1st Impressions: Rigd Ultraswing Mega-fit Spare tire Carrier

[Grand Mesa]

There's your mistake in thinking.

You should have a hitch mounted winch.

Put a hitch on the front and back of your truck.

Then you can move the winch to the front or back according to your needs.

You should have 12v available front and back.

And, when you sell the truck you can keep the winch.

Yeah, I also made the mistake of driving a Power Wagon with its standard equipped built-in 12,000 pound rated front hitch. What was I thinking????

I should have purchased a less capable truck without the Power Wagon's standard front and rear lockers and sway bar disconnect. With my son's Ram 2500 4x4 equipped with an anti-spin rear differential I could use that portable winch much more often due to I'd be getting stuck in the mud and deep snow every 80 feet or so out here in Colorado. Instead my Power Wagon just plows right through it.

 

[dexter]

Yeah, I also made the mistake of driving a Power Wagon with its standard equipped built-in 12,000 pound rated front hitch. What was I thinking????

I should have purchased a less capable truck without the Power Wagon's standard front and rear lockers and sway bar disconnect. With my son's Ram 2500 4x4 equipped with an anti-spin rear differential I could use that portable winch much more often due to I'd be getting stuck in the mud and deep snow every 80 feet or so out here in Colorado. Instead my Power Wagon just plows right through it.

Hey, we are all human. Allow yourself to forgive yourself.
Next time ... here is another idea.

 

[BoldAdventure]

There's your mistake in thinking.

You should have a hitch mounted winch.

Put a hitch on the front and back of your truck.

Then you can move the winch to the front or back according to your needs.

You should have 12v available front and back.

And, when you sell the truck you can keep the winch.


OK Grandpa.

 

[Grand Mesa]

Hey, we are all human. Allow yourself to forgive yourself.
Next time ... here is another idea.

Due to our heavy amount of snow for some 8 to 9 months of a year, all of our trucks, including our Power Wagon and Ram 2500 4x4 Cummins have toppers. Otherwise, it would require digging the gear out of ice and snow. The next snow is forecasted for this Friday.


We also have a TRD. Both trucks in this morning's photo of my driveway are equipped with manual transmissions. Only my Power Wagon has an automatic transmission.

 

[dexter]

Due to our heavy amount of snow for some 8 to 9 months of a year, all of our trucks, including our Power Wagon and Ram 2500 4x4 Cummins have toppers. Otherwise, it would require digging the gear out of ice and snow. The next snow is forecasted for this Friday.
View attachment 199536

We also have a TRD. Both trucks in this morning's photo of my driveway are equipped with manual transmissions. Only my Power Wagon has an automatic transmission.

Come on man!

Think outside the box or on top of the box!

What's next; you're too old to get the tire on and off the rack!

 

[Grand Mesa]

Fortunately, my 34" (285 75R17) tires mount underneath. Wouldn't even try to lift 88 pounds (65 pounds for the tire and 23 pounds for the PW wheel) over 7 feet up onto my Power Wagon's topper's rack.

 

[dexter]

Fortunately, my 34" (285 75R17) tires mount underneath. Wouldn't even try to lift 88 pounds (65 pounds for the tire and 23 pounds for the PW wheel) over 7 feet up onto my Power Wagon's topper's rack.

Then you won't need this method.

https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/mounting-spare-tire-in-roof-basket.52241/

Spare on roof rack.....

