To Road Trip or not to Road Trip?

[pastagreyhound]

Been obsessing over this since I bought the car this past summer. My wife asked me the other day if I have considered taking the '06 Boxster on a road trip to Florida. I can't seem to get over the hump of not having a spare tire. I'm kinda neurotic about it. Anyone else have this problem? We had a blowout in a RAV 4 on a previous trip to Florida a few years ago and it wasn't fun.

Also, after reading endless threads about various mechanical problems, both large and small, I'm a bit nervous on taking the car on a 1,400 mile roundtrip drive. Should I be? I've driven the car on a couple of 200 mile roundtrip drives without a hiccup.

The car only has 28k miles on it, is Porsche Certified/warrantied (with roadside assistance) and just in case, I joined AAA.

I love driving this car and use it as my daily driver. I love the thought of driving from Middle Tennessee to Central Florida with my lovely wife, but I'm a bit nervous. I reckon I should drive the crap out of it while it's still under warranty. It's either the Boxster or my wife's Honda CR-V.

Any thoughts?

[Garrytw]

pastagreyhound,
Well I'm not sure why you bought the car, but if you bought it to have fun, then ROAD TRIP! but don't forget to "drive the crap out of it" that's why they built it.
If you are under warranty, have roadside assistance, and a cell phone, what are you worried about?
If you don't you'll hate yourself in the morning....
Garry

[Wayne 962]

Non-issue. These are very reliable cars. I would not sweat it one bit. If you're really concerned, then buy an early spare wheel on eBay and toss it in your front trunk. Here's one listed right here:
98 99 00 01 02 03 04 Boxster Spare Wheel & Tire OEM LKQ - eBay (item 140505003998 end time Feb-24-11 04:17:43 PST)

-Wayne

[pastagreyhound]

Wayne, I've googled every iteration of "Boxster Spare Wheel/Rim" I could think of and could find nothing. I've checked message boards and everything. Then voila! you have a link to eBay. The wife has an account, she's going to order it.

I have 19's on the car, I suppose this 17 will be OK as a very short term replacement? Will I need spacers? Also, will any car jack/lug remover work or do I need to order the Porsche OEM set as well? Thanks!

Thanks for the advice ya'll, can't wait for Spring break!

[Doug&Julie]

FWIW my wife and I drove our first Boxster from here in Cinci to Orlando and back on vacation in 2001. The car was flawless...other than a bit of droning from the thinner top (it was a '99). We couldn't have been happier on the trip. My favorite memory is when all the hotel workers gathered when I pulled the car up so we could load all the luggage on our way out. They were taking bets on if it would all fit. It did!

[mikefocke]

Your chances of hitting a deer or having a something fly off a truck in front of you are probably greater than the probability of a flat. Plus take off one of those 19s and where the heck will you put to flat tire. Not in the trunks. Leave the wife behind and put it in the passenger seat? That would cost you.

Porsche has just come out with a spare with mount for the 987 series that fits in the rear trunk. Costs about $1,300 list...$1k at discount. But it takes 2/3 of the rear trunk and there are 2 of you going on the trip. Doesn't fit if you have PCCB brakes. I figure that is worth while if you are around the neighborhood and where there is construction etc. But the cost in space is too much for on a trip.

In 52 years of driving I've had 2 blowouts while on a trip. Both were my fault for not paying attention to tire pressures. Invest in a good tire pressure gauge. Check frequently.

[coreseller]

I purchased my car in VA, flew down there from Cincinnati and drove it back, one of the better decisions I made in life. Regarding your flat tire concern, I carry an emergency kit in each of my cars (easily found at Sams, Costco, Walmart, etc.) that ran ~ $30, it contains a cigarette plug powered Air Compressor in addition to tools, flares, jumper cables, etc. I also have a Tire Plug kit I purchased at AutoZone in the emergency bag along with needlenose pliers, I have plugged and filled a few tires over the years on the roadside or in parking lots. I did not even have to remove the wheel. Obviously a major slice / gash or sidewall puncture negates the plugging idea, but it has saved me major headaches. Good Luck.

