Always turn the gas off before you go!

Mar 14, 2005
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Ever wondered why you should turn the gas off whilst towing?

A couple of weeks ago, I was on my way to Skye. I'd decided to check the tyre pressures. They should have been 65 psi, but there was only about 50 psi in both of them. I'd not checked them for some time, even though I've been towing a lot recently.

On the fast straight dual carriageway of the A801 near Bathgate, heading for the A9, I felt a vibration. For a split second, I thought it was the road surface, but it looked smooth. The vibration got worse- I immediately realised it was coming from the van, and suspecting the jockey wheel had descended, I stopped the rig. I had been doing 56mph.

When I got out, there was a cloud of blue smoke and the smell of burning rubber. There was debris behind me for about 400 feet. The offside tyre had burst, ripping it apart.

A nice man going the other way saw what had happened, and came back to help. He had twin electrics, so I assumed he is a 'vanner- if he's reading this, then thanks for trying to help. A young man in a van stopped as well, but by this time, the RAC were on the way.

The nice man from the RAC changed the wheel, and advised me to put some air in at the next garage. He also tried to source a replacement tyre, even ringing a friend in Fort William, but as it was a Sunday, he didn't have much luck. He also suggested that the low pressure may have damaged the tyre, and increasing it had accelerated the damage.

When I got to the garage, I checked the underside of the van. There a horrible site awaited me- the mudflap had been ripped off, taking a chunk about 1'-0" in diameter out of the floor, exposing the insulation. The drain pipes had carried away. Inside the van, the floor in the toilet had come up, and the sink drain had come off. I decided to abandon my holiday.

When I took it for the estimate, the repairer said I was very lucky. He checked the wheelbox, and the tyre had started to cut through that. In front of the wheelbox is the cooker, and had I driven on for a bit longer, the tyre fragments would have begun to cut into it- he said he's seen fridges and cookers cut in half in incidents like this.

There are gas pipes associated with both these items- they would have been cut through, and if the gas had been on, a spark would have ignited the escaping gas, and I would have been towing a blazing stump! So always turn your gas off!

The repairs have cost just short of £1000, not including another tyre at £40. But worse to come- the repair guy noticed the other tyre had bellied out- it would have burst catastrophically like the other one. I might not have been so lucky the next time.

Strangely enough, I'd had signs there was trouble, but had not interpreted properly;-

1. Whilst in a queue on the motorway, the van seemed to be wobbling whilst going slowly- I assumed it was the road surface.

2. I had to push the van at one point, and heard a noise from the wheel- I assumed it was just brake shoe noise.

3. I've had trouble getting the wheel clamp on- assuming it was soft ground.

What lessons have I learnt? Well, I'll be checking the tyre pressures from now on, and looking for distortion in the tread. I'll always turn the gas off!!
 
Mar 17, 2007
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Hello Scouser,

A frightening story - glad you were unhurt. Does anyone know the formula for tyre pressures? I think, at one stage, someone posted a sort of table. My problem is that after just 4 years from new, the tyres on my van, supplied by Swift Group, started to crack. Swift told me that they were non - reinforced ordinairy radial tyres ( I was a little surprised!) and in the book it put the pressure setting at 36 psi. I changed these for re inforced 195/70 Bridgestones - but no one can tell me the correct pressure to run them at. Van MTPLM is 1200kg.
 
Nov 4, 2004
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I wonder how many people do travel with the gas on?

Its just an accident waiting to happen if anything goes wrong,gas pipes run underneath the van what if one got damaged during towing?
 
May 13, 2006
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Hi Rod,

My van, an Elddis Hurricane with a laden weight of 1100kg., had Supervan 175 tyres running at 51PSI. Don't know if that will help!

Rob S.
 
Nov 7, 2005
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Rod, you say...My problem is that after just 4 years from new, the tyres on my van started to crack...

Best advice is that the useful life of caravan tyres is no more than five years. Unlike on a car, the tread is unlikely to wear out, the problem is usually cracking and bulging...and as the van tyres are arguably the most important safety feature on your entire outfit it's best not to take risks with them for the sake of a hundred quid.

Scouser's experience is salutary. He's right to warn against travelling with gas connected, but I'm sure he would be the first to admit that the root cause of his near-disaster was the condition of his tyres.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if his remaining tyre had a bulge in it, the one that let him down probably did as well...
 