Well...... I am a disabled Vietnam combat veteran, RVN, A co., 6/31 inf., 9th inf. div. 1699/70. I was born in 1948... you do the math. Sooooo lets not be hasty in saying that someone may be something they are not or not be able to do something or not. I can and have put my P 255/70R16 on my roof basket on the cab of my truck topper on my Ford Range super cab 4x4 by lifting it on to the tailgate then when standing on the tailgate lifting then to the basket, then stand on the rear tire and lift/slide/flat/sideways it to the front of my basket, not a problem, lift with my legs, no bending no over stretching, no hurry here! I also have L/R 20 ltr. gas cans mounted on the out board ends of two Thule racks on my cab, again by lifting carefully I can mount/dismount them using the side steps with the 2 doors open with no problems. Yep, off-camber could be a problem, then again we must know our trucks and our limitations as to what we can travel over safely. I have done a lot of testing and thinking about outfitting my truck for overland trips and have found most of my ideas work for me (James Bay Region (x2) to the end, Wemendji, Chissasiba (Cree nation villages) TTR, NR and back (x2) also many trips into northern NYS's Adk. mtns. camping/exploring, for the last 30 yrs or so. Oh! I also go alone, if I don't..... I would not be able to go, lots of thought, planing and a VERY understanding wife also help, Please do not any of this in the wrong way, Hell... I wish I was 30 again... no not really, but I have to go now.... or go never. stay safe, mjmcdowell

 

[Grand Mesa]

A 255 70R16 is a 30" tire. Just an inch taller than my travel trailer's 235 75R15 tire of the same height. Even so my spare tire's bumper mount weld broke and it ended up dragging my trailer's spare tire down the road. The same thing happened with my daughter's trailer's spare with a different brand of tire mount. Our dirt roads here are mostly made up of rocks which takes a lot jarring. I wouldn't trust putting a 34" to 37" tire on top of my topper. These tire sizes are much bulkier, heavier, and wider than a 30". The steel tire mount might be able to handle it, but I wouldn't trust it being held on by a fiberglass shell with our nearby 80 MPH speed limits. During any minor traffic accident it would snap that shell off like butter.

The Vietnam War ended in April, 1975 when I was 17. Too young, but I had older brothers and neighbors who weren't. My neighbor across the street was killed in less than 1 month of service of which made a life long impression to me as a teenager. From 1980 through 2015 I worked for the largest US defense contractors as a civilian within Military Base(es). My eldest daughter is currently reading a book on the Cold War and mentioned something interesting about where I worked, but I wouldn't acknowledge that I even worked there. The best kept secrets are the ones we die with.

Thank you for your service.

 

[Rick Ram-jet]

At 6ft 2in and 265 lbs (the SQUATCH of the family, lol) even I don`t want to mess with a 37in tire/rim off the roof of a 6ft plus truck!
It`s good that we have several choices to fit individual needs!
G. Mesa, same here as to Nam, looked into enlisting with the air force in high school, luckily we pulled out before I graduated.
After hearing first hand what was really going on over there I was relieved not to go...
Big shout out to those who did!

 

[Grand Mesa]

I'm 6'1" without my boots and 170 lbs. After my career I worked for the Colorado Parks maintenance for 6 months in 2016. My last and final job was delivering for UPS across Denver. In mid-2017 I relocated to retire in a remote location. Both of my last jobs required heavy lifting all day long. I could lift a 32 gallon trash can filled entirely with empty 7 oz glass beer bottles from the women volleyball teams and dump it. Emptied hundreds of similar trash cans every day throughout some 30 plus parks. For UPS some of the 250 to 400 deliveries a day required for me to lift up to 150 pounds and deliver it up stairs to the door. I'm still in excellent shape.

A P255 70R16 tire weighs around 34 lbs without the wheel. My 34" LT tire weighs 65 lbs. That's 31 additional pounds. Go even larger in tire size and they can easily exceed 100 pounds with the wheel. It doesn't belong on a truck's topper.

 

[dexter]

I'm 6'1" without my boots and 170 lbs. After my career I worked for the Colorado Parks maintenance for 6 months in 2016. My last and final job was delivering for UPS across Denver. In mid-2017 I relocated to retire in a remote location. Both of my last jobs required heavy lifting all day long. I could lift a 32 gallon trash can filled entirely with empty 7 oz glass beer bottles from the women volleyball teams and dump it. Emptied hundreds of similar trash cans every day throughout some 30 plus parks. For UPS some of the 250 to 400 deliveries a day required for me to lift up to 150 pounds and deliver it up stairs to the door. I'm still in excellent shape.

