Spare Tire Location - attached to inside of camper shell roof

Hey all,

Currently making a plan for my Tacoma, I want to make sure that I have my full plan before I get started so I can properly plan weight distribution, space, and the price of it all. I have a 100lb Alaskan Malamute that stays in the truck bed and the majority of our trips are driving into Tahoe for skijoring and snow camping.

I'll be getting a set of solid snow tires, and am trying to figure out location for the spare during road trips. I can always put it on my hitch and call it a day, but I really want to rig a system so that I can attach the tire directly to my truck camper shell roof, but from the inside. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether that would be too much weight on the roof of the shell ? I won't do any rock crawling or major off-roading, literally just snow and ice. I will also have a RTT on a new rack I'm getting on the camper shell, so it will have a total of 50 lb prinsu rack, 165 lb RTT, and then plus 60lb tire bolted to the roof. That's pretty much the only weight I'm putting up top, everything else I'm rigging down low.

I can make up a system that is easy to lift the tire, I don't care about drilling holes and building a frame to distribute the weight better, really just wondering about how much weight the fiberglass can support since I can't find anything online. Thanks in advance !

Picture 1: Wing Nut style attachment onto plate for reference (figure that's easiest to secure while lifting), but the mechanism would hold the tire against the inside roof of the truck shell where the dog is.

Pictures of fat dog to show height and space available in the truck bed for him to fully stand.

 

Nice dog.

do you need a winter spare? I run blizzaks but have just used my “summer” spare when I needed it. I’ve lost 2 blizzaks over the years and it’s worked out fine.

Another alternative is to put it under the bed where the regular spare is if you really want a winter spare.

 

Thanks! He's a pain but he's fun haha

And I'm planning on getting 33s and a lift, and read that it would be a super tight fit in the spare spot for the full size, if possible. And any time we're out camping it's usually well below freezing. To be honest I'm not sure how the summer tire would fare when we're on un-plowed trails because I haven't pushed it much and have stuck to roads on my stock tires, so pretty limited experience there. But I'm usually beyond recommended distance with a smaller tire.. Not impossible, but preferred to have the full spare for snow trips.

 

33s is a good call. I run them and the spare fits fine underneath. It's snug but not touching anything. If your summer spare is closer to an MT rather than a highway tire, it'll do great in the big snow off road. Ice / slush on-road is another story but that'd be mitigated by your 3 good snow tires. You'll only be doing it temporarily so you'll be fine.

What I'm saying is I wouldn't hesitate to run my 255/85/16 Cooper ST Max spare in winter off-road situations and on-road get-me-to-discount-tire situations when one of my 265/75/16 Blizzaks pops. I think it's a much cleaner solution than risking damage to the truck / cap / dog if that tire is mounted like you want.

 

Sweet that's good to know and solve most of those issues.

And thanks, I appreciate the wisdom! I've been frantically trying to figure out how to fit a corgi, malamute, girlfriend, and all our stuff in the truck for snow trips and was worried I couldnt fit the spare in the usual spot.

 

just gotta pull it up slow and make sure it's centered and you'll be good to go

 

255/85-16 fits underneath easily when you bend the locating tabs out slightly.

 

Spotless frame. Nice

 

Malamute rides shotgun. Corgi on the floor. Adjust the OEM spare bracket slightly to fit the 33. Girlfriend in the bed.