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For those of you that have a Ram 5500 with hauler bed, what do you do with the spare tire? Right now, mine is laying flat on the bed chained to the hitch. Is there a way of mounting it under the chassis?
For those of you that have a Ram 5500 with hauler bed, what do you do with the spare tire? Right now, mine is laying flat on the bed chained to the hitch. Is there a way of mounting it under the chassis?
Not really, in answer to the bold type question. In the very rear the RAM 5500 has the 52 gallon OEM fuel tank. The RAM truck, being commercial, leaves the space mid-ship for mounting additional equipment like air compressors, which we have, etc. thus placing the tank in the rear. I researched this carefully with Classy Chassis and the RAM factory as to options.
To solve this issue I had MOR-ryde construct a tire carrier for the RAM spare under the front of trailer. Works great. Nice fabrication job by MOR-ryde. Now, yes I know, without the trailer the truck has no spare. But without the trailer you don't need a 7th tire as a spare as it is impossible to overload the truck with a single rear tire without the trailer's pin weight on the rear axle. Therefore, if one should have a problem with a rear tire just take it off and go get it fixed. If a front tire should fail, move one of the rear tires up front. Not a problem in exchange for not having to deal with the spare in the back.
This spare tire inconvenience is a small price to pay, IMO, for the RAM's outstanding exhaust brake which is only available on the RAM as opposed to other brand's true class 5 trucks. We also got higher HP and torque on a commercial truck. We didn't stumble into this truck choice. Highly researched.
BTW, I'm sure any quality fab shop could build such a tire carrier. It's just MOR-ryde did it for us when we were in for service. Another friend had one
Would never have thought about mounting under the trailer but all of your post makes a lot of sense. BTW, picked up my hauler last week. Love the ride and getting lots of favorable comments! Thanks again!
I have a spare which is mounted in the hauler bed in front of the hitch. Works fine for me
Bob:
Can't recall, do you have an in bed aux fuel tank? If one doesn't Classy Chassis' mounting in front of the hitch certainly works. Bad assumption on my part that most would have an aux tank up in that area. There is room, even with an in-bed aux tank to put the spare tire but it will, or could, block the view out of the rear window which makes hitching a little more difficult. "It depends" on one's desires and other uses for that space between the hitch and the in-bed aux tank.
For those reading along: RAM does offer an additional OEM fuel tank in addition to the 52 gallon standard tank. Getting this tank, as opposed to a larger capacity aux tank in the bed, is a potential option thus keeping the area ahead of the hitch more open. However, always got to be one of those, the space where that additional OEM tank goes is mid-ship (i.e. in the more or less in the middle of the truck front-to-back) and is normally used for the compressor system and air tank required for the air-ride system. (One really wants air-ride IMO.)
If one is looking into this very customization capable truck note there are numerous options depending on your specific desires. It comes, more or less, as a clean sheet and Classy, or others, can do pretty much whatever you want.
We do have the aux tank from CC
We have the tank, then the hitch then the tire is mounted flat on the bed near the little tail gate.
That leaves us room for milk crates between the hitch and the aux tank,
Just no storage space from the hitch back, which I don,t think I would us for much that close to the tail anyhow
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Bob C
The fulltime Dream begins, class of 2016
2016 Dodge Ram 5500 HD Classy Chassis hauler bed/air ride
Would never have thought about mounting under the trailer but all of your post makes a lot of sense. BTW, picked up my hauler last week. Love the ride and getting lots of favorable comments! Thanks again!
Tim
Tim:
Glad you are enjoying the truck. You will be surprised when you tow the DRV that there is "no drama" even with that big trailer attached. Enjoy the tow.
BTW, as you have a Utility Bodywerks bed be advised its different in available space in front of the hitch as opposed to the Classy Chassis bed Bob and I have. Utility's "cross the bed" front compartment takes up the space Bob and I are using for other types of storage. Just a different design. Classy does offer that front compartment option but we left it out. Both iterations have their advantages and limitations. "A choice."
If you are going to be in the Howe area - at the DRV factory - MOR-ryde is not that far over in Elkhart. Easy tow and you don't have to go on the toll road. Just take US-20 west. If you want to consider the spare tire carrier like I had made just PM me and I'll be happy to provide some contact information over at MOR-ryde. That info could also be useful in the future for any maintenance / inspections you may want to have done on your IS suspension, etc. at the MOR-ryde factory / maintenance center.
