Can I put Car Tyres on my Caravan?

A question we get frequently asked… "Can I put car tyres on my Caravan?"

The answer is, maybe!

Caravans are typically supplied new with commercial tyres, although these may be the same size as car tyres they have stronger side walls as caravans have to be capable of carrying additional weight and for long periods of their life they are stationary.

This means they are bearing weight through a couple of points in the tyre side wall, over time this will weaken the wall. To put this into perspective, imagine you had to carry a heavy bag around on one part of your shoulder for an entire day… your shoulder would grow more and more tired from the pressure as the day went by. This is the same principle as your tyres, if they are supporting such a heavy weight on a certain spot they will begin to get tired.

The way tyres are designed is to be used, not just to stand still. Rubber is a natural product and will decay over time when it is subjected to heat and cold, dry and damp conditions.

Back to car tyres… as I said above the answer is "maybe". If you have a twin axle caravan you are more likely to be able to use car tyres because the weight is spread across two axles and 4 wheels as opposed to one axle and 2 wheels.

Therefore it is important to always check:

1. What tyres are currently installed on your caravan
2. What your manufacturer recommendation is for that particular caravan

If you are in doubt call a member of our team, we have been working with caravans for many years and will be able to answer any questions you have about the correct tyres for your caravan.

0800 783 9310