I had my tyres changed two years ago and checked for date of manufacture before fitted along with new valves. the old Maxi milers were in great shape but 5year old, and as caravans spend more time static than moving the tyres tend to distort with load hence more sidewall blow outs than tread punctures also ultra violet light deterates the tyres when static ie the sunlight heating up your tyre/s when onsite or storage. I have seen tyres on vans on site that are virtually flat.I check my pressures before every trip and make sure they are 60PSI as hand book. I also have a motor mover fitted which I also test so I make sure the tyres do not sit in the same place before I moved the van by putting a chalk mark on the tyres 1/4 turn can make a lot of differance. Do you know it is illegal for tyre companies to fit tyres over 3 years old from date of manufacture on your car so I presume its the same for caravans so those spares on E-bay are not such a bargain, hence the sudden drop in price of expensive tyres at your local tyre shop they are coming upto 2/3 year old and want to get rid.
I spent a couple of years working in a garage where we regularly replaced tyres and valves.
The fastest way to remove a valve is use the puller to yank it out, but sometimes knives are used to cut the base of the valve.
I noticed (and told the boss, who simply shrugged) that the knife was leaving small shards of metal on the inner rim of the wheel where the valve base sat.
The fact that rubber tyres have a use by date makes them deteriorate within 6 years to a cracked mess so you are forced to replace them is an excellent marketing idea, but also a damn splendid way of forcing people to do so.
A tyre gets all manner of ill use from bumping up kerbs, smacking pot holes and massive weight forced on it and it has to go round millions of times.
The valve, also rubber, manufactured in a similar fashion, also has a use by date and will crack due to it's age, but also from the fact it was pulled into place using a certain tool, will force it to stretch past it's daily use. If it is particularly hard to pull through, it will be stretched past it's designed fail stage and will therefore fail much earlier.
It is standard practice to replace them with any work done on a wheel involving removing the tyre. Your receipt should state Valve & balance as well as eco disposal of the old carcas or some such.
My humble advice if you do long haul towing?
Buy metal screw in valves and make sure they are lightly lubricated on servicing.
Sorry just reading this thread, I have seen some errors, I own a tyre company, 1st point Valve (rubber) should be replaced on every tyre change , demount or at any time the tyres is removed from the rim, In the last 5 years or so RCA's have been removed from the tyre during in construction and replaced with Natural based oils (Essential Oils.)this makes the tyre age faster, under trading law, no Tyre is sold over 5 years old, all tyres carry a date code (DOT) located on the outwall on one wall only could be on inside or outside, in a embossed oval 4 number are inside eg: 2394, 1st two number are the week in the year and last two are the year, Metal valves/TPMS valve (tyre pressure monitoring valves) the valve cores in these valve are zinc not brass, if the valve core looks brass (gold) its wrong and needs to be removed asap as brass reacts with the aluminium valve stem and will cause premature failure of the valve. Hope this helps
I've just replaced four tyres on my Bessacarr 550Gl Cameo (yesterday).
The tyres were coming up to their lifetime limit, had lots of tread and looked great but having got a puncture on Wednesday night and needing to replace one tyre, I decided to do all four.
Fantastic service, home fitting service too and all for £174. 4 new Pirelli tyres too.
Maybe caravanners shy away from this important aspect due to fear of cost but it's a necessary evil to have to replace tyres.
I really thought £174 wasn't bad at all and the van is now road ready for its next haul down to the lakes from Scotland.
This issue has not gone away! We bought our 2011 Bessacarr in Oct 2015, and at the time requested new tyres, which was done. In storage,I removed a valve dustcap, only for the entire centre brass part to come out of the rubber outer, with a whoosh. Duly replaced all 4 valves, but rather a scary experience
Had this happen to me in Australia. It doesn't just apply to Avondale. Our advice here is that all tyres of any manufacture (and valve stem assemblies )should be replaced every five years from date of manufacture no matter what brand or how much tyre tread there is on them. This includes the spare tyre.
The date of manufacture will be stamped on the tyre.
The method of deciphering the markings will be on the net.
------------- Regards
Vic Williams
Brisbane,Australia
We had a puncture in our caravan near Lake Garda, Italy, a few years ago. The tyre was getting on in years. I thought the Italian tyre fitter was trying to rip me off, when he said (sign language) that both tyre on the van needed renewing...there was about 5 mm of tread on both! He proved his advice to me by prising the treads apart on one tyre with his thumbs. I could see the shiny wires embedded in the rubber tyre, through a load of cracks which weren't visible until the treads were prised apart. A wise and honest guy, who fitted new tyres and left me a little more enlightened about tyres which seem to have years of life ahead of them, but haven't.
------------- The easy question is the one you know the answer to.
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Topic: Caravan Tyre Valve Safety Warning
