We've recently bought a second hand van that's fitted with commercial van tyres. They are getting near then end of their recommended life so I'm looking to replace them. Two questions:
1/ would you replace with commercial van tyres?
2/ would you fit tyre bands (supposed to stop the tyre coming off the rim in the event of a blow out)?
------------- Fab time in France again.... Roll on next year!
I think I would first try and establish what the correct tyres are for that particular caravan. Now commercial tyres may well be the correct type but you must have sure the load index is right for your van. Most UK caravan manufacturers are now fitting tyres with a higher load index than they did a few years ago. Do you have a caravan handbook? Finally I would say that you are absolututely right in changing the tyres.
Tyron bands are very much a personal choice and there is probably no right or wrong answer. Personally I have them fitted because of their retention on the rim if there is a blow out. Some will come on and say that the tyre does not stay on the rim despite Tyron's assurances. Fortunately I have never had to find out. Just enables you to better control that tail behind you and move to a safe spot to change the wheel.
I also have the Tyron assist which means that if something does go wrong they will come out with a new tyre for the van and fit it. Green flag will fit the spare but don't actually bring a new tyre out so after your journey you still have that problem to sort out.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
We have Tyron bands on our van as they were already fitted when we brought it. Our local service engineer doesn't speak that highly of them and said that he has seen vans suffering more damage to the floor when they have a blow out as the tyre doesn't drift away from the rim and can fly up and hit the floor...........his words not mine and I have no idea how good they may be as thankfully have never had to use them!
I am not sure I would pay to have them fitted on the next van as they are fairly costly, although the C&CC do give a insurance discount if you have them. Also many tyre garages don't like them, my local one will fit tyres on them but charges an extra £10 per wheel due to the extra work.
I am sure they must be of some use in controling the van in the event of a total blow out perhaps anyone who has experience of this can comment ?
We have had Tyron bands on all of our last three caravans and plan that any future vans will also have them.
With them fitted we have had two blowouts, both tyres stayed on their rims. One tyre frayed, with the other we stopped quick enough that the tyre was largely intact. Neither damaged the van or the rims.
Neither blowout caused any instability the only hassle being sorting out changing wheels and getting the replacement tyres etc.
If I had not had the bands then the tyres could have left the rims and would have gone somewhere. Getting to that somewhere could have damaged the van, more so as the van would have dropped lower onto the rim. The alloy rims running on the road, supporting in my case 875kgs, would be badly scratched if not written it off. The tyre leaving the rim would have probably have skewed on the rim. In my case there is little clearance within the wheel arch width to accommodate this, or even it gracefully stepping off sideways. I expect in my case that both those situations would have taken out the wheel box and wheel 'spat'.
In the tyre's process of coming off, that wheel could drag on the road more than a rolling punctured tyre would; would that higher level of asymmetric drag be enough to cause instability? It has the potential to do so if skewed.
Tyrons don't stop punctures, don't stop blowouts from on route undetected punctures or flailing of a tyre run on after failure, but they ensure in the short term that the tyre does not leave the rim with the consequences that could have to the units stability, the van and certainly the rim.
I am well aware that the tyre of a non Tyron fitted wheel also might stay on, but for £120/130 odd I don't want to gamble.
Even with Tyrons you need to stop ASAP to minimise tyre break up.
Like many similar 'insurance' things we each accredit our own safety and monetary values to them.
Personally at the price of Tyrons we judge the 'investment' in improving the odds in our favour, as cheap.
An argument might be is a tyre pressure monitoring system a better investment, or have both?
Tyron bands are well worth having in my opinion. They do keep the tryre on the bead in the event of a puncture & having had three at motorway speed they do seem to help keep the van stable while you stop the vehicle.
Tyre fitters don't like them because they create more work for them when they have to change a tyre. The firm I use to supply lorry tyres hates the thought of them for that reason.
Tyron bands won't stop a trye damaging the caravan in the event of a blowout though, if a tyre disintegrates at speed it's obviously going to be flying & flapping around which could & often does cause damage to anything it comes into contact with. IMO it's unreasonable to expect a band designed to retain the tyre on the rim to have any control over the parts of the tyre blown away under pressure.
Tyron bands are an absolute must as far as I am concerned. I know without them we probably wouldn't have a caravan now. Twice on our way to Cornwall we had blow outs on either side of the caravan. First on the M5 where the RAC helped put the spare on and we broke our journey at Weston super Mare for the night while we found a garage that could get us a new tyre and refit the tyron bands. The next time was coming down a VERY steep hill in Cornwall when the one on the other side went so once again we had to stop off at Bodmin where we had to get another new tyre and refit the bands. I know on that occasion the van would have turned over without the bands.