We do have the aux tank from CC We have the tank, then the hitch then the tire is mounted flat on the bed near the little tail gate. That leaves us room for milk crates between the hitch and the aux tank, Just no storage space from the hitch back, which I don,t think I would us for much that close to the tail anyhow
OK, understand. The OP was trying to keep from putting the tire where you and others have it - between the hitch and the rear of the truck. That was actually the question.
I do the "milk crate" thing as well and this allows me a safe and secure area to haul the LP tanks when I need to take them for re-fills.
Looking very forward to seeing you guys in a few weeks if all goes well.
Just another guys opinion here…I've got the same truck and with our New Horizons there isn't room under the front of the rig to add Boll's mount as we have a Majestic and his NH has a different design. We have the spare behind the hitch and haven't found that to be a problem. We do have to raise the front of the trailer, back in until the kingpin is past the spare then lower it to align with the hitch… it with the old truck we had to do the same thing…back in and then adjust rig height to hitch. The only extr part is the raising first…which quickly became part of our standard hitching routine.
Nothing wrong with Bill's solution but with the lower front end profile on the Majestic to get the larger basement it has over his frame it just doesn't work. Bill and Linda aren't full timers. It what we like to call part time full timers. Not weekenders it longer trips broken up by time at home. No wrong way to full time as Howard says… it he built the trailer they wanted and needed which was different from our (and yours probably too) needs/wants.
I woulda built a rig like his if it would fit. Ut it won't so we just do the raise and lower thing. No big deal.
Just another guys opinion here…I've got the same truck and with our New Horizons there isn't room under the front of the rig to add Boll's mount as we have a Majestic and his NH has a different design. We have the spare behind the hitch and haven't found that to be a problem. We do have to raise the front of the trailer, back in until the kingpin is past the spare then lower it to align with the hitch… it with the old truck we had to do the same thing…back in and then adjust rig height to hitch. The only extr part is the raising first…which quickly became part of our standard hitching routine.
Nothing wrong with Bill's solution but with the lower front end profile on the Majestic to get the larger basement it has over his frame it just doesn't work. Bill and Linda aren't full timers. It what we like to call part time full timers. Not weekenders it longer trips broken up by time at home. No wrong way to full time as Howard says… it he built the trailer they wanted and needed which was different from our (and yours probably too) needs/wants.
I woulda built a rig like his if it would fit. Ut it won't so we just do the raise and lower thing. No big deal.
Yea, to tag on to Neil - we specifically raised our trailer higher off the ground when it was built than "standard" NH rigs. While not special as such, for a New Horizons it is, as the factory calls it, "somewhat unique." But most non-NH trailers could probably have the spare tire carrier added if one wanted to. As Neil said, some of the NHs are lower than other production line trailers as NH wanted to give much bigger basement areas as one goal.
As Neil says, there are many ways to do this RV thing so do what works for you. But we're really pleased with our version of the part-time full-time lifestyle and equally pleased with our somewhat "unique" version of the NH product.
Interesting. We choose to use a HDT for our tow vehicle. I and most of us do not carry a spare for the truck. Those tires are heavy. What is on the 5500 Ram? Do you really want to jack up that truck and change a tire? I'm just going to make a phone call if a flat happens.
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2003 Teton Grand Freedon 2006 Mobile Suites 32TK3 SOLD 2006 Freightliner Century 120 with Detroit 14L singled, ultrashift, hauling a 2016 Smart Passion
Interesting. We choose to use a HDT for our tow vehicle. I and most of us do not carry a spare for the truck. Those tires are heavy. What is on the 5500 Ram? Do you really want to jack up that truck and change a tire? I'm just going to make a phone call if a flat happens.
Glenn, the RAM 5500HD is a Class V MDT and I, physically, could change a tire if I had to albeit the tire is heavy. But the point is not whether I would make a call and have it done but rather to have a spare on hand when the service truck shows up. If I have it with me - even if I have to call for service - I'll be back on the road towing the trailer a lot faster if I have one. Same if I have a buddy to help change the tire. It's a choice but the only time one needs a spare tire is when you do.
Our tires are fairly standard. One could carry just the tire unmounted for a tire service truck. It's a individual choice. The storage space is more important to me. Tires are large and eats up storage.
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2003 Teton Grand Freedon 2006 Mobile Suites 32TK3 SOLD 2006 Freightliner Century 120 with Detroit 14L singled, ultrashift, hauling a 2016 Smart Passion
