Caravan tyres

[otherclive]

My caravan CoC was issued in April 2013, but the Hankook tyres are November 2011 as I suspect the economic circumstances at the time affected sales and supply chains. They are good spec Hankooks with 6mm tread depth left. But having 60psi inflation pressure and the caravan load over two wheel they are completely different to how my car tyres are used. So today's job is to install my side lift jack brackets and then have all three tyres replaced. For around £240 I can have Bridgestone with the added assurance that if I should get a puncture or damaged tyre the spare will be suitable for continued use until replaced along with the undamaged road wheel on life grounds. I wouldn't have a punctured 60psi tyre repaired other than as a temporary requirement for it to be used as a spare for the duration of my trip.

Just for info there are company's that do make specific trailer tyres which are clearly embossed with the required warning "Trailer Use Only". I have previously had GT Radial Kargo ST6000 and Kenda Kargo Pro on caravans and found them to be okay. But they don't make them in my current caravan's size so it going to be Hankook or Bridgestone. R14C tyres.

 

[mandrake1]

i take in what you say ,the tires that are on now have to go i doubt i would be comfortable towing on them .the ones i have had offered are from a know source ,a neighbour that has them they are on wheels that he has taken off hi van ,after having alloys fitted ,but the rims are different to my van .
as for part worns i dont have a mistrust of them at all ,i have used them on most cars ive had over many many years without any problems ,the only problem ive had with tires were from a new pair i had fitted quite a few years ago on a car ,one of those decided it would go bang not long after fitting mind you it was not the best of name if i remember . i when having part worn fitted always go for pirelli tires if i cannot get them then good year i know that caravan tires do take some hammer in there life more than cars can
i also take in your comments about kwik fit and agree i was a motor mechanic years ago fully trained and took my exams up to the national institute level . and also worked as a tire fitter for a uniroyal outlet but i hated the on call to punctures on wagons and the travelling to building sites repairing jcb and the likes tires anyway thanks for the reply

 

[ProfJohnL]

With no disrespect intended, but just because you know someone doesn't mean they haven't damaged the tyres. most of us have curbed a tyre at some point in our driving lives, and unless the tyre is Professionaly inspected you can't be certain f how much damage may have occurred.
I would be as suspicious of his tyres as any from a secondhand tyre dealer.

But ultimately its your caravan and your choice.

 

[Raywood]

We did keep the same tyres on our Coachman for the ten years we had it and had no problem but that was before the current advice came in. The tyres on our Avondale showed signs of cracking after six years which was when we first became of the advice. I am not sure if the difference was down to the storage as the Coachman was kept on s narrow drive with the house to the South and a high wall tothe North and so the tyres were protected from the sun and elements, the Avondale was on a more open storage site.
Basically at best it does seem that after six years you do need to check the tyres thoroughly and decide if you want to risk using them further. The safe answer is change them.
I would not risk part worn tyres, you simply do not know what has happened to them even if you trust the person selling them.

 

[emmerson]

We did keep the same tyres on our Coachman for the ten years we had it and had no problem but that was before the current advice came in. The tyres on our Avondale showed signs of cracking after six years which was when we first became of the advice. I am not sure if the difference was down to the storage as the Coachman was kept on s narrow drive with the house to the South and a high wall tothe North and so the tyres were protected from the sun and elements, the Avondale was on a more open storage site.
Basically at best it does seem that after six years you do need to check the tyres thoroughly and decide if you want to risk using them further. The safe answer is change them.
I would not risk part worn tyres, you simply do not know what has happened to them even if you trust the person selling them.

This question of part-worn tyres - have you thought that every time you buy a used car (or caravan), you buy part - worn tyres? What's the difference?

 

[mandrake1]

i do thank you for your answer ,and take in your comment . basically i was asking for peoples thoughts/opinion on the changing of the tires ,we all discus things before making our minds up i believe .but in the end i do suppose its down to my experience realy which is wide , the wife and myself lived full time in a motor home off grid wilding for two years in it covered the whole coastline of the uk and many other places ,so fantastic a life experience i would never have missed anyway another story .we all discus options thats what makes us what we are in the end , and thats why we have forums ultimately . two new budget tires will cost me what 80 quid or there abouts 8 quid a year nothing realy a couple of bottles of good Scotlands finest . little cost to say they will hopefully last the van out and probably me and my towing life out , anyway thanks for all your comments ,its new ones on tomorrow and the old ones can become swings for the grand kids . i aint having some sly boy of a tire fitter flog two good looking tires off for a few quid i could do that myself . anyway off on the first jaunt out this weekend wife myself and the grand kids only a local cl site ,but theres a good club on site and the beach is only over the road . gonna be a good laugh putting the awning up first time hmy: :woohoo: :woohoo:

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hi Emerson,
You make a very valid point. But getting back to the specific point of buying secondhand tyres, I've often wondered why there are so many s/h tyres available. I personally don't know of any one who will use sat of tyres and get rid of them before their virtually worn out, and certainly not fit to be resold.

