Traveler Spare Tire

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I have been wondering if the spare tire on the Traveler could be securely stored in the front trunk area as an alternative to having it mounted on the back?
I know there are some other posts about this, but I’m not sure what thread. Having seen them in person that 35” tire is too big to fit in the frunk. I don’t even think you could get a 33 in there.
 
I have been wondering if the spare tire on the Traveler could be securely stored in the front trunk area as an alternative to having it mounted on the back?
There is no where near enough room to accommodate the spare, unless we are talking donut which I certainly wouldn’t want if I’m rolling on 33’s or 35’s. Just not enough physical space
 
There is no where near enough room to accommodate the spare, unless we are talking donut which I certainly wouldn’t want if I’m rolling on 33’s or 35’s. Just not enough physical space
I know it’s hard to get an idea of scale from pictures. When I went to Chicago I asked permission to sit in the frunk and they were nice enough to let me. Having sat in the frunk, to me it’s built for coolers, smaller luggage. Things like that. There’s quite a bit of space on either side taken up by the headlights and their housings.

So for scale, I’m 5’7”.

DSC00912.jpeg
 
I know it’s hard to get an idea of scale from pictures. When I went to Chicago I asked permission to sit in the frunk and they were nice enough to let me. Having sat in the frunk, to me it’s built for coolers, smaller luggage. Things like that. There’s quite a bit of space on either side taken up by the headlights and their housings.

So for scale, I’m 5’7”.

View attachment 12805
And this is just the prototype. At the reveal they said more space or likely less space would be available once they fit everything in so we may or may not even get all the space currently shown in prototype
 
I know it’s hard to get an idea of scale from pictures. When I went to Chicago I asked permission to sit in the frunk and they were nice enough to let me. Having sat in the frunk, to me it’s built for coolers, smaller luggage. Things like that. There’s quite a bit of space on either side taken up by the headlights and their housings.

So for scale, I’m 5’7”.

View attachment 12805
Appreciate the photo. Still wish they would take a serious look are create enough space up front for the tire. I am a mountain bike rider and will be using a bike rack that attaches to the hitch receiver. I it is along ways for the rack to stick out if it also has to clear the spare tire in the back. I have seen others do it with similar vehicles but just throwing my thought out there. Thanks again for all the responses. Go Scout!
 
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Appreciate the photo. Still wish they would take a serious look are create enough space up front for the tire. I am a mountain bike rider and will be using a bike rack that attaches to the hitch receiver. I it is along ways for the rack to stick out if it also has to clear the spare tire in the back. I have seen others do it with similar vehicles but just throwing my thought out there. Thanks again for all the responses. Go Scout!
Go Scout!
 
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Appreciate the photo. Still wish they would take a serious look are create enough space up front for the tire. I am a mountain bike rider and will be using a bike rack that attaches to the hitch receiver. I it is along ways for the rack to stick out if it also has to clear the spare tire in the back. I have seen others do it with similar vehicles but just throwing my thought out there. Thanks again for all the responses. Go Scout!
An EV Traveler will have room under the vehicle to mount a 33" spare tire. Have you made up your mind on EV or EREV?
 
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Appreciate the photo. Still wish they would take a serious look are create enough space up front for the tire. I am a mountain bike rider and will be using a bike rack that attaches to the hitch receiver. I it is along ways for the rack to stick out if it also has to clear the spare tire in the back. I have seen others do it with similar vehicles but just throwing my thought out there. Thanks again for all the responses. Go Scout!
I say full bike mount on roof and throw a short step/ladder in car to reach and lift it down. Bikes on top will look bad a$$. Tough to get down but again-step stool it.
 
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I say full bike mount on roof and throw a short step/ladder in car to reach and lift it down. Bikes on top will look bad a$$. Tough to get down but again-step stool it.
Not happening. That is way too high up in the air and too many risks of dropping the bike on the vehicle or falling off the ladder. I had this setup years ago on a Ford Explorer. It worked but not what I am looking for. Otherwise I can just get a pickup and hang bikes on the tailgate like I do now with my F150
 
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Never put a bike on a roof much - but have had kayaks on top too many times to count. I think my record was carrying 9 kayaks - and I honestly forget how many paddlers (6-7 I think). 6 kayaks was a more common heavy load - but still not bad for a single cab truck with a cap. Tailgates were a God send, but got pretty good with balancing on tires too.

Needless to say - it was something fairly far from your average factory roof rack. Metal channels (important, when you synch down a kayak on edge to a roof rack, it REALLY tries to spread the bars apart - seen it destroy roofs before, real shame what happened to that J70, owner just got it and had not pulled the headliner to put the steel reinforcement in yet) through bolted to a reinforced cap.
 
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Never put a bike on a roof much - but have had kayaks on top too many times to count. I think my record was carrying 9 kayaks - and I honestly forget how many paddlers (6-7 I think). 6 kayaks was a more common heavy load - but still not bad for a single cab truck with a cap. Tailgates were a God send, but got pretty good with balancing on tires too.

