Rear Spare Tire Options for Opening Both Doors on a Roadtrek 190

[Ladypilot10]

Does anyone have a solution for being able to open both doors without lowering the wheel on the rear
of the vehicle? Is there a solution today that would make it easier to lower the wheel? The EZEE-Lift is
no longer made. And the wheel is too heavy to do that each time you wish to access the storage under
the bed,

 

[booster]

There are various ways the people have added springs to them, but all carry a risk of coming flying up when you remove the tire. The Ezee-lift had the same issues and told you to put a piece of wood in place to hold it down. On the Roadtrek factory spring lift they used a self actuating latch to hold it down, but it was very inconvenient to try to hold it released while trying to lift the tire with the other hand. I built an air powered lifter about 15 years ago for ours and designed in adjustable airflow controls so it is safe and will not go up by itself ever. Probably beyond most home skill users and would be very expensive to hire done, plus you need to have and onboard air compressor.

Your best bet, and others have done it, is to find a swing away tire carrier so you can move it easily away to use the second door. Others here have done a lot of research on swing away boxes and tire carriers so hopefully somebody will be able to steer you in the right direction.

 

[Deano-ClassB]

The Ezee-lift I had included a steel block to use to prevent the lift from springing up.

 

[booster]

The Ezee-lift I had included a steel block to use to prevent the lift from springing up.

That probably was one of the later ones. I know originally they didn't and I actually had some good discussion with the inventor/seller of the Ezee-lift as I was building our air powered one. I called and described what, and why, I was doing ours with air instead of springs and he totally understood the pop up risk. At the time he didn't provide the block, but later did. I even bought the pulleys and brackets he used at the vertical upright to make it easier, but found that when doing 100% of the lifting with the cable, it took much more force than if you manually help the first overcenter movement off the bottom. My 4" diameter air cylinder destroyed the plastic pullies and bent the mountings for them. I made aluminum pullies with oilite bushings and used shoulder bolts to attach them directly to the tire carries tubing and they have held up fine. The Roadtrek spring in the vertical seemed to work well and was adjustable, but was a bit clumsy with safety catch. It was very much safer that way though.

 

[MyPoplar210]

There are various ways the people have added springs to them, but all carry a risk of coming flying up when you remove the tire. The Ezee-lift had the same issues and told you to put a piece of wood in place to hold it down. On the Roadtrek factory spring lift they used a self actuating latch to hold it down, but it was very inconvenient to try to hold it released while trying to lift the tire with the other hand. I built an air powered lifter about 15 years ago for ours and designed in adjustable airflow controls so it is safe and will not go up by itself ever. Probably beyond most home skill users and would be very expensive to hire done, plus you need to have and onboard air compressor.

Your best bet, and others have done it, is to find a swing away tire carrier so you can move it easily away to use the second door. Others here have done a lot of research on swing away boxes and tire carriers so hopefully somebody will be able to steer you in the right direction.

I Have a 2005 Poplar 210. My father in law made a swing away that works perfect. I was planning on making these this summer.

 

[MNBen]

If you are willing to fabricate or find a fabricator, there is some very good designs online that people have made themselves.
Link1
Link2

 

[Lanex005]

I also looked for ez lift - no luck. But I did fabricate this assist with springs and can now lift the 80# plus tire.

 

[booster]

I also looked for ez lift - no luck. But I did fabricate this assist with springs and can now lift the 80# plus tire.

That is exactly the kind that many others have done in the past, but we don't hear of them often anymore.

There are very real and substantial risks of somebody getting hurt, even beyond you, if a service guy removes the tire or you sell or loan out the van.

Without some sort of a locking mechanism when down, I personally would not want to take the risk.

 

[Lanex005]

Actually, the springs are not strong enough to cause tire to raise spontaneously. They assist in the lift! (Because of the angle) We’ve been most pleased with this assistive device. Also no welding needed!

 

[booster]

Actually, the springs are not strong enough to cause tire to raise spontaneously. They assist in the lift! (Because of the angle) We’ve been most pleased with this assistive device. Also no welding needed!

You missed my point. It will not go up with the tire on it. What is going to happen if somebody takes the tire and wheel off the carrier? It will come flying up, usually before the wheel is even clear of the carrier. The carrier may also stay down if yours is like some of them that the arm goes down lower than the center of the pivot bolt so it toggles over, but if somebody bumps it or you go to move it up out of the way it will go up very quickly. This is a well known issue of spring systems and why the Roadtrek and Ezee-Lift came with hold down mechanisms. Much of the history of this kind of system is found by searching "springy thingy" as someone was actually selling them for a short time, probably until his insurance or lawyer told him not to.

 

[Lanex005]

It still stayed down with tire off! The physics of placement kept it down.

 

[booster]

It still stayed down with tire off! The physics of placement kept it down.

I mentioned it might do that. Did you bring it over center and see if it stayed? If it doesn't go up, the springs are really helping lift much as the wheel is much heavier than the support.

 

[booster]

I just found the what is probably the original discussion of the spring lift concept, including the external 4 spring one, Ezee-Lift, and Roadtrek versions. It is an interesting read to see it 10 years later as it started in 2006 and I first saw it in 2009. Here is the link.

Spring assisted tire lifter discussion

 

[Bangorbob]

I have a 210 and took the tire off and stored under the rear couch. Also took off the tire rack. I couldn't change a tire if I wanted to.

 

[Doneworking]

Thanks, Booster. I just read through the thread you provided above and found it very nostalgic. Some of those handles of posters on that thread were around for a long time and then just disappeared. I started on Class B forums in 2002 and remember most of those now gone handles and wonder what happened to those members.

We bought our 2007 RT 210 as a present to ourselves for our 30th wedding anniversary. This year we will be celebrating #50. I always said I could test my aging by lifting and lowering the spare on the RT. Personally, I wonder if I could ever really get comfortable with loaded springs looking me in the eye? It seems to me even with a locking mechanism it would obviously have to be disengaged to start the journey of the carrier to the vertical position. Maybe I just got old and more cautious.

 

[brantbain]

This is what I made and it works great.

 

[brantbain]

 

[MNBen]

@brantbain do you have a write-up? It would encourage be to buy that tube bender.

 

[Ladypilot10]

I am still debating what to do with storing more stuff! I have just taken our first road trip in our 2012
190 Poplar and just packed as if I was on a long hike. So far, I do not need to add more stuff to it
unless I plan on driving across county and want a couple of chairs, table in case of rain, etc.
As far as the tire lifting easily, I found a Yout Tube video on how to loosen the nut holding the rear tire
and can now lift it or lower it with two fingers. Still trying to decide if the Stowaway solution is worth is
as you can only open the right rear door 75% with it.