Good tyres for Van 1650 MTMLP

Nov 4, 2020
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Hi all - I hope your all well .
Ok I need to change my tyres soon as they are nearly 5 yo - I have Vanhawk on at the moment but they are pricey - good tyres but are there any out there better value - now just for info I tow many miles just done a 1000 mile return - over the summer 3k in total - any ideas thanks in advance 🙏
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Hi all - I hope your all well .
Ok I need to change my tyres soon as they are nearly 5 yo - I have Vanhawk on at the moment but they are pricey - good tyres but are there any out there better value - now just for info I tow many miles just done a 1000 mile return - over the summer 3k in total - any ideas thanks in advance 🙏
I had Vanhawk and they were good. Another one I had was the GT Radial ST6000 Kargomax. These are specifically made for trailers and have a inner layer more resistant to air leakage when static for longer periods. There’s a lower load type ST4000 too.
My last caravan I used Hankook Vantra LT a tyre designed for light trucks and WVM.

By “better value” I assume that you mean cheap. With all my vehicles including my bike I always buy well known tyre brands mid range to premium. With only two tyres on the van cutting costs in the bits in contact with the road isn’t my approach. I buy what I feel confident with.

Although you have towed 3000 miles this summer which is more than most, it’s still well within the performance if any tyre, budget or premium, as it’s still only 15000 miles in five years if you continue at that rate. Non steering tyres without much braking compared to the car will last you for your five years.
 
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Nov 4, 2020
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So I am pricing it up and yes I agree it’s important to have good tyres but I wondered anyones experiences of other brands - the spare thank goodness has not been used but I will still swap it out
 
Nov 16, 2015
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I am with, OC, I fitted Hankook Vantras, about ÂŁ75 each, a no brainer with an expensive van, you are not going to wear them out.
A few years ago I would do between 1000 miles to 3000 miles every 12 weeks,.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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I am with, OC, I fitted Hankook Vantras, about ÂŁ75 each, a no brainer with an expensive van, you are not going to wear them out.
A few years ago I would do between 1000 miles to 3000 miles every 12 weeks,.
To be honest, I have never seen a caravan tyre that had worn out in under 5 years (unless there had been a tracking or brake problem. The worst I have seen is on TA's where usually one axle suffers more scrubbing than the other when going round corners, but the difference in wear was usually minimal.

Despite that its still sensible to aware of ageing.
 
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Oct 8, 2006
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Avon AV12 van tyres look to be good tyres at good prices but DO NOT BUY THEM. Avon specifically state that they are not suitable for caravan use.
 
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Jul 8, 2020
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Are your tyres actually needing changed , i believe the new recommendations now state 7 yrs unless any defects. My twin axle tyres are now 7 yrs and no defects but i will change the before i start next season.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Are your tyres actually needing changed , i believe the new recommendations now state 7 yrs unless any defects. My twin axle tyres are now 7 yrs and no defects but i will change the before i start next season.
The CMHC say between 5 but no longer than 7 years. It’s a personal thing and on single axles I’ve always erred on the side of five years. My last two Hankooks cost £150 for two, fitted and balanced in April 2021. For five years life works out at £15 per wheel per year. Peanuts in the overall costs of the hobby.
 
Jan 31, 2018
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I am firmly of the ' buy the best' tyre in terms of cars. They can save your life. Hadfronts on a car I bought and the lack of grip made me change them asap. On a caravan however grip isn't an issue is it? With 60 the max and no one going to exceed corner grip of any EU approved tyre or aquaplaning since the car would go first due width, I won't be seeking a premium tyre when we change. Or am I wrong? I think budget should be fine.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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I would think that with the standard very budget tyre supplied on new caravans that their lifespan would be short i.e. 5 years however a quality tyre should last at least 8 years or maybe longer. If no signs of cracks or deterioration why change?
 
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I would think that with the standard very budget tyre supplied on new caravans that their lifespan would be short i.e. 5 years however a quality tyre should last at least 8 years or maybe longer. If no signs of cracks or deterioration why change?
Why? What evidence do you have to support your supposition, which at 8 years or longer goes against long-standing and current advice?
 
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I think you are spot on, let's be honest these caravans all come out the factory new with budget tyres fitted.
My Sprite came out of Swift with Hankook Vantra LT tyres fitted which had a 10% margin over MTPLM. But I don’t know what are fitted currently to new caravans.
 
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My Sprite came out of Swift with Hankook Vantra LT tyres fitted which had a 10% margin over MTPLM. But I don’t know what are fitted currently to new caravans.
My swift came out the factory with budgets on as most vans i have looked at are the same.

As i said previously my budgets are on their 7th year and are still perfect looking, plenty tread and no cracking .

I will replace with a slightly better set next year but not knocking budget at all.
 
