Would you dare go there

[tom karen]

Planning on spending the month of July on vacation up north.

Due to the lack of trunk space in an Eldo. and the lenght and duration of the trip I woukd like your opinions on the following question.

With four new tires and a good road service plan would anyone consider leaving the spare (it's a doughnut and most of the trip will be on turnpikes ) behind in Florida?

Seems to me there is not much difference either way. The last time I called for a flat tire the kid showed up and didn't even have a jack he had to borrow mine.

The storage space for the trunk sure would add a lot of luggage space.

Will appreciate any and all opinions.

Thanks much.

Tom

[Cupillac]

Well I currently have no spare tire in my car do the water down in the trunk. I'm also running on brand new tires, but you never know what could happen. I dont plan on taking a road trip anytime soon but its better to be safe than sorry. You could have a flat in some backroad hicktown, and they'll find your Cadillac very purtty.

[JimJ]

I think spare tires are a thing of the past. New Corvettes don't even have one. They have run flat tires. A can or two of "FIX A FLAT" will take care of a slow leak or puncture. A puncture repair kit wouldn't hurt either. I have a 98 GMC pickup and the spare tire dissapered a few years back. Haven't got a new spare yet.

[Ranger]

I'd say the odds are in your favor, though never 100%.

[Bruce Nunnally]

After having a flat on our last trip at 2 am in rural SC, I would consider going the other way and put a full-size wheel & spare in the trunk instead.

[Bill K]

I couldnt /wouldnt go on vacation w/o a spare tire.

I go on vacation to relax.

I couldnt relax knowing that I would be at the mercy of whoever I could get to help wherever I had a flat whenever I needed assistance.

Keep the spare and take less stuff.

[fubar0715]

My STS does not have a spare or jack in it. I bought it used and was not in the car when I purchased it. I have roadside assistance with my cell phone company!

If a flat or blow-out would occur, as long as I had signal with my cell phone, I could be towed to a reputable repair center. As far as blow-outs go, in my 16yrs driving, I have never had one and I can count on 1 hand how many flats I have had over that same amount of time. Enjoy the vacation!!

[JohnnyG]

Take the Jack with you. A cell phone. A can or two of Fix-A-Flat or some other source of air, like a little portable battery powered compressor. A NEW puncture repair kit (plugs) that you know how to use and you will be fine. I guess a paid up membership to AAA would be good to have too.

You didn't say if you would be pulling a trailer or a boat. If you are doing any of these things, or overloading the car, all bets are off.

[PAUL T]

Be careful with the fix-a-flat and tell the shop that you have used it. Fix-a-flat can be very dangerous to a person breaking the tire down, it is very flammable. It can also corrode steel rims if used very much.

I would keep the spare and cut down on the unnecessary luggage, Like make-up, shampoo, conditioner, etc. Get one of those space bags, pack it, then suck the air out of it, you might get more that way. Otherwise if you have a flat in the country and get out and hear dueling banjo's playing, get back in the car and lock the doors. You don't want to "squeal like a pig". Just Kidding.. Now if you were traveling in the south there are good ole boys that drive big trucks and live for people to break down.

Sorry, I could not help it.

[Greg P.]

I haven't had to change a tire in about 15 years or so. I do carry a can of fix-a-flat. I used it once. It works. Also, I carry one of those el-cheapo air compressors in the trunk. The kind that plugs into your cigarette lighter.

[CaddyJack]

Take the donut...make sure it has air in it - after years of no use, the seal goes away and they lose air..

true story - after my Cadillac scissors jack collapsed last fall while I was changing a tire, I bought a floor jack ($17.88) at Pep Boys..then put on 4 Goodyear RSA+ tires (it's what the troopers use or so I'm told)...got the "road hazard"on them (and I usually don't buy that stuff!)

two weeks ago - rolling on I-77 [ new tires had 11,000 miles on them]- right front goes down - pulled out the floor jack, put on the donut - took like no time to do ...found a Goodyear store - Goodyear put a new tire on in 1 hour - charged me $ 20 for the road hazard for the new tire - I had run over a piece of steel which cut the inside of the tire between the tread and sidewall...so "road hazard" applied

moral of the story...I will go nowhere without my little floor jack (and a fire extingusher) - who knows?

[JasonA]

I concur with most of the posts -- take the spare. Leave the Fix-A-Flat...throw it away! That stuff is nasty, and many shops won't work on your tire if they know it's got Fix-A-Flat in it. That's a bandaid for something that wasn't done right in the first place (like not carrying a spare). Always make sure your spare has air in it and you know how to work the jack. It's senseless to drive around without these assurances.

I also keep a fire extinguisher in the spare tire well (and behind the seats in my truck). Just like the spare tire, there's no reason not to have a fire extinguisher, especially since they're only 10 bucks or so for the auto type.

[JimJ]

I also keep a fire extinguisher in the spare tire well (and behind the seats in my truck).  Just like the spare tire, there's no reason not to have a fire extinguisher, especially since they're only 10 bucks or so for the auto type.

If you have one of the dry powder extinguishers and use it on your car, the chemical is EXTREMLY corrosive. It gets in electrical connections and contacts. You could never get it all out. You would be better off to let the car burn and get another car than to deal with a car that was sprayed with this stuff. You can assume if you sprayed your car, you totaled it. Regardless of fire damage, or lack there of.

[mike98c]

Don't use fix a flat and then try and use a tire plug if the gas from the can of inflator is still in the tire. Several people have had a nasty suprise when the gas from inside the tire ignited from the friction of the plug repair tool.

[Greg P.]

Don't use fix a flat and then try and use a tire plug if the gas from the can of inflator is still in the tire. Several people have had a nasty suprise when the gas from inside the tire ignited from the friction of the plug repair tool.

Is that for real or did you just hear that somewhere? It's really hard for me to imagine how a tire plug tool can create an ignition source.

[cardio-doc]

Fix-A-Flat makes a real mess on the inside of your wheel that is extremely difficult to remove. I pass on rims that have had fix-a-flat done to them - could throw off balancing.

I know you may think it's valuable space, but keep that spare unless you spring for a set of run-flat tires. I've had the displeasure of changing to the spare 2x in the past 2 years - I can do it in 10 to 20 minutes and then be on my way. What a PITA commitment you're making to the incident by relying on a cell-phone for someone to come out and change it - an hour to 2 or even 3 hours. The heck w/that.

Keep the spare, keep the jack - or get a set of run-flat tires.

cheers,

~Doc

[STYES]

I purchased a full size rim, same as what is on my car, and a new Michelin, for a spare. Short distances, it sits in my garage. But we took a recent trip to the Vette factory, the Smokys, Alabama, and Mississippi. Have you ever been to Amory Mississippi in a Cadillac, being a "Yankee"? Good luck getting help, once they find out where you are from. There are zero Caddy's in Mississippi, and few "Yanks".

[trmnatr]

Many years ago as a Boy Scout I heard words to live by, "Be prepared"! Keep the spare and add a fire extinguisher also! If someone is trapped in a car and it is burning you will be glad to have it. And the emergency truck you call when you have a flat is NOT going to have a spare to fit your vehicle.He will tow you, have you ever seen how much damage a tow truck can inflict upon your "baby"!