Manual tire carrier with travel switch

A tire carrier assembly for storing a spare tire on a vehicle, said tire carrier assembly comprising, in combination:

• a carrier adapted for supporting the spare tire;
• a winch operatively connected to the carrier to raise and lower the carrier between a stowed position wherein the carrier is inaccessible and a deployed position wherein the carrier is accessible;
• a sensor located to be activated when the carrier is in the stowed position;
• a warning indicator operably connected to the sensor so that the warning indicator is activated when the carrier is out of the stowed position and the sensor is not activated;
• wherein the winch includes a flexible member connected to the carrier to raise and lower the carrier;
• a monitoring device adjacent the flexible member to measure tension in the flexible member;
• and
• a control module operably connected to the monitoring device to monitor a tension force level in the flexible member.