Caravan



Due to the great range of tyres available - and the real benefit of fully mobile fitting, each year we change countless caravan tyres at our customers' properties and at storage areas throughout the region.

We are familiar and equipped with all the necessary tools and experience to remove and replace tyron bands.

What could be worse than planning every detail of a holiday or long weekend - only to spend several hours on the roadside due to a tyre failure?


And yet every year throughout the season, you don’t have to travel too far to come across a distressed holidaymaker on the hard shoulder..


And there’s a very good reason for this as well! It’s fair to say that it is almost unheard of to replace tyres on a caravan that have worn to their legal tread limit. Most ‘vans never cover the sort of mileage required to wear a tyre out.


So what’s the problem?

  • Regardless of its use or mileage, a tyre has a lifespan. Even a tyre never driven on will deteriorate over time. Natural aging of the composite materials that form a tyre occur from day one. It is widely recommended that a caravan tyre should be replaced at 5 years old.


'It should go without saying that tyres which are damaged or worn to the legal minimum tread depth must be replaced immediately. However, tyres which are visually OK, and which have seen little or even no use are also recommended to be replaced when they reach a few years of age. As a general rule (and following guidance issued by the tyre makers’ trade body, the British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association, it’s advised that caravan tyres should ideally be replaced when 5 years old, and should never be used when more than 7 years old. This advice is borne out by the Club’s own research into caravan tyre failures, which confirms that the likelihood of a tyre problem increases after such age. Our research further suggests that tyres which need a high inflation pressure (say 50psi or more) require greater care still. Such tyres should be closely examined for signs of deterioration from 3 years old, and it would be strongly advised not to use them beyond 5 years old. It is not the case that all tyres over these ages will rapidly fail. However, the statistical likelihood of a problem occurring increases noticeably with age. Given the disruption to your holiday that a tyre failure could cause (let alone the risk involved), it’s strongly recommended that you follow this guidance.

Since tyres deteriorate with age even when not in use (unless kept under very strictly controlled conditions of temperature, humidity, light level etc), it is usually necessary to consider a tyre's age from the date it was made, and not from when it was bought or fitted to the caravan.

Source:- The Caravan Club. Click here for complete pdf download. (Opens in new window)

 

Did you know you could age your tyre to the week and year of manufacture?


The marking is found on the sidewall, and denoted by either 3 numbers if manufactured before the year 2000, or four numbers for tyres manufactured post 2000.




Where 34 denotes the week of manufacture, and 9 represents 1999. Thus the tyre was produced on the 34 th week of year 1999




Where 16 denotes the week of manufacture and 04 represents 2004.


A caravan spends the majority of its life static. During periods of storage it can remain in one spot for many months.
During this time, several things happen.

  • Firstly, the tyres will naturally deflate a little (or completely). The steel banding within the tyre may form a ‘memory’ of this position – causing the tyre to become out of shape and distorted.
  • Your tyres are prone to accelerated aging if left uncovered and exposed to the elements. Ultra-violet light and exposure to low – level ozone will cause the exposed sections to ‘dry out’, become hardened and split.

You have to look closely but the damage may already be there.



Check your tyres carefully before any planned journeys - including the spare, and check all of the pressures.





In order to maximise the life of your tyres, Hometyre recommends the following tips for caravan (& trailer) owners: -


  • During periods of inactivity, remove the wheels from the vehicle and store in a cool dry place. If this is not possible or practical, raise both of the wheel/tyre assemblies from the ground completely and cover with waterproof/breathable material.
  • Check the tyre pressures regularly – paying close attention to the valve assembly for any signs of perishing or leaks.

                       

Not sure what size or specification you require?    

Tube type or tubeless? Car or light commercial spec? Tyron band equipped? 
                                                 

Give us a call 0800 783 93 10 or send an email enquiry now