Security, Secured, and Structurally Sound - Spare Tire

Back in the day, there was no spare tire holder on the 1955 Airstream trailers.  

Some owners carried their tires in their tow vehicles, or drove without the security of having an extra Airstream tire.  Some owners added tires to the back of their trailer with or without the option of aluminum wheel covers.  Without carefully planned extra reinforcement of the frame, the added spare tire has caused troubles.  Sadly, the extra weight at the back of the trailer can cause more movement and bounce in the back of the trailer.  

As I understand this:  The trailer is like a child's see-saw or teeter totter.  The axle and tires is the fulcrum point, while the front and rear of the trailer can move up and down.  The front of the trailer has a more limited range of travel as it is attached to the tow vehicle by the hitch.  I wrote earlier about front end separation.  Movement in rear of the trailer occurs as there is nothing to minimized the bounce.  So by adding a spare tire to the rear, the extra weight causes a wider range of movement.  The stress of the movement can cause the shell and chassis to separate - the dreaded rear end separation.
Fortunately, our 1955 Flying Cloud was not subjected to this abuse!

Our spare tire will be held at the front of the trailer, consistently adding to the hitch weight.  The aluminum covering the front cross member, steel frame and plywood floor is riveted into place.