Buying Caravan Tyres

[KeithJ]

Having mainly bought new caravans in the past I have recently bought a second hand one (2009) and want to make sure the tyres are OK. It is currently fitted with Kargomax 185 R14 C tyres which look in good condition but are likely to be at least 5 years old - but I can't see a date on them on the outside walls - is likely to be on the inside?

Assuming they are at least 5 years old I would be happy to change them. Where is the best place? Should I go to a normal car tyre depot (obviously specifying Caravan tyres) or to a caravan dealer. Is it easy to get a better make than Kargomax, eg. Michelin, and how do I know whether tyres offered are correct for a caravan?

Sorry my question is a bit basic, but since I normally do long distance caravanning trips I want to make sure my tyres are safe, and any advice would be welcome

 

[Damian]

If you cannot see the date stamp on the outside wall of the tyre, it will be on the inside, you need to either crawl under the van or take a wheel off to check. It should have a number similar to 2709 for a 2009 tyre made in week 27.
E Tyres do a good range of tyres suitable for a caravan (there is no such animal as a "Caravan" tyre)
Make sure the load rating is the same or higher than those fitted.
If your tyres have a size on the sidewall similar to 175/65/13 and no other number, the load rating is 80.
Other ratings are marked as such, ie 96
Your current tyres are Commercial as indicated by the C in the size marking and are very suitable tyres for the van

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Keith,
Its wise to cautious when it comes to tyres, so full marks for asking the question.Damian has given good advice about the type of tyre to go for.

Several other forum members have discovered mobile tyre fitters on the internet. Surprisingly these fitters can offer a good price for the tyres and they come to your address to fit them, seems like a win win. Just be very clear about what you want them for i.e. a caravan.

 

[Gafferbill]

KeithJ........you may find that your tyres are not an original fit as they are C rated.
You may have a nice surprise and find they are not that old

 

[RayS]

Some of the larger dealers also off to fir at your home (or wherever the van i. You buy on-line so you know exactly which tyres you have bought and then they call you to arrange a fitting appointment. This saves all the trouble of taking the wheels off the van, holding it up while you then take the wheels to a tyre depot, and you can see yourself that the job is done properly. Their service vans should have a balancing machine - a bit extra but well worth it. They will also take and dispose of the old cases again for a fee, but this can be saved if you have any means of legally disposing of the old cases yourself.

I had my previous van tyres changed at home and got a good deal as I had one on the car changed at the same time. To be the extra charge was certainly worth while

 

[RobKnapp2]

Ive used camskill.co.uk in the past for both car and tyres for the van. I have them fitted to the rims by a local independent garage. One of the chaps there is a good friend that also caravans, so had the tools to take care of the Tyron bands, filled them with nitrogen (not entirely sure what this does but he says its good!) and also balanced them. Something I have seen written on forums before though is commercial tyres of the smaller sizes that we fit to our van may have layed up for a while in a warehouse due to lowish demand- ours were only a month old going by the markings on the sidewall, but something to keep in mind maybe? Not sure if there would be much recourse in the event of a tyre already being a significant period old?
Rob

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Rob

Customer is king, :-

There is nothing to stop a purchaser from making the age of a tyre a specific key contract condition and part of the negotiations. If the supplier can't or is not sure about the age of a tyre then they should not enter into the contract.

However, the purchaser has to be sensible about the maximum age, as clearly there is some time to be allowed for the supply chain to get the tyre from the manufacturer (these days usually abroad) to the retailer.

I suspect the cheaper deals may made on the basis that some tyres in stock are of an advanced age, and the lower prices are there to attract buyers.

 

[Sproket]

Keith
Have a look here @ the tyresafe leaflet

When i last changed mine the mobile tyre fitter came to the house & i removed the wheels & then replaced the wheels & made sure that they were torqued up properly after the new tyres were fitted & balanced ....

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Hi Keith I maybe talking through my hat here. I always note Daimens posting and Im sure he had posted the tyre life was extended and not sure it may have gone from 5 years to 7 .If I am wrong somebody will come along and put it right
Sir Roger .

 

[Damian]

You are quite correct that the tyre life was extended to 7 years some time ago now.
However,(and there is always a qualifier) that assumes that the tyre has suffered no damage and is free of bulges, cracks and splits.

