With over a half a million caravans on the UK roads, Lindleys Autocentres have plenty of experience in giving tyre safety advice to many of the UK’s two million caravaners.
We have many tyre related conversations with avid caravaners and realised that many of you are unsure of the difference between car tyres and caravan tyres so we decided to write an informative blog to help you make an informed decision when deciding on purchasing new tyres.
What is the difference between car tyres and caravan tyres?
If you simply looked at the same size car and caravan tyre, it would be very difficult to notice any difference at all, however, the weight distribution they go through is completely different.
With many caravans running on two wheels – the pressure and stress on each tyre goes under is much more than a typical four-wheeled vehicle.
Even four-wheeled caravan tyres perform very differently, due to the weight and pressure being forced down into a significantly smaller area when compared to a more even spread of tyres on a car or van.
All the concentrated weight in your caravan puts much more stress on caravan tyre sidewalls – arguably the most important consideration for caravan tyre safety.
More important than having good tyre tread? Yes, since typically a caravan is on the road a lot less than a normal car or van. Tyres can be expected to wear down much slower than your everyday vehicle.
The correct caravan tyre inflation is very important
One of the most common occurrences for our Mobile Tyre Fitting team when inspecting caravan tyres is seeing sidewall stress results from tyre wear on the tyre shoulders. This is known as rounded wear. It’s very important that as a caravan owner, you should try and minimise tyre shoulder wear and sidewall stress by ensuring that their tyre pressures are correct and regularly checked.
The best thing to do is to consult your owner manual or caravan manufacturer for the best way to do this. Tyre pressures are determined by a combination of the caravan’s MTPLM (Maximum Technically Permitted Laden Mass).
This is determined by the caravan’s rating plate, the size of the tyres (typically 13” on older caravans, and 14” for modern models), and the number of tyres it has (usually two or four). As an added precaution, make sure the MTPLM does not exceed 90% of the tyre’s load capacity.
Top tips for caravan owners and tyre maintenance
- Always make time to check the condition of your tyres.
- Make sure you always travel with a spare tyre.
- Ensure your caravan tyres are regularly checked by a professional and replaced accordingly.
- If you’re in any doubt as to whether your tyres are safe, call us today!
How often should my caravan tyres be replaced?
The British Tyre Manufacturers Association advises that your caravan tyres should ideally be replaced once they get to 5 years old, and no later than seven years.
This is, however, dependent on the amount of usage your caravan gets. The Caravan and Motorhome Club agree, citing that the likelihood of tyre problems certainly increases after seven years and we wholeheartedly agree with them.
Talk to Lindleys Autocentres for caravan tyre advice in Nottingham
If you’re worried about your tyres and not sure if you need to replace them. Feel free to give us a call for the best advice in Nottingham when it comes to Caravan Tyres. Our highly trained team fit and inspect thousands of caravan tyres every summer! Contact our mobile tyre fitting team here.
