A spare tire is pretty important insurance when you’re driving or towing an RV. You’ve got lots of tires to concern yourself with, and tire blowouts aren’t as uncommon as we’d all like. The other issue is the fact that, depending on the size of the tires on your RV, you may have difficulty locating a replacement if you need one. For this reason, carrying a spare can be important. If you don’t have a built-in spare carrier on (or under) your RV, you may want to consider an RV spare tire mount. Let’s check them out…
Why Should You Carry a Spare Tire For Your RV?
We all know that a spare tire is a form of insurance. Those of us who carry a spare tire do so to be prepared in the event of a blowout, flat, or any other form of damage to one of our RV (or vehicle) tires. Generally speaking, you carry a spare in case you’re stranded and need to replace a tire in order to get back on the road.
Many travelers who don’t carry a spare tire rely on a solid roadside assistance plan to come to the rescue in the unfortunate event of a tire blowout or flat. While roadside assistance plans are fantastic (and we certainly have one that we’ve trusted for many years ourselves), there are a couple of potential problems with relying solely on roadside assistance.
The first is the unlikely but real possibility that you could be stranded in a remote area where there’s no cell signal, hampering your ability to contact your roadside service company.
Having a spare tire is helpful even if you’re going to call your roadside service to change it for you. Your spare precludes the possibility that the service won’t be able to find a tire to fit your rig.
And the second is a bit of a newer problem, but it’s a real problem nonetheless. In the past couple of years, it’s become more and more difficult to get RV tires. Because some sizes aren’t readily available in all areas, there’s a possibility that if your rig has a blowout and you don’t have a spare, your roadside service, instead of simply coming out and replacing your tire, may have to tow your rig to a nearby shop… where you’ll have to wait for the appropriate tire to arrive. This could take days or longer (we’ve not experienced this ourselves – we’ve only read about it happening. But with supply and shipping issues ongoing, it’s certainly a possibility!).
So, though not everyone chooses to carry a spare tire and it’s not even practical for some (including owners of big rigs), depending on how and where you travel, you may want to carry a spare. This post is really for those travelers who want to carry a spare but don’t have the means to do so for one reason or another.
Do RVs Come With Spare Tires?
No – not all RVs come with spare tires, but many do. Sometimes you see them mounted on the rear or, less commonly, even the front of an RV or travel trailer. And sometimes you can’t see them at all. This is because they may be mounted under the rig.
However, newer RVs often don’t come with spare tires, jacks, or tire-changing tools. This is why RVers who want a spare may need to find a way to mount it to the rig. This is where the RV spare tire mount comes into play.
What Is an RV Spare Tire Mount?
An RV spare tire mount is simply a way to carry a spare tire on your RV. There are a variety of ways to mount a spare, and the best way really depends on the RV itself.
In the event of a tire failure, a spare tire mount allows you to carry an extra one to use so you can get back on the road.
Can You Mount a Spare Tire on Any RV?
You can mount a spare tire on almost any RV, though it’s unnecessary to do so in some circumstances, particularly with certain rigs. We’ll get into that shortly. First, let’s take a look at some of the most common types of RV spare tire mounts.
Different Types of RV Spare Tire Mounts
Depending on the type of RV you have (Class A, Class B, Class C, travel trailer, 5th wheel, etc.,), there are various types of spare tire mounts available for the optimal mounting of a tire to your rig.
Hitch-Mounted Spare Tire Mount
A hitch-mounted spare tire mount is an easy way to mount a spare tire onto your RV. If you’ve got a hitch receiver on your rig, this type of mount simply requires the purchase of a mount that fits your hitch receiver.
For example, this hitch-mounted spare tire mount from CURT fits a standard 2” receiver. You’d simply attach the mount to your hitch and mount your spare tire to it. This mount would also work with a hitch receiver located at the front of a truck or travel trailer.
- VERSATILE. This spare tire mount has slotted holes and a 24-inch height to fit a wide range of tire and wheel sizes (tire mounting hardware not...
- STANDARD FIT. This trailer hitch spare tire mount is equipped with a standard 2-inch shank to fit any industry-standard 2-inch x 2-inch trailer hitch...
Trailer Tongue Spare Tire Mount
A trailer tongue spare tire mount fits on the tongue of a travel trailer or rear bumper. They’re lightweight, so they don’t add a lot of weight to your rig (which can be important to ensure you don’t exceed the hitch/tongue weight capacity of your towing vehicle).
This Camco Eaz-Lift tire carrier, for example, weighs only five pounds. It fits bumpers and trailer tongues up to 6” tall and 3.5” wide.
- Exterior Spare Tire Mount for Trailers – Easily add a secure, exterior tire location to your trailer with Camco’s Eaz-Lift Spare Tire Mount.
- Universal Fit for Trailer Tongues – Compatible with trailer frames up to 6" tall and 3.5" wide, offering versatile installation options.
Retractable Spare Tire Mount
Retractable spare tire mounts sit under the RV and have a telescopic design allowing the tire to slide out from its central mounting location under the rig.
This Retract-a-Spare from BAL RV Products, for example, mounts under the frame rails and is capable of fitting frame widths from 52” to 72”.
This particular mount can handle tires up to 16.5”, (wheel and tire). Interestingly, one reviewer noted that he’s carried a 72-pound tire on this retractable mount over a couple of long trips and has found it durable and capable. The mount itself weighs 20 pounds.
