it looks like 33 for the rubber and ~30ish for the wheel.

I assume the spare rim is steel. Our outer duallies are non Alcoa aluminums, which I assume makes them Hispec. In any event, we're considering detaching the spare in the interests of hugely precious CCC. Haven't yet decided about unmounting the tire spare to keep on board or keep nothing at all.

[milkman55]

I think you are splitting hairs over 60 lbs. If you have a flat, you will be glad to have the right size spare even if mounted on a steel wheel and needing transferred to your Hispec wheel (same thing I have my I3).

[lilbroduck]

Thanks, milkman... I agree with you that if we're only 60lbs over max it'd be a breeze. We're packing for our maiden fully loaded trip and will weigh soon to see what our fate is... I strongly suspect that we'll top out at at least 100-200lbs overweight, so 60 could become a consideration for the chopping block, among other stuff.

So as not to be overly foolish, I'm in the process of contacting our roadside assistance agency to find out what would be our coverage in the event of a blowout/flat. That will give us a better idea as to carrying a full spare, just the rubber, or nothing.

Originally Posted by milkman55

I think you are splitting hairs over 60 lbs. If you have a flat, you will be glad to have the right size spare even if mounted on a steel wheel and needing transferred to your Hispec wheel (same thing I have my I3).

[FFred]

"I'm in the process of contacting our roadside assistance agency to find out what would be our coverage in the event of a blowout/flat."

Most will change a tire ,& install your spare.

Most will install a new tire on your old wheel .

If a tire is needed , it will be Very Expensive , and probably not a match for the rest of the tires. Best to tell them in advance to bring a new tire and the size you desire.

I personally would never travel with out a fully mounted spare.

[lilbroduck]

Good info, Ffred... Thanks

Originally Posted by FFred

"I'm in the process of contacting our roadside assistance agency to find out what would be our coverage in the event of a blowout/flat."

Most will change a tire ,& install your spare.

Most will install a new tire on your old wheel .

If a tire is needed , it will be Very Expensive , and probably not a match for the rest of the tires. Best to tell them in advance to bring a new tire and the size you desire.

I personally would never travel with out a fully mounted spare.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by lilbroduck

Is there any info on how much the Isata 3 (circa 2018 FW) spare and wheel together weigh? And same question for them individually?

Thanks!

(Quote below is from a related, closed thread)

Quote:
Originally Posted by hpdrver View Post
We have Alcoa wheels and have been told that the lugs must be changed if a steel wheel is substituted for the Alcoa wheel. To save weight and reduce problems, I removed the spare and dismounted the tire from the wheel. I then put the tire in a large garbage bag and remounted the tire only in the spare tire carrier.
My thinking, is if I have a flat on a steel wheel or Alcoa wheel, roadside assistance can mount my spare tire on either wheel and when home buy a new tire for spare. I would not have to put a new tire on a wheel and change out wheels on the coach.
The only flaw is if my wheel is destroyed when the flat occurs. In 30 years of running coaches this has never happened to me, so I will take the risk.

Do you have to change the lugs, or just the lug nuts? Steel wheels take a conical lug nut. Newer Aluminum do too. Older aluminum wheels take a "shank" nut. The front face is cylindrical and passes through the wheel. Behind that section is a flat (not conical) flange that presses the wheel to the hub.

It's possible, but unlikely that the diameter of the lug bolts (and nuts) is different for aluminum and steel wheels.

Consider investigating this further before rushing to make plans for unmounted tires and wheels.

• It's possible that the same lug nuts are used on both wheel types on your trailer.
• It's possible that the wheels take different nuts, but lug diameter and thread pitch are the same for both kinds of wheels and all you have to do is buy an extra set of lug nuts.

WMTire might have more information on this.

Larry

[lilbroduck]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Do you have to change the lugs, or just the lug nuts? Steel wheels take a conical lug nut. Newer Aluminum do too. Older aluminum wheels take a "shank" nut. The front face is cylindrical and passes through the wheel. Behind that section is a flat (not conical) flange that presses the wheel to the hub.

It's possible, but unlikely that the diameter of the lug bolts (and nuts) is different for aluminum and steel wheels.

Consider investigating this further before rushing to make plans for unmounted tires and wheels.

• It's possible that the same lug nuts are used on both wheel types on your trailer.
• It's possible that the wheels take different nuts, but lug diameter and thread pitch are the same for both kinds of wheels and all you have to do is buy an extra set of lug nuts.

WMTire might have more information on this.

Larry

Thanks for the comprehensive input, Larry!

I'm thinking that if one has aluminum rims, different approaches need to be taken for Alcoa versions vs Hispec.

Take a peek at this thread:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ls-139646.html

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by lilbroduck

Thanks for the comprehensive input, Larry!

I'm thinking that if one has aluminum rims, different approaches need to be taken for Alcoa versions vs Hispec.

Take a peek at this thread:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ls-139646.html

Duck, because of the way it's written, that thread is ambiguous.

First, let's agree on some definitions:

• Lugs are externally-threaded cylinders protruding from the hubs. They fit through holes in the wheel.
• Lug nuts are internally-threaded six-sided objects that screw onto the lugs after the wheels have been placed.

