How long do tyres last?

[Sam Vimes]

From what I've read here it seems that tyres are expected to last about 5 or 6 years regardless of actual miles done.

My daugher in NZ has a 20 year old Bailey caravan. They've had it for about 10 or 11 years and never changed the tyres. They decided its time to do this, so they went along to a local dealer who said the tyres were about 20 years old and in very good condition. Never the less they changed them.

NZ climate is different from here.

So what's the real story about changing tyres.

 

[otherclive]

I always changed mine at five years, even one of our cars now has minor cracking showing after five years (MoT advisories)/ and that is used most days and the tyres aren’t as loaded or pressured as much as on my last van. So the car will get AS tyres this autumn. But I’ve always been faddish about tyres ever since I bought my first motorbike. Even with the COLC and inflation the cost of two good quality caravan tyres every five years disappears into the fiscal noise.

 

[JTQ]

Direct experience is that the tyres we had with two new vans, these were cracking and on one van both road tyres failed catastrophically, from an unrelated issue within a month of each other at 3 years old.

Experiences with Goodyear I use now and Bridgestone I had used, are on removal to replace at 7 years, inspecting these I could find no physical issue that would have required that action.

Another case IMO, where it can be so often true; "you get what you pay for".

With my direct experience, I will now use only what I and the market deem the better brands, full stop,
I know the dangers of having done otherwise, mega hassle aside I value ourselves too much to penny pinch here.
Clearly not a stance some of the caravan builders share of their end users!

 

[ProfJohnL]

From what I've read here it seems that tyres are expected to last about 5 or 6 years regardless of actual miles done.

My daugher in NZ has a 20 year old Bailey caravan. They've had it for about 10 or 11 years and never changed the tyres. They decided its time to do this, so they went along to a local dealer who said the tyres were about 20 years old and in very good condition. Never the less they changed them.

NZ climate is different from here.

So what's the real story about changing tyres.

Your question does not specify whether its car or caravans that you concerned with.

The basic requirement is that tyres used on a vehicle must be of the correct size and rating for the vehicle and in a roadworthy condition.

Whilst caravans and other trailers are not subject to statutory checks in the UK, we have to assume the criteria used in the MOT for cars would also apply to trailers

MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles Updated:6 February 2023​

This sets out the criteria for compliance with the MOT, most of us are familiar with the minimum tread depth, over 75% of the width of the tread pattern, and absence of bumps and cuts and cracks. Any exposure of the ply or chord's of the tyre is an immediate fail.

Only vehicles that are designed to carry 9 or more passengers have any age limit put on a tyre based on its manufacturing date alone (not the date of first use or milage).
"Tyres over ten years old at the time of test must be failed if they are on:

• any front steered axle
• any rear axle of a minibus with a single wheel fitment."

There is no formal age limit for caravan tyres. However many forum threads on the subject do suggest that caravan tyres do seem to age more quickly than many car tyres, often demonstrating bulges and cracking in the tyre walls necessitating replacement.

There are various hearsay theories as to why caravan tyres suffer in this way, but regardless of the reason, caravan tyres do not age as well as car tyres.

The caravan clubs and the wider industry have issued guidance which AWS service providers tend to abide to and are likely to suggest changing caravan tyres between 5 and 7 years old regardless of the actual wear or visual condition. In practice very few caravanners do enough towing mileage to wear down caravan tyres to the minimum tread depth within the 5 to 7year advisory period

Ultimately, as with the car tyres, compliance with the law requires them to be roadworthy, and it's up to the driver to ensure the tyres are in a roadworthy condition when they are used on the highways. This should be easy enough if good tyre management is used and part of the pre journey checks before each trip.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I've known quite a few delivery drivers who are only to happy to grab used caravan tyres for around a third of the price of new ones.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Thanks for the reply. My post does refer to caravan tyres.

As a point of interest in NZ, cars, caravans and trailers do have to go through an annual Warranty of Fitness, (WOF), which is the NZ equivalent to our MOT. I don't know the details of how the test is performed on caravans but their 20 year old Bailey has always passed.

 

[otherclive]

My point was that even relatively lightly loaded, lower pressure, regularly used car tyres are showing deterioration after five years, so my normal approach of changing caravan tyres at five years is to my mind sensibly founded.

 

[Paullus1959]

From what I've read here it seems that tyres are expected to last about 5 or 6 years regardless of actual miles done.

My daugher in NZ has a 20 year old Bailey caravan. They've had it for about 10 or 11 years and never changed the tyres. They decided its time to do this, so they went along to a local dealer who said the tyres were about 20 years old and in very good condition. Never the less they changed them.

NZ climate is different from here.

So what's the real story about changing tyres.

