How to keep your caravan tyres pressure and safety in check
A practical guide from Caravan Information Services
With the wheels keeping you moving and the caravan tyres keeping you connected to the road, it helps to know how the specifications and conditions of your wheels and tyres affect safety.
Worn, incorrectly specified, or defective wheels and tyres can severely compromise your caravan’s ride, lane handling, cornering, and breaking.
Did you know that car or light van and caravan tyres are the same, but caravan wheels are purpose-made? This is because the wheels on a single-axle caravan support around half the caravan’s weight. A car wheel supports a quarter of the vehicle’s weight. Moreover, the offset (the distance between the wheel mount and the rim centreline) often differs on car and caravan wheels.
Caravan tyres and wheels on new caravans
New caravans have wheels and tyres that meet the manufacturer’s specifications. The correct caravan tyres pressure is shown in the handbook and sometimes on a sticker near the wheel arch.
We recommend checking your tyre pressures before each journey. Mechanical pressure gauges display the results on an oversized dial, whereas digital gauges use numbers on an LED screen. The choice comes down to personal preference, but remember that digital gauges won’t work if the batteries run down.
Alternatively, you can use a tyre inflation device to check the pressure.
Most manufacturers recommend 50-60psi for caravan tyres, which is significantly more than car tyres.
Top Tip: Try to avoid relying on a foot pump. Inflating a caravan tyre with 240v mains, 12v, or a rechargeable battery-powered tyre pump is much faster.
Carrying a spare wheel is highly recommended. New caravans typically come with a spare wheel. But if you need to purchase a spare, double-check the size and offset match the fitted wheels. You’ll find the details stamped on the inside of the wheel rim.
Wheels, tyres and used caravans
If you aim to purchase a second-hand caravan, carry out the following checks for peace of mind:
- ensure the caravan wheels and the spare are the same size and specification
- inspect the rims for any flat spots or repairs, as these may cause the tyre to leak air
- crack off the wheel nuts or bolts and retighten with a torque wrench to ensure someone hasn’t stripped a thread
- check the tyres for signs of excessive and uneven wear, cuts, bulges, perished walls or nails
- if all is good, check the tyre pressures before you hitch up, including the spare where available
Top Tip! If you can’t establish the age of the tyres, consider replacing them with a brand-new set. Tyres harden with age and may perform poorly despite looking good to the eye.
How often should you replace caravan tyres?
The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the centre three-quarters of the tyre. However, the tyre’s performance reduces in line with wear. Most manufacturers recommend replacing tyres when they reach 3mm.
Caravan tyres rack up less mileage than their equivalent on cars. So you’ll probably need to replace the tyres because of other factors before they wear down, because:
- rubber hardens with age, and older tyres may underperform, especially in wet weather
- tyre walls often fatigue, crack or perish after long spells of exposure to sunlight and atmospheric changes
- flat spots or structural strain usually occurs when caravans are left in one place for long periods
To maintain the best performance, replace your tyres every five years unless the tread wears down sooner. And never use tyres that are seven years old or older on a caravan.
Wheel and tyre maintenance
Check the wheel rims periodically for signs of rust, cracks or distortions. Double-check bolt or stud holes for signs of elongation or deterioration. Alloys wheels don’t rust, but corrosion can weaken a wheel’s integrity, lead to slow air loss, or cause fractures when tightening wheel nuts or bolts.
Although you can repaint rusted steel wheels, this may affect the seal between the tyre and rim. You’ll also need to remove and refit or replace the tyres. If the wheels are in poor condition, replacements should be considered. A professional can refurbish alloy wheels.
Plastic wheel covers on steel wheels tend to damage easily. Keep the rims secure with plastic cable ties, but if the wheel covers crack, replace them immediately.
Low tyre pressures lead to excessive wear on the outer edges, which can cause an unsteady ride or a floating feeling when towing. Underinflated tyres can also overheat, increasing the potential for a blowout.
Alternatively, overinflation causes the centre of the tyre to wear faster. The caravan may bounce excessively over bumpy roads and become less stable when cornering.
Tyre sealant pros and cons
If you get a puncture on a busy motorway or an awkward stretch of road, you’ll want to get underway again as quickly as possible.
Emergency puncture repair products such as Slime, Holts Tyreweld, and Airman Tyre Repair Sealant are liquid chemicals you inject through the tyre valve. The treatments seal the puncture and reinflate the tyre. Although some products claim you can drive safely for up to 125 miles, these are temporary solutions and should only be used to safely get you to a tyre repair centre.
The benefit of using tyre sealant is time saved, but unfortunately, the tyre becomes irreparable, and you’ll generally need to purchase a new one.
Another system to consider is a pre-injected sealant like OKO Puncture Control. In this case, the chemical seals the puncture as soon as it happens. Once again, this is a temporary fix, and most garages won’t repair punctures if tyre sealants are used. The significant advantage, however, is your tyre won’t deflate when it punctures.
Wheel fillers pros and cons
Wheel fillers like the Tyron Multiband prevent tyre beads from dropping into the wheel well if a severe puncture or blowout deflates the tyre. The result is that the tyre stays in place, preventing the rim from coming into contact with the road. The caravan can then slow to a controlled halt.
Wheel fillers offer additional peace of mind, but there are a couple of things to consider regarding repairing or replacing a punctured tyre:
A wheel filler needs to be released before removing a tyre. Tyron, for example, sells a customer care kit that you can hand to any tyre fitter. But the fitter needs to carry specialist equipment if you want the band put back in place on the rim. Also, remember that if you lose or don’t have the unique Allen key and bolts in the care kit, you’ll have to find a tyre company with the right equipment.