Tyre life

[Keefiedee]

I am not a regular visitor to this group, so have no doubt missed many robust discussions about tyre life and the advice that seems standard nowadays to renew tyre after 5 years. I cannot help but wonder if this advice is on the over-cautious side, and given by service departments who, understandably, feel the need to err on the safe side. But then I have never had a flat tyre while travelling on any of my caravans. What is the current view?

[bill lord]

On Fri, 29 Jun 2012 06:54:54 -0700 (PDT), Keefiedee
<k.du...@virgin.net> wrote:

>I am not a regular visitor to this group, so have no doubt missed many robust discussions about tyre life and the advice that seems standard nowadays to renew tyre after 5 years. I cannot help but wonder if this advice is on the over-cautious side, and given by service departments who, understandably, feel the need to err on the safe side. But then I have never had a flat tyre while travelling on any of my caravans. What is the current view?

I was also dubious, but when my first set of tyres many years ago
reached 5 years old, 1999 with a 1994 van, I decided that I ought to
do things right so had them changed. The first one came off and inside
the tyre completely unseeable from the outside was a huge bubble
where the sidewall was delaminating, when the second came off it was
the same, this persuaded me and I have replaced tyres religeously ever
since. My Hymer has had one set replaced, and there was no visible
problem, but for the just over £100 cost of the two tyres it was worth
it for peace of mind, I will replace those two next January. The spare
was new with the van in 2003, has never been on, is hidden inside the
front locker and would only ever be used as a get to a tyre depot
tyre, so I have no intention of changing it even though it will be 10
years old next January.
Bill Lord
I've taken a vow of poverty To annoy me send money

e-mail messages to bill dot lord at tunshill dot co dot uk
( Get rid of the spaces and use symbols for the hyphen at and dots )

[Roger Mills]

On 29/06/2012 14:54, Keefiedee wrote:
> I am not a regular visitor to this group, so have no doubt missed many robust discussions about tyre life and the advice that seems standard nowadays to renew tyre after 5 years. I cannot help but wonder if this advice is on the over-cautious side, and given by service departments who, understandably, feel the need to err on the safe side. But then I have never had a flat tyre while travelling on any of my caravans. What is the current view?

Tyres do definitely die of old age, even if very little worn - but I
suspect that changing them after 5 years is a bit OTT.

The first set on my 1991 van lasted me 12 years, until I arrived at a
site in Scotland in 2003 and found that one of them had a big bulge, and
some of the reinforcing wires sticking out through the sidewall. It was
still inflated - but could have been nasty had I had a blowout whilst in
motion.

I changed both tyres before undertaking the long journey back to
England, and also changed the spare once I got back, as a precaution.

The replacement tyres were still on the van when I got rid of it earlier
this year - some 9 years later - and seemed perfectly ok. I had been in
the habit of storing all the wheels and tyres in the garage away from
the van during the winter months, anyway.

I would have thought that changing them every 7 or 8 years would be
reasonable.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
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[Harry Stottle]

"Keefiedee" <k.du...@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:753cceec-4e3c-460b...@googlegroups.com...

===============================================================================

On the tyres there should be a date or code of when the tyre was
manufactured, and if the tyre manufacturers recommend replacing the tyres
after five years from manufacture, (which most seem to do), then not
replacing the tyres could lead to problems with insurance if an accident
occured, so something to bear in mind.

[Woody]

"Harry Stottle" <thiswo...@noitreallywont.co.uk> wrote in
message news:k2AHr.481476$jl.1...@fx19.am4...

I was told the other day that as of next year - or is it later
this year? - it will be an EU requirement that all tyres must
show the date of manufacture in plain numbers and letters, a code
(which can vary between manufactuters) will no longer be
acceptable.

Sometimes the EU does have some common sense?


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

[Gerard]

"Woody" <harro...@ntlworld.spam.com> schreef in bericht
news:x4CHr.409628$MP5....@fx27.am4...

>
> I was told the other day that as of next year - or is it later this
> year? - it will be an EU requirement that all tyres must show the
> date of manufacture in plain numbers and letters, a code (which can
> vary between manufactuters) will no longer be acceptable.

Four numbers containing week(2) and year(2) of manufacture,
(eg. 2408 for 2nd week of june 2008) is hardly 'code'.

As for tyre life: in the Netherlands there is no rule, but advised is
every 6 years.

My personal point of view: the possible damage and fuss with
insurance companies does not compare to the gain of running a
set of tyres a few more years.

Advice: use reinforced 'C' coded tyres and see that they are balanced.

Gerard

[Harry Stottle]

"Gerard" <think!@amsat.org> wrote in message
news:4feef64e$0$236$dbd4...@news.wanadoo.nl...

>
> "Woody" <harro...@ntlworld.spam.com> schreef in bericht
> news:x4CHr.409628$MP5....@fx27.am4...
>>
>> I was told the other day that as of next year - or is it later this
>> year? - it will be an EU requirement that all tyres must show the
>> date of manufacture in plain numbers and letters, a code (which can
>> vary between manufactuters) will no longer be acceptable.
> Four numbers containing week(2) and year(2) of manufacture,
> (eg. 2408 for 2nd week of june 2008) is hardly 'code'.
>
> As for tyre life: in the Netherlands there is no rule, but advised is
> every 6 years.
>
> My personal point of view: the possible damage and fuss with
> insurance companies does not compare to the gain of running a
> set of tyres a few more years.
>

Not sure what you are saying here, but it seems like you are saying that you
would sooner save money and run on older tyres, than worry about insurance
companies. If this is so, the problem could arise if you had a blowout on a
tyre causing the caravan to be written off in an ensuing accident. If the
insurance company then checked the tyres and found they were over the
recommended life expectancy, they could say that this could be a
contributing factor to the accident, and reduce, or even refuse any claim
made.

For anyone interested, here is a webpage I have just found with details of
how to check the age of tyres:-
http://p-t-a.co.uk/Tyre-Age.htm

I have a 2008 Polish manufactured caravan, and the tyres are made in Poland,
the number on the tyres are 4307 indicating the tyres were manufactured in
week 43, 2007, so I will probably be replacing them next year.

[Gerard]

"Harry Stottle" <thiswo...@noitreallywont.co.uk> schreef in bericht
news:_jDHr.373985$of1.1...@fx06.am4...

>
> Not sure what you are saying here, but it seems like you are saying
> that you would sooner save money and run on older tyres, than worry
> about insurance companies.

Quite the opposite, actually.
I once searched for three days for a the right set of tyres after a
blowout.
The Dutch may be cheap, but what they hate more than spending money
on tyres, is NOT enjoying the holiday they paid for. :-)

Since then tyres get replaced every 6 years and the spare every 12
years.
I now use 'light truck' C codes tyres, balanced and inflated to 4
bar/58 PSI.

Gerard.

[hugh]

In message <k2AHr.481476$jl.1...@fx19.am4>, Harry Stottle
<thiswo...@noitreallywont.co.uk> writes

7 years seems to stick in my head for some reason as shelf life. But in
any case, check sidewalls, inside as well as outside as they get older
and replace immediately if any sign of cracking.
--
hugh