Sam
I would suggest your daughter contact her insurance company to see what they stipulate about the age of caravan tyres. NZ insurance companies may have a different view than those in the UK. Changing caravan tyres in the UK at five years is not law but merely a recommendation. But, if you were to have a blow-out which resulted in damage to the caravan, the insurance company might possibly deny the claim if the tyres were found to be older than five years old. Any excuse not to pay out as they say.
In July 2020 the maximum life of a tyre on a lorry, coach or bus is ten years. There is no such limit for cars.
This link explains the UK situation but, it does not mention an age limit for caravans specifically.

How Old Can Tyres Be?

Most tyre outfitters will follow the five-year rule but not all; some garages will endorse using a tyre that is older but in good condition subject to a maximum age of around ten years.

www.roundtriptyres.co.uk

 

[Paullus1959]

It seems more and more common for the HA not to pay out for damage caused by potholes nowadays. Certainly without a date, time and photographs of the pothole along with its precise location, I doubt you’ll have much chance of a successful claim.
There is a new saying going around which goes “In Britain we used to drive on the left of the road. These days we drive on what’s left of the road”

 

[Hutch]

It seems more and more common for the HA not to pay out for damage caused by potholes nowadays. Certainly without a date, time and photographs of the pothole along with its precise location, I doubt you’ll have much chance of a successful claim.
There is a new saying going around which goes “In Britain we used to drive on the left of the road. These days we drive on what’s left of the road”

I have taken over the last 2 months to report, to our local council, the location of potholes that are starting, within 1/2 mile from our house with a note stating that if my car fails it's MOT through possible potholes, then I will take action towards the council. I received an Email back acknowledging my letter. Some potholes were filled others have not been, but all have been noted.

 

[otherclive]

Although a bit of a diversion from the OP post, I add that my grandson has now had to have four new tyres on his 5 series as all have been caused by road conditions not penetrating punctures. The tyres are low profile run flats which are very expensive. Fortunately no damage to the alloys.

 

[JTQ]

Although a bit of a diversion from the OP post, I add that my grandson has now had to have four new tyres on his 5 series as all have been caused by road conditions not penetrating punctures. The tyres are low profile run flats which are very expensive. Fortunately no damage to the alloys.

How I wish this "fad" of using as standard build, silly levels of low profile tyres had never happened, given few of us need track level cornering performances from our vehicles.
Way better something that can live with the state of our roads, height of our kerbs, and give a better comfort ride.

Every new car seems to ride that bit harsher that the previous, and even going back years, none had lacked the cornering ability we ever asked of them.

 

[ProfJohnL]

It seems more and more common for the HA not to pay out for damage caused by potholes nowadays. Certainly without a date, time and photographs of the pothole along with its precise location, I doubt you’ll have much chance of a successful claim.
There is a new saying going around which goes “In Britain we used to drive on the left of the road. These days we drive on what’s left of the road”

What does your reference to "HA" refer to please?

 

[otherclive]

What does your reference to "HA" refer to please?

Highways Agency, but its local councils that “own” most of the roads with potholes. But HA doesn’t exist now, it’s Highways England or National Highways depending where you look. We seem to spend far too much time just reinvesting names of organisations. Even Great British Rail has now been ditched.

 

[Paullus1959]

Highways Agency, but its local councils that “own” most of the roads with potholes. But HA doesn’t exist now, it’s Highways England or National Highways depending where you look. We seem to spend far too much time just reinvesting names of organisations. Even Great British Rail has now been ditched.

Sorry, my mistake. I used HA to refer to the Highways Authorities whoever they may be.

But, going back to the OP it should also be noted that the clock starts on a tyres life from the date of manufacture, as stamped on the sidewall of the tyre, and not the actual date of fitting.
So, it's definitely worth checking the date stamp on "new" caravan tyres as they may have been on the shelf for months. Not a problem generally for road vehicles which would wear the tyres out before they come of age but not so with a caravans and trailers which cover relatively low mileages by comparrison.

 

[Buckman]

From what I've read here it seems that tyres are expected to last about 5 or 6 years regardless of actual miles done.

My daugher in NZ has a 20 year old Bailey caravan. They've had it for about 10 or 11 years and never changed the tyres. They decided its time to do this, so they went along to a local dealer who said the tyres were about 20 years old and in very good condition. Never the less they changed them.

NZ climate is different from here.

So what's the real story about changing tyres.

If taking climate into consideration, tyres in the UK should have a much longer lifespan.

 

[Buckman]

Direct experience is that the tyres we had with two new vans, these were cracking and on one van both road tyres failed catastrophically, from an unrelated issue within a month of each other at 3 years old.

