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Motorhome Tyre Advice

Motorhome tyre Pressures

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Motorhome tyre Pressures

Motorhome tyre Pressures
Motorhome tyre Pressures

Motorhome tyre Pressures

Check the Motorhome tyre Pressures 

Of course, after the recent “lockdown” many thousands of people will be getting their caravans and motorhomes ready. The British bank holiday season starts this year with the Easter holiday. Significantly, this is a time when thousands of holidaymakers will be checking their tyres. Including tyre pressures, ready for their first trips away.

So us Brits do this every year. Even though we know that we will be stuck in massive traffic jams and hold ups.  Wherever we go, but especially to the coast. Never the less we do it every year. We Brits yearn to get away over the bank holiday period and the adjoining school holidays.

What we do not all do is to check our tyres and Tyre Pressures ?

You would think that it was common sense. But many set off and do not think anything about it. These are the ones that we see on the hard shoulder of the motorway. Including, the grass verge. So, having to change a flat tyre or a blown out tyre on their caravan. The worse culprits seem to be the guys who are going camping and towing a little trailer. These small trailers are usually fitted with 400×8 trailer tyres. Similar to wheel barrow tyres. Because they are so small. Therefore, it is imperative that you inflate them to the correct

Tyre Pressures for carrying the weight that you have in the trailer, this will usually be the highest pressure for this type trailer. Motorhome tyre Pressures

I have seen hundreds of these trailers parked up with a wheel missing. Because of the tyre blown out and the owner not having a spare the same size. If you use this type of vehicle! Then you must carry a spare wheel. So, if you are doing sixty mile an hour and you have a puncture in one of these trailers.

Then the small tyre will simply disintegrate. Because of its small size and the weight that it is carrying. Of course, a spare wheel is a necessity. Also make sure that you are buying a spare wheel for a trailer. Importantly, these are usually a six ply tyre that are made for highway and NOT a wheel barrow tyre. I have mentioned this because many people make this huge mistake, we have seen this many times.

This is also a important thing to think about when buying a new tyre for a caravan or mobile home. Motorhome tyre Pressures

Make sure that you buy the correct tyre that has the correct weight carrying loads; It should tell you what tyres to use in the hand book or make sure that you fit the same tyres as your vehicles original equipment.

In motorhomes, the tyres are usually of a higher ply rating than normal car tyres. As we all know, some of these vehicles are massive, even as big as a double-decker bus, so it is very important to get the exact tyres with the correct ply rating and load rating, In my opinion, it is always best to fit the exact same tyres, even the same makes of tyres, as your original equipment.

This will ensure your safety and, probably, your fuel consumption. I know that our customers are on a tight budget, but in this instance, buying cheap tyres is not an option, If the vehicle is fitted with Michelin tyres, then replace them with exactly the same ones using the same tyre pressure, and unless you are really unlucky, you should have a problem free journey as far as your tyres are concerned.

Tyres can help with fuel consumption

As I have said earlier, fuel consumption is very important for the motor home, as some of these vehicles will only do about fifteen to twenty miles per gallon. So having the correct tyre pressure will help to maintain the correct mileage performance. How it works is that if your tyres are underinflated, then your vehicle engine has to work much harder to drive along. This is known as “rolling resistance”.

Also, a good tip is to check your tyre pressure when the tyres are cold and to make sure that you have a valve cap fitted, to ensure that the valve does not leak and reduce your tyre pressure.

You should always know what the weight limit is for your type of vehicle . Importantly, do not exceed these recommendations. Also, spread out the weight throughout the vehicle; this will

To maximise the stability of the total unit, we have all followed caravans that are swerving about doing 60 mph on the motorway. Of course, this is also illegal and dangerous.

Another really important point that is sometimes overlooked is to keep a spare wheel for your caravan or camping trailer. Also try it on the vehicle before you set off on your journey; we have had to help many caravan owners who were stuck on the M62 motorway because their spare wheel did not fit. They may look the same, but they could have different stud holes and offsets, so try them out before you travel on a journey…See more at: http://tyresafe.org/tyre-safety/caravan-tyre-safety/advice-and-information#sthash.CzT5oBqU.dpuf

Have a safe and carefree holiday ! Motorhome tyre Pressures

 Keeping tyres correctly inflated ensures an even wear rate, leading to a longer tyre life. Under-inflated tyres place excess loads on the outer edges of the tyre, causing the shoulders to wear more rapidly. Over-inflated tyres will experience higher wear rates in the centre of the tread.

For more essential tyre safety information, visit  www.tyresafe.org

 

caravan and motorhome batteries

Check Your caravan Tyres-This includes Motorhome tyres- before your journey

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Check Your caravan Tyres

Check Your CARAVAN TYRES

Tyre experts recommend that owners of any trailed vehicles should remove the complete wheel or wheels .Then take them to their favourite garage or auto centre. Then have them checked by a professional member of the team. It is important that the wheels  are given a thorough inspection, this will ensure the safest possible outcome.

So, Check Your CARAVAN tyres. and MOTORHOME TYRES . The most common thing found on caravan tyres is sidewall cracking. This usually only comes to light when the tyre is removed. We can flex the sidewall with the tyre removed from the wheel, and this will show the extent of the cracking. This problem is due to the affect of ultra-violet light acting on the carbon black. This is in the make up of the tyre when the caravan is parked, and is more common on Old Michelin tyres.     

