Tyres out of date

[Wallynnette]

Hi all, we've got an Autotrail Apache 634 2007. This is our first large motorhome and the date on the tyres is 06 and assume they're the originals. I've been reading all sorts of info on tyres, some say change after 5 years some longer, they are now 6 years old and whilst checking before going away this weekend noticed that they're 'crazing/cracking. Treads still good, and mileage is 26000 but I'm teetering on the edge of just replacing them (the seed of doubt and all that). What would members really do?

[Frankkia]

Personally - I would be making an appointment to get some new ones fitted.

 

Some will say if they are above the minimum tread depth then they are legal but I have witnessed what damage can be done by a tyre which had appeared to be ok suddenly giving up the ghost.

 

Go on it's only money :-S

[Wooie]

Don`t risk it, change them now.

 

I`ve had a front blow-out at 60 on the motorway in a wagon and trust me it is not a nice experience.

 

Regards

Graham.

[Dave Newell]

If you can see crazing/cracking starting then change them, they never get better.

 

D.

[w1ntersun]

Very good article here

 

http://www.michelin.co.uk/tyres/learn-share/buying-guide/when-should-i-change-my-tyres

 

Richard

[Guest Tracker]

May not apply in this case as OP has tyres with some cracking, but Michelin say that all tyres should be replaced at 10 years of age - so where did the 5 or 6 year 'rule' that we are often quoted come from?

 

 

[Keithl]

Continental also quote 10 years life on their website. Link to Conti-online

 

But agree with Rich, if there is any sign of cracking then get them changed immediately.

 

Keith.

[lennyhb]

10 years refers to cars, Motorhomes and caravans spend most of their life standing still which puts additional stress on the sidewalls 5-7 years max is the generally recommended life on these vehicles and having had a sidewall blowout on a caravan. If the tyres are showing any signs of cracking I would change them straight away.

[Guest Tracker]

lennyhb - 2012-06-06 4:40 PM

 

10 years refers to cars, Motorhomes and caravans spend most of their life standing still which puts additional stress on the sidewalls 5-7 years max is the generally recommended life on these vehicles and having had a sidewall blowout on a caravan. If the tyres are showing any signs of cracking I would change them straight away.

 

So we are continually being told Lenny - but where is it written by the tyre manufacturers - certainly not Michelin or Continental it seems who state 10 years with no ifs buts or maybes as long as there is no cracking or visible degradation?

 

Caravan tyres are notorious and we have all seen many of them blown out on the roadside but they are of a much lighter construction to commercial or camper van tyres.

[Wallynnette]

Thanks for the replies, and have ordered 4 new ones and get them fitted on Saturday morning. What a mine field it is!!, so if the motorhome doesn't get used as much as a daily vehicle would the tyres benefit from having covers on to protect against the suns uv whilst its stood and move occaisionaly. I've often seen big American rv's stood about with wheel covers on, do they work, could they actually give you an extra year or so?.

[Mel B]

Hi Wally

 

Personally, I'd change them - regardless of the tread depth if they are cracking then they are weakening, I certainly wouldn't run my motorhome on cracked tyres.

 

Our van is only 2 years and 2 months old, with tyres stamped as early 2010, but we've now got over 15,000 miles on so by the end of the year it'll probably be over 20,000 miles so we're going to change at least the front ones regardless as we want 'good' tyres over winter on our drive wheels.

[Guest peter]

Wakey wakey Mel, he's already posted that he's going to change them. :D

[Guest peter]

lennyhb - 2012-06-06 4:40 PM

 

10 years refers to cars, Motorhomes and caravans spend most of their life standing still which puts additional stress on the sidewalls 5-7 years max is the generally recommended life on these vehicles and having had a sidewall blowout on a caravan. If the tyres are showing any signs of cracking I would change them straight away.

How do m/h tyres get more stress than a tyre that is used every day and is having to constantly be flexing and distorting and getting heated up and cooled?. They may get distorted by standing in one spot for ages, but then so do cars for sale on a dealers forecourt.

