I'M GETTING TOO OLD FOR THIS........ SPARE TIRE CARRIER BUILT

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Rover Runner

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It seems like forever that I had my 19" spare mounted on the roof rack of my LR-3. Been through fires, mud slides and raging torrents. All was well and good until I hit a rock and popped the RR Tire. That's when I found out that being 78 YO means that it was a real ***** to lower the tire down off the roof by my self.

When I got home, I broke out the torch and modified a hitch mounted bicycle rack to hold the spare. I was back on the road in 2 hours and it works great. The only mod I did a week later was to add a pressure strut on the traverse bar so that the tire smoothly laid down. I figure it cost me $30 and now I have a great looking tire holder/jerry can holder, but also can get to the tire quickly and EASILY.
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RobRover88

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Melbourne, Australia
I'm 71 y.o. & I know what you mean! My mind still thinks it's 35, but back & legs can't match it!!
Great idea, but it looks like a lot of weight on a carrier designed for light-weight bikes.
My concern with your wheel mount is how it can handle rough
corrugated dirt roads for long distances. Maybe you don't have those kind of roads in your usual
touring area, but here in Australia the incessant vibrations can destroy some brands of professional rear wheel carriers in
a couple of days. An old story here is that "if you want to still have your spare hanging on the back after
driving the Gibb River Road, then buy a Kaymar rear bar with a carrier".
Nothing worse than getting a puncture & finding that your spare parted company with your vehicle some
hundred miles earlier!! It has happened!
I installed a Kaymar rear bar mainly so I could fit a 110 liter Brown Davis aux.diesel tank under the back where the OE spare lived. The bonus is that at my age & fitness it's much easier to access the spare on
the back.
I'm wondering why you had the spare on the roof rack. I don't see a fuel tank under the back?
I hope you enjoy many more good years in your D3 driving your stunning landscapes. I've enjoyed
every mile I've driven in all your 50 states. A pity I didn't have a Land Rover to use on my U.S. escapades.
Looking forward to getting back to Utah, Montana, Idaho & the rest of my fave states ASAP.
 

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