A new ask on space saver tyre for 2024 Rav Phev

[DavidinDerbyshire]

I have read many of the comments over the last three years on space saver tyres for the Hybrids and Plug in  Hybrids.  I drive in  fear of a puncture on a smart M-way knowing that  it would be necessary to wreck a punctured tyre to reach a safety zone, rendering the gunk kit useless,  and so I am almost totally sold on the idea of a Hero Space saver 18". Being elderly, I'm also at the mercy of Toyota Rescue.  But what I am anxious to know is how having an irregular wheel might affect the sensitivities of the 4x4 drive systems. Has anyone any experience on this?  My thinking is that if I were on a long trip and suffered a puncture 200 miles from home and could be faced with a two or three day wait to get a matching replacement, would driving at 50 mph with an irregular size wheel  on the long return trip damage the drive systems?

[philip42h]

That's not a problem - your space saver spare would be good for no more than 50 miles at up to 50 mph. That's enough to get you off the motorway and/or maybe get you home if you were away for a day trip, but not if you are 200 miles from home. For that you probably want a breakdown service that will get you home.

[Hybrid21]

Hi David, I bought the Road Hero space saver for my 2021 RAV4 hybrid and happy with the quality, etc 

Although it's an 18" wheel, the tyre depth is such that it gives the same rolling diameter as the existing 👍

[DavidinDerbyshire]

6 minutes ago, philip42h said:

your space saver spare would be good for no more than 50 miles at up to 50 mph.

That’s news to me. I have never heard or read anywhere that space saver tyres wear out super fast. But if true there ought to be a warning with the online ads.  But if true I thank you for the caution.  I would still prefer to have a handy wheel to enable a rescue service to get me off a motorway…or indeed any road without a proper hard shoulder. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Copied from the AA website:

"Operating restrictions
Space-saver wheels are designed for temporary use, to get you to a place of repair.

There’s no maximum distance but the speed restriction, limited tread (only 3mm from new) and softer rubber compound mean that the distance covered before repair shouldn’t be excessive.

Check your handbook and any labels on the spare itself
Maximum tyre speed is usually restricted to 50mph for safety reasons.
Use of the temporary spare may be restricted to ‘front only’ or ‘back only’ for safety reasons
to avoid interference with braking components, or to avoid transmission damage
Handling will be different with a skinny spare fitted and you’ll need to allow for this when driving.
Aim to get the original car tyre repaired or replaced as soon as possible."

https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/safety/non-standard-spare-wheels

[philip42h]

5 minutes ago, DavidinDerbyshire said:

That’s news to me. I have never heard or read anywhere that space saver tyres wear out super fast. But if true there ought to be a warning with the online ads.  But if true I thank you for the caution.  I would still prefer to have a handy wheel to enable a rescue service to get me off a motorway…or indeed any road without a proper hard shoulder. 

There's no absolute upper limit on how far you can drive on a space saver but see here for some typical sensible advice.

And I agree, having a space saver in the boot that roadside assistance can fit for you makes their life so much easier. 👍 (I've just stuck with the gunk and if that's not good enough it will be the recovery wagon. 🤞)

[philip42h]

2 minutes ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

the distance covered before repair shouldn’t be excessive

... which isn't very helpful of the AA really - they don't give any indication as to whether "excessive" means 10, 100 or 1000 miles! 🤷‍♂️

[Strangely Brown]

1 hour ago, DavidinDerbyshire said:

I have read many of the comments over the last three years on space saver tyres for the Hybrids and Plug in  Hybrids.  I drive in fear of a puncture on a smart M-way knowing that  it would be necessary to wreck a punctured tyre to reach a safety zone, rendering the gunk kit useless,  and so I am almost totally sold on the idea of a Hero Space saver 18".

Maybe I am mis-reading that but it sounds like you want to be able to change the wheel rather than drive to the safety zone?

If that is correct then.... DON'T!!!

I find it really alarming that someone would get out of a vehicle in a live lane (most smart motorways are ALL live lanes) and attempt to change a wheel. I would estimate life expectancy to be in the order of minutes.

Scary!
 

[DavidinDerbyshire]

8 hours ago, Strangely Brown said:

If that is correct then.... DON'T!!!

Actually find that rather insulting. Yes you DID mis-read my post. Look at my previous posts as I can’t be bothered to trouble you with my driving credentials.  You are definitely strange…..Sorry if this offends the rules but I had actually found all the other responses helpful and as a result have decided NOT to spend £299 on a space saver. 

