To avoid taking up a lot of space in the boot of his car, D. E. Mann of Leicester has made a caravan spare wheel carrier which fits under his van. The wheel is carried on a light-section steel rack slung beneath the chassis as high and as close behind the axle as possible. The idea is to have as much ground clearance as possible, whilst avoiding any interference with the braking mechanisms.
The carrier is made up of 1½ angle and 1½ by ½ in steel strips. It is bolted in four places to the main chassis members, and is designed to fit the spare wheel exactly. The wheel is held in place by a pressed-steel spare wheel keeper as supplied with a Ford Zodiac Mk 111. The tail of the keeper fits into a slot on the carrier, and it is tightened up by a bolt which passes through it to a nut welded to the carrier. A wheelbrace is used to tighten it up fully.
The carrier illustrated is designed specifically for the B & B chassis of a Bessacarr Royal, but the principle would be the same for most caravans.