anesta Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Hi, just bought first motorhome. Hymer coachbuilt, second hand, only done around 5000 miles but 6 years old. Tyres look new in terms of tread, but no indication if they have ever been changed. Dealer doesn't want to change them as they pass MOT. Could please somebody help and tell me if there are sound recommendations around this matter? Also, anybody knows where I could take motorhome (Leicesterhire/Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire areas) so that somebody can properly check these tyres and tell me if they are OK? Many thanks from now! *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkc Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Hi Anesta, and welcome Very much a ' how long is a piece of string question' I'm afraid. Recommended periods vary from anything from 5 to 10 years according to who you listen to. With such a low mileage on a van of that age it would appear to have had a lot of time standing around without moving, the worst way to treat tyres. If you can afford it for piece of mind I would change them. If you intend to cross the Channel be aware that there are restriction on putting different tyres on axles etc. May I suggest that posting on the motorhome matters forum will get a quicker response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums. UK regulations relate to the condition of vehicle tyres but not to their age. The British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association’s website provides the following advice: “Age of Tyres Consumers also need to be aware that the age of a tyre can influence service performance and should seek advice in order to establish if a tyre needs replacing. Conditions of storage and use will influence the rate at which a tyre ages. Typical symptoms of tyre ageing are cracked/crazed sidewalls and/or distorted tread. There is nothing in the current legislation that requires a tyre over a certain age to be replaced. However some tyre and vehicle manufacturers do specify a recommended maximum age at which tyres should be replaced.” Tyre manufacturers tend to specify 10 years as a tyre’s life-span. For example, Continental’s advice on the subject is: “Continental is unaware of any technical data that supports a specific tyre age for removal from service. However, as with other members of the tyre and automotive industries, Continental recommends that all tyres (including spare tyres) that were manufactured more than ten (10) years previous be replaced with new tyres, even when tyres appear to be usable from their external appearance and if the tread depth may have not reached the minimum wear out depth.” Tyre age-related advice from the Caravan Club can be found in the “When to Replace Caravan Tyres” section on Page 4 of this file: http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/1022844/caravan-tyres-and-wheels-mo.pdf Received wisdom seems to be that motorhome tyres should be treated similarly to caravan tyres and 7 years of age is generally recommended as a 'ball park' maximum. The dealer who sold you your Hymer motorhome was obliged to ensure that its tyres met the UK’s legal requirements, but those requirements do not include a tyre age-limit. As long as the condition of the tyres on your Hymer is such that its tyres meet the UK’s MOT test rules, the age of its tyres is not a regulatory issue. If your motohome’s (presumably) 6-year-old tyres will pass the MOT, you are not in a position to compel the dealer to replace them. A 5000 mileage for a 6-year-old motorhome indicates that it will have been static for long periods, which is not a good thing for tyres. However, I suspect that few (if any) dealerships selling a 6-year-old/5000-miles motorhome would consider replacing its tyres prior to sale, unless the tyres' condition demanded it or a buyer insisted this be done and agreed that the cost of the replacement tyres be reflected in the sale-price. Once such a motorhome had been purchased, it would be unrealistic to expect the vendor to pay for replacement tyres (I’m assuming you’d like the dealer to foot the bill) merely because the tyres were 6 years old. The UK MOT test’s tyre checks can be found here: http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_410.htm (You’ll note that the age of a tyre is not mentioned.) Any tyre-fitting company in the Leicesterhire/Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire areas should be able to check the condition of your Hymer's tyres and provide you with an