[DavidinDerbyshire]

5 hours ago, philip42h said:

just stuck with the gunk and if that's not good enough it will be the recovery wagon.

Philip, I looked at it from a financial point of view. Cost of recovery subscription versus cost of HERO, versus cost of new tyre if puncture repair impossible. Quotient:  Let fate take a hand. My wife even agreed it would be better (at our age) to book a night in a hotel to await a replacement tyre.  Truth is we enjoy our motoring as we have done all our motorhome/caravan/touring/commuting/ rallying/racing/motoring journalist lives. I suppose it is my lack of confidence in the “external influences” which drives my uncertainty.  Not helped by finding that punctures of all kinds are much more common now than they were when I started driving in my 1200cc Beetle in 1962. Gunk (And faith in Toyota Rescue/Green Flag)  wins. Thank you for your sage advice. 

[Strangely Brown]

46 minutes ago, DavidinDerbyshire said:

Actually find that rather insulting. Yes you DID mis-read my post. Look at my previous posts as I can’t be bothered to trouble you with my driving credentials.  Is your registration number PRA 1 ?     You are definitely strange…..Sorry if this offends the rules but I had actually found all the other responses helpful and as a result have decided NOT to spend £299 on a space saver. 

 

Woah! Apologies for mis-interpreting your post.

Glad you got the help you wanted to make your decision.
 

[DavidinDerbyshire]

Thank you for your graciousness.   No one is as animated as I am about every single death  on the roads.  I am still trying to persuade BBC Local  Radio to run a minute’s silence every time a morning news bulletin starts with the death of someone in a road fatality, especially, those under 25. I was a policeman aged 19 in 1961, in central Sheffield, when a 19 year old motor cyclist died in my arms and I later had to tell his mother. Later I saw many mangled and burned bodies in Hampshire. None the less I raced and rallied in a Volvo 122s including finishing first GB driver in the International Police Rally. In 1969  I became a journalist and broadcaster, culminating in producing a transport programme on  BBC radio after 17 years of covering road fatalities, inquests, court hearings etc etc on local radio. Then  I become a consultant to Government agencies….whilst ever more increasing my own mileage in 54 cars, motor bike and motor caravans to over 2 million miles. But I don’t profess to know everything, which is why I value the opinions and experience of Forum members….and why after so many cars, my LAST car purchase is a brilliant Toyota Rav PHEV….and why I confess to not knowing everything there is to know about space saver tyres. We can never claim we know it all.   PS I am vehemently in favour of monitored smart motorways and vehemently against dual A roads with no protection at all. “G’night all ! “ 

[Flatcoat]

I am delighted to read a good old ‘muttering wrotter’ (guess who and which magazine i used to read…..) petrolhead has bought a RAV PHEV. I can now quote this on Caravan Talk forum to the members who are clueless when it comes to hybrids. 

[ColinB]

I'm still deciding whether to buy a spare wheel for my YC. The last time I had a puncture was on my C-HR, it wasn't repairable with the gunk as the side wall was damaged. To be fair the hour and a half wait for the AA wasn't too bad, he fitted a universal spare and followed me to a Kwikfit. The downside was I had to buy a new tyre at a premium, rather than shopping around. I was on holiday and didn't necessarily need to use the car. I would have saved ~£40 by shopping around, a chunk towards the cost of a spare. 

[DavidinDerbyshire]

35 minutes ago, ColinB said:

The last time I had a puncture was on my C-HR, it wasn't repairable with the gunk as the side wall was damaged. To be fair the hour and a half wait for the AA wasn't too bad, he fitted a universal spare and followed me to a Kwikfit. The downside was I had to buy a new tyre at a premium, rather than shopping around

My last puncture on my 2019 RAV-H was a razor sharp discarded vape just on the shoulder, making it irreparable, , on an almost new £200 all weather tyre. I was with Green Flag then but did have a full size spare. Sadly I still needed GF to come to my home  (30 mins !!)  and swap wheels due to my disability but getting an identical replacement was a serious problem made easier by the local tyre fitters sending a lad on a 40 mile trip to get me one. Handsome tip was worth it. It's circumstances such as these that preyed on my mind. On the new PHEV replacement I've bought the tyre and wheel insurance. Fingers all crossed. 

[Strangely Brown]

21 hours ago, DavidinDerbyshire said:

Thank you for your graciousness.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Re-reading your post a little more carefully I see that.

My '21 HEV had no spare when I bought it yet the PHEV of the same year did, and so did the HEV of the following year (it's an emissions / weight thing). I have since sourced all of the required parts from the PHEV/later car and now have a space saver spare.

