Question about Black Rock desert

[Rockhound]

The wife and I are trying to decide where to go for our annual spring trip in May. I really want to go to the Black Rock and do some rockhunting and see that part of Nevada. I hear that the roads eat up tires and that you should carry two spares. For me to carry two, I am going to have to fab a tire carrier for the rear bumper. I really don't want to have to do that if it's not needed.
I am running BFG Km2 AT's in a 10 ply so I am not undergunned there. I would love to hear from all the people that have banged around in that country and see if two spares are really necessary.


Thanks, John

 

[brett13]

From my one trip there, I'd say one spare is fine unless you expect to drive particularly technical and rocky trails. Or unless you're prone to popping tires are every turn (which means you're doin' something wrong).

 

[locrwln]

I have been going to the Black Rock since 1993 and I have never (knock on wood) had a flat, nor have any of the people I have traveled with.

Always be prepared, but you should be fine with one spare and keep a tire plugging kit with you.

Have fun, it is a great place to explore.

Jack

 

[ntsqd]

If you're really worried about it put a tube for your tire size in one of the aluminized mylar electronics bags, douse it liberally with baby power, and then use a Seal-A-Meal to seal it in. Then get a couple tire spoons (we used motorcycle tire irons and they worked surprisingly well but they were work!) and make or buy a bead breaker (Hi-Lift jacks have been used to do this) and practice on the spare in your driveway first.

With the dune buggy carrying a spare was inconvenient at best, so we all carried tubes and the tools to install them. In ~18 years with the buggy none of us ever shredded a tire so badly that a tube wouldn't fix it. The vacuum sealed aluminized mylar bag keeps sunlight and ozone from killing the tube prematurely, and the baby powder allows the tire and tube to be friendly to each other.

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

I once cut two sidewalls near High Rock Lake coming up the road from the hotsprings. The hunter who gave me and my two tires a ride to Gerlach got a flat on the way. A few months later a buddy of mine got three flats on the road south of the RR and he only had two spares. He had to roll a flat a few miles into town.

After those adventures, we all spent more money for better tires!

 

[MarkBC]

Back in the old days -- pre-camper, pre-F250 -- when I drove a Toyota Tacoma, I frequently got flats when out-and-about....don't know why -- they weren't wimpy tires. So I carried two spares.
But I drove fast on gravel (usually crushed-rock) roads, and that's where the flats always occurred. I've never gotten flats when driving in primitive conditions -- maybe because I'm driving slower. I don't ever do gnarly rock-crawling routes where sidewall cuts are likely...but most of the Black Rock itself isn't like that either -- most of it is playa mud without a rock anywhere. High Rock is rocky though.

With my F250 I did once get a flat as I started to head up the Soldier Meadow road from the Black Rock...but that, too, was a regular gravel road -- the sharp gravel was the problem, not anything particular to the Black Rock area.
(most of those flats I used to get with my Tacoma were on the Steens Mt/Alvord Desert Road).

Because I learned to carry two spares with my Tacoma, after I got the FWC camper for several years I lugged along a second spare in my camper. I posted here asking for suggestions for how to mount the second spare, and many of the responses were "carry one spare and carry a good plug kit and a good compressor". So that's what I do now.

But if I had a convenient way to carry a second spare (i.e., without spending a lot of money on a specialized bumper, mount, etc.) I might still carry one...

 

[Rockhound]

Thanks for the replies and ideas. I always carry a plug kit and air compressor as it has saved me a bunch. Sidewall tears are what the guy was telling me was the problem in the Black rock area and those usually are a killer. The tube idea might work, never thought about that. If it looks sketchy I will hike in rather than carry on with the truck. Looking for rocks is better that way anyhow.
I am running 255/85/16's and they can be a bugger to get a replacement for in alot of places. That happened one year on the Pony Express road south of the Dugway area in Utah. I tore a tire up on the road which was gravelled with basically pit run, lol, and had to spare up cause it was gashed bad. Went back to Toelle Utah to a tire shop and when they saw what size tire I had they were, "good luck finding that size around here". They could have ordered one and that would have thrown me back a bunch of days so I just left and hoped for the best.
I might still build a carrier, who knows.

John

 

[ntsqd]

If you do go with a tube also get a 'tire boot' (really large tire patch) for the sidewall tears. You can sew the sidewall back together with nylon string, safety wire, pretty much any high tensile strength strand, and then apply the boot over the tear on the inside so that the tube doesn't chafe on the sewing. Obviously this isn't a high speed repair and definitely not pavement worthy, but it will get you out to a more reasonable road w/o risk to your spare.

 

[highz]

And don't forget the baling wire. Check this out - I hope i never have to try it

http://www.4wheeloff...pair/index.html

 

[craig333]

I"ve heard of that, never seen it. Wonder if that would have worked on my flat?

 

[Rockhound]

OUCH! lol

 

[Foy]

But if I had a convenient way to carry a second spare (i.e., without spending a lot of money on a specialized bumper, mount, etc.) I might still carry one...


Mark,

What is or is not a lot of money is a matter of personal perspective. I put a front receiver hitch on my F-350 for the purpose of it serving as a multi-purpose mounting point. I have my electric winch on a cradle w/ male receiver hitch drawbar, I have a bicycle rack I can put up front, a hitch-haul rack for things like a generator and/or fuel cans, and I purchased but have not yet used a spare tire carrier which plugs into the receiver. I think the receiver ran me about $120 and the spare tire carrier ran me about $80. The front mounted receiver was a bit of a PITA to install, requiring removing the front bumper and becoming something of a contortionist to get the nuts threaded on the mounting bolts, but it wasn't a technically demanding task.

Foy

 

[Smokecreek1]

OUCH! lol


Agreed-Used to carry two spare tires on my old BLM rig, but have a hard time figuring where to put the 2nd on my F150- do have a tire repair kit and one of those plug in tire pumps-but being very "lucky" is a must!

Smoke