And again I can't see the reason to specify or change a caravan tyre to a more expensive model. Provided the tyres are in good condition and with the possible exception to winter tyres, I do not see any reason to think that a more expensive caravan tyre will provide any real difference to caravan grip or handling. Anyway tyres can be easily changed by the caravan dealer.
I can never get my head around people who insist on having tyre bands on caravans but don't have them on their cars, and the same argument would apply to run flats.
And again I can't see the reason to specify or change a caravan tyre to a more expensive model. Provided the tyres are in good condition and with the possible exception to winter tyres, I do not see any reason to think that a more expensive caravan tyre will provide any real difference to caravan grip or handling. Anyway tyres can be easily changed by the caravan dealer.
In Germany, a speed limit of 80km/h applies if tyres are older than 6 years.
There are tyre supply companies out there that are little more than agents and a marketing outlet. They procure their design of tyre from any number of small makers who will have been the lowest bidder and probably have a barely recognisable approach to quality. Yes some tyres marketed by the front company will have been tested in order for the design to be marked with the relevant ECE marks but these sort of companies don’t compare to established recognised brands.In recent posts two of us have stated that our Lunars we’re supplied new with sub standard tyres. Also another person said they were, but did not say the make. This tiny sample may of course not be indicative of the industry as a whole. But, having tyres that were condemned after just two years came as a bit of a shock to me. The extra expense incurred is one aspect but more concerning is the possible safety aspect.
Tyres are supposed to be made to minimum standards to be sold in Europe. I think they get categorised as, load, speed, noise, road holding. Don’t think that longevity is on the list.
John
Really odd that where reportedly the county's BRV deems 5 year old stock "new tyres", so these okay at 100km/h for their first year only in use.
LINK
Your experience is unusual, and probably exceptional as most caravanners only need to change tyres due to puncture damage or age related deterioration rather than running out of tread. If a tyre has a life expectancy of 40K miles and it is run for 20k each year then yes it will need replacing in about two years, but most caravanners do will rarely do more than about towing miles 1500miles, (Yes I know there will be exceptions to this) which means they tyres will age expire before it is worn down.In recent posts two of us have stated that our Lunars we’re supplied new with sub standard tyres. Also another person said they were, but did not say the make. This tiny sample may of course not be indicative of the industry as a whole. But, having tyres that were condemned after just two years came as a bit of a shock to me. The extra expense incurred is one aspect but more concerning is the possible safety aspect.
Tyres are supposed to be made to minimum standards to be sold in Europe. I think they get categorised as, load, speed, noise, road holding. Don’t think that longevity is on the list.
John
There are tyre supply companies out there that are little more than agents and a marketing outlet. They procure their design of tyre from any number of small makers who will have been the lowest bidder and probably have a barely recognisable approach to quality. Yes some tyres marketed by the front company will have been tested in order for the design to be marked with the relevant ECE marks but these sort of companies don’t compare to established recognised brands.
Your experience is unusual, and probably exceptional as most caravanners only need to change tyres due to puncture damage or age related deterioration rather than running out of tread. If a tyre has a life expectancy of 40K miles and it is run for 20k each year then yes it will need replacing in about two years, but most caravanners do will rarely do more than about towing miles 1500miles, (Yes I know there will be exceptions to this) which means they tyres will age expire before it is worn down.
All tyres sold lawfully in the UK must meet a number of specific standards.
Note that where a standard is required it actually only represents the minimum technical capability a product should have, not an average or maximum. Consequently a word in this context like "Substandard" has a specific meaning that the item did not meet the required standard, and therefore should not have been sold.
If that is genuinely the case then you should have dealt with your seller under the CRA.
To be able to specify the make of tyre when ordering a caravan is, to my mind, unrealistic. The car industry doesn't (options are normally related only to wheel size and design) so why should one expect the caravan industry to do so?
Tyres are supposed to be made to minimum standards to be sold in Europe. I think they get categorised as, load, speed, noise, road holding. Don’t think that longevity is on the list.
Agree, but in general the car industry make a safety and selling point of the choice of tyre fitted as new and recommended for their vehicle.
Caravaners get Hobson's choice more often than not.
John
Longevity is normally measured by tread life - tyres (or tires) sold in North America include treadwear rating as part of the Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) standards - some tyres sold in Europe retain these markings but many are omitted - for most caravanners, treadwear life is irrelevant if the tyres are changed based on time.
I think that for the purpose of this thread we should leave the tyre brand question aside now because it's not the big issue. I think that axle ratings and equipment issues are really what the OP was primarily what he was getting at when he asked whether caravan manufacturers should offer more factory fitted options and we should concentrate on that.
Maybe I should have said offered more options as it is the consumer that is paying the extra. Big difference between extra wiring for something that is going to be obsolete in the coming years and fitting an axle with a larger payload.The use of "should" sits very oddly here in my mind, it by definition brings some degree of "obligation" being forced on caravan builders.
Fine having obligations in respect to all things legally required, health and hazard related, but as said odd in making options such as extra wiring for an after market satellite dome being forced on caravan makers.
I disagree, having several options for a given feature means the quantities for any one option will be less than the total caravans made, this can impact the economies of scale and thus push up the parts cost. Also given the quantities the quantities of caravans manufactured is not really large scale compared to the car industry, it unlikely the caravan manufacturers are exploring the lowest price for optional components already so the differences will be more significant.In this day and age of just-in-time delivery to the point of assembly, the ability to offer options does not increase production costs in any way. Components can be supplied to the manufacturer in line sequence so there is no need increase warehouse area for extra stock. It is a win-win situation really. The customer gets what he wants and factory-fitted options are known to be best possible source for high profit margins.
I disagree, having several options for a given feature means the quantities for any one option will be less than the total caravans made, this can impact the economies of scale and thus push up the parts cost. Also given the quantities the quantities of caravans manufactured is not really large scale compared to the car industry, it unlikely the caravan manufacturers are exploring the lowest price for optional components already so the differences will be more significant.
But my biggest concern relates to the capability of the caravan manufacturers we have, to manage a system where virtually each caravan produced would have detailed differences.
I was referring primarily to production costs, which should be unaffected by a greater choice of factory fitted options, not to component cost which admittedly could increase slightly due to lower volumes.
Proper quality management according to ISO 9001 requires documentation of the complete bill of material for each caravan built, so maintaining control of factory fitted options should not be an issue.