[Merle]

Wallynnette - 2012-06-06 8:08 PMThanks for the replies, and have ordered 4 new ones and get them fitted on Saturday morning. What a mine field it is!!, so if the motorhome doesn't get used as much as a daily vehicle would the tyres benefit from having covers on to protect against the suns uv whilst its stood and move occaisionaly. I've often seen big American rv's stood about with wheel covers on, do they work, could they actually give you an extra year or so?.

Covers are around £7-£8 each, compared to the price of 4 tyres I reckoned it was worth the expense. I've seen various DIY solutions but at the price I prefer the convenience. Do they work? well all I can say is that the tryes are noticeably cooler when we do get hot days and I'm guessing the protection in winter is a good thing also. The only down side is that taking them off is something else to do before you can get rolling, but it only takes 5mins....just don't stand up under the mirror and bash your head like I always seem to do.....it hurts!!

[George Collings]

The 5-7 year recomendation was introduced at least 15 years ago by the tyre dealers association. It reflected thier collective experience dealing with motorcaravan customers with soiled underpants after experiencing a blow out with 5 yr + year old tyres. Owners awareness of the dangers of overloading and incorrect tyre pressures has hopefully improved ( I banged on about it enough when I edited interchange) but the fundamental dangers remain.

 

Motorcaravans give their tyres a hard life, unlike cars or the majority of commercial vehicles they always operate close to their GVW and also stand idle for prolonged periods. Tyre compounds incorporate plasticisers that rely rely on flexing to keep the tyre supple. It is thought that prolonged lack of use locks up the plasticiser accelerating degradation of the tyres structure.

 

Overloading was even more prevelent amongst our continental bretheren who suffering from much hotter summers proceeeded to sprint south to the Med killing tyres in large numbers. Tyre manufacturers responded by selling upgraded more robust camping tyres that could be run at higher pressures.

[Derek Uzzell]

Wallynnette - 2012-06-06 8:08 PM

 

Thanks for the replies, and have ordered 4 new ones and get them fitted on Saturday morning. What a mine field it is!!, so if the motorhome doesn't get used as much as a daily vehicle would the tyres benefit from having covers on to protect against the suns uv whilst its stood and move occaisionaly. I've often seen big American rv's stood about with wheel covers on, do they work, could they actually give you an extra year or so?.

 

It's probable that your Auto-Trail Apache is fitted with rigid 'clamp-in' tyre-valves, examples of which are shown here:

 

http://www.auto4.co.uk/Valves-and-Valve-Hardware/Clamp-In-Valves

 

These valves are designed to cope with inflation pressures well above the 60psi or so design-maximum of the ordinary 'snap in' flexible tyre-valve fitted to most cars. (Example here)

 

http://www.auto4.co.uk/Valves-and-Valve-Hardware/Snap-In-Tubeless-Valves/234020--TR413-Tubeless-Valve-43mm--234020

 

When a tyre is replaced it is normal practice to replace the tyre-valve too. This is fine when replacement is on a like-for-like basis, but it's far from uncommon (at least in the UK) for tyre fitters to replace a high-pressure clamp-in valve on a motorhome with an ordinary 60psi-maximum 'car suitable' snap-in valve.

 

As your current tyres are 2006 it's probable that its tyre-valves are of similar vintage. Assuming that your Apache has clamp-in tyre-valves, after 6 years it would be good practice to replace them. However, you may find that whoever will be fitting your tyres does not keep suitable clamp-in valves in stock.

 

When new clamp-in valves are unavailable, it's not uncommon just to replace the original valve's removable core with a new one. While doing this may not be as ideal as replacing the complete clamp-in valve, it's far better than replacing a clamp-in valve with an ordinary 'car' snap-in valve. (It's perhaps also worth adding that the metal valve-cap fitted to a high-pressure clamp-in valve should not be replaced with the non-metal cap normally fitted to 'car' valves.)

