Tyre options for caravans

The logical thing to do is to use rims and tyres with the same specifications as your towing vehicle.
That would give a degree of interchangeability and an extra spare for either the tug or the van if required.

Disco.

The following only applies if you are not going to match your tugs wheels.

Are the tyres fitted all the same aspect ratio? The bigger the aspect ratio the more the tyres will cushion the shocks to the van. The other thing is the larger the diameter overall the better the wheels will toll over bumps and sharp edges in bitumen roads. The negative is the brakes will all be 12" units and the larger the diameter of the wheel the less effective the brakes will be.

Another thing to consider is to check what tyres are on each wheel. Go for one that will more easily replaced when outback. Don't worry about off road treads, you only need those for driven wheels and not un-driven wheels. Good heavy duty truck tyres is all you need.

I would have thought your van manufacturer could have given you a bit more advice than just suggesting three different wheel diameters. The tyre should be an integral part of the suspension design. It is with cars but I often wonder if the word "design" means anything at all to some caravan manufacturers.

My 4wd ute for example comes with a 15 and a 16 inch tyre as standard equipment. Both are the same diameter although one is a lot wider. The construction is not the same and the pressures are different.

Matching van wheels with the car is not always without problems. Wheel off sets have an effect on weight distribution between the wheel bearings. Some wheels may cause problems while some may not. It would take someone with a better knowledge of suspension design than me to advise you in that area.

One thing that I would do in your situation is discuss the problem with a tyre manufacturer, not a tyre dealer. They usually have a customer information number on their web site. If you can give them details of the van size, weight, type of suspension etc, they should be able to suggest a type and size tyre and the correct pressures to use.

If I had to make a decision myself without asking anyone I would most likely go with a 205R16 LT. Of course I don't know the size and weight of your van so they may be too small. They were the standard size off road tyre on the lighter weight range of utes like the Hilux, Navara etc for decades. The load rating is 112 which I don't think is high enough to shake the van to pieces and they should be readily available in the bush.

The factory recommended pressures look far too low but they work perfectly both on and off road. There has never been any sign of under inflation wear or excessive heat build up when driving on Outback roads.

The other thing you need to be aware of is that caravans require a minimum load weighting for the tyre (I am not certain but I think its 900 kgs). When I tried to change to 17" tyres for the van I found it impossible to get some with sufficient load rating of 900 kgs.

Andrew W