A P255 70R16 tire weighs around 34 lbs without the wheel. My 34" LT tire weighs 65 lbs. That's 31 additional pounds. Go even larger in tire size and they can easily exceed 100 pounds with the wheel. It doesn't belong on a truck's topper.

A 255 70R16 is a 30" tire. Just an inch taller than my travel trailer's 235 75R15 tire of the same height. Even so my spare tire's bumper mount weld broke and it ended up dragging my trailer's spare tire down the road. The same thing happened with my daughter's trailer's spare with a different brand of tire mount. Our dirt roads here are mostly made up of rocks which takes a lot jarring. I wouldn't trust putting a 34" to 37" tire on top of my topper. These tire sizes are much bulkier, heavier, and wider than a 30". The steel tire mount might be able to handle it, but I wouldn't trust it being held on by a fiberglass shell with our nearby 80 MPH speed limits. During any minor traffic accident it would snap that shell off like butter.

The Vietnam War ended in April, 1975 when I was 17. Too young, but I had older brothers and neighbors who weren't. My neighbor across the street was killed in less than 1 month of service of which made a life long impression to me as a teenager. From 1980 through 2015 I worked for the largest US defense contractors as a civilian within Military Base(es). My eldest daughter is currently reading a book on the Cold War and mentioned something interesting about where I worked, but I wouldn't acknowledge that I even worked there. The best kept secrets are the ones we die with.

Thank you for your service.

At 6ft 2in and 265 lbs (the SQUATCH of the family, lol) even I don`t want to mess with a 37in tire/rim off the roof of a 6ft plus truck!
It`s good that we have several choices to fit individual needs!
G. Mesa, same here as to Nam, looked into enlisting with the air force in high school, luckily we pulled out before I graduated.
After hearing first hand what was really going on over there I was relieved not to go...
Big shout out to those who did!

How about some facts
https://www.snugtop.com/t-faqs.aspx
The weight that a shell can handle is approximately 150-175lbs. The tonneau covers will typically hold about 75lbs. Our SNUGPRO with rack has been tested up to 500lbs

Also, you don't have to leave the spare there all the time ... only when where you are going requires it.

Going to the nail salon does not require it.

 

[Odin]

Thanks for telling me my thinking is wrong. I'll continue to do me though based on what I use my truck for and my experiences. We won't get into the logistics or safety concerns of why the option you presented isn't the best idea for most people.

As for saying only carry a spare when you think you're going to need it... That's just plain stupid. Sorry. You never know when you're gonna need a spare tire. That's why vehicles come equipped with them. You get a valve stem in your tire on the road and don't have a spare cause you thought you didn't need it that day, it's gonna be pretty ******.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[dexter]

Thanks for telling me my thinking is wrong. I'll continue to do me though based on what I use my truck for and my experiences. We won't get into the logistics or safety concerns of why the option you presented isn't the best idea for most people.

As for saying only carry a spare when you think you're going to need it... That's just plain stupid. Sorry. You never know when you're gonna need a spare tire. That's why vehicles come equipped with them. You get a valve stem in your tire on the road and don't have a spare cause you thought you didn't need it that day, it's gonna be pretty ******.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

It may not be your thinking that is wrong ... it may be your reading comprehension.
I didn't say don't take a spare. I said "
Also, you don't have to leave the spare there all the time ... only when where you are going requires it.

Going to the nail salon does not require it." There is the truck cap ... what we were talking about.

I didn't think I had to tell you to put the spare in the bed, or on a hitch holder - front or back.

Sad face.

 

[56PW17]

It may not be your thinking that is wrong ... it may be your reading comprehension.
I didn't say don't take a spare. I said "
Also, you don't have to leave the spare there all the time ... only when where you are going requires it.

Going to the nail salon does not require it." There is the truck cap ... what we were talking about.

I didn't think I had to tell you to put the spare in the bed, or on a hitch holder - front or back.

Sad face.

