With the new, larger tires on the Silver Subie, I needed to make a better spot for the spare tire to ride since it doesn't fit in the tire well. I really wanted a swing-away tire mount on the back but it would require a custom build and more dollars than I wanted to invest in a 15 year old vehicle. Finally, after much dithering on my part, a pallet with a big black container showed up on the doorstep.
I added a piece of baltic birch (because that's what I had in stock) plywood to make an attach point for the spare tire and to spread the load.
I wanted a long eye bolt but settled for a hook bolt since that was all I could find. Turns out, it holds very securely and it's easier to get the spare tire held in place.
The cargo box was bigger than I wanted but the smallest I could find that had enough width to accept the spare. I could have gone with an open (and cheaper) roof rack but I think this solution will have less drag thanks to its streamlined shape.
This
little gizmo is wonderful. It lives under the front passenger seat but makes access to the rooftop cargo box much easier.
As best I can tell, the roof top solution costs me about 1 mile per gallon, but this is still more than 50% better gas mileage than the truck so I'm happy.