Having read your experiences i spoke to the dealer today that we are getting our Pageant from and they have offered to fit these for £125, As we will get a bit off our insurance for having them fitted I have ordered them for the van to be fitted when we collect it next month. I guess £125 isn't a great deal for a bit more safety and over 5 years the extra insurance discount will cover a good chunk of the cost! The cost was less then I had expected and although our local engineer doesn't seem keen in them i think that is probably just a personal point of view!
I had them on my last van as they were already fitted to them when I bought it. There not on my Lunar I have now but are planning on getting them fitted. I had a blowout on the last van and still did have some floor damaged as the centre of the tyre "shredded" off and this hit the underside. The van just dropped on one side but stayed stable and the breaking was controlled. Some people like them others don't. I guess its down to personal choice at the end of the day.
Hi Darren, You are right you can't put a price on safety and I wouldn't be without bands on our van even though it is 17 years old. Enjoy your new van and the camping season ahead.
iv gt tyron bands on mine . gives a good feeling knowing a blow out wnt end up with the caravan in a skip. on the hard shoulder, may be dearae but worth it. ps caravan guy recondid, when storing. get the wheels of the ground and cover them from the sun, adds to longjevity.
A tyre's not going to come off the rim that quickly.
I have experienced a blow-out before, at motorway speeds & without tyron bands fitted.
There was no damage & the whole outfit was bought to a halt in a very calm & stable manner.
You don't see them fitted to cars that often, so what makes caravans so different?
Its funny how this thread has become more about fitting Tyron bands than fitting the right tyres. Did those who stated Tyron bands 'saved' them actually establish what caused the blow out, Was it tyre old & perished, wrong load index, or what? There is no need for blowouts ever to happen.
To help the op. What size tyres are fitted now & what is the max weight of caravan?
Quote: Originally posted by magsruby on 12/3/2012
A tyre's not going to come off the rim that quickly.
I have experienced a blow-out before, at motorway speeds & without tyron bands fitted.
There was no damage & the whole outfit was bought to a halt in a very calm & stable manner.
You don't see them fitted to cars that often, so what makes caravans so different?
I agree, exactly my experience as well - four blowouts (over 40 years of caravanning), and none came off the rim and was I was able to come to a stop OK. Incidently 3 were Dunlop SP's.
Rally cars don't fit them and they can drive for miles on a Special Stage with a flat tyre without it coming off the rim.
It's all to do with those magic words "caravan" and "safety", put those in the title and you can charge what you like without having to prove it works.
£120 for a couple of bent pieces of metal and a couple of bolts, you're having a joke!
Totally agree that the correct load and speed rated tyres, inflated to the correct pressure is the best piece of tyre safety anyone will ever give either on a caravan or a car. Also ensuring the tyres aren't degraded by age/UV etc
We learned this the hard way on our first trip out in our folding camper. The tyres were quite old and we had a blow out on way home. No drama no tyre flying off, someone waved us down as didn't even realise at 60mph.
I upgraded the tyres to commercial rated 94 load tyres which is way over the required for the weight of our van and I now inflate them (or check anyway) regularly and check them each trip.
There is no problem with over speccing the load rating but you do not want to underspec it. Tables can help you work out what load rating you wneed depending on vans maximum weight.
I didn't mean to spark off a whole debate about Tyron Bands. No I don't believe they are necessary, but if they make you feel better then go ahead.
I personally think a stabiliser is a far better safery feature on a caravan (& yes, stabiliser manufacturers are still calling their devices "safety devices" which they indeed are)
It was this quote that got my back up Especially the bits I've underlined):
Quote: Originally posted by pippa10 on 15/2/2012
Tyron bands are an absolute must as far as I am concerned. I know without them we probably wouldn't have a caravan now. Twice on our way to Cornwall we had blow outs on either side of the caravan. First on the M5 where the RAC helped put the spare on and we broke our journey at Weston super Mare for the night while we found a garage that could get us a new tyre and refit the tyron bands. The next time was coming down a VERY steep hill in Cornwall when the one on the other side went so once again we had to stop off at Bodmin where we had to get another new tyre and refit the bands. I know on that occasion the van would have turned over without the bands.
How do you "KNOW"??? & especially how do you know it would've turned over? This is a ridiculous statement to make.
There are many new caravanners reading these pages, we don't need scaremongering forum members forcing them into parting with their hard earned cash unnecessarily.
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: Tyres & tyre bands
