Tyreweld or spare wheel

[paul_374300602]

We've carried a spare wheel for the van for thousands of miles and (touching wood as I type)have never needed it.If we had a puncture would it be in a safe place to change a wheel. If it was a slow puncture I would reinflate it and tow slowly to the next garage. Many cars are no longer supplied with a spare wheel. My point is... should I leave the big heavy wheel at home and carry a tin of Tyreweld type stuff instead? Any thoughts?

Cheers,

Paul

 

[SteveW77]

Unlike a car you usally don't feel a puncture on a caravan until it is completely flat and completely ruined, stick with a spare or you may end up stuck somewhere in the back of beyond, miles from a tyre depot.

Steve W

 

[Mike_5041144]

Hi Paul

I would not travel anywhere with car or caravan that did not have a 'proper' spare wheel. We had a puncture last year on our Landcruiser - a stone/rock put a 2" tear in the sidewall - try re-inflating that!! Our caravan spare wheel is always carried in the LC. Removing it from the caravan carrier was very difficult and that was inside our covered storage facility and NO puncture. We leave it in the van when in storage. Car and Caravan are too valuable to take any chances, in spite of the hassle.

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

Some thing else to remember.

You will not get a tyre repaired that has had tyre weld inserted into it

 

[Lutz]

In the majority of cases a tyre with a puncture cannot be safely repaired anyway so whether it contains tyreweld or not does not make an awful lot of difference.

 

[Steve L]

I would certainly NOT recommend using any form of temorary repair fluids to fix a flat tyre.

Firstly. The tyre may well of been damaged beyond safe re-use before you stopped.

Secondly. You need to establish what caused the failure. The cause may well still be in the tyre, for example a manufacturing fault.

Third. Using these liquids renders the tyre un-repairable.

Fourth. Any accident ensuing after using liquid repairs will probably get your insurance company looking to get out of any claims.

Just not worth the risk!!

 

[Lutz]

Nowadays the chances of a breakdown, in particular an electrical failure, are probably higher than a puncture, but one does not normally carry spares in the car to cover such eventualities. There is therefore a case for having neither a spare wheel nor tyre weld nor anything else to fix a puncture. This is the trend of thinking among the car manufacturers in their effort to reduce weight. The other alternative is a run flat tyre.

 

[paul_374300602]

Hi folks,

After looking at your replies, I think I should go and sit in the naughty chair just for asking the question. Ok it's back to carrying the spare again.

Cheers,

Paul.

 

[BrianStAlbans]

It's not just puntures, I caught a tyre on a kerb last year in motorway services which took a sizable chunk out of the sidewall but didn't deflate it. A can of gunk would have been no use to my at all.

Brian

 

[SteveW77]

Nowadays the chances of a breakdown, in particular an electrical failure, are probably higher than a puncture, but one does not normally carry spares in the car to cover such eventualities. There is therefore a case for having neither a spare wheel nor tyre weld nor anything else to fix a puncture. This is the trend of thinking among the car manufacturers in their effort to reduce weight. The other alternative is a run flat tyre.

Lutz, I can see your point to a degree, but most breakdown organisations cary a comprihensive set of parts for most likely problems, but most tyre dealers do not carry stock of tyres for caravans. This could mean being stuck on the roadside for anything up to 24hrs in the more remote areas, which is where alot of caravaners end up. The developement of a run flat tyre for caravans would in my humble opion be the most important safety developement in caravaning.

Steve W

Steve W

 

[Steve L]

Actually Paul you raised a very good topic.

A lot of people see these wonderfully advertised products with claims of inovation and believe all the bull on the can.

Steve W has a point that you may not get a like for like replacement tyre at the roadside. What most emergencey repairers do then is to offer the next product that is of higher spec, which could mean having two tyres changed to get a matched set.

You may well carry a spare tyre and not use it at all. That is why I have a cheap and cheerfull budget tyre as my spare. But you can bet your shirt on it, that just when you are driving at midnight is a hurricane, you'll wish you had that spare wheel you left at home, just so that you could get that extra crate of tinnies in.

Steve L.

 

[JasonR_374341560]

All here seem to think that the wheel will still be fit for use!

There is a good chance that it will not be. Another reason why a spare is a "must have".

 

[Steve L]

Good point Jason.

If you have a blow out at speed there is a distinct possability that your affected wheel will no longer be fit for use.

Another point to bear in mind could well be those lovely space saver spare wheels for cars. First of all they usually have a distance limit of around 100 miles. So how do you know how many times to use it or worse still buy a second hand car and then try to figure out if the tyre is any good.

Replacement cost's of the space saver tyre is often well above that of a conventional tyre.

For me it's a standard spare wheel everytime.

Steve L.

 

[EmmanuelMuldoon]

When I last replaced my Van tyres 18 months ago, I fitted 8 ply rating, had them balanced (which the fitter thought "strange"), and then "fitted" "Flat Free", a puncture sealing treatment that claims to stay liquid inside for years & will seal most punctures.

Only time will tell of course, but I feel happier with this arrangement than post puncture sealants.

Of course with FF inside, I doubt the tyre could be repaired if I did have a major puncture, but in that situation I would prefer to replace it anyway. But I still carry a spare.

On Spacesavers, if you ever did need to replace one, scrapyards have written off vehicles with, commonly, unused ones in place!

 

[Garfield]

Given the sheer size of wheels on cars these days I understand the pressure to not carry a spare, our S-max has no spare and given that in 23 years / 300000+miles of driving I have only had to change a tyre by the roadside once, the space it would occupy can be put to better use, I would actually prefer a space saver spare as I have no problem with being restricted to 40mph for a few miles, it's better than standing still.

I guess big single axle vans do have large heavy wheels but at least there is generally more space in a caravan to store a spare especially as caravan tyres are frequently operating near their maximum load rating and can have damage caused by age and long periods of standing on one spot.

I think all of the punctures that I have had over the years have been due to nails and screws which have been slow untill you take the nail out, in most cases I have pulled out the nail, squeezed a small amount (2-3g) silicon sealant through the hole, left the deflated tyre standing with the hole at the bottom for an hour or more before reinflating the tyre, in every case the repair has worked and the tyre has continued on untill the end of it's service life.

 

[David_374350497]

I would certainly NOT recommend using any form of temorary repair fluids to fix a flat tyre.

Firstly. The tyre may well of been damaged beyond safe re-use before you stopped.

Secondly. You need to establish what caused the failure. The cause may well still be in the tyre, for example a manufacturing fault.

Third. Using these liquids renders the tyre un-repairable.

Fourth. Any accident ensuing after using liquid repairs will probably get your insurance company looking to get out of any claims.

Just not worth the risk!!

Hi thats right about sealants but where do we stand reguardjng slim fit tyres . Asfar as i am aware the law has not changed on what you are allowed to place on a single axcel E.G.PROFILE SPEED RATING. WEIGHT LOADING. I wonder what the law would do and what an insurance companies reaction would be were one to in

be in an accident.I think i could guess.