This information also applies to motor-homes.

The wheels will be checked for corrosion. Then the tyres will be removed from the wheels and checked for internal cuts and damage. This is most important as unseen damage can become a nightmare scenario. Especially, when going down a motorway at sixty mile per hour and losing complete control due to tyre failure.

The tyre dealer will then Check Your vehicles tyres regularly, the outside of the for damage to the tread area and the sidewalls for cuts and cracks. Also important is to check the age of the tyre, this can be easily done by an expert fitter. Tyres do become out of date after six years and are affected by aging in the sidewalls.

Check Your caravan Tyres

Check Your CARAVAN Tyres As stated above, cracks start to form around the rim area due to the caravan wheels been stood in the Sun for long hours. Especially, during the Summer months. And eventually the carbon black, that is used in the manufacture of the caravan  tyres, starts to break down.

Small but deep cracks start to form around the rim area. This will eventually join up to create a very dangerous hazard. Indeed this is one of the most common cause for tyre blowouts on caravans and trailers. Any caravan tyres with cracks and cuts should be scrapped and replaced with a new tyre. Finally if everything is OK the pressures and tyre valves should be checked to the correct loading for your vehicle and trailer.

Another important point is to have the vehicle loading checked on your caravan tyres.

to make sure that the wheel setup conforms to your caravan’s or trailer’s recommended weight carrying capacity. Some of the larger, heavier vehicles require more heavy-duty tyres to carry the extra load; your tyre dealer will advise you on the correct fitments by advising you to fit either reinforced or larger ply rated ones.
Check Your CARAVAN tyres and pressures, which should always be checked and adjusted when the pressures are cold before every journey. If in doubt, replace them with new and correct caravan tyres.

2020 Update

At the present time, the caravan/motorhome market has hit the roof. Henceforth, so has the tyre market for these types of vehicles. So, it is even more important to fit the correct tyres on these vehicles. Of course, the main consideration is the weight that these vehicles will carry! Especially when loaded up ready for the holidays.

Most drivers of these vehicles are responsible and do buy the correct tyres. Indeed, tyre companies now make special tyres for these vehicles. Michelin tyres are a good example. Hence, offering the Michelin Agilis Camping tyre range.

Here’s a great Email that a kind customer sent about this subject:

Dear Mr. Roberts

I recently came across a blog which appears to be headed by you.  The content was of great interest to me. So, for a large number of years, have had a 1988 Ford Transit Mk III AutoSleeper motorhome.

Which, I had bought it to try and improve on the lack of guts of an earlier Mk II Transit and to avoid the types of construction which led to continual water leaks!

I therefore pulled this Mk III Transit to pieces, using hands far more competent than myself, and fitted a 2.9 EFi V6 Ford engine with all ancillaries plus heavy duty clutch and gearbox.

Importantly, I then fitted a sub-frame with front axle, rear axle, running gear and anti roll bars etc.  derived from a later heavy duty Transit and added adjustable dampers.

They were made in France.

I enquired of Technical Dept. at Michelin of the pressures I should run at and gave the weighbridge weights for my vehicle fully laden.  Particularly emphasizing that it was single rear wheel axle set up. 

They assured me, particularly the rear tyres, should run at 42psi. So,  I questioned this but assurance was given again. Needless to say, with that pressure in the rear tyres, they looked as thought they had a puncture and would be unsafe to drive on! 

The bullion vans were running 62psi minimum on the rear and I therefore put similar pressure in my rear tyres to put the matter right.  This achieved transformation.

I therefore enjoyed my family trips to the West of Ireland and back many times and found the journeys comparatively relaxing compared with the trips in the previous Transit.

An MOT inspector commented that the vehicle was a delight to drive and asserted that it felt more like a high performance car than a motorhome. 

He further added that most people merely stuffed a more powerful engine into a vehicle and did little more, but I had created a completely new vehicle by altering the specification so that everything gelled together to create something that  might have come out of the factory.

I only had two problems with the tyres:  the first not really with the tyre, was that I suffered a burst tyre valve (fortunately when the vehicle was stationary).  I did write to the motoring press.  They seemed to treat me as a crank and were unwilling to make the public aware of the dangers.

 I fitted steel valves and solved the problem. Check Your caravan Tyres

Check Your caravan Tyres

I noted in the motoring press, after about 3 years, an increasing number of letters. Advising motorhome owners who had gone down the motorway on their side or roof through a blowout. That they should fit steel valves when running high pressure!

The other problem I had, on a trip via Galloway:  I woke up one morning on campsite. So, to find that one rear tyre appeared very soft.  I went to the local tyre distributor! And estimated that I would receive my pension book before they got to attend to me! 

I therefore put some air in the tyre and monitored it.  It held pressure perfectly.  When I got home, however, the mechanic who helps me. Indicated that one rear tyre had been cut deeply in the groove of the tread (almost as though with a Stanley knife). 

He agreed with me however that it appeared to be tyre failure rather than sabotage.  I merely fitted a replacement to match the others.

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