- Great tools at a great price
Front Mount Spare Tire Carrier
Some RVs, travel trailers, and trucks are best suited to carrying a spare tire on a front-mounted carrier. In fact, some people who haul a travel trailer with a truck choose to front-mount a spare tire carrier to their truck, rather than mount a spare on/under their camper, in order to avoid any issues with the weight being added to the trailer/hitch.
This front mount spare tire carrier from Draw-Tite fits a standard 2” hitch receiver, and actually has many excellent reviews for both front and rear-mount carrying experiences, including from off-roaders. That said, it’s designed to be a front mount carrier and, according to reviewers, while it works for some rear-mount applications, it won’t work for all.
- VERSATILE. The spare tire carrier is ideal for relocating spare tires to the front of the vehicle using a front mounted receiver. It has a universal...
- FUNCTIONALITY. This trailer hitch spare tire mount is equipped with a standard 2-inch shank to fit any industry-standard 2-inch x 2-inch trailer hitch...
Heavy Duty RV Spare Tire Carrier
Some rigs require the use of a heavy-duty RV spare tire carrier. A large Class A RV, for example, would be well-served with a carrier like the Roadmaster Spare Tire Carrier with its spring-loaded, auto-latching features and heavy-duty (10,000 lb. max) capacity.
This heavy-duty Roadmaster spare tire mount is designed to carry a spare for big rig RVs (Photo credit: Roadmaster)
The Roadmaster spare tire carrier is designed to pivot for easy access to rear compartments, and mounts into a standard 2” receiver hitch. This carrier accommodates 16”, 16.5”, 19.5”, 22.5”, and 24” wheels.
While most RVers certainly aren’t going to change a 24” wheel on the side of the road, what this heavy-duty carrier does is guarantee that when your roadside assistance service arrives, you’ll have a tire ready to go.
- Product Compatibility: This Tire Carrier was designed to fit 2" Motorhome Receivers and carry 16"- 24.5" wheels with any lug nut pattern
- Maximum Strength: This Roadmaster Tire Carrier has a 10,000 lb towing cacity and a 400 lbs tongue weight
A Spare Tire Is a Form of Insurance
Not every RVer wants or needs to carry a spare tire. If you travel mostly along paved roads in the central part of everywhere, you’ll likely be able to reach your roadside assistance service to come out in the event of a blowout or flat. If they have a tire to fit your rig in stock, you’ll be back on the road in no time. If not, they may have to tow you to a shop that can order a tire for you.
But if you travel off-road or in very remote locations, or if you’re heading up the ALCAN Highway on your dream Alaska road trip, you’ll want a spare tire for sure. All of these options are available to you, covering just about any RV.
A spare tire allows you to carry a tire that guarantees that you’ll have your own tire in stock should you need one.
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TERESA
Thursday 22nd of January 2026
I'm an older woman and there is no way I can even lift a tire from out Class A diesel pusher, let alone change it. Which is why I have roadside assistance for our motorhome. I don't think I could even handle a jack to lift our motorhome off the ground as the unloaded weight is over 24,000 pounds.
Jay
Wednesday 22nd of January 2025
During 38 years of RVing, I've only needed a spare tire once. With difficulty, I managed to get it into an outside compartment, where it took up a lot of space. When I needed it, the emergency road service wasn't happy that it wasn't already mounted on a rim. With 3 different types of rims on the MH (front, outside rear, inside rear), mounting the spare on any particular rim wouldn't have made sense. By replacing your RV tires at 6 year intervals, you will substantially reduce the probability of ever needing a spare. A blowout will damage your RV and could cause loss of control. The one other time we sustained a leaking front tire due to driving over a nail (from my garage!), road service was able to repair it. Trailer tires tend to be smaller and storing such a spare tire less impractical, but storing a big MH spare tire is impractical and unnecessary. If you feel the need to carry anything, it should be a strong, electric impact wrench and a torque multiplier lug nut socket set.
Suzanne m
Wednesday 22nd of January 2025
You post a lot of really good articles. I’m kind of new at RVing and would like to save this information. Any suggestions.
Jim T
Wednesday 22nd of January 2025
Thank goodness in 5 years of FTing we’ve not experienced a flat! We are considering a trip to Alaska and think a spare tire would be a good idea, but we’re not sure what rim to put the spare on. Our class A has different rims in the front, outside rear and inside rear. Which rim should we put on the spare? Do we carry a rimless spare? Is there a carrier for a rimless spare?
Jim T
Thursday 22nd of January 2026
@TheRVgeeks, **Follow Up** I went to a Freightliner rally and learned that all three tire locations use the same rim. The rim is just flipped. I now carry 22.5" tire mounted on a rim that will work at any of the locations. Thanks guys for your input!
TheRVgeeks
Friday 24th of January 2025
Hi Jim... that's a tough question to answer, as motorhomes can have as many as three different rims (steering, outer drive, and inner drive). We don't know of any carrier for a rimless spare, so you just have to take a gamble and pick one rim design (we'd suggest the cheapest... as the odds that whatever tire needs replacing WON'T be the one with a matching rim, anyway). Whoever handles replacement of the bad tire for you will have to do a bit of work...breaking down the bad tire and remounting the spare to the rim.
AK Fish
Wednesday 22nd of January 2025
A spare tire is insurance against future flats-better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I am sure glad we had a spare tire when one of our dual axle tires (all 5 tires were less than one month old!) picked up something on the way to Nevada from California.
It resulted in a flat tire on a hot 110 degree afternoon day in Las Vegas RV park July 4, 2024 that needed changing. Got the new spare off and began the chore of replacing the flat in less than ideal temperatures. But, at least I had a spare tire!