Need a bigger boot!

Sandandlime · October 12, 2023

I’ve been following all of the posts about spare wheels and spacesavers with interest as I’m really not fond of relying on a pot of glue when the inevitable happens. I drive over the high Pyrenees and have also taken Romy 15 km off road so wanted a solution that works better, somewhat like a spare wheel that cars had in the olden days. Also, I live in France and the spacesavers are sold with certificates of conformity and that isn’t an option for an ES. So, after a bit of searching I found a full sized rim and added a Vredestein 235/45R18 all-season tyre to that and collected it from a local garage yesterday.

I was quite surprised at just how much space it occupied in the boot.

before purchase I’d measured the spare wheel bay and decided that it would fit and I’d deal with tools somehow.

And it does fit. Albeit it’s a tad high at the rear but not really an issue. I need to cut something, probably celotex or similar to fill the void but no great rush as I don’t carry much in the boot generally.

The rim/tyre combination cost me €246 plus €20 for fitting. More expensive than a spacesaver, and a damn sight heavier, but it’s a solution I’m comfortable with. After lunch today I checked it fitted, ‘cos it would be really disappointing to find that it doesn’t one cold, wet rainy night. I’m pleased to say that all’s good!

Malc1 · October 13, 2023

might you have found a spacesaver on eBay whatever and had it posted to you from the UK ? at maybe £30 or so 2ndhand ! plus carriage of course

Malc

Sandandlime · October 13, 2023

Hi Malcolm,

Getting things sent over from the U.K. these days is fraught with issues and would be unlikely to finish up the bargain it started out as. Also, the prospect driving a high mountain pass in poor weather (its sure to be as that’s when the puncture will magically appear) with a car whose handling is now very suspect is not very enticing for me.

The U.K. spacesaver would also not be legal here. That is unlikely to be an issue unless it was a really bad day and an accident followed the puncture. Which brings me back to the poor handling issue.

I haven’t had flat for around 10 years so dealing with this potential problem slipped off my list but a friend has just had her second one in three weeks, the first on the motorway where she needed trailering off and the second when she was late for a training session she was leading. So her experiences lead me to seeing what I could do to avoid similar situations.

Once I’ve made something to fit the recess in the rim it will be fine and won’t interfere with the use of the boot at all. Obviously I’m hoping that its never used and the tyre thrown away when its too old (I intend to keep the car for as long as its sensible and not causing me any grief) so just another insurance policy but this time a one-off rather than annual premium.