From towbar for cycle carrier to carrying a second spare tyre - my brain hurts

[steve.armitage Find all posts View Profile Close steve.armitage]

I'm in the process of ordering a new GXL and I want a towbar for a cycle carrier.

Last night i started to think about how i'll be carrying a second spare tyre in the future - put it on a roof rack or a twin rear door carrier.
if i go for the rear door carrier, it'll replace a factory towbar - so don't want to waste $1k

I've not tried, but lifting a spare wheel into a roof rack seems hard work, though by this time i'll have already punctured by other tyre before thinking about getting the second down!

Apart from the cost, what other considerations are there between a twin tyre carrier on the back and strapping the spare on the roof?

[Guest Close Guest]

A twin wheel carrier adds weight, is costly and can be a pain around town if you have to open the rear door frequently.
A spare on the roof rack means much less weight you can carry up there after the wheel is up there. It also increases wind drag.

The most economical way is to have the spare wheel on the roof. If heaving it up there is an issue, assuming that you are travelling with another person, you could have that person on the otherside of the vehicle with a strap to the wheel. Then that person will take some of the weight as the wheel is slid down the side of the vehicle on a blanket to avoid scratches.

[andoland Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close andoland]

If you've got a set of tyre levers or travel with someone who does, just take the tyre carcass on the roof rather than the tyre and rim. This is what I have been doing for my last couple of big trips. It's much lighter and easier to get up/down than a full wheel and tyre. As a bonus, if you're short of storage space, you can carry stuff within the tyre carcass.

[wanted Member Find all posts View Profile Close wanted]

If you've got a set of tyre levers or travel with someone who does, just take the tyre carcass on the roof rather than the tyre and rim. This is what I have been doing for my last couple of big trips. It's much lighter and easier to get up/down than a full wheel and tyre. As a bonus, if you're short of storage space, you can carry stuff within the tyre carcass.

Just saw a thing in Costco that can double up as a Roof carrier but can also be attached to the hitch and becomes a small flat base at the rear of the vehicle. May be worth a look. Will try to get a pic next time in Costco. It was near the engine oil, wiper section.

[photoprado Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close photoprado]

A twin wheel carrier adds weight, is costly and can be a pain around town if you have to open the rear door frequently.
A spare on the roof rack means much less weight you can carry up there after the wheel is up there. It also increases wind drag.

The most economical way is to have the spare wheel on the roof. If heaving it up there is an issue, assuming that you are travelling with another person, you could have that person on the otherside of the vehicle with a strap to the wheel. Then that person will take some of the weight as the wheel is slid down the side of the vehicle on a blanket to avoid scratches.

+1

If your Prado spends most of its driving time around the 'burbs, a dual rear wheel carrier makes access to the rear door a right pain.

Another option is to remove the wheel carriers from the rear bar and remount one spare on the rear door between trips.

Getting the wheel from the roofrack is an issue. It is big and heavy. We found the best way was to carefully move it to the rear, tip it onto the rear spare, and walk it down rolling it on the spare tyre mounted on the door. Getting it back up on the roof in reverse is relatively painless, just roll it up against the spare, then tip it onto the rack. Just remember the spare is heavy and it takes a lot of the roof load capacity of the Prado and adds wind resistance.