[pastagreyhound]

Originally Posted by mikefocke

Your chances of hitting a deer or having a something fly off a truck in front of you are probably greater than the probability of a flat. Plus take off one of those 19s and where the heck will you put to flat tire. Not in the trunks. Leave the wife behind and put it in the passenger seat? That would cost you.

Mike, you read my mind. I was talking with the wife this morning and told her that if we had a blowout, I would sit by the side of the road with my carrera rim while she drove off with the spare! And speaking of deer--we were hit by one a few months ago in my wife's four month old car. She saw, stopped, and then the damn thing jumped out and body-slammed her CR-V. Then it ran off leaving the car with a ton of damage. We got it fixed, but if we were in the Boxster, the passenger would have been maimed.

[Wayne 962]

Originally Posted by mikefocke

Invest in a good tire pressure gauge. Check frequently.

Many of the 987 cars came with open I482 (tire pressure monitoring), perhaps the original poster already has this installed in his car?

A can of fix-a-flat can also help too. Takes up a lot less space than the spare.

-Wayne

[Wayne 962]

Originally Posted by pastagreyhound

I have 19's on the car, I suppose this 17 will be OK as a very short term replacement? Will I need spacers? Also, will any car jack/lug remover work or do I need to order the Porsche OEM set as well? Thanks!

I'm not 100% sure, but I think this spare is used for all the modern Porsches, so no spacers or equipment will be needed, unless you have some aftermarket brakes on there perhaps (not likely). Even so, I would test fit it before going on your trip just to make sure that it holds pressure and fits properly.

-Wayne

[pastagreyhound]

Wayne, I know the car doesn't have TPMS, if that's what your suggesting--I asked the mechanic at the P dealership when I was going over my list of questions. The car comes with a tire compressor that plugs into the charger inside the car. Need to get that out and fool around with it.

Just washed and gassed up the car. It's been miserable cold here and today it's a lovely, top-down 65 degrees. Glorious!

[racer]

Just do it! I've driven my Porsches all over the place and NEVER have I needed a spare in 20 years of doing so! Heck, I drove my (then 22 year old) 944 to NYC and back 3 weeks after buying it. I drove my 914 for 2 years as a Daily driver and never had a flat. I drove my 911SC, on track tires, on several 500 mile trips and never fot a flat. Have fun, live a little and even if a flat befalls you, take it in stride as part of the adventure. People are so worried about living "bubble wrapped lives of convenience", that "adventure" seems to have been forgotten about!

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by pastagreyhound

Mike, you read my mind. I was talking with the wife this morning and told her that if we had a blowout, I would sit by the side of the road with my carrera rim while she drove off with the spare! And speaking of deer--we were hit by one a few months ago in my wife's four month old car. She saw, stopped, and then the damn thing jumped out and body-slammed her CR-V. Then it ran off leaving the car with a ton of damage. We got it fixed, but if we were in the Boxster, the passenger would have been maimed.

Don't forget to pack the 30.06

[pastagreyhound]

Originally Posted by racer

Just do it! I've driven my Porsches all over the place and NEVER have I needed a spare in 20 years of doing so! Heck, I drove my (then 22 year old) 944 to NYC and back 3 weeks after buying it. I drove my 914 for 2 years as a Daily driver and never had a flat. I drove my 911SC, on track tires, on several 500 mile trips and never fot a flat. Have fun, live a little and even if a flat befalls you, take it in stride as part of the adventure. People are so worried about living "bubble wrapped lives of convenience", that "adventure" seems to have been forgotten about!

You know, you're absolutely correct. It seems the older I get, the more neurotic I've become. Back in college--cough, 20+ years ago, cough--I drove a 1968 Karmann Ghia. It had a million miles on it, no gas gauge, no speedo, bad breaks and I didn't even have insurance. I drove that car like a scared cat. Used to do 500 mile road trips to Chicago every few months, it seemed.

I blew the engine in that car because I left a rag in the engine compartment one morning after checking the oil. D'OH! I had it rebuilt for $400 and went back to driving it. I regret to this day for selling that car.

[Cajundaddy]

Just do it! For trips further than 2 hours I carry a small 12v compressor and tire plug kit along with my AAA premier card which is good for a flatbed tow up to 200 miles.

Clarification: A full sized tire & wheel will fit in a 986 front trunk if you just lean it all the way back. I do this all the time when driving to the track.