Tyres with Tyron bands

[Shaino]

Hi All,

Has anyone used tyres with Tyron bands? They are advertised on the kwik-fit site. Just wondering if it is worth considering?

Thanks

 

[Buckman]

Hi All,

Has anyone used tyres with Tyron bands? They are advertised on the kwik-fit site. Just wondering if it is worth considering?

Thanks

We had them on our first caravan way back in 2004, but have not bothered with them since. If tyres need to be changed in the future Kwik Fit charge you an extra £40.

 

[otherclive]

Never thought of fitting them and despite extensive searches I haven’t found any definitive information to support their claimed performance. Since Tyron were introduced tyre and wheel technology have moved on such that tyres coming off wheels are very rare events. I would rather have a caravan TPMS system that will warn if potential impending problems before you get to the stage where the tyre destructs.

 

[Dustydog]

Many Forumites have searched the Holy Grail for years.
There is no demonstrable evidence they are worth having.
I’m with Clive. Get a good TPMS.

 

[Paullus1959]

They came fitted as standard on my caravan.
Check with your insurance company to see if they give a worthwhile discount for them.
As otherclive says, consider a Tyre Pressure Monitoring system (TPMS) which will alert you if a tyre has a problem which should negate the need for the bands anyway.
I have both options but, would choose the TPMS if I had to choose one.
Also, tyre fitters hate Tyron Bands and often charge more to change a tyre on a wheel with the bands fitted because it adds significant time and effort to do the tyre change.

 

[ProfJohnL]

There are certain types of application where being able to retain control of a vehicle when someone shoots the tyre may warrant having the bands fitted, but in most of the developed world caravanners rarely need to dodge snippers.

Add to the fact that if the bands were as effective as the manufacturer claims, ask yourself why isn't there legislation to have them fitted as an essential safety device to all vehicles.

By the time a band might make a difference when a tyre deflates, it's basically too late to save the tyre, where as having a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) gives you a lot more warning and a real chance of stopping before an underinflated tyre is damaged.

There is no harm in having them fitted except to your wallet, and added difficulties when it's time for a tyre change.

 

[Mr Plodd]

There are certain types of application where being able to retain control of a vehicle when someone shoots the tyre may warrant having the bands fitted, but in most of the developed world caravanners rarely need to dodge snippers.

Add to the fact that if the bands were as effective as the manufacturer claims, ask yourself why isn't there legislation to have them fitted as an essential safety device to all vehicles.

By the time a band might make a difference when a tyre deflates, it's basically too late to save the tyre, where as having a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) gives you a lot more warning and a real chance of stopping before an underinflated tyre is damaged.

There is no harm in having them fitted except to your wallet, and added difficulties when it's time for a tyre change.

Couldn't put it better myself!!
I wouldn't consider a caravan with some form of TPMS (or ATC for that matter) TPMS can give you advanced warning of an impending problem, Tyron bands might be of assistance, but not until long after any TPMS alert
The benefit of Tyron bands is, to my view, very marginal.
Having said that it's your money to spend as you wish.

 

[RogerL]

Modern caravans use wheels with a safety ledge which prevents the tyre bead dropping into the central well - a better solution to the same problem that Tyrons are trying to fix.

 

[Mel]

We had Tyrons on our first van. All well and good until you need a new tyre, then you have to go with Kwik Fit or find another fitter that will deal with them which at that time was not at all easy.
Mel

 

[Hutch]

I have Tyron bands on my van, but will be removing them when I change the tyres this year as I have the Tyre pal, tmps fitted.

Not all tyre fitters have the kit to be able to remove the Tyron Bands when you change the tyres, I took over two years to get the portable kit which you would need if the tyre requires replacing.
Kwik fit only have the kits in a few sites.
The kits have been unavailable for years.

Tyron Portable Fitting Machine TR3040

If you have Tyron Bands fitted to your Caravan, Motorhome or any other vehicle then this Tyron Portable Fitting Machine enable you to have your Tyron Bands fitted and removed easily by tyre fitters anywhere in the world.

www.gaslowdirect.com

 

[JTQ]

I have Tyron bands on my van, but will be removing them when I change the tyres this year as I have the Tyre pal, tmps fitted.

So will mine, but the reason is the inability of nearly every operative I have used to reinstall them correctly, "balanced".
It's far from a matter of fitting them but the need to fit them correctly, a tedious time consuming task.

I have had to redo it myself, but now I no longer have access to the kit or will-power to do so. Plus, those who know about fitting them gets thinner on the ground, finding anyone to do it is becoming a struggle. So the time has come, they are not going back.

As others have IMO very rightly pointed out, TPMS for caravans has removed the likelihood they are going to be called in to do their function.
We now can know there is a slow puncture leading to running under inflated and consequential overheating till the carcase gives up, a false "blow-out"

 

[Buckman]

As others have IMO very rightly pointed out, TPMS for caravans has removed the likelihood they are going to be called in to do their function.
We now can know there is a slow puncture leading to running under inflated and consequential overheating till the carcase gives up, a false "blow-out"

Just to be different! We were on a campsite in France and had set up the previous day. All of a sudden there was a huge bang like a gunshot close by. Everyone came out of their caravans to have a look around. A bit foolish if there was someone with gun. LOL! I didn't see anything and went back inside.

A little later I went to do the water on the offside and then noticed that one of the tyres was flat as it had exploded. Luckily we have a ram in that area which is why we never felt the caravan lurch.

