Hi. I wonder how many people are aware that the "caravan club" recommend that tyres should be changed after 5 years. I started researching van wheels ( Rim & tyres) in order to buy a spare wheel having traveled without one for a few trips and not feeling happy about it.
I quote:
When to Replace Caravan Tyres
It should go without saying that tyres which are damaged or worn to the legal minimum tread depth must be replaced immediately. However, tyres which are visually OK, and which have seen little or even no use are also recommended to be replaced when they reach a few years of age. As a general rule (and following guidance issued by the tyre makers‟ trade body, the British Tyre Manufacturers‟ Association, it is advised that caravan tyres should ideally be replaced when 5 years old, and should never be used when more than 7 years old. This advice is borne out by the Club‟s own research into caravan tyre failures, which confirms that the likelihood of a tyre problem increases after such age. Our research further suggests that tyres which need a high inflation pressure (say 50psi or more) require greater care still. Such tyres should be closely examined for signs of deterioration from 3 years old, and it would be strongly advised not to use them beyond 5 years old. It is not the case that all tyres over these ages will rapidly fail. However, the statistical likelihood of a
problem occurring increases noticeably with age. Given the disruption to your holiday that a tyre failure could cause (let alone the risk involved), it is strongly recommended that you follow this guidance.
So my tyres were manufactured in 2005, what a shock I got, I will be replacing them before my next trip.
Details about tyres: Checking your Caravan tyres
You can check how old your caravan tyre or tyres are yourself. The information you need is found on the sidewall, and denoted by either 3 numbers if manufactured before 2000, or four numbers after 2000. For example:
349
Where 34 denotes the week of manufacture and 9 represents the year - 1999.
This tyre was manufactured in the 34th week of 1999.
2107
Where 21 denotes the week of manufacture and 07 represents the year - 2007,
meaning this tyre was made in the 21st week of 2007.
If your tyres are older than 5 years old, you should consider replacing them!
185R14 (where only two numbers are shown)
Are known as having a 'standard profile' (sidewall height) of 80. Please input this detail when using the website for a tyre quote.
Rim 5.5 J ( If you need a new rim, best to get the info from the handbook or inspect the rim itself, it should be stamped somewhere on the rim.)
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/1022844/caravan-tyres-and-wheels-mo.pdf
I quote:
When to Replace Caravan Tyres
It should go without saying that tyres which are damaged or worn to the legal minimum tread depth must be replaced immediately. However, tyres which are visually OK, and which have seen little or even no use are also recommended to be replaced when they reach a few years of age. As a general rule (and following guidance issued by the tyre makers‟ trade body, the British Tyre Manufacturers‟ Association, it is advised that caravan tyres should ideally be replaced when 5 years old, and should never be used when more than 7 years old. This advice is borne out by the Club‟s own research into caravan tyre failures, which confirms that the likelihood of a tyre problem increases after such age. Our research further suggests that tyres which need a high inflation pressure (say 50psi or more) require greater care still. Such tyres should be closely examined for signs of deterioration from 3 years old, and it would be strongly advised not to use them beyond 5 years old. It is not the case that all tyres over these ages will rapidly fail. However, the statistical likelihood of a
problem occurring increases noticeably with age. Given the disruption to your holiday that a tyre failure could cause (let alone the risk involved), it is strongly recommended that you follow this guidance.
So my tyres were manufactured in 2005, what a shock I got, I will be replacing them before my next trip.
Details about tyres: Checking your Caravan tyres
You can check how old your caravan tyre or tyres are yourself. The information you need is found on the sidewall, and denoted by either 3 numbers if manufactured before 2000, or four numbers after 2000. For example:
349
Where 34 denotes the week of manufacture and 9 represents the year - 1999.
This tyre was manufactured in the 34th week of 1999.
2107
Where 21 denotes the week of manufacture and 07 represents the year - 2007,
meaning this tyre was made in the 21st week of 2007.
If your tyres are older than 5 years old, you should consider replacing them!
185R14 (where only two numbers are shown)
Are known as having a 'standard profile' (sidewall height) of 80. Please input this detail when using the website for a tyre quote.
Rim 5.5 J ( If you need a new rim, best to get the info from the handbook or inspect the rim itself, it should be stamped somewhere on the rim.)
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/1022844/caravan-tyres-and-wheels-mo.pdf