 

You'd be well advised to confirm with your tyre supplier what they plan to do regarding your Apache's tyre-valves. You do not want to end up on Saturday with four brand new tyres and four brand new unsuitable tyre-valves.

[Mel B]

peter - 2012-06-06 8:34 PM

 

Wakey wakey Mel, he's already posted that he's going to change them. :D

 

Bog off Peter! :D He must have 'sneaked' in and posted whilst I was typing my reply .... so 'raspberry' to you!!!! ;-)

[Guest Tracker]

George Collings - 2012-06-06 10:46 PM

 

The 5-7 year recomendation was introduced at least 15 years ago by the tyre dealers association. It reflected thier collective experience dealing with motorcaravan customers with soiled underpants after experiencing a blow out with 5 yr + year old tyres. Owners awareness of the dangers of overloading and incorrect tyre pressures has hopefully improved ( I banged on about it enough when I edited interchange) but the fundamental dangers remain.

 

Motorcaravans give their tyres a hard life, unlike cars or the majority of commercial vehicles they always operate close to their GVW and also stand idle for prolonged periods. Tyre compounds incorporate plasticisers that rely rely on flexing to keep the tyre supple. It is thought that prolonged lack of use locks up the plasticiser accelerating degradation of the tyres structure.

 

Overloading was even more prevelent amongst our continental bretheren who suffering from much hotter summers proceeeded to sprint south to the Med killing tyres in large numbers. Tyre manufacturers responded by selling upgraded more robust camping tyres that could be run at higher pressures.

 

Thanks for that George.

 

However is it possible that tyre manufacturers have also learned a bit over the years and are now making more durable products more able to withstand the degradations of time and standing still?

 

I would be wary about taking the advice of a retailers organisation who are hardly unbiased in their views - it's a bit like asking the banks if your money is safe!

 

Having been motorcaravanning since the 60's, I too can recall having to replace tyres on Transit and Bedford CF vans with monotonous regularity in the 70's and 80's - along with silencers (petrol engine) that only lasted two years at best and batteries that were not much better at times!!

 

These 'ere young 'uns don't know how well off they are in the 21st century!!

[Brian Kirby]

Tracker - 2012-06-06 5:08 PM......................So we are continually being told Lenny - but where is it written by the tyre manufacturers - certainly not Michelin or Continental it seems who state 10 years with no ifs buts or maybes as long as there is no cracking or visible degradation?..................

 

This is from the British Tyre Manufacturers' Association booklet "Motorhome Tyres And Your Safety". Both Michelin and Continental are members of the BTMA, so presumably support the advice given by their Association.

 

"Tyre Care

 

Check your tyres regularly but particularly when the motorhome has not been used for some time. Vehicles

that are not used normally used during winter should be thoroughly inspected prior to re-use. Look particularly for any sign of age deterioration in the tyres such as sidewall cracking and carcass deformation. Tyres on a stationary vehicle, particularly if parked in coastal areas, always age more quickly than those in regular and frequent use. If your motorhome is going to stand for any length of time, it is wise to cover the tyres and to shield them from direct sunlight and if possible to jack the weight off them. If in doubt about the condition of your tyres, have them checked immediately by a tyre specialist.

 

Because tyres deteriorate with age, the leisure vehicle organisations recommend that, irrespective of the remaining tread pattern depth, tyres should be replaced preferably when they reach 5 years old but to never use tyres which are more than 7 years old."

[Guest Tracker]

So Brian, and I'm not shooting the messenger here, contradictory advice once again - is there a print date on the BTMA booklet that makes this recommendation?

 

Place your bets now folks for new tyres at 5, 6, 7, or 10 or even, dare I say it 15 years of age?

 

Personally, I am still happy to replace tyres at 6 years of age - or any age - if showing signs of cracking or degradation but far less happy if they are not.