Check you tyres!

[NigelHutson]

When we last towed our caravan a couple of weeks ago, at one point I noticed it riding quite roughly, giving quite a "juggly" ride. I stopped and checked that all was well (which it appeared to be), and continued, putting the ride down to the appalling state of our roads. Having the wheels balanced was something that I'd intended doing, but never got around to.
Yesterday, I took the wheels off and went off to our local tyre fitter. When he put the first wheel on the ballancer, I was standing at the side of him, and couldn't believe how mis-shapen the tyre was. It was almost a relief map of the Peak District! On went the second, and whilst not quite as bad as the first, it too was mis-shapen. There's no wonder the caravan wasn't riding smoothly.
Bear in mind that the caravan is not yet two years old: manufactured May 2010 (the tyres were made at the end of 2009), and it is used regularly. If we don't go out for several weeks, I move it so that the tyres are rotated. I also keep a regular check on pressures.
Upon talking to the tyre fitter, he said that he'd had several similar instances so far this year, and the tyres in question were of various makes.
Now I thought that I was doing as much as I can to preserve the tyres, but it seems not. Fortunately it's only cost me a pair of replacements. It could have been much worse.

 

[Gafferbill]

….best practice is to remove the weight from your caravan tyres when you are not using the caravan.
I actually do this…… but I am the first to admit this is a pain to do and for this reason not many owners do.
I use two scissor jacks obtained from a scrap yard for this purpose and have the advantage
that my caravan is stored at home on a block paved base.

 

[AndyC]

A bit of subject but still on tyres I had four new tyres fitted on to rims for my Abby Spectrum a few weeks back just before our first trip of the year, due to time constraints I took the wheels off the van myself and my daughter took them to the fitter in the back of her car, I refitted myself that night and torqued up with torque wrench to correct 86 lb ft, the hand book stated retorque after 20 miles of running, lucky for me on route to site is a nice big layby around the 20 mile mark so I stopped and checked the torque again and hay ho 5 out of the 16 wheel nuts needed about an 8th of a turn to get the wrench to click

. How may of us would have done this if we had had the wheels changed by the fitter? even if you don't have ready access to a torque wrench I would stop after 20 miles and give every nut a "*** up" if you have just had wheels changed and stop at a tyre depot somewhere later and ask them to torque up to correct setting.
If not at least have a copy of "three wheels on my wagon but I keep rolling on" in the CD player

happy towing

 

[Tukums]

Try these, tyre savers, they spread the weight around the bottom of the tyre.