It could be that the tyres fitted are the cheapest budget tyres on the market? Although our caravan tyres are going to 6 years they are showing no signs of deterioration so why change them. When it is time to change them, we would be looking at a mid range tyre of a known brand.

There is no legislation regarding age of tyres so any insurance company trying to avoid paying a claim on that basis would be in serious hot water as the legislation would apply to all vehicles and not just trailers.

 

[Beachball]

We usually changed our caravan tyres every five years and they would have been changed at the annual service .

 

[Buckman]

We usually changed our caravan tyres every five years and they would have been changed at the annual service .

I wish you had been our customer when I was working. 😂😂

 

[JTQ]

Sorry, my mistake. I used HA to refer to the Highways Authorities whoever they may be.

But, going back to the OP it should also be noted that the clock starts on a tyres life from the date of manufacture, as stamped on the sidewall of the tyre, and not the actual date of fitting.
So, it's definitely worth checking the date stamp on "new" caravan tyres as they may have been on the shelf for months. Not a problem generally for road vehicles which would wear the tyres out before they come of age but not so with a caravans and trailers which cover relatively low mileages by comparison.

However here in the UK at least "new" tyres can be 5 years old LINK, potentially a bit of a challenge for those focused on changing after 3 or even 5 years, and not the best deal with just two years in use for those that change as the CMC recommend 7 years.

I simply make it a requirement that on buying replacement tyres they must be no longer than 6 months old.
The dealer can take the order or not, but in decades I have not yet found one who did not want to do business, thus it seems that request is readily achieved.

It could be that the tyres fitted are the cheapest budget tyres on the market? Although our caravan tyres are going to 6 years they are showing no signs of deterioration so why change them. When it is time to change them, we would be looking at a mid range tyre of a known brand.

In 2005 these three year old tyres were deemed a "substandard batch" and I was "given" the trade price back for all three, just £17 each; a Slovakian made brand fully EU certified, for all the real value that proved to infer

What spun out of this was the absolute massive mark up there is in tyres, for someone in the loop, no wonder insisting on 6 month old tyres still has resulted in a wish to trade.

 

[Paullus1959]

If taking climate into consideration, tyres in the UK should have a much longer lifespan.

I have just been trying to find the origin of this 5 year rule and it appears that it may have come from the Caravan Club before it rebranded itself to the Caravan and Motorhome Club. They made a recommendation that tyres should be changed ideally at five years and certainly no longer than seven years. They also said that consideration should be given to replacing tyres with inflation pressures above 50psi after three years and no later than five years. But, it is just that, a recommendation, yet some insurance companies have set it in stone as a hard and fast rule.
The point is, this isn't law. Providing the tyres on a caravan or trailer are in overall good condition they could remain in service for up to ten years. However, should a blowout occur causing damage to the caravan or the caravan is involved in a collision and it is fitted with tyres over five years old, the insurance company may not pay out.

Caravan tyres and wheels

Caravan wheels may look similar to car ones, but they are usually specially made for caravan use.

www.caravanclub.co.uk

 

[otherclive]

I tended to buy from internet suppliers who have a quick turnover and my last two purchases were Hankook Vantra LT which are popular with WVM and both orders were within 3 months from DoM.

I sometimes use a recycling Center adjacent to the Cooper Avon in Melksham. There they had large high storage racks outside with new tyres in them. 🤔

 

[JTQ]

I sometimes use a recycling Center adjacent to the Cooper Avon in Melksham. There they had large high storage racks outside with new tyres in them. 🤔

In my technical dealings with the somewhat related belt drive makers the "killer issue" re life was identified as "ozone exposure".

The inter tread mode of cracking I have seen in early tyre failures, rather implies there that UV exposure the often-mentioned suspect was not the main player.

 

[Buckman]

However, should a blowout occur causing damage to the caravan or the caravan is involved in a collision and it is fitted with tyres over five years old, the insurance company may not pay out.

Caravan tyres and wheels

Caravan wheels may look similar to car ones, but they are usually specially made for caravan use.

www.caravanclub.co.uk

I don't think any insurance company could avoid a payout even if the tyres were 20 years old and in reasonably good condition and would pass a MOT check.

 

[Sam Vimes]

I spoke to my daughter about insurance aspects relating to tyres. There doesn't appear to be any specific details other than the caravan must be 'roadworthy' although its unclear what this actually means.

In respect of the Warranty of Fitness both for cars and caravans, relating to tyres, the details seem to focus mostly on tyre tread and pressure and is a little vague on condition although this is checked. Markings on the tyres are checked by no mention about date checking.

NZ is pretty laid back about things like this. As a point of interest Car Insurance is not compulsory.

A couple of tyre manufacturers I came across indicate a life span of 10 years.