Mar 17, 2007
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Hello Colin,

I do not really understand your reply. I DID check the tyres, and that is precisely why I changed them. My question had nothing to do with whether to change them or not. I clearly have done so - I am asking about tyre pressure.
 
Mar 4, 2006
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Hello Scouser,

A frightening story - glad you were unhurt. Does anyone know the formula for tyre pressures? I think, at one stage, someone posted a sort of table. My problem is that after just 4 years from new, the tyres on my van, supplied by Swift Group, started to crack. Swift told me that they were non - reinforced ordinairy radial tyres ( I was a little surprised!) and in the book it put the pressure setting at 36 psi. I changed these for re inforced 195/70 Bridgestones - but no one can tell me the correct pressure to run them at. Van MTPLM is 1200kg.
Rod,

This is the formula I read on a forum and inserted my details to suit my 'van, hope it is OK for you

Caravan weight x max tyre pressure / Max tyre load x number of wheels = tyre pressure

Avondale Mayfair 470/2

Unladen

Max tyre press = 65psi

Max tyre load = 630Kg

MIRO = 971Kg

(971 X 65) / (630 X 2) = 50 psi

Fully laden

Max tyre press = 65psi

Max tyre load = 630Kg

MTPLM = 1140Kg

(1140 X 65) / (630 X 2) = 59 psi

For a twin axle caravan using the same tyres the formula becomes:-

Twin axle so 4 tyres

Max tyre press = 65psi

Max tyre load = 600Kg

MTPLM = 1600Kg

1600kg x 65psi/(600kg x 4) = 43.33psi

These are just examples and you will need to insert the max tyre pressure, and max tyre load (shown on your caravan tyres) and the actual weight of your caravan to find the correct tyre pressure for your caravan. Since this formula is a simple ratio then the units of measurement used, will remain the same throughout, and you can mix metric (Kg) with imperial (psi).
 
Nov 7, 2005
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Hello Colin,

I do not really understand your reply. I DID check the tyres, and that is precisely why I changed them. My question had nothing to do with whether to change them or not. I clearly have done so - I am asking about tyre pressure.
sorry rod, i got the impression you were surprised the tyres should start to crack after four years...

(..after just 4 years from new, the tyres on my van started to crack...)

i merely tried to make the point that at four years, the tyres were indeed near the end of their life, and obviously you did absolutely the right thing to change them!

best regards...
 
Aug 4, 2004
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I don't think that any one can be so foolhardy as to tow with the gas on. Would be interesting to know if any one does this or has done this.
 
Feb 17, 2007
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Caravans and similar are pulled in and the drivers asked if the gas is disconnected before entering the Tyne Tunnel - and others - for this reason. It also makes sense to disconnect gas on ferry car decks.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Hello Scouser,

A frightening story - glad you were unhurt. Does anyone know the formula for tyre pressures? I think, at one stage, someone posted a sort of table. My problem is that after just 4 years from new, the tyres on my van, supplied by Swift Group, started to crack. Swift told me that they were non - reinforced ordinairy radial tyres ( I was a little surprised!) and in the book it put the pressure setting at 36 psi. I changed these for re inforced 195/70 Bridgestones - but no one can tell me the correct pressure to run them at. Van MTPLM is 1200kg.
Rod- the tyre pressure is embossed on the tyre sidewall, near the rim, and a good tyre fitter will have fitted it near the valve!

scouser
 
Mar 14, 2005
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We always turn the gas off at the bottle when leaving any site, or home. Never travel with the valve in the open position. Like you say, it's an accident waiting to happen.

What a horrendous bit of bad luck. glad you are OK though.
 
Jul 18, 2006
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I always turn off the gas at the regulator AND disconnect it to be sure.

If you haven't turned off the gas can you be sure you remembered to turn of the gas on the fridge (eg is it lit) and as you are not allowed to have a naked flame on a filling station forecourt becuase of the danger.

This is not implying that anyone has done this, just a hypothetical situation.
 
Mar 17, 2007
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Rod- the tyre pressure is embossed on the tyre sidewall, near the rim, and a good tyre fitter will have fitted it near the valve!

scouser
Hello Scouser,

I do not think the tyre pressure can be embossed into the sidewalls, as the same tyre can be subject to different requirements.ie. on my car the same tyres are fitted front and rear, but the pressure requirements are different.
 

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