The thread says something like "...with the Alcoa wheels the lugs must be changed.

Perhaps it means the lugs must be changed for longer lugs because the Alcoa wheels are thicker. No big deal. If you have longer lugs, your lug nuts cannot be cap-nuts (closed-end, also called Acorn Nuts). All you have to do is go to the auto parts store and get a handful of open-ended nuts to mount steel wheels. You don't care how much of the lug sticks through the nut. You just want to get home.

Or perhaps it means that the lug nuts are different, flanged instead of conical. Once again, all you have to do is go to the auto parts store and get a handful of conical nuts to use when mounting steel wheels.

It seems very unlikely that the lugs would be a different diameter between aluminum and steel wheels. If they were, you could never mount a steel wheel inside an aluminum wheel.

It seems unlikely that the lugs would have a different thread pitch but you can check this without even jacking the rig up. Just get the required lug nuts from the auto parts store, and remove one of the existing nuts. Spin the new one on by hand. If it goes on easily, they are the same.

And it's impossible that the wheels have a different bolt circle, or you could never mount a steel wheel and an aluminum wheel on the same hub (as you are currently doing on the rear axle.

Larry

[bclemens]

Yes....the Alcoa's are "hub centering" as I recall. The Hispecs have tapered lugs that center the wheel. Or the other way around...I just know they are different and you have to buy lugs with with.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by bclemens

Yes....the Alcoa's are "hub centering" as I recall. The Hispecs have tapered lugs that center the wheel. Or the other way around...I just know they are different and you have to buy lugs with with.

BC, Do you mean lugs (threaded bolts extending from the hubs) or lug nuts (hex-shaped with internal threads)?

This whole discussion has centered on the ambiguity of a couple of messages.

If all that is needed to interchange an aluminum wheel with a steel spare wheel is a handful of the proper lug nuts, then maybe Dynamax should include them.

Larry

[bclemens]

Yes, sorry, lug nuts.

[chroniekon]

The steel wheels that come on the Isata 3 use a hex nut with a 'captive' flat washer attached to it. These also work with the Hispec brand aluminum wheels. The OEM steel wheels just have a straight thru hole as do the Hispec aluminum wheels, so I'm thinking they are hub centering. I don't know what is used with the Alcoa set up.

[chroniekon]

And the lug nuts

[milkman55]

This thread combined with another got me thinking about my spare. I think I will drop the spare from underneath, bag it and put it in my Honda toad. I have plenty of weight to give on the toad and limited CCC in the RV. Easy 60 lb pickup. I also have a roof rack on the toad off I was space constrained in the Honda.

[lilbroduck]

Originally Posted by milkman55

This thread combined with another got me thinking about my spare. I think I will drop the spare from underneath, bag it and put it in my Honda toad. I have plenty of weight to give on the toad and limited CCC in the RV. Easy 60 lb pickup. I also have a roof rack on the toad off I was space constrained in the Honda.

I really like how our forum experience can provide unexpected insights and sidebar successes.

Let us know how it goes, milkman!

[caswelld]

lilbroduck, one other weight saver you probably already considered is the fresh water tank. We normally travel with just a couple of gallons in it for flushing. We also travel with black and gray tanks mostly empty.

Oh, one other thing that I learned the hard way, when you change the position of the Anderson valve be sure there’s no pressure on the supply line and the water pump is off. Seems like BC recommenced relieving the water pressure in the supply line by unscrewing the hose connection a bit before selecting another position on the Anderson valve.

I didn’t do that and it messed up the valve and I got water filling my fresh water tank when ever city water was selected.

I think you’ll enjoy the Isata, ours has been a pretty nice way to travel. You’ll really like the Mercedes.

Happy camping.

Dave

[lilbroduck]

Originally Posted by caswelld

lilbroduck, one other weight saver you probably already considered is the fresh water tank. We normally travel with just a couple of gallons in it for flushing. We also travel with black and gray tanks mostly empty.

Oh, one other thing that I learned the hard way, when you change the position of the Anderson valve be sure there’s no pressure on the supply line and the water pump is off. Seems like BC recommenced relieving the water pressure in the supply line by unscrewing the hose connection a bit before selecting another position on the Anderson valve.

I didn’t do that and it messed up the valve and I got water filling my fresh water tank when ever city water was selected.

I think you’ll enjoy the Isata, ours has been a pretty nice way to travel. You’ll really like the Mercedes.

Happy camping.

Dave

Thanks for the nice response. You're right, the fresh water tank level has been foremost on our minds. We've decided to roll with no more than 1/3 of water in the FW tank due to weight. The gray and black start out empty, so it's a zero sum weight game until we dump.

I'd learned early on to relieve pressure in the plumbing before attempting rotation of the Anderson valve... And it's a stiff turn even under those conditions. Knock on wood, no issues with our Anderson to this point.

We do like the Mercedes. We're hoping that we can find a happy compromise in weight, speed, and driving conditions to slowly improve our fuel mileage and stay safe and happy.