Honestly the truck always requires a spare. I thought similar to what you were saying about not always needing it until I needed it. Never leave without a spare

 

[ALRedneck]

I'm 6'1" without my boots and 170 lbs. After my career I worked for the Colorado Parks maintenance for 6 months in 2016. My last and final job was delivering for UPS across Denver. In mid-2017 I relocated to retire in a remote location. Both of my last jobs required heavy lifting all day long. I could lift a 32 gallon trash can filled entirely with empty 7 oz glass beer bottles from the women volleyball teams and dump it. Emptied hundreds of similar trash cans every day throughout some 30 plus parks. For UPS some of the 250 to 400 deliveries a day required for me to lift up to 150 pounds and deliver it up stairs to the door. I'm still in excellent shape.

A P255 70R16 tire weighs around 34 lbs without the wheel. My 34" LT tire weighs 65 lbs. That's 31 additional pounds. Go even larger in tire size and they can easily exceed 100 pounds with the wheel. It doesn't belong on a truck's topper.

I quit thinking about the spare tire mount the second I read about the women’s volleyball team and the excessive beer consumption. I would have loved to be at that party even if they only had tiny beer bottles.

 

[madtrucker2016]

Add a bicycle rack to that hitch with a couple of Jeep electric mountain bikes which sell for just $5,899 each and really hit the trail.

https://www.engadget.com/amp/2020/03/01/jeep-e-bike-pre-order/

6 grand for a bike NO thanks

 

[Rollertb]

my other truck, hence a reason why I can permanently have a shell on the wagon. I fabricated and welded a mount atop the flatbed headache rack for the 35x12.5” spare. Those are 37x13.5’s mounted. Is it cool looking, “Hell yes.” Practical, “No.”

I also posted this photo with boat attached because I would like to know from real world experience would the swing clear a boat or enclosed trailer to allow the opening of the tailgate? I have a photo of the boat and wagon but can’t find it. I only tow two or three times a month, but I am not interested in taking the spare and carrier off every time I tow.

I like the wagon low on the 37’s and center of gravity. I also wouldn’t want the weight of a mounted 37 atop my $2k shell. I was for some time planing to mount a spare 37 laying flat in the bed and fab a wooden shelf to lay atop it, but a swing would save me a lot of interior bed space. Photos would help tremendously in a decision to purchase a $1200 + toy. I’ve looked online and the rigid website and there’s no real photos with a real trailer attached.

 

[olyelr]

6 grand for a bike NO thanks

I agree. But that is cheap compared to some.

 

[Rollertb]

For the original poster, could you please measure the distance from the swings pivot point to the far side of your spare tire, and what size is your spare?

 

[ALRedneck]

A 255 70R16 is a 30" tire. Just an inch taller than my travel trailer's 235 75R15 tire of the same height. Even so my spare tire's bumper mount weld broke and it ended up dragging my trailer's spare tire down the road. The same thing happened with my daughter's trailer's spare with a different brand of tire mount. Our dirt roads here are mostly made up of rocks which takes a lot jarring. I wouldn't trust putting a 34" to 37" tire on top of my topper. These tire sizes are much bulkier, heavier, and wider than a 30". The steel tire mount might be able to handle it, but I wouldn't trust it being held on by a fiberglass shell with our nearby 80 MPH speed limits. During any minor traffic accident it would snap that shell off like butter.

The Vietnam War ended in April, 1975 when I was 17. Too young, but I had older brothers and neighbors who weren't. My neighbor across the street was killed in less than 1 month of service of which made a life long impression to me as a teenager. From 1980 through 2015 I worked for the largest US defense contractors as a civilian within Military Base(es). My eldest daughter is currently reading a book on the Cold War and mentioned something interesting about where I worked, but I wouldn't acknowledge that I even worked there. The best kept secrets are the ones we die with.

Thank you for your service.

Client of mine live well into his 90’s. He had been a deck hand on a ship in WW2. Or at least that is what he told to his grave. At his funeral, the Navy performed their honors which was very elaborate his son said. His son mentioned this to the officers afterwards. They asked him what he thought his dad did in WW2. When he said a deck hand, they laughed. Then said “son, your dad was one of the the first in Navy special ops and they now call them SEALs. Your dad sunk a German ship with scuba gear and a bomb.”