We have an Elddis Wisp 18 years old. Fitted with car tyres from new and replaced like for like until this year.
New guidance showed them to be on the limit and as Big Al says C tyres were recommended. Fitted Maxmilers and inflated to 42psi. Just completed 420 mile round trip (Blackpool CC) no tyre problems - very stable.
Incidentally the original rated car tyres are no longer available.
Commercial only after having two car tyres shred and seeing lots of others on the side of the road with a destroyed car tyre . I would not keep them more than 4 years either if the outfit stands on them without moving for 10 months of the year .
Commercial (Van) tyres are best. Make sure the Load Index is high enough to support the weight of the caravan, ideally plus a margin of at least 10%.
As whilst you're having the tyres fitted, its worth paying the extra to have them balanced - it makes a big difference to the towability and the shaking of the furniture in the caravan (you only have to think about the vibration in the car from having a wheel a little out, to realise how much worse it would be in the caravan which only has two wheels).
I don't recommend specific trailer or caravan tyres - they tend to be poorly made and out of balance, so need lots of weights to balance them on the wheels. 100g or more isn't uncommon.
The advice is to have commercial van tyres fitted because they are designed to carry extra loading due to the way they are manufactured. Radial car tyres are steel belted and they are designed this way so that when you corner, all the 4 tyres roll to provide maximum grip over the entire tread which you don't need on a caravan. It is unsafe for the tyres to roll on a caravan as the stability required will be reduced which could lead to loss of control. I think you will find that although motorhomes have 4 wheels the advice is also to have commercial tyres due to the extra lodaing and height of the vehicle.
Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 13/7/2011
The advice is to have commercial van tyres fitted because they are designed to carry extra loading due to the way they are manufactured. Radial car tyres are steel belted and they are designed this way so that when you corner, all the 4 tyres roll to provide maximum grip over the entire tread which you don't need on a caravan. It is unsafe for the tyres to roll on a caravan as the stability required will be reduced which could lead to loss of control. I think you will find that although motorhomes have 4 wheels the advice is also to have commercial tyres due to the extra lodaing and height of the vehicle.
Perhaps you should preach this to the caravan manufacturers that fit "car" tyres to twin axled caravans.
The tyres fitted to cars are quite capable of being used on caravans providing the load factor is not exceeded. Commercial tyres are radials just like car tyres but with extra layers of belting to increase load rating.
2 "car" tyres can not take the loading of a 1500kg caravan which is why commercial tyres are used, however 4 "car" tyres can quite easily take the weight of a 2000kg caravan so commercial tyres are not necessary in this case.
Commercial tyres are radial like a car tyre with exactly the same dynamics, commercial tyres just have extra belting (6 or 8 ply) to withstand heavier loads.
Commercial tyres are not crossply - anyone that fits crossply tyres to a caravan is a complete idiot!
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I didn't advise crossply tyres, I just advised commercial van tyres that's all. When I went to have my caravan tyres changed at the local tyre fitter he said that he wouldn't put anything else on a caravan other than commercial tyres. These are the experts in the trade so my advice is just what has been passed on to me. Road safety is paramount to me and other road users so I take the advice seriously from the profesionals which everyone should. Trying to determine which is right or wrong by different comments on here is confusing and you end up having an unaswered question. Advice from the professionals is the best solution, that way you get the correct answer you are looking for first hand.
Sorry I can't agree that all tyre fitters are expert, the one that fitted mine tried telling me that 30psi was the correct pressure rather than the proper 48psi, and then there are the ones that use a torque wrench but carry on tightening after it's indicated the correct torque.
Most tyre fitters expertise comes from the mouths of carravanners not tyre and caravan manufacturers
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Topic: `Tyresome tread thread`
