Spare wheel holder for VW T3

One of the main accessories fitted to the VW T3 Syncro is the spare wheel holder. There are two reasons for this:

• Changing the size of the rims and tyres means the spare wheel no longer fits in the front compartment.
• It is an accessory that enhances the van’s appearance, giving it more of a 4×4 look.

These reasons meant that I had been looking for this accessory for quite some time. 

What spare wheel holders are available for the T3 Syncro?

It’s not as though there’s an endless variety of spare wheel holders, but there are several options to choose from. These range from simple, reasonably priced models to others with better finishes and higher-quality materials.

Here are some of the options available:

• Ortec spare wheel holder
• Slow Works
• Rocky Mountain Westy
• Bernd Jaeger
• TK Carparts

Which spare wheel holder have I chosen?

I’ve always liked the spare wheel mount sold by Rocky Mountain Westy for several reasons. The first is that I like the setup of having one wheel mount and another for carrying a box or tray.

Another reason is that I really like the way it looks.
The problem is that, as it’s made in the US, the shipping and customs costs are sky-high. This was an issue that put me off, but I was still very keen on it.

However, it wasn’t the T3 Syncro wheel rack that I ended up buying. What made me rule it out was seeing the problems other people who’d bought it had experienced. They report that it isn’t very well finished, that it isn’t made of stainless steel, and that, as a result, some people’s have rusted to such an extent that they’ve had to throw them away.

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Having ruled out the Rocky Mountain Westy spare wheel holder, the next ones I looked at were those from TK Carparts or Bernd Jaeger. These are spare wheel holders very similar to the originals and they look really good. The problem with these, it seems, is stock availability, as they aren’t available on their websites. 

In the end, I found a spare wheel mount very similar to the ones I mentioned earlier, made from stainless steel, well-welded, oven-baked painted and with a very good finish.

Its great appearance and finish were what made me decide on this one.

How can I buy this mount?

If you’re interested in this spare wheel holder, you can email me at syncronizados2016@gmail.com and I’ll provide you with all the details.

You can also watch the installation video for the wheel holder, which will serve as a guide for fitting yours.

Does the spare wheel mount need to be type-approved?

Yes, it’s one of those parts that needs to be type-approved in order to pass the MOT. It doesn’t matter if it’s handmade, but it mustn’t have any sharp edges and mustn’t cover any lights or the number plate, nor must it reduce visibility whilst driving the vehicle. You’ll also be asked about how the mount is attached to the vehicle and how the wheel is secured to the mount (number of bolts and the metric specifications for both).

And one more thing: obviously, the T3 doesn’t need to be a Syncro; these wheel racks can also be fitted to a 2WD or a prerunner.

On which side should I fit the wheel mount?

In my opinion, to make this decision, you need to ask yourself these questions:

• Which side is easier for you to access when opening it? It’s often said that when, for example, changing a tyre, it’s more convenient or safer to have it on the right-hand side so as to encroach less on the carriageway.
• Which side do you prefer for carrying a spare wheel, purely from an aesthetic point of view?
• Are you keen to balance the weight? Here too, the ideal would be to fit it on the right-hand side to balance the weight against the left-hand side, where the driver sits.

In the end, I’ve fitted it on the left-hand side, but there’s a reason for this: I want to fit another one on the other side to carry a box. The box will weigh more than the wheel, so it makes sense in terms of weight distribution.