caravan tyres...

Hi Carts

While reports on forums and media say that tyres may not last after five or six years from manufacture, a tyre dealer I spoke to about this did not believe the theory at all. He said keeping them covered rather than out in the sun was more important for longevity. We had taken the tyres from our 2004 manufactured F250 and put them on our caravan, and in 2009, one blew (outer casing blown right off). There was plenty of tread on this and the other tyres from the set. The spare was at this stage virtually unused hence i asked him about the five year theory. I am still concerned that the other tyres from the set may not last, but we have not been on any long trips since 2009. With four wheels, a blown tyre is not going to cause much damage so we will leave the tyres we have on the caravan. The van is stored out of doors so tyres are not covered from the sun. Some people put cardboard or similar to shade their tyres when parked up at home.

Motherhen

Carts
Just google your question.

Remember one thing though, if an insurance company can find a way out of paying, they might well use the age of the tyres, as an excuse.

For piece of mind, replace them if old.

Cheers
Bucky

While UV does have a detrimental effect, so does ozone and you won't stop that by covering them.
They start to deteriorate from the day they are made. If you are loading them to 100% of their design load, I would be very conservative about their age limit.
If you use a tyre which has a load capacity well above the actual load carried, then maybe 7 or 8 years would be OK?
From memory, Michelin will not retread anything over 5 years old.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have conducted research into tyre aging and have found that tyres in the warmer states, such as Nevada and Texas, degrade quicker than those in the cooler northern states. They recommend replacing tyres after 6 years whether they are used or not.

In the US over the past decade there has been an average of circa 400 people killed per year due to tyre failures.

While I have no argument with replacing tyres at five years old, I certainly dont practise it. I have a Baby Freighter farm trailer with tyres that are 50 year old, carries
huge loads & never had a tyre issue. That will come getting the studs off..:)))). I have
several Dean tipping trailers of ages up to 40..no tyre issues there either. Yes I know
they are low use etc & not comparable to on road usage. I put 20 year old splits on
my hilux during summer when it becomes a fire unit & no tyre gets rougher treatment
than on fire grounds. I think maybe they are so hard now as to be impregnable.
No farmer changes tractor tyres due to age...too bloody expensive. All the tyres on my
daily drivers (2), hilux, & Jackaroo are over 5 years old as shared usage dictates, with
no issues that can be attributed to age. I inspect carefully, run high pressures, &
replace when wear dictates...works for me...cheers....oldbaz.

5 Years is what I recommend to my customers
Cheers
Charlie

From the Bridgestone tyre site


How old is too old?
This is a subject of much debate within the tyre industry and no tyre expert can tell exactly how long a tyre will last. However, on the results of experience many tyre companies, including Bridgestone, warrant their tyres against manufacturing and material defects for five years from the date of manufacture. Based on their understanding a number of vehicle manufacturers are now advising against the use of tyres that are more than six years old due to the effects of ageing.

Site Link

Ian

Thanks you all for your replies.. I note no one had anything to say about insurance companies policies regarding tyres . has any one had any bad experiences with insurance coys. avoiding a payout or reducing a payout because of old tyres contributing to an accident??????????

Carts