A full list of all the part numbers are posted in another thread somewhere if you ever decide that you want an OE spare.

Cheers

[DavidinDerbyshire]

31 minutes ago, Strangely Brown said:

A full list of all the part numbers are posted in another thread somewhere if you ever decide that you want an OE spare.

Well if someone could demonstrate to me that my car boot would take an OE spare I would go for it and it is encouraging that the boot floor is sculpted to accept a tyre of some kind in spite of what the dealers told me. Taking the measurements is all the more difficult with the indented and hinged floor panel. Maybe I should approach my friendly tyre dealer and ask him to try a second hand suitably sized steel wheel and tyre in the space?  Since we have a medium size dog the possibility of a raised or unstable floor solution is out of the question. 🐩

[Hybrid21]

A bit of peace of mind to have in your boot, even if it's never used 👍

[DavidinDerbyshire]

1 minute ago, Hybrid21 said:

A bit of peace of mind to have in your boot, even if it's never used 👍

Well this is the one I have looked at but on discovering (from other Forum pals) that these tyres could be unusable after only 50 miles, eliminating a possibility of returning home from, say, Basingstoke to Chesterfield, without being forced to buy a premium price tyre, I am acceding to the gunk/rescue service  solution. But I am still open to persuasion……

[jthspace]

Spares can be up to 10% different size with no ill effect

18" wheel, 10% is 1.8" so a 17" diameter space saver is OK but a 16" isn't as it is more than 10% difference.

For my Yaris Cross with 18" wheels, I bought these from eBay for an outlay of £130. Car has pano roof, so no spare included.

17" space saver, jack and extending wheel wrench and the bolt to secure in the boot.

 

[Hybrid21]

Hi David, probably 50 miles recommended by some, but in reality will go much further. Even so still nice to have as an option 👍

[Strangely Brown]

4 minutes ago, Hybrid21 said:

Hi David, probably 50 miles recommended by some, but in reality will go much further. Even so still nice to have as an option 👍

While there is a 50mph/80kph maximum speed on space saver spares I have never heard of a maximum distance stated other than to say that it is "for temporary use only". i.e. not to remain on the car longer than necessary.

The AA seem to support that:

https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/safety/non-standard-spare-wheels

 

[Hybrid21]

That's my feelings Mark. If you drive sensibly, treating a space saver with respect and always aware that it's purely a temporary means of getting you home, no problem 👍

[DavidinDerbyshire]

Anybody reading all through this thread would, I think, be as confused as I am. It seems to boil down to this equation:  outlay on prevention versus outlay on demand (i.e. a puncture away from home) with all circumstances affected by (a) safety (punctures on motorways) (b) ability of the driver (me or my 68 year old wife) to cope with the circumstance, and , (c) Chance aka Luck. . 

I love my Toyota. I hate Toyota.eu.  Just give us loyal customers a decent service. (A proper spare wheel).  LoL. 

[philip42h]

32 minutes ago, DavidinDerbyshire said:

38 minutes ago, Hybrid21 said:

A bit of peace of mind to have in your boot, even if it's never used 👍

Well this is the one I have looked at but on discovering (from other Forum pals) that these tyres could be unusable after only 50 miles, eliminating a possibility of returning home from, say, Basingstoke to Chesterfield, without being forced to buy a premium price tyre, I am acceding to the gunk/rescue service  solution. But I am still open to persuasion……

I didn't try to persuade you not to buy one - just wanted to make sure that you were fully aware of what you were buying ... 😉

It's a piece of insurance, no more, and like all insurance you really want it to be a waste of money - we, none of us, want a puncture in the first place.

If you are "a long way from home" limping home on a temporary spare is not going to be much fun - but better than limping home on a tyre full of gunk. And once you have done that, you will have 'used' the tyre and need to replace it - but just the tyre, the wheel and jack etc. can be used indefinitely. Under those circumstances one may prefer to get the tyre fixed / replaced while you are still "a long way from home".

If you are no more that 5 miles from home, you will be able to get home comfortably. And do the same for the next ten punctures - though you'd probably prefer not to have quite that many punctures. 😉

I prefer not to pay for insurance that I can afford not to have. I do pay for Toyota Roadside Assistance for peace of mind - it will deal with a puncture and many more situations beside - and I still hope that it is money wasted. I have gunk but no temporary spare - and remain hopeful that that isn't a false economy. 🙂

You pays your money and takes your choice as they say ...