I need to replace the van tyres as they are now 9 years old and I am confused about which brand to buy. We bought the van (2003 Swift Celest max 1400kg) last year and noticed that the tyres needed changing but decided to wait for the new season. It has Hankooks fitted which are presumably original and I am tempted to replace with the same. They seem fine after 9 years but I know there have been bad reports in the past on here so I have looked for other brands and have been offered GT Radial Maxmiler 8 ply which I understand are a good budget tyre and Falken 8 ply which are a mid range tyre. The Hankooks are marked 8 P.R. but also tread-2 steel 2polyester and sidewall-2 polyester which is 6 by my maths so how does that work! All 3 brands have the same load rating and all are within £5 in price if I shop around so how do I choose?!!!! Jim.
Tyres
- Thread starter JandP
- Start date
If you want to go into Europe then you may find that the insurers will expect the tyres to be no more than 5 years old. See the CC website for details. Our second car is on tyres which are 16 years old but itonly does 800 miles/ year locally.
Shop round using Google and if anything go up a grade i.e. 6 ply against 4 or 8 ply against 6. Download the CC leaflet on Tyres which sets out all the options. In general, it is more economical to buy tyres from tyre suppliers rather than through dealers, as dealers have to make their cut and caravan tyres are not a major market - against, say, fleet cars.
Shop round using Google and if anything go up a grade i.e. 6 ply against 4 or 8 ply against 6. Download the CC leaflet on Tyres which sets out all the options. In general, it is more economical to buy tyres from tyre suppliers rather than through dealers, as dealers have to make their cut and caravan tyres are not a major market - against, say, fleet cars.
Tyres used to have 4 6 or 8 plies, however over the years with improved materials etc, plys have reduced, so now although it's still used as a discription of the tyres 'type' the tyre will in reality have less plies.
So now your better to ignor the ply rating and use the load index number to compare and choose a suitable tyre, choose a tyre with a load index number that equals or exceeds the weight of your van with an added 10%, as an extra safety margin, ie, a total of 1540kg in your case
Personally though having had no trouble from them over many years, I'd go fot the GT's
So now your better to ignor the ply rating and use the load index number to compare and choose a suitable tyre, choose a tyre with a load index number that equals or exceeds the weight of your van with an added 10%, as an extra safety margin, ie, a total of 1540kg in your case
Personally though having had no trouble from them over many years, I'd go fot the GT's
The ply rating is only a rating and does not correspend to the actual number of layers.
Although it seems to be general practice to select a tyre with 10% higher load rating than the weight of the caravan needs, an adequate safety margin is actually already included in the load rating. The 10% is therefore a safety margin on top of an existing safety margin and therefore not really necessary. (Car manufacturers do not apply a similar additional safety margin for their cars so why should it be necessary for caravans?).
Although it seems to be general practice to select a tyre with 10% higher load rating than the weight of the caravan needs, an adequate safety margin is actually already included in the load rating. The 10% is therefore a safety margin on top of an existing safety margin and therefore not really necessary. (Car manufacturers do not apply a similar additional safety margin for their cars so why should it be necessary for caravans?).
Quote: Car manufacturers do not apply a similar additional safety margin for their cars so why should it be necessary for caravans?
Your right Lutz's, I took the trouble to have a look at my car tyres and between them they carry 2600kg and up to 186mph! ...hardly then 'a similar additional safety margin' as the car weighs only 1600kg but darn sight more than 10%?
Your right Lutz's, I took the trouble to have a look at my car tyres and between them they carry 2600kg and up to 186mph! ...hardly then 'a similar additional safety margin' as the car weighs only 1600kg but darn sight more than 10%?
The exception proves the rule.
No, on a serious side, I would assume that the tyres that you've got on your car, assuming that they were factory fitted, are probably not the standard base version but optional ones where the manufacturer does not have to be quite as cost conscious. I can assure you that where large volumes are involved, they go as close to the limit as they can.
My 1800kg caravan came with factory-fitted tyres with a 104 load index which is right on the limit.
No, on a serious side, I would assume that the tyres that you've got on your car, assuming that they were factory fitted, are probably not the standard base version but optional ones where the manufacturer does not have to be quite as cost conscious. I can assure you that where large volumes are involved, they go as close to the limit as they can.
My 1800kg caravan came with factory-fitted tyres with a 104 load index which is right on the limit.
Yep my caravan came straight from the factory with tyres rated to 750 kg, the caravan can legally tow 1500kg. now if the caravan have 4 wheels ie a twin axle, would you find the tyres rated to a mere 375kg each?
I believe gary has a mondeo 2.2 tdci, sorry if i am mic=xing up gary's but dont you own a mondeo 2.2 tdci? like myself? indeed my car come fittied with index rated tyres of 91 which is 615kg x 4 makes it 2460kg indeed well above the max 2015kg the car can be.
In thoery it could get away with tyres with a index rating of 70, now go find a set of tyres to match my car that have that rating?
I have never been able to find any on the tyres sizes i need, simply tyres makers dont do them in that size.
So its not a case of car manufacturers building in a safety net in their tyres load index.
PS i have excactly the same tyres fitted to my seat alhambra, which can be 2470kg. +85kg when towing [as the book says]although i believe at some time obviously the tryes were replaced, but never the less are legal.
I believe gary has a mondeo 2.2 tdci, sorry if i am mic=xing up gary's but dont you own a mondeo 2.2 tdci? like myself? indeed my car come fittied with index rated tyres of 91 which is 615kg x 4 makes it 2460kg indeed well above the max 2015kg the car can be.
In thoery it could get away with tyres with a index rating of 70, now go find a set of tyres to match my car that have that rating?
I have never been able to find any on the tyres sizes i need, simply tyres makers dont do them in that size.
So its not a case of car manufacturers building in a safety net in their tyres load index.
PS i have excactly the same tyres fitted to my seat alhambra, which can be 2470kg. +85kg when towing [as the book says]although i believe at some time obviously the tryes were replaced, but never the less are legal.
If the volumes are large enough a car manufacturer will source tyres from a manufacturer who is willing to produce a tyre exactly according to the car maker's specifications, (size, speed rating, load rating, etc.). The catch is that the replacement market will then also be limited to the same tyre maker if the the size is an unusual one.
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