Needless to say - it was something fairly far from your average factory roof rack. Metal channels (important, when you synch down a kayak on edge to a roof rack, it REALLY tries to spread the bars apart - seen it destroy roofs before, real shame what happened to that J70, owner just got it and had not pulled the headliner to put the steel reinforcement in yet) through bolted to a reinforced cap.
When I was doing a lot of road cycling I had an Acura tsx wagon and was the perfect vehicle for roof mounted bikes. I loved that car
 
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I say full bike mount on roof and throw a short step/ladder in car to reach and lift it down. Bikes on top will look bad a$$. Tough to get down but again-step stool it.
I said this at the reveal, but will keep mentioning it.

Bikes on roof racks are the worst of all options, almost always.

As you mentioned, access is a problem. Remember that the rack has to start above the crossbars, and the crossbars are also a few inches above the roof. But beyond that, when you out the bike up there you can’t grab it by its lowest point (the lowest point of the wheels), because that’s wildly unstable. Instead you grab the bike by the seat tube, and the fork lowers, at about axle height. So another 15-20in above the bottom of the bike.

I’m 6’1” barefoot, and had a roof rack on my old Mazda 6 wagon (2005). And even with its low roofline, it wasn’t super easy to load up there. And the scout will be at least a foot or so taller.

But also, other problems:

it impacts efficiency/fuel economy a lot at highway speeds. I did 2000 miles with mine on the roof, it was worth a few mpg at 80mph across Idaho.

Unless you climb on the roof, it’s hard to out more than 2 bikes up there (accessing ones in the center is difficult).

People forget they are up there, and drive into their garage, smashing them (yes really).

Mountain bikes can be fairly heavy. Mine is almost 40lbs (alloy frame, downhill tires, coil shock, etc). So even if you can reach it, not everyone is capable of loading/unloading.

Personally I plan on using my 1UP rack on the Traveler. But I also don’t plan on leaving the spare tire out back most of the time. I’ve detailed what I want out of the spare tire in other threads, and I stand by it. I’m hoping for 3 options that I may switch between. Outside for long road trips, under for the EV, and inside the rear storage area ala my ZJ.

IMG_1809.jpeg
 
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I said this at the reveal, but will keep mentioning it.

Bikes on roof racks are the worst of all options, almost always.

As you mentioned, access is a problem. Remember that the rack has to start above the crossbars, and the crossbars are also a few inches above the roof. But beyond that, when you out the bike up there you can’t grab it by its lowest point (the lowest point of the wheels), because that’s wildly unstable. Instead you grab the bike by the seat tube, and the fork lowers, at about axle height. So another 15-20in above the bottom of the bike.

I’m 6’1” barefoot, and had a roof rack on my old Mazda 6 wagon (2005). And even with its low roofline, it wasn’t super easy to load up there. And the scout will be at least a foot or so taller.

But also, other problems:

it impacts efficiency/fuel economy a lot at highway speeds. I did 2000 miles with mine on the roof, it was worth a few mpg at 80mph across Idaho.

Unless you climb on the roof, it’s hard to out more than 2 bikes up there (accessing ones in the center is difficult).

People forget they are up there, and drive into their garage, smashing them (yes really).

Mountain bikes can be fairly heavy. Mine is almost 40lbs (alloy frame, downhill tires, coil shock, etc). So even if you can reach it, not everyone is capable of loading/unloading.

Personally I plan on using my 1UP rack on the Traveler. But I also don’t plan on leaving the spare tire out back most of the time. I’ve detailed what I want out of the spare tire in other threads, and I stand by it. I’m hoping for 3 options that I may switch between. Outside for long road trips, under for the EV, and inside the rear storage area ala my ZJ.

View attachment 12894
Okay I have a question. For those that don’t want the spare on the back do you want a full size spare underneath or no?
 
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I said this at the reveal, but will keep mentioning it.

Bikes on roof racks are the worst of all options, almost always.

As you mentioned, access is a problem. Remember that the rack has to start above the crossbars, and the crossbars are also a few inches above the roof. But beyond that, when you out the bike up there you can’t grab it by its lowest point (the lowest point of the wheels), because that’s wildly unstable. Instead you grab the bike by the seat tube, and the fork lowers, at about axle height. So another 15-20in above the bottom of the bike.

I’m 6’1” barefoot, and had a roof rack on my old Mazda 6 wagon (2005). And even with its low roofline, it wasn’t super easy to load up there. And the scout will be at least a foot or so taller.

But also, other problems:

it impacts efficiency/fuel economy a lot at highway speeds. I did 2000 miles with mine on the roof, it was worth a few mpg at 80mph across Idaho.

Unless you climb on the roof, it’s hard to out more than 2 bikes up there (accessing ones in the center is difficult).

People forget they are up there, and drive into their garage, smashing them (yes really).

Mountain bikes can be fairly heavy. Mine is almost 40lbs (alloy frame, downhill tires, coil shock, etc). So even if you can reach it, not everyone is capable of loading/unloading.

Personally I plan on using my 1UP rack on the Traveler. But I also don’t plan on leaving the spare tire out back most of the time. I’ve detailed what I want out of the spare tire in other threads, and I stand by it. I’m hoping for 3 options that I may switch between. Outside for long road trips, under for the EV, and inside the rear storage area ala my ZJ.

View attachment 12894
I had an experienced friend tell me put cones outside garage when I leave to avoid hitting door. Best suggestion ever. Saved my butt a couple times over the years