We recently had our caravan serviced and the guy who serviced the caravan (an elddis avante 636)said that the tyres were cracked and needed renewal. Our caravan sits in our drive and was last used in October. One of the tyres was only put on in september after a blow out.( and a new spare fitted) I find it really hard to see these cracks, even after he highlighted them in white. The guy is a registered caravan servicer so i assume he knows what he is talking about. Is this normal and is it urgent? as on top of the £245 for the service the thought of new tyres racks up the price of keeping the van going even higher. If this is normal will we have to replace them every season? The caravan is 5 yrs old. Taking the tyres off is not an option as even if I could take them off myself, I have no where to keep them. any advice welcome. Ps the treads are fine and show little sign of wear and tear apart from these invisible cracks. He recommended a guy who fits tyres and the cynic in me wonders if he was just looking for business.
If some have been on for 5 years or more then they advise putting new ones on. I am not a tyre expert but its hard to see what difference very small cracks on a newish tyre will make. The tyres are belted which gives them their strength. If they are holding air and are quite new then I wouldn't bother changing them.
As Brianconwy has rightly said, it is general recommendation to replace caravan tyres at 5 years. The tread may generally appear ok, but if you consider the difference in use your van tyres get compared to your car, one issue can be that they sit idle for ages and can develop 'flats' where the van's sat in one place for some time.
I'd be cynical too (with regards to his mate), but I'd perhaps get some further professional advice locally. The recently renewed tyre (+ spare) I'd expect to be ok as they've been changed fitted.
Buying new tyres is a bit of a gutter as none of us want to spend our hard earnt money. But a blowout can cost alot more in repair bills than a set of tyres ever will. Maybe check out youtube for footage of tyre blowouts if you feel the need to justify the cost.... If i were you i would be alot happier with fresh rubber than the risk of an exploding tyre - not only can that cause you to lose control of your outfit with potentially disasterous results, but it could also ruin your holiday.
------------- Why am i doing this instead of camping??!!
If the new one and the new spare are cracking, I would be complaining to where you got them.
Tyres have date codes on them, so you should look for that. If they are an unusual size or type, they may have been manufactured 2-3 years before they were sold to you.
If the other tyres are older, then as said, the norm is to change about every 5 years.
When not in use, it may help to cover the wheels to keep the sun off the tyres. And you should ideally move the van a little every few weeks to stop the tyres getting mis-shapen.
Thanks for all this advice. Yes the tyre fitted was the spare( the same age as the rest of the tyres but unused) so only the spare is brand new. I have been on the other site for maintenance and repairs and it looks likely given the age of the tyres that they will need replaced. The spare was put on after I hit a kerb but not with any great force and with the benefit of hindsight, the tyre was in shreds which I thought was odd at the time but could have been down to cracks in the tyre or the valve neither of which I could see. I think I will just have to bite the bullet and be safe rather than sorry. Can anyone explain the benefit of tyron bands and would I be better going for an 86 rather than the 82 tyres on the van at present? Someone on the board has a great expression that caravanning is an expensive hobby . Too true !!
contact EVENT tyres they will come to you,tell them its a caravan tyre you need not car.they also take cards at the door.they will fit tyron bands not cheap though.i had three tyres fitted by them,good service.the spare had never been out of the locker but for safety sake it was changed,they were 6 years old. not sure they go as far as scotland but worth asking.
Hi,Tyron bands help keep flat tyre on wheel,allowing rim to run on the flat tyre and not the rim on road,helps keep van more stable if you get blow out(especially on single axle vans), If you cover tyres with hessian cloth helps keep harmful sun rays from degradeing the tyre,also move van a few feet to help stop flat spots,, or if you can when in storage over winter jack up van,put on axle stands. car tyers on twin axle,feasible as van weighs less than car (van weight spread over 4tyres) as for single axle vans they should have light comercial tyres min 6ply or more,as weight spread over only 2tyres.but as stated above No matter how good the tyre looks and the amount of tread it has,If over 5 years old Replace.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
If in Doubt Check it Out.
Cheers for all of this. am off to search out a mobile fitter.Will try kwik fit event don't do Scotland . any one know of any in glasgow/renfrewshire/lanarkshire who will fit en situ ?
Result guys!, asked my local garage if they would come out to replace tyres and they said no problem. am getting 4 x86 supplied and fitted for £146. Just shows if you don't ask....this guy has been servicing my car for years and I trust him so feeling quite chuffed.Thanks for all the advice guys.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: cracked tyres on twin axle caravan
