Spare Tire in Bed Options?

The aftermarket bumper I want to get already has the set up to add a tire swing out apparatus on it. I would like to get it but not a fan of truck caps.

 

I run a shell in winter, open in summer. I like the look of an open bed more actually.

 

Those who have had a tire mounted to the bed rail for some time now, how is the composite bed holding up?

 

That's not a bad look. I have to figure something out. We are going wheeling in it in May in Moab and husband says I will have to move the tire from underneath. ,

 

it’s good practice, depending on what you intend to do. Should you need it, getting it out from underneath can be a challenge/impossible if you find yourself in a less than ideal place/situation.

 

2nd gen but here you go.

I was afraid it might look weird also but I think it is fine now.



That's a 34" tire if you were wondering.

285/75/17

 

Would have to be one hell of a wreck to eject my 33" spare out of the bed with enough force to do damage to another vehicle or person.

 

Do you open your tailgate often? Is it a pain to move the tire? I think I will use the truck bed fairly often.

 

I think no cap looks great

 

I forgot to mention that my bed is totally enclosed with a camper shell. It would be almost impossible for the spare to be ejected.

Attaching the spare, upright, by a bracket to the accessory rail would be more unstable than simply laying it flat on the bed. Plus, that kind of mounting cuts your visibility.

 

Why are we doing this?

 

What do you mean?

 

Why put spare in bed? I moved the bracket and mounted my larger wheel/tire under.

 

I always see the folks saying they move the spare to bed so they can access it while off-roading, but if you have the truck in a position to actually swap on the spare tire I don't see how the stock under the bed position would be inaccessible?

 

Mounting the spare under the truck is a bad idea, as I learned from my experience with my 2000 Ford Ranger.

First of all, the spare is only supported by a thin cable (chain in the case of the Tacoma). Certainly, a cable is not a secure attachment. They've been known to break, and then the spare becomes a missile, bouncing down the highway and wreaking havoc on other vehicles. My friends at the local body shop told me of horrendous damage they had to repair after precisely such accidents.

So, what I did with my Ranger was to support the spare with safety chains. I wasn't going to take a chance with it falling. But, by the same token, the safety chains made access very inconvenient, especially after they became corroded. Eventually, I had to remove the chains with bolt cutters, just to access the spare.

And, in that position, the spare is exposed to road salts and other debris. It got to the point where the spare wheel was so corroded that the tire would no longer hold air -- and in fact the tire itself became dry-rotted. And, unless you take the spare down every couple of months to inspect it, you don't know what condition it's in. You could well end up with a useless spare just when you need it.

Placing the spare in the bed of my new Tacoma is probably the best of a bunch of bad choices. I may up end dispensing with the spare altogether. (I'm already carrying an air compressor and tire repair kit.)

 

depends on the severity of the trail. Washouts and rock gardens can blow a bead. Hell even deep snow can, leaving you exactly where you sit to change that wheel. If you’re straddling a section that prevents you from dropping that spare, you’re SOL.
People that don’t see that scenario are probably fine to leave it under.

 

Regardless of where you are sitting you're not changing the wheel without jacking the truck up first, I guess you could be in a position where even with the truck jacked up to change the wheel and still not have room to get the spare out...but it seems very unlikely. Guess it's a risk I'm willing to take, YRMV YOLO and whatnot.

 

Is this what you're looking for? No topper. It wont be this way for long..

 

+1 for the Wilco carrier

 

for those with the wilco bed rail tire carrier, How are they holding up? Also looking more for reviews with some off-roading. Thinking of going this route with a large strap and around tire and mounted to bed. May also consider adding Bamf bed supports in the front or something similar.