Correct tyre pressure?

[GregClaire]

Im wondering if you clever people can help me?

My fiancee & I have recently bought an 1986 ABI marauder 450ct for a great price for the quality of it, Its our first van but im not new to caravaning as my father & sister have had caravans in the past.

The problem i have is that i don't know what pressure to set for the tyres so i was hoping someone could help me.

The tyres fitted are, Bridgestone SF-228, 175R13 89R reinforced.

I know the markings stand for 175 wide Radial 13 inch the next number 89 is the load which is 580kg & the speed rating is 106mph but can't for the life of me find out the pressure for them.

Greg.

 

[rayc]

Greg, try www.tyreline.com/tyreline.htm and select trailer /caravan

There is a table listing pressures for diffent ratings of tyre. the nearest to yours is load index 86 which gives a psi of 36 at maximum speed of 100km/h.{this implies the tyre is not 6 or 8 ply which have higher pressures}.

My past experieence of the weight of your van and the tyre size, which were typical lightweight vans of the 80's, tallies with the 36psi listed.

Ray

 

[GregClaire]

Ok, thankyou.

Greg

 

[gary]

All due respect Ray, much better information given here

http://www.tyresafe.org/data/files/TyreSafeCaravan.pdf

 

[rayc]

Gary, impressive site, thanks for the link. I hope that both you and your good lady enjoy the caravanning life. Beware it can get in the blood.

Ray

 

[gary]

Quote: "Beware it can get in the blood"

I laughed when I read that! quite what blood would that be? I'm drained already and it's not even warm yet!!

Nice guy as he is, I blame that John Wickersham myself?? LOL

 

[GregClaire]

Ok, just looked at that site & all i see is numbers & more numbers.

Can anyone decifer the madness?

Greg.

 

[gary]

Which site Greg?

One other thing and that's the age of your tyres. Good tread is not the only thing to consider with caravan tyres, they rarely wear out but suffer from deterioration due to their age.

It's generally accepted that caravan tyres are changed regardless of apparent condition after 7 years and by close inspection very often before that.

I think both site show where to read the date on a tyre, it's after the letters 'DOT' on the side wall close to the rim. If it's other than xx02 or later then you should consider changing them or at the very least get them inspected.

 

[welderpeter]

Which site Greg?

One other thing and that's the age of your tyres. Good tread is not the only thing to consider with caravan tyres, they rarely wear out but suffer from deterioration due to their age.

It's generally accepted that caravan tyres are changed regardless of apparent condition after 7 years and by close inspection very often before that.

I think both site show where to read the date on a tyre, it's after the letters 'DOT' on the side wall close to the rim. If it's other than xx02 or later then you should consider changing them or at the very least get them inspected.

Hi Greg my van had 175r 13 tyres on and the pressure was 36 psihad new tyres fitted last year 175 r 13 8ply and now run at 45psi.As gary has said check the age of your tyres I checked mine last year and was shocked to find they were dated 1992 had been on the van from new hope this helps Peter.

 

[GregClaire]

Both tyres are identical make & model the only difference being the date codes, one is 064 & the other 074.

Both tyres are in great condition, full tread with no sidewall cracks or marks, no bulges or anything nasty like that, they even look good for pressure.

Greg

 

[rosies]

Hello greg& claire ,

just some info that might help you from etyres website.

Manufacturing dates of caravan tyres

Date of Manufacture is shown on the sidewall of all caravan tyres as part of the DOT (U.S. Department of Transport) code found close to the wheel rim. Example of a code is DOT A87C DEF 699, the final set of three, or four, numbers being the date code. Tyres made between 1990 an 1999 use a three digit code followed by a triangle and indicate the month and year in which the tyre was made (699 being June 1999). From 2000 onward a four digit code is used to show the week and year (0102 being the first week of 2002). A small number of tyres may not have the DOT code but in these cases the date of manufacture may still shown elsewhere on the tyre, for instance if you see as a separate group of letters 4202 that is definitely 42nd week of 2002

STEVE.

 

[GregClaire]

Yeah i saw that on the website, as it says code 699 means june (6) 1999 (99) which really confuses me because my codes are 074 & 064, the codes changed after 2000 to a four digit code so mine recon they were made in no month in 1964 & 1974? As if they were made in 2004 the codes should be 0604 & 0704

Aaahhhhhhhh

Why dont they just put the pressure on the tyres like on my car tyres? It would make things so much easier!!

Greg

 

[rosies]

Looks very much like it Greg , but does it say D O T ?

steve

 

[rosies]

Greg , If you purchase Avon Supervan tyres they have loads in KG & lbs with maximun load pressures , with a number of different sidewall information .

STEVE .

 

[welderpeter]

Hi Greg I had 175r13 tyres on my van tyre pressure was 36psi last year I changed the tyres to 175r13 8 ply and now run at 45psi because as Gary has said in his post the tyres old I think they were dated 1992 and had been on the van from new.

If the tyres are as old as you say they are I would think about changing them as my old tyres looked good but tyre dealer showed me how soft the side walls were hope this helps Peter

 

[gary]

I can understand your confusion with the date code after reading etyres flawed advice? I smiled when I originally read their very convenient example!.

Pre 2000 the date code indeed uses 3 digits and the 'triangle'

However the triangle is on it's side and infact an arrow head?

Now when you read the date code the last digit is the year of the decade and the arrow head depending on if it points toward or away from the digits denotes the decade.

Can't remember now which way the arrow faced in the 90's or if the first two digits are month or week numbers but the dates are either June and July or week 6 and 7 of 94 as their highly unlikely to be 84! and therefore a minimum of 14 years old!!!

Having said that, no arrow head means you've not found the date, given what you say of the condition this may well be the case.

Today I checked a tyre and DOT was followed by three digits but no arrowhead, the four digit 2005 date was just beyond and on it's own, that btw is week 20 of 2005!

 

[GregClaire]

Im going to put 36psi in them, the van is going for a service next week so they will be checked then. As for the dates of them then theres no way in a frozen hell that i believe they are dated 1964 & 1974 as there on relitivly new rims & in what i would call brand newish condition.

All this hastle just for some wind in the rubber!

Greg

 

[christine_374344495]

on the topic of tyres, is the valve the same as a car... in other words, if I was to pop in to Tesco and check my car tyres, can I also check the caravan tyres? using the same airline?

 

[Happy-Lappy]

on the topic of tyres, is the valve the same as a car... in other words, if I was to pop in to Tesco and check my car tyres, can I also check the caravan tyres? using the same airline?

Christine,

Car and Caravan Tyres use the same Presta Valve, this is why most people take a footpump in their toolkit, as they can inflate/check the pressure of the car or van using the same pressure gauge,

best regards, Martin

 

[rosies]

Hello Christine , mountain bikes ,( & some other push bikes ) motorcycles , motorcars , tractors , trailors (including caravans ) and most commercial vehicles use SCHRADER valves to retain compressed air within tyres . So after all that , yes you can check your car and caravan tyres at filling stations including Tesco . STEVE .

 

[Hugh_374356508]

Both tyres are identical make & model the only difference being the date codes, one is 064 & the other 074.

Both tyres are in great condition, full tread with no sidewall cracks or marks, no bulges or anything nasty like that, they even look good for pressure.

Greg

Beware. Even if tread looks good there may be cracking in between the tread. Better safe than sorry. New tyres for a caravan are quite reasonable and you can always haggle over price. I never take the first quote. Just be careful of the load.