The TPMS that we used on the way to the campsite never showed any signs of a tyre being low in pressure and the tyre was less than a year old. On examination the tyre had a split on the side wall that was about 6 or more inches long. It was the cheap budget tyre fitted to the caravan when new.

No idea why after a day on site it decided to explode? It was morning so not overly hot and tyres were at the correct pressure prior to setting up.

 

[JTQ]

Just to be different!

Not sure why you're claiming to be "different"?

I would not have expected the TPMS to have given any warning once you had been on site for a several hours, in the middle of the night with the towcar off and most TPMS therefore also asleep.

A cracking up tyre structure would not necessarily have given any loss of pressure, all a TPMS is able to detect, until the air retaining integrity of the tyre was lost, here no doubt the "bang".

 

[Lutz]

Not even the manufacturer has ever provided verifiable evidence that under otherwise identical conditions one would be better off with Tyron bands than without.

 

[Buckman]

Not sure why you're claiming to be "different"?

I would not have expected the TPMS to have given any warning once you had been on site for a several hours, in the middle of the night with the towcar off and most TPMS therefore also asleep.

A cracking up tyre structure would not necessarily have given any loss of pressure, all a TPMS is able to detect, until the air retaining integrity of the tyre was lost, here no doubt the "bang".

Apologies the point I was making is that we were not in travel mode so obviously no warning and also when least expected.

As I did not want to travel without a spare after that incident, we had to purchase another tyre in France and the only one available in that size and load rating was Michelin! Ouch!

 

[Beachball]

On our last caravan it had tyron brands but when you have a puncture or a blow out we would need a breakdown service to help me to change it to a spare tyre.

 

[JTQ]

On our last caravan it had tyron brands but when you have a puncture or a blow out we would need a breakdown service to help me to change it to a spare tyre.

Tyron bands or not there are numerous on road situations with a failed tyre I would seek assistance, unaided simply too dangerous traffic wise to do it myself.
Some places abroad it is even a legal requirement on particular roads.

 

[ProfJohnL]

The fact is, modern caravan rims already have a bead retaining ridges so fitting a wheel band of any make will be of little if any use.

Neither tyre band or TPMS are likely to detect or prevent an exploding tyre when the caravan has been set up on site for several hours.

If Tyre bands were the best thing since sliced bread, there would be more than just a few manufacturers (I was aware of only two). They would be standard on all cars.

I'd love to know why people who extol the desire to have them fitted to their caravans why they don't feel it's also necessary also have them fitted to their cars?

 

[Buckman]

I'd love to know why people who extol the desire to have them fitted to their caravans why they don't feel it's also necessary also have them fitted to their cars?

Probably because in car you would feel that you have a puncture, but on a trailer you probably would not know of it?

 

[Lutz]

Probably because in car you would feel that you have a puncture, but on a trailer you probably would not know of it?

But Tyron bands wouldn't tell you more or warn you earlier that you've had a puncture on the caravan, either.

 

[JTQ]

But Tyron bands wouldn't tell you more or warn you earlier that you've had a puncture on the caravan, either.

I don't think anyone is saying Tyron Bands actually "tell" you , or "warn" you, they are simply passive devices.

Surely, the point was that because in a car the even half savvy driver would sense an underinflated wheel before there was any need for the likes of Tyron bands?
With caravans we know tyres can become very distressed running under inflated, before most drivers come aware, evidenced by quite a lot running till they break up.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I don't think anyone is saying Tyron Bands actually "tell" you , or "warn" you, they are simply passive devices.

That is correct, and as far as I know, there was never any suggestion to the contrary from the manufacturer.

Surely, the point was that because in a car the even half savvy driver would sense an underinflated wheel before there was any need for the likes of Tyron bands?

I can't agree with you here. As cars have developed they have had a lot of the dynamic sensations transmitted through the vehicle damped to the point where very few drivers would be able to reliably detect a partial deflation of one or more tyres on the car.

With caravans we know tyres can become very distressed running under inflated, before most drivers come aware, evidenced by quite a lot running till they break up.

This follows on to a large extent from the point above, and your correct there is a lack of feedback through the bodywork that would warn most drivers about under inflated trailer wheels.

In all the above cases tyre bands won't stop a caterophic tyre failure, but at the same time with modern wheel rim forms tyres don't tend to drop into the wheel well, so the tyre band is effectively redundant.

TPMS in various guises is a far more effective system and it can detect early signs of tyre deflation and thus prevent catastrophic tyre failures.

 

[Buckman]

But Tyron bands wouldn't tell you more or warn you earlier that you've had a puncture on the caravan, either.

Please read my answer again as think you have misunderstood it. I was referring to neither having Tyron bands.

 

[Lutz]

Please read my answer again as think you have misunderstood it. I was referring to neither having Tyron bands.

Your post was in reply to ProfJohnL's statement that he couldn’t understand why people fit Tyron bands to their caravans, but not to their cars, so I presumed that your post was relevant to the virtues of Tyron bands at least on caravans, but which I was trying to point out that they don’t exist.

 

[Beachball]

Tyron bands or not there are numerous on road situations with a failed tyre I would seek assistance, unaided simply too dangerous traffic wise to do it myself.
Some places abroad it is even a legal requirement on particular roads.

The information previously provided was from our last van, we no longer tow due to health issues so speaking from our own forty years of enjoyable adventures in our caravans