Hi I have recently bought a bailey orion and an trying to source a spare wheel for it. I have found one advertised and the details given for it are as follows - PT2 195/70 R14C - 96N . It says this is the one for my van. What does all this mean ?
I'd like to buy one from somewhere I can have it delivered but anything else I see online simply says 195/70 R14C and I'm not sure if this is exactly the same. Thank you for any advice.
The numbers relate to the tyre size, width, depth, circumference, load etc.
The C denotes commercial.
Don't forget to also check the correct number and spacing for the bolts/studs.
Lets break it down:
PT2 - no idea, but I found your spec on Prima Leisure website, so that may be their designation, it's not part of the normal tyre specification numbers.
195/70 - is the tyre width (195 mm) and it's profile, which is it's height in relation to width as a percentage, in this case 70% height:width ratio.
R14C - is the wheel diameter (14 inches), the 'R' indicates it's a 'Radial' tyre, the 'C' designates it as a 'Van/Commercial' tyre which has a more robust construction than an ordinary car tyre.
96N - '96' is the loading index in Kg, the 'N' is the Max permitted speed rating (up to 87mph in this case)
The critical designation is '195/70 R14C 96N' which contains all the info you need to match. Although, that said, I can't confirm that is the right size tyre/wheel for your van! Best check it matches the tyres already on van (you will find it on the side of the tyre) or designated in user paperwork.
Whilst on the subject of tyres, you should ensure that the tyres already on the van are ideally no more than 5 years old (7 years old is the ABSOLUTE max), and regardless of how much tread is left and how good they superficially look, they should be replace on age alone. They deteriorate with sheer age and being stood without rotation for long periods. They are prone to unexpected blowouts and shedding chunks of tread once too old! The date of manufacture is stamped on the sidewall of the tyre in the form of 4 numbers (usually close to the wheel rim) like '4720' which would mean 47th week of 2020. Unfortunately usually only on one side, and sods law says it'll be the inward facing side where it's difficult to see! There is no law that says you MUST change them, but it's caravan industry advice, AND most insurers would walk away from you in case of a claim, as they would deem you failed to keep the van in good roadworthy order, which WILL be in the small print!
On the topic of deteriorating rubber! - the flexible gas hose (usually called a 'pigtail') that connects the gas cylinder to the fixed pipework, also needs replacing at 5 years from date of manufacture, that too should have a date clearly marked on it.
Thank you both thats excellent. I think I will just buy the one from prima leisure then I know its exactly right. That was one of the ones I was looking at
Not really the case, it's a little more complicated. The rubber compound will start to deteriorate from the day of manufacture, with things like the ozone in the atmosphere attacking it, and the compounds that make it flexible degrading and migrating. It can get worse if exposure to UV light and heat are also encountered - Have you never seen tyres stored on racking under skylights with sun blazing through in a tyre depot? It actually takes use of the tyre to keep the flexibility compounds evenly distributed throughout the carcass through the constant distortions in a rolling tyre, otherwise the external surfaces become hardened and prone to cracking when they are eventually flexed (and that's NOT just the bit you see on the outside of the wheel, there's ALSO the interior surface of the tyre that keeps the air in that you don't normally see!).
It's much the same issue as that old pair of Marigold washing up gloves or spare tap washers you find lurking in the back of a cupboard, never used, not especially badly stored, but nevertheless hardly fit for purpose, and almost certain to fail very quickly if put to use.
In the case of tyres, the change every 5-7 years is not a sales ploy by the industry to boost sales, by 10 years old, they have generally become significantly deteriorated! Like most things where failure can be catastrophic, safety margins are applied, and that's your 5-7 years from manufacture recommended life.
I appreciate you are rather at the mercy of the industry not to supply you with ancient tyres, but picking popular brands supplied by busy dealers means you are likely to get the freshest stock. The premium brand tyres I had fitted to my caravan a couple of years back were only 4 months old! Through careful shopping around, they weren't that much more expensive than budget obscure brands that may well have loitered on racks for some considerable time!
The way to look at tyres is not as a big financial hit of £150-£250 to replace a pair, but as costing only £22-£35/year to use! After 5-7 years, you've had good money's worth!
People seem dismissive of caravan, or trailer tyres in general, thinking they don't have a hard life, it's quite the opposite really! They often operate on the limits of their loading rating and operating pressure, they stand idle for many weeks and months at a time with heavy loading causing significant distortion of sidewall and tread at one spot, which encourages cracking and a tendency to 'flatspot'! - it's a hard life, not an easy one!
Probably best way to view life of a tyre is 7 years from manufacture date or 5 years use, whichever comes first.
There are several different models in the Orion range ranging from small 2 berths up to large family vans. I'm pretty sure there will be several different tyre and wheel specs to suit the weight differences.
Car tyres are carefully checked as part of the MOT, and yet the age of a tyre is not an item on the checklist.
It is true that car tyres generally wear out before they reach old age, but there are plenty of 'one trip to the shops each week' cars out there which do less than 2,000 miles per year & hence are on the original tyres after 6 - 7 - 8 years.
There are differences between car and caravan tyres, but is the rate at which the materials age one of those differences?
Strangely there are probably hundreds of thousands of cars on the road with a tyre that is over 10 or more years old. It is not a MOT fail if the car has a tyre that is 50 years old and not cracking.
At each MOT or service, tyres should be checked for deterioration. A good mid range caravan tyre will last a lot longer than the 5 - 7 years recommended by the industry. Budget tyres you will lucky to see 5 years.
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Topic: Caravan tyre
via mobile 13/5/2024 at 9:59am
