Rubbish is the one thing you don’t want riding inside the car on a camping trip. We’ve had the San Hima spare wheel bag on the back of our Prado for a few months now, over several trips, and it has become where all our camp rubbish goes. The bag is sturdy, it closes up properly at night and it covers the whole spare wheel, which turned out to matter more than we expected.
What’s in the box
It’s a 70 L bag that wraps around a 31 to 35 inch spare tyre and straps on without tools. The main compartment is closed by a flap with metal quick-release buckles, and there’s a zip pocket on the front, two mesh pockets on the sides and a drain eyelet at the bottom. The outer is 1680D polyester with a PVC coating, with a lighter 210D lining inside. Folded up, it’s a flat package of about 1.85 kg.
What we like
- Covers the whole spare wheel
- Stays centred, no sideways drift
- Closes up tight against possums
- Sturdy 1680D polyester
- Keeps the sun off the tyre
- Big 70 L main compartment
What we don’t
- Bulky, overkill on short trips
- Heavy and sticks out when full
- Only fits 31–35 inch tyres
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | San Hima |
| Capacity | 70L |
| Material | 1680D polyesterPVC coating |
| Weight | 1.85 kg |
| Tyre Fit | Fits 31″ to 35″ tyres |
| Features | Front zip pocketSide mesh pocketsDrainage eyelet |
It covers the whole spare wheelCovers the whole wheel
The biggest difference from the Kings spare wheel bag we used before is that the San Hima wraps right around the tyre instead of hanging off two straps over the top. On the Kings bag, those two straps slowly wiggle left or right over a few days of driving, so every now and then you have to pull it back into the middle. The San Hima stays centred because it sits over the whole wheel.
Covering the tyre also keeps the sun off it. On a longer trip the spare sits in direct sun all day, every day, and that’s what slowly ages the rubber. With the San Hima on, only a small strip of tread shows.
How we use it for rubbish
The main compartment does most of the work. A roll of big black garbage bags lives in the bottom of the bag, so at the start of every trip we pull one out, open it up inside and fill it as we go. When it’s full, it comes out in one piece at the next bin. All the waste from the trip rides at the back, outside the car, and none of the smell gets into the cabin.
With 70 L, the main compartment holds far more than the rubbish a couple of people make over a few days. The mesh pockets on both sides get used too: we keep kindling in them, so it stays dry, out of the car and ready for the first fire at camp. Just don’t overdo it: fully loaded, the bag gets heavy and sticks out a bit further behind the car, which can be annoying. Watch it when you reverse.
Closing it up against possumsKeeping possums out
At a lot of campsites, possums come looking for food scraps as soon as it’s dark, and they will have a go at anything that smells like dinner. The San Hima closes up properly: the flap folds over the opening and clips down with two metal quick-release buckles, so there’s no gap for a curious paw. We haven’t had anything get into it overnight.
Build quality
The material is the first thing you notice: thick, stiff 1680D polyester that feels like it will outlast the car. After a few months of trips it shows no wear. Fitting it takes a minute: pull the bag over the spare, run the two straps on the back around the wheel and clip the buckles. The small drain eyelet at the bottom lets any water out.
Which Spare Wheel Bag?
We’ve tested three spare wheel bags. This San Hima is the biggest at 70 litres and the only one that covers the whole tyre; the Bushranger Wheelie Bin is the most rugged, with a stiff base, a divider and buckles, and the Kings Spare Wheel Bag is the lightest and cheapest.
This one San Hima | Most rugged Bushranger | Lightest Kings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | 1680D polyester, PVC coated | 1000D PVC | 400 gsm PVC |
| Capacity | 70 L | 67 L | 48 L |
| Weight | 1.85 kg | 2.3 kg | 1.12 kg |
| Price paid | $85 | $120 | $50 |
| Our score | 8.9 | 9.0 | 9.1 |
Conclusion: San Hima 70L 4WD Spare Wheel Rubbish BagConclusion
The San Hima is a strong, simple way to keep your camp rubbish outside the car. It covers the whole spare wheel, so it stays centred and keeps the sun off the tyre, and it closes up tightly enough to keep possums out overnight. With a roll of garbage bags in the bottom, it’s ready for every trip. If you want the most room and full coverage of the tyre, this is the one we’d pick. At 70 L it’s bulky and more than you need for a short weekend away, it sticks out further when it’s full, and it only fits 31 to 35 inch tyres, so check your spare first.
Our pick if you want the most room and the whole tyre covered.
We’ve used it for a few months of trips with a roll of garbage bags in the bottom, and it stays put where the two-strap Kings bag drifts. At 70 L it’s bulky for short trips, and it only fits 31 to 35 inch tyres.
- 4WD tourers
- Car campers
- Caravanners
Yes. It’s been on the back of our Prado for a few months of trips, keeps all our rubbish outside the car and keeps possums out. Covering the whole tyre is a real bonus.