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Ern

May 23, 2021
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I am quite cautious about tyres on my car and caravan and believe that regular and thorough inspections are essential. The advice from the clubs is ridiculous though because tyres do not age at a predictable rate.
Has anyone got any statistical evidence to show that tyres of a certain age on caravans or cars are involved in more accidents? Are there any statistics to relate caravan accidents with defective tyres? Are there any statistics at all - for anything to do with caravans?
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Why not? Many cars have tyres that are older than 8 years.
What bearing does that have on a caravan tyre. Car tyres are regular moved, have a far lighter load ratio than a caravan, and if they have been on for that long I suspect they are only used for short, local trips not on 60 mph runs on M ways and trunk roads running at near maximum load.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I am quite cautious about tyres on my car and caravan and believe that regular and thorough inspections are essential. The advice from the clubs is ridiculous though because tyres do not age at a predictable rate.
Has anyone got any statistical evidence to show that tyres of a certain age on caravans or cars are involved in more accidents? Are there any statistics to relate caravan accidents with defective tyres? Are there any statistics at all - for anything to do with caravans?
So what advice should the Clubs give? Whilst inspecting tyres is always good practice even the best inspection cannot discern possible deterioration with the internal structure or reinforcing until perhaps some external deterioration appears. By then it could be too late if you are on a 400 mile long haul at 55-60mph and even TPMS may not catch it in time.. With tyres I always excise caution, since I had 60mph catastrophic blow out on my first caravan.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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What bearing does that have on a caravan tyre. Car tyres are regular moved, have a far lighter load ratio than a caravan, and if they have been on for that long I suspect they are only used for short, local trips not on 60 mph runs on M ways and trunk roads running at near maximum load.
Actually i was referring to the normal spare tyres which hardly ever move. My previous 4x4 Toyota had a Bridgestone spare wheel which was mounted on the rear and not covered. It was exposed to the elements for over 13 years and looked as good as new.
Although good practice to change the budget caravan tyres at about 5 years, if they are still in good condition, why bother? If the caravan is fitted with premium or mid range tyres, I would then think that their life span would increase.
If you use your caravan all year round, then there is hardly any difference in tyre life between the tyre whether on a vehicle or a trailer. I would think that if the trailer were serviced annually, the service technician should notify the consumer if there is deterioration of the tyre walls etc.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Actually i was referring to the normal spare tyres which hardly ever move. My previous 4x4 Toyota had a Bridgestone spare wheel which was mounted on the rear and not covered. It was exposed to the elements for over 13 years and looked as good as new.
Although good practice to change the budget caravan tyres at about 5 years, if they are still in good condition, why bother? If the caravan is fitted with premium or mid range tyres, I would then think that their life span would increase.
If you use your caravan all year round, then there is hardly any difference in tyre life between the tyre whether on a vehicle or a trailer. I would think that if the trailer were serviced annually, the service technician should notify the consumer if there is deterioration of the tyre walls etc.
Well now that we are on car spare tyres I guess that no one changes their space saver and many probably don't even check its pressure periodically . But since its shut away from the sunlight and under no load it should be okay for use within its recommendations which is 50 mph maximum speed. re my caravan spare I would change it at 7 years max if not used, or I knew its history.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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Well now that we are on car spare tyres I guess that no one changes their space saver and many probably don't even check its pressure periodically . But since its shut away from the sunlight and under no load it should be okay for use within its recommendations which is 50 mph maximum speed. re my caravan spare I would change it at 7 years max if not used, or I knew its history.
Come to think of it when we collected our brand new Lunar Delta in 2012, the tyres were already over 2 years old. Same thing when we bought a brand new caravan in 2005. When we bought new in 2016 the tyres were already a year old. Our current caravan the tyres were only a couple of months old. I am sure that similar happens with other brands of new caravans.
 
Jan 31, 2018
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From experience budget or big name-luck of the draw how long they last-had two sets of Bridgestones crack well before worn-and our current set are perfect at 8 years old on our car. Had GT champiros that lasted really well-and Falkens-both budget or mid tyres.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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I am firmly of the ' buy the best' tyre in terms of cars. They can save your life. Hadfronts on a car I bought and the lack of grip made me change them asap. On a caravan however grip isn't an issue is it? With 60 the max and no one going to exceed corner grip of any EU approved tyre or aquaplaning since the car would go first due width, I won't be seeking a premium tyre when we change. Or am I wrong? I think budget should be fine.
I agree, the tyres don't experience hard acceleration, or braking, but especially on an SA they may experience greater weight transfer from sided to side when cornering, but again the speeds are likely to be lower than solo cars. I don't think there is any great advantage if any going for an expensive tyre for a trailer.
 
Jun 16, 2020
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The killer of tyres is the sun. I once had a deal on 4 brand new Michelin tyres and alloy rims held in store by a main Peugeot dealer for 5 years. From caution I asked for advice off Michelin. Who said the will be fine to use as long as they were kept out of the sun.

The tyres supplied with my van as new and dated 2015. Failed on the 3rd service

I have been looking for tyre shade protectors. The elasticated ones I tried will not fit between the tyre and the wheel arch so unusable. Recently I found a solution. I purchased a sheet of floor protector, cut it oversize to the wheel. It fits in nicely between wheel and arch and is secured with a couple of bricks on the ground. Easy, light and cheap.

John
 

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