A couple weeks ago I was pulling into a gas station that had a fairly steep entrance driveway and the spare tire carrier actually bottomed out and the spare was torn off the carrier. It was a twisted, mangled mess. This weekend I installed my new, undermount spare tire carrier and new spare. The carrier is a BAL Hide-a-spare, model number 28218. I was a little disappointed that it did not ship in any packaging. The shipping tag was zip tied directly to the rack and it arrived pretty scratched up.
I originally wanted to install it forward of the axles, but after loosening the belly enclosure and sliding my hand up around the frame rails I felt a wiring harness I was afraid I would damage. After some more exploration I found the spot right behind the rear axle that was free of any wiring or plumbing.
Installation was super easy using some self-tapping screws. I made a slight modification to the carrier itself by drilling a hole so I could add a padlock (I have had spare tires stolen while my trailer has been in storage). The only thing left to do is get some black spay paint and hit the screw heads and touch up the scratches that the rack came with.
Here are some photos.
Driver's Side Mounting Bracket
Curb Side Mounting Bracket
Close Up of Curb Side Bracket with Padlock
Carrier Extended for Spare Tire Access
View Under Trailer
Linear Mode
