TheSamba.com :: View topic - Which swing-away tire carrier?

Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:28 pm

Moderator note:

Two other threads (locked) exist with pictures on this topic:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=451452
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=483486

I 've narrowed down to two choices.

burley's swing away and rocky mountain westy's swing away.

what are the difference between the two?

For $$: burley's is $650 and rocky's is $399(on sale now).

is there a good reason I should go for burley's instead of rocky's?

They look very similar to me...I couldn't see rocky's in the pics well though...

Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:42 pm

It looks like RMW's tire carriers are made to work with their bumpers. I could be wrong on that but that's what it looks like in the picture.
I have burleys tire carrier. And I have nothing but good to say about it.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:04 pm

targis58 wrote:
For $$: burley's is $650 and rocky's is $399(on sale now).

I am biased.
Burley's has a bomb proof mounting..

Check the install thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=464865&highlight=burley+tire+carrier

The Burley carrier is more comparable to Gary Lee's.
Apples and apples.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:20 pm

Now I've got to ask a stupid question - What do you do with the space under the cab where the spare tire used to be? It seems like a dandy place for a very large battery charged via solar panels.

Why would you mount the spare outside - are you using larger tires than will fit under the cab?

Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:28 pm

Larry Davick wrote: Now I've got to ask a stupid question - What do you do with the space under the cab where the spare tire used to be?

What's wrong with carrying two spares? You mean you don't wear a belt and suspenders? :D

Doug

Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:56 pm

Belt and Suspenders?

My pants are so tight I don't need either one!

Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:21 pm

I am in need of a swing away tire carrier because my tires are now to large for the underfoot space. I have always thought that a well made toolbox could go down there; something aluminum with some old rubber tread to keep the sound down. And it would be watertight. I would be smart to change the 19mm hex head out for something criminal proof, or criminal resistant anyway.

I think about the cupboards opening up in a rollover accident, or worse yet the back seat becoming unhinged. The tools that would be sailing around the cabin would probably kill everyone inside.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:23 pm

Larry Davick wrote: Now I've got to ask a stupid question - What do you do with the space under the cab where the spare tire used to be? It seems like a dandy place for a very large battery charged via solar panels.

Why would you mount the spare outside - are you using larger tires than will fit under the cab?

Hi Larry, Yeah. If you upgrade your wheels and tires to a larger size than the original 14" wheels, you'll find an improvement in handling and fewer heart attacks on the highway when being passed by semi trucks. But you won't be able to fit a spare tire that matches your new set under the front of the van.

I'd love to see people put ideas to use about what to store under the cab there and hear back about what works. My mechanic, who is currently driving a Subaru engine in his Syncro, tried to do a mod where he put the A/C condenser down there, at an angle that would catch the wind. He built a little carrier to hold it in place there. The main idea was to reduce the wind flow loss that the radiator was experiencing by having the A/C condenser in the way. (We overheat a lot in Phoenix, particularly if the A/C is on and you're not driving full-speed on a freeway ... though we can also overheat going uphill trying to get out of town).

His last report to me post-summer was that he undid the mod and put it back into its original place again. He said the A/C condenser just wasn't able to catch enough air at that angle underneath the van for it to work properly.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:08 pm

I am not a fan of the tire carriers that mount to the body sheetmetal. The RMW is mounted to a post that is attached to the rear bumper. I did a similar thing using a tire carrier from a nissan pathfinder. I cut off the hinges and put in heim joints and mounted to the post.

What do you have for a rear bumper? RMW, GoWesty, stock?

The RMW will work with their bumper or a GW bumper. The Gary Lee or Burley carrier is bumper independent.

I saw the new GoWesty tire carrier on Lucas' syncro and I really liked it. It had a gas strut like the rear hatch and a locking pin to keep it open. It mounts to the face of a GW bumper.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:30 pm

[quote="Larry Davick"]Now I've got to ask a stupid question - What do you do with the space under the cab where the spare tire used to be? It seems like a dandy place for a very large battery charged via solar panels.

I have a gary lee, it was a bit of a project installing it but great quaility.
I too thought about using the old spare area for aux battery but found that the space is not quite big enough for a standard size battery. I use the space for recovery gear now.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:33 pm

Quote: I use the space for recovery gear now.
How do you get to it when you bury the van or accidentally stick it in a ditch etc? Might want to rethink that one. :wink:

Tue Oct 04, 2011 8:47 pm

Quote: The Gary Lee or Burley carrier is bumper independent

So I don't need to drop $600 just to spend another $400 for the tire carrier??

Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:21 pm

I also had a tough time deciding which way to go when I was in the market for tire carrier. Ultimately IMO and mine only, I thought the Gary Lee design (body mounted) looked better. I didn't like the look of the post anchoring at the bumper. At that time I didn't have the right bumper for the post so I decided to go with Gary Lee design. I ended up making my own similar to Gary Lee's because I just didn't have the $850 plus shipping at the time. I saved couple of hundred dollars by making my own.

I think they are both great tire carriers I guess it just comes down to your own preference.

Tue Oct 04, 2011 11:52 pm

Honuak wrote: I have a gary lee, it was a bit of a project installing it but great quaility.
I too thought about using the old spare area for aux battery but found that the space is not quite big enough for a standard size battery. I use the space for recovery gear now.

I'm thinking about a deep cycle AGM battery that could be mounted sideways and a nice solar panel on the pop top to keep it up when dry camping. If we park with the pop top to the south the battery should charge in no time here in sunny California. It's just too bad they don't make them in 6 volt so I could put 2 of them together.

Wed Oct 05, 2011 3:52 am

A couple thoughts as I have been shopping for a new wheel and tire combo and bumpers, hitch, etc.

Burley sells a kit that allows you to place a 15-inch or 16-inch spare in the original underfoot location if the outside diameter of wheel and tire does not exceed 27 inches. So, it depends on how big you are going. But this would save you a ton of money, and also keep the tailgate area clear of gear so you can put something else fun there, like a swing away gas carrier or a Gary Lee ladder.
http://burleysmotorsports.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=10

Also, when I was talking to one of the GoWesty guys on the phone the other day he said that they should soon have their new tire carrier out, that bolts to their bumper, which replace their last model, which I think utilized the hitch. So there might be another option to pick from.

Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:53 am

> Burley sells a kit that allows you to place a 15-inch or 16-inch spare in the original underfoot location

both Burleys stock pan modification, and Van Cafe's $89 bent wire carrier that replaces the pan, hang down at the front more than the stock carrier.. like 2" more.. That makes the spare a contact point when approaching a hill climb, or dipping into a low spot.. I recommend neither for a syncro for that reason.

The Burley pan mod is for a Syncro only btw, whereas the Van Cafe unit fits 2wd, which targis has..

Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:26 am

FrankenSubySyncro wrote: I am not a fan of the tire carriers that mount to the body sheetmetal. The RMW is mounted to a post that is attached to the rear bumper. I did a similar thing using a tire carrier from a nissan pathfinder. I cut off the hinges and put in heim joints and mounted to the post.

Picked up a pathfinder unit myself for $20 and a case of caffeinated water. Planned on doing this exact thing myself. Need a decent bumper first to mount it. The 4x4 PT wood one wont cut it.

Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:38 am

Thanks for all your replies.

I have rocky's plate bumper(twin peak) w/ hitch on the rear.

I like the new gowesty's design that will come out this fall a lot but I don't think it will go with my rocky's bumper well...

I like the price of rocky's but I am not sure how the post thingy would mount on the bumper and hold the weight of a wheel and a little more stuff...

Any body with rocky's set up like to comment?

What I like about rocky's set up is that I don't need to drill any holes on the body..

Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:45 am

FrankenSubySyncro wrote: I am not a fan of the tire carriers that mount to the body sheetmetal. The RMW is mounted to a post that is attached to the rear bumper.
Conversely, I was not thrilled with accessories that attached to a bumper.

1. You need a stout bumper.
2. There will be lots of load working on that post base where it welds to the bumper. Thinking miles of washboard vibro here.
3. If the carrier mounts ONLY to the bumper.. then it may be prone to more virbration than a setup like Gary Lee's or Burley's.. where load is spread out along the mounting flanges. I believe RMW made an effort to address this by adding a mount at the upper end of the post... which bolts thru the sheet metal at the decorative crease in the body work. I believe he is now mounting the swing catch to the body as well? I may be mistaken on that.

My decision was based in part on being able to remove the swing carrier with only the two pivot flanges left showing. Living in the city, I don't need to leave a lot of bling on the van.. Impedes parking.. and invites recylcers to "borrow" my stuff. Only a 2WD, I can keep a small spare in the clamshell for emergency.. and hang the big spare on for longer trips.

I like the Burley swing away so much, I am trying to coax him into building the matching swing for the other side.

Each style has its pros and cons. Pretty stoked on the Burley carrier thus far.

Wed Oct 05, 2011 1:01 pm

burley's is not even available... :(