No, not in any way you would ever notice. A spare tire cover is a few square feet of fabric mounted at the back of your Jeep or Bronco, not the front, and it does not add meaningful weight or sit anywhere near the airflow that actually moves the needle on mileage. The bigger factors, tire size, lift height, and how you drive, dwarf anything a tire cover does.
Does a Tire Cover Add Enough Weight to Matter?
A Jeep Decal Store tire cover is a single layer of polyester-nylon weave with a printed graphic, roughly the weight of a beach towel. Set that next to a four-door Wrangler or a Bronco that already tips the scales in the thousands of pounds before you load a cooler and recovery gear in the back, and the difference disappears entirely. Your engine will never register whether the spare is bare or covered.
Does It Change the Aerodynamics?
Here is the honest version of the aero argument: a rear-mounted spare is already sitting out in the open, catching wind, well before you ever put a cover on it. Wranglers and Broncos are not aerodynamic vehicles to begin with. Flat windshields, exposed roll bars, boxy bodies, and a full-size tire hanging off the tailgate all create drag long before a fabric cover enters the picture. A thin layer over a surface already disrupting airflow doesn't introduce a new source of drag; it just changes the texture of a wake that was never smooth to start with. Any real-world effect on drag is too small to separate from wind, road grade, and temperature on any given drive, which is why we won't hand you a made-up fuel economy percentage. Nobody can measure that number on a fabric cover.
So What Actually Changes Your Mileage?
If your fuel economy has shifted since you bought your Jeep, look here first, because these are the factors that actually move the number:
- Tire size. Bigger, heavier, more aggressive-tread tires take more energy to turn on all four corners, every mile.
- Lift height. A taller ride height increases frontal area and changes airflow under and around the whole vehicle, not just at the back.
- Roof racks and rooftop tents. These sit in clean airflow above the windshield and create far more drag than anything mounted behind the rear bumper.
- Doors and top off. Counterintuitively, this often hurts mileage rather than helping it, since it opens the cabin up to more turbulence.
- Tire pressure and driving style. Underinflated tires and heavy highway speeds cost more mpg than any accessory you bolt on.
A tire cover does not belong on that list. It doesn't fall into the same category as the changes above.
Will a Tire Cover Block My Backup Camera?
Only if you order the wrong version. If your Jeep or Bronco has a factory or aftermarket backup camera mounted on the spare tire carrier, a standard cover with no opening will completely block the lens. That is why every design at Jeep Decal Store, including the Bigfoot Across America Spare Tire Cover, is available with a camera hole option: either a clean cutout, or a 2.95 inch (7.5 cm) elastic opening for cameras without a mounting ring to attach to. Check the center of your spare tire carrier for a small rear-facing lens before you order. If it is there, choose the camera hole version. If it isn't, choose the standard cover. Our tire cover size guide walks through both options and how to measure your mounted tire diameter before ordering.
Does It Affect Handling or Rear Visibility?
No. A tire cover isn't rotating mass; it doesn't touch the drivetrain, and it doesn't change your tire's contact patch or your Jeep's balance in a corner. It has zero effect on handling.
Rear visibility is a separate question, and the honest answer is that a rear-mounted spare already blocks a chunk of your rear window view whether it is covered or not. Drivers with a tailgate-mounted spare rely on mirrors and, if equipped, a backup camera, same as they would with a bare tire sitting there. A cover does not make that better or worse. What it will not do, when it is sized correctly and cinched down with the drawcord and cord lock, is flap, shift, or work itself loose at highway speed. A properly fitted cover stays still and stays put, which is really the only driving impact question worth asking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a tire cover reduce my gas mileage?
Not in any way you could measure at the pump. It is too light and mounted too far back to register against normal variables like wind, terrain, and how you drive that trip.
Do I need the camera hole version?
Only if your Jeep or Bronco has a factory or aftermarket backup camera mounted on the spare tire carrier. Check the center of the carrier for a lens. If it does, order the camera hole option so the view stays clear.
Does a heavier material, like canvas or vinyl, affect performance more than the fabric option?
Canvas covers weigh more than a polyester nylon weave cover, but even at that heavier weight, the difference still doesn't show up in fuel economy. Where it does matter is day-to-day handling; a heavier material is more work to pull on and off if you take it off for trail runs.
Is it safe to drive at highway speeds with a tire cover installed?
Yes, as long as it is sized to your tire and cinched down properly. A cover that is too loose can shift or flap at speed, which is more of a nuisance than a safety issue, but it is still avoidable. Measure your mounted tire diameter with our size guide before you order, and it is worth reading the four most common tire cover sizing mistakes before you commit to a size.
Bottom line: a spare tire cover won't affect your fuel economy or handling. Order the right size and camera option for your rig, and the only thing you will notice on the road is that your spare finally looks like it belongs there. Browse the full lineup, including custom options like the Design Your Own Custom Personalized Spare Tire Cover, and pick a design that matches your build.
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