As with any tyre of any age, if it is damaged in any way it should be replaced.

 

[TD42]

No matter where you have the tyres fitted, Just be sure that the fitter DOES NOT PLACE THE JACK UNDER THE CHASSIS RAILS. I shout this as just recently I saw a carravanner having new tyres fitted locally at a well known tyre sales group outlet & the fitters had jacked up the van using the side chassis rail instead of placing the jack under the axle . this could cause damage to the chassis & will invalidate any warranty on the chassis

 

[ProfJohnL]

No matter where you have the tyres fitted, Just be sure that the fitter DOES NOT PLACE THE JACK UNDER THE CHASSIS RAILS. I shout this as just recently I saw a carravanner having new tyres fitted locally at a well known tyre sales group outlet & the fitters had jacked up the van using the side chassis rail instead of placing the jack under the axle . this could cause damage to the chassis & will invalidate any warranty on the chassis

If a fitting company were to use the side rail for the jack, they would be legally responsible for any ensuing damage. As a trading company fitting tyres they are expected to have the expertees to be able to lift the vehicle they are working on safely and in accordance with the manufactures recommendations. They cannot absolve themselves for any damage they cause for using the wrong method. If they don't know how to lift a vehicle they should find out before doing so or they should refuse the job.

 

[Raywood]

I found caravan tyres are not quoted on internet sites but found E Tyres very helpful, competitive and they come to you so no trying to manouvre in a tight car parking area.

 

[Damian]

Quote " I found caravan tyres are not quoted on internet sites

That is because there is no such thing as a "Caravan Tyre".

 

[paws]

Like Raywood, I also found E tyres very good. When I needed two new tyres for my caravan they came to my home,. jacked up my van (correctly!) removed the wheels, and then the old tyres and fitted the new ones, using the standard equipment fitted in their Transit type van.

The fitter knew exactly what he was doing, The Tyron bands were no difficulty for him (although there was a small extra charge for the extra time taken in fitting these (I had the Tyron tools ready for him) so the extra charge was minimal. The valves were replaced as a matter of course, the wheels balanced, tyre pressures adjusted correctly and wheels refitted and torqued up (correctly... I was watching carefully!)

All in all it was a first class job, and the tyres were very competitively priced, and with good workshop practice employed I was well satisfied.
Usual disclaimers as I have no connection with E Tyres other than as a satisfied customer.
Regards
paws

 

[otherclive]

I have used Kargomax ST6000 with no problem and I still have a new unused one as my spare. The van's tyres are Firestone Vanhawk which are made by Bridgestone and are basically commercial vehicle tyres. They were cheaper than the ST6000's and I fitted them as they are in size more readily available from tyre outlets in UK and Europe.

 

[Raywood]

Quote " I found caravan tyres are not quoted on internet sites

That is because there is no such thing as a "Caravan Tyre".

True but they are not standard szes and not sure what else they fit. They do seem quite dificult to find.

 

[otherclive]

But for most modern vans there are equivalent tyres in commercial vehicle sizes that can be used. The owner needs to check using one of the comparison websites. In my case I went for Firestone Vanhawks that had the same rolling diameter but were slightly narrower and a slightly higher aspect ratio. If you were to go for tyre that were a larger diameter or wider you would have to check wheelarch/mover clearances.

 

[pmb]

The Tyron bands were no difficulty for him (although there was a small extra charge for the extra time taken in fitting these (I had the Tyron tools ready for him) so the extra charge was minimal.
paws

How much extra did they charge? I need 3 tyres 2 of which have Tyron bands. I notice that my local etyres can now deal with the bands but they couldn't a couple of years ago. There is a mention of £15 on their website but can't work out if this is the extra charge. Hometyre don't cover my postcode and looking on Kwik-fit mobile there are no tyres listed in the size I want.

 

[Raywood]

I could not find the tyres on any of several websites I tried. I am afraid in most cases you have to ring and ask.

 

[Damian]

The £15 charge by ETyres for Tyron bands is an extra for each wheel as it takes much longer to fit tyres with them.
E Tyres are a main distributor/fitter for Tyron bands since last year,