I had forgot that the Vito didn't have storage for the spare wheel under the rear floor... Mercedes designers should have come up with a better solution for that!
Actually it does, underneath the rear floor pan. However, I hazard a guess it gets really wet under there, the bolt corrodes and when one needs the spare one can’t extract it. Then once it is extracted it won’t go back. I suppose if an owner had foresight from new they’d drop the wheel, apply marine grease to the retaining bolt, plate and wing nut and repeat annually.
thanks to everyone for being helpful esp the chat with @West Cork Paul earlier today i am taking a mate tomorrow AM to view and hopefully buy the van if it all checks out watch this space!
The underslung wheel carrier IFAIK only on the LWB version, the SWB carry the wheel inside. It's held in place using a winch type system, you lower the wheel using a special bar that slots in through the rear. Mine has worked fine with no seizures in spite of zero preventive maintence, I believe the cable is stainless. As an aside, when I put 2 enduro bikes in the van we loaded the first in front first and the second rear end first.
I got mine with 90,000km on it and 7 years old. It always had the spare wheel loose in the back. It was only when it was on the ramp having a new exhaust fitted (when it 11 years old) that I saw the recess underneath to hold the wheel. There was no lever or cable inside, just a single bolt that you had to push the wheel up and onto then a big plate and a nut to tighten it up against the floor pan. After 12 years though it was beyond salvage due to corrosion so the wheel stayed in the back. Perhaps mine was the ‘Lux’ version
Sounds a great design should you need the spare in an emergency in the rain. Might be mine had a change of design when Merc gave it a very subtle face lift. AFAIK the facelift did a tweak on the front end (barely noticeable), new headlight design and a better engine.
Im gonna buy some snazzy new allows. Must be genuine merc ones and 16 inch Any ideas? Seems to be quite a lot of options
