Hi I just posted this then found that this part of the forum covered it
I am hoping that this message will help Avondale (perhaps others) Owners and bring to their attention something that has happened to me Not Once but Twice.
My 2005 Avondale Dart 510/L has had both of its road wheel Tyre valves blow within the past 3 months. Luckily for me it was whilst my van was parked up alongside my home.
The valve stems had cracked around the circumference of the valve hole and it split through to the inlet hole.
Both times it happened I took it to a local tyre dealer who replaced them and he has said that they looked like they were badly manufactured. I urge all Avondale owners to replace their tyre valves as soon as possible as there are serious safety concerns.
Just another take on the tyre/valve topic. When we were new to caravaning (just bought a 1993 Abbey GTS after years of tenting) I thought we were following good advice when deciding to check the tyre pressure before heading off on our first trip. The caravan had the tyre pressures listed on the wheel arch (48 PSI) so I went to the garage and increased the pressure from about 28 to the recommended 48 PSI. About 50 miles into the journey I could see in the rear view mirror that the cutlery drawer had started to open and a few miles after that you could see the cutlery jumping out of the drawer. I pulled in at the first available oportunity, which was possibly a few miles down the road, and was amazed to see that the tyre on the offside was in shreds. There really was no indication that anything had been wrong - no swaying of the caravan or anything - and before someone says "lack of towing experience" I am an HGV driver and have been pulling all kinds of car, truck and tractor trailers for over 30 years. Anyway after having to borrow two scissor jacks from other motorists, I changed the tyre for the spare in the pouring rain and was soon under way again. Another 5 miles down the road and the cutlery drawer burst open again. This time I stopped straight away and discovered the nearside tyre in shreds. Luckily this time we were in a town just outside a tyre depot (lucky or what with no spare) and he came out to replace the tyre. It was at this stage he informed us that the tyres on the caravan were just cheap car tyres and should have never been inflated to the recommended pressure at all and that by doing so I had caused the tyres to overheat and blow out. What could have happened on a motorway at speed is unthinkable.
Lesson is - If buying a caravan second hand, unless you can tell the difference in tyre types, have the current tyres inspected by someone who knows the difference and can either recommend the proper inflation pressure for your tyres or fit the correct tyres for a caravan.
Hi is there anywhere you can find out what pressure your caravan tyres should be? I have a kip van and the manual is in dutch! I know it says the max on the wheels, which are in fact Avondale steel belted tubeless ones, but is there anywhere you can go and check the tyre pressure against weight of van?
Being new to caravanning, I called at my local tyre centre to check if I had the correct tyres and infact the correct pressures. They very kindly offered to come look at my van (only 2 or 3 minutes away). Indeed, the tyres were correct, although the pressure was slightly down in one, which he corrected. When I asked how much I owed, he said it was NOTHING! He did tell me to check them often & to call in at the tyre centre before we headed away on long journeys etc or at regular intervals. It put my mind at rest and we will definately be using them in future for tyres etc & I will recommend them to friends. So the free check will no doubt pay off for them in the long run. Even if they had charged, I think it's a very small price to pay for safety & peace of mind.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Inflation before vacation!
