05-25-2019, 08:05 PM
Markintosh wrote:
The thing is though is that it is tough to combine fuel efficiency (either gas or electric) without shedding weight. Every time you add in another airbag or side beam...or batteries... for safety, manufacturers have to look again for a place to shed weight. Since most of us prefer to have the finer elements of things like doors, rear seats and AC, there's not many more things to leave out. Leaving out the spare saves weight and allows the rear of the car to be more compact.
Currently, our only car without a spare is our Roadtrek van, based on a Promaster van. The upfitter typically leaves out the spare because the standard jacking points my not be accessible, and the standard jack may not handle the added weight. So we have just the compressor and goop kit plus are doubled up on roadside service options.
At the risk of jinxing myself, I have not had a true flat tire in 11 years...I had more than my share in college driving funky Vw's with junk yard tires.
It had been a while since I had a flat, then I got one earlier this year. I hit a bad pothole hidden in a puddle, the metal belt was damaged. There were wires from the belt sticking out from the side of the tread where it blends into the sidewall. Glad I had at least a "donut" spare, that was enough to drive home on.