I have just fitted a variofloor in my Yeti that has no spare wheel, if I fit a spacesaver then the wheel will take up 25" of the 39" space created hence my desire to not carry a spare wheel but be able to repair a puncture at the roadside.

 

I dont get many punctures although whenever I have a building project on they are numerous, mostly they manifest themselves as a slow or not so slow puncture, sometimes I see a nail or screw head often when working on brakes, swopping wheels etc but there have been a few over the years where I would have been stranded without a spare wheel, wheelbrace & jack.

 

Calling the breakdown service is not a viable option in the country/area that I live in or when I travel to the UK so try to remove that from your comments please.

 

I have tyre plug kits and have made good repairs with them in comfortable workshop conditions where the puncture position is known but I'm not convinced that stopping with a flat (which may have dislodged the bead) in the dark & wet I would be able to inflate the tyre, find the leak and plug it.

 

I have one of the mushroom plug applicator gun kits and the same comments apply and for sure the wheel would have to be removed for access.

 

I always carry and have used the aerosol repair & inflators and they do work very well, most of the time they will inflate the tyre sufficient to drive on and spread the sealer which works for a while but leaves a mess inside and tyre fitters wont do a vulcanised repair, would they prevent a plugged or mushroom repair being done?

 

The Yeti came with a bottle of tyre slime but no compressor, I am wary of the 12v comprssors after unwisely using one to inflate an airbed while camping, the cable melted through the groundsheet of my tent, I would be much happier with the footpump which I always carry, do the compressors & slime do anything better than an aerosol? Could the slime be used with a footpump.

 

Most of my journeys are within a reasonable radius of my home base where I have a set of winter wheels and the space saver so its not the end of the world having to walk/hitch & return with another wheel, on longer journeys or when towing I would take the space saver.

 

What have been your experiences living without a spare wheel please, your comments and suggestions.

 

 

I've got one car with a spare wheel and the other car without, that has the compressor and slime. I must have been lucky, in over 40 yrs of driving I've only ever had to change a wheel at the roadside twice. That was that far back I can't remember, maybe 25 yrs. 

Yes I've had punctures but been able to get them repaired with no dramas and never been stranded.

That's probably tempting fate now🤫 and you said don't mention it but my breakdown cover will attend for the car without a spare, I've checked.

7 hours ago, J.R. said:

The Yeti came with a bottle of tyre slime but no compressor,

Well, that is almost guaranteed to ruin the slimed tyre.

 

I know that the tube on an electric foot gets hot, so I'm careful to keep it in the air. Note that this is only a recovery measure for "slow punctures" though.

Been stranded twice in other people’s car. Sidewalk dame from a pot hole etc, which wasn’t safe to drive on.

When my first Yeti had less than 4k miles and on a Saturday night at 11pm it picked up a house key in the middle of the tread, I was crossing a dual carriageway from a standing start in a 30 limit, the tyre had deflated within 100yds. I had mousse but no spare, I straight away rang for recovery as I knew the tyre was fubared.

Nearly 3 hours waiting for collection due to a smash on the M6, we got home at around 3am, then I was unable to get a tyre fitter to fit a new tyre on my drive until Monday. 

My last Yeti, this Karoq, and the one on order, have spare wheels.