So where do they come from, and whe did the previous owner get rid of them?

 

[camel]

A lot of part worn tyres come from an insurance write-off and I suppose if a car is being scrapped off come the tyres,

 

[otherclive]

Well the tyres have arrived at a local supplier, and at £69 per tyre fitted and balanced I will be a more relaxed tow-er. I bought them from a small outlet who have recently been taken over by an independent local garage who we have used for years. He quoted me a straight off better price than any on-line supplier for Hankook Vantra LT RA 18 which were the OEM tyres supplied by Swift when the van was made. When I said that whilst I was buying three tyres but would bring two along first, he immediately knew they were for a caravan. So said that if I could wait until Saturday I could bring the caravan round and he would fit them at the workshop. So I am now on my 10th tyre purchase since September 2016, only four more to go when the Forester gets down to 3mm in a month or two's time. Ouch!

 

[Grahamh]

I always buy my tyres(tho not yet for the caravan) online then pay my local garage to fit and balance them. Loads cheaper for a mid range tyre - my Kia has Hancook as standard. The last one's I bought were shipped from Germany and were still ££'s cheaper than local. Fitting etc is usually £10 per.

 

[mandrake1]

many come from europe ,there legal limits are stricter than ours so i belive and yes many may be from right offs here in the uk thousands of those about now ,part worn tires are under stricter rules nowadays and are pressure checked and wall or tread damage rejected . the ones i buy for the car usually are good names not your Chinese cheap names ,but then again many top end named things are probably made there or somewhere like that .bmw do have cars made in china . the tires usually have 5 or so mm left ,about 20 quid fitted and balanced ,a big saving realy on a tire that new would probably cost double . but i suppose its peoples own choice ,me ive never had ant trouble with my tires i have two good years on my Alhambra now part worns 20 quid a chuck and they were put on not long after i got it 18 months since a couple or so mill left there seven years old .

 

[otherclive]

I always buy my tyres(tho not yet for the caravan) online then pay my local garage to fit and balance them. Loads cheaper for a mid range tyre - my Kia has Hancook as standard. The last one's I bought were shipped from Germany and were still ££'s cheaper than local. Fitting etc is usually £10 per.

I too have had tyres shipped in from Germany and Holland but after spending time yesterday looking at various internet suppliers I got my best deal locally. What I have noticed with some of the European suppliers like Tyreleader and Pneus Online is that some tyres can be 12 moths old at the time of purchase. The place that I have bought these Hankooks from has told me that he won't accept any older than 6 months for caravans, but wouldn't have an issue if they were older and being used for a light truck/courier application where they would be worn out within 6-12 months anyway.

With the rise of internet suppliers I have noticed that local suppliers have become more competitive. Often when I have an internet price I contact local suppliers and ask them what is their price. They invariably ask if I have a price already, so I tell them. In most cases they can match that price or get so close to be irrelevant. So they get the business and get the profit from tyres and fitting. Which supports our local businesses.

 

[Grahamh]

The last time I bought part worn tyres was for my Hilman Imp! I was at Tech College and hard up - that hasn't changed much. There was a place near the college that advertised part worn tyres so I took myself over there during the lunch break and bought 4, fitted on the spot. Spent the rst of the day smiling at at the bargain I had got myself. Came out of tech at 7pm to find 4 flat tyres! Not such a bargain:-(

 

[KeefySher]

When I first started work I had a Vauxhall Viva HB with cross ply tyres. As they wore out a colleague who had a Lotus Elite used to take the worn tyres and have them retreaded from a supplier, Kentredder that were primarily lorry remoulds, but did a staff deal!! Happy days

 

[mandrake1]

ah well sense and safety has ruled ,two new tires will be fitted in the morning . 86 quid for two from e tires fitted and balanced at home for me ,saves me taking them off travelling to a tire fitting bay ,then bringing them back and fitting them myself .not bad realy considering they will be ok and probably last the van out and my towing days . at least i will feel better in my mind not worrying if the ones that were on decide to blow at 60 mph with the wife and grand kids in the car ,and probably destroying the van as well . i will be keeping the spare thats on now as a thorough check shows its totaly unused been kept in a bag on the wheel rack under the van ,and on checking its age seems to be 5 years old .

i will be keeping the old ones as a neighbour has a trailer and wants them .his tires are well narquared there worth a few beer tokens to me

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

and probably last the van out and my towing days .

It is recommended to replace caravan tyres every 5 to 7 years. Is your future towing days less than 7 years then?

 

[mandrake1]

and probably last the van out and my towing days .

It is recommended to replace caravan tyres every 5 to 7 years. Is your future towing days less than 7 years then?

in 7 years time i will be 72 ,i doubt i will be wanting to rag a caravan up and down the queens highway ,or get pitched up on a camp site at that age ,ive arthritis in the knees and back now and it can make me pay dearly now man handling the van ,i could get a motor mover though that would help .
plus the van its nigh on 20 years old now so mabey it will be a garden shed in some back garden or allotment by then

 

[TimM]

Depends too on the tyre. We had an Abbey with Matador tyres where the tread delaminated at 3 years but no signs of cracking. They were outside the date when Matador had their "problem" but they did replace them for us. A Coachman we had had from new had Maxmilers on it which cracked badly after 18 months in spite of never having seen much decent bright sunlight in that time. We have used Hancooks now on different caravans which so far have been very good. What I am saying is there are huge variations in quality and durability. It pays to inspect regularly and thoroughly even before 5 years.

 

[Hutch]

The tyres on my Coachman are Hankooks, and will be five years old towards the end of year, I will replace them then, but do I go for All weather tyres next as we tow all year round and if we go to Germany, or Switzerland anytime from October to April , I will need them.

 

[Woodentop]

The tyres on my Coachman are Hankooks, and will be five years old towards the end of year, I will replace them then, but do I go for All weather tyres next as we tow all year round and if we go to Germany, or Switzerland anytime from October to April , I will need them.

There is little point in spending money on all-weather tyres for a caravan - you wouldn't bother putting M&S tyres on it so why all weather. The tug is a different matter!

Anyway you have a bigger problem if you go to Switzerland in the snow - it is mandatory to have snow tyres on your vehicle when there is snow on the road, so where would you put/carry the four spare wheels with snow tyres on them?

 

[Hutch]

Wooden top, I am changing my SFe's tyres to Nokien Weatherproof very soon, you have been to Switzland on Summer tyres but have to have Snow chains on certain alpine roads, as in Certain areas of Alpine France. , as if you cause a tail back you can be prosicuted, in Germany you, require snow tyres. Just thinking of when touring in snow the All weather tyres on the van will be safer. And yes I would put M +S tyres on.

 

[otherclive]

My caravan is fitted with Hankook Vantra LT R18 tyres which are M&S rated so would be legal to use on a propelled vehicle in Germany during winter conditions. The Subaru has Yokohama G91F which are also M&S rated. But would I use these tyres on a car in central european winter conditions? Probably not although they would be legal in Germany as winter conditions are not as strictly defined as in some Nordic countries. Some website do say winter tyres are compulsory in Germany, but they are not. I use the website shown in the link, where I have copied some of the information below:

Is there an obligation to fit winter tyres in Germany?

The statutory provisions on the obligation to fit winter tyres In Germany were updated in 2010. There is now a so-called ‘situational winter tyre obligation’.

This means that the obligation to run a vehicle on winter tyres does not apply with reference to a particular date, but instead depends on the weather conditions.

The winter tyre obligation applies in winter conditions including ice and black ice, frost, snow and slush.

In such weather conditions only tyres which have the sign ‘M + S’ (mud and snow tyres) on the side wall may be used. Winter tyres and all-season tyres with this symbol are acceptable. Many of these tyres also display a symbol of a three-peaked mountain with an inset snow flake.

https://www.wbs-law.de/eng/road-traffic-law-eng/law-winter-tyres-germany-48118/
For better performance in winter a tyre with the snowflake/peaks symbol is required, although even here in UK you can get All Season tyres with that symbol, and some don't have it, but whilst they are targeted at the more temperate winter conditions in UK, areas of France Low Countries etc they would not be suitable for really cold climates like the Nordic countries.

My wife's car has had all seasons with snowflake for some years and the current ones are Michelin Cross Climates, but like the post above I will shortly be fitting Nokian Weatherproof to the Subaru. My son has had them on his Freelander 2 and he lives in Wales and spends time in central Wales and he has found them to be very good, particularly in wet fields and mud. Although in nearly 18 months he has not seen any really serious snow. That too has been our experience on All Seasons, they must act like some form of snow diverter!

 

[otherclive]

The new Hankooks LT R18 Vantra tyres have been fitted and looking a their manufacture date they are only 12 weeks old, which barring unforeseen events should take me to the time when I qualify for a free TV licence, so should be able to use that saving to fund the replacement set of tyres :lol:

 

[jamestaylor18]

We got our van last July, and the tyre age was 6yrs, I decided the get the season out of them & get them changed before the new season. Obviously, I checked them for cracks and damage before I decided to run them until the end of the year.

They have now been changed, and the mobile fitter commented on what good condition the tyres are still in, and it seems a shame to change them, but we both agreed, you can't put a price on safety!

Anyway, I decided to have two tyres and the spare changed. Turns out, the spare was in fact the original and dated 2004! This also had some rubbing marks on it, where its been rubbing on the tyre holder under the van, so if i had of needed it, it probably wouldn't of been in a very fit state to use!

Lesson learn't? Periodically check the spare! For me, it would be easiest to check while on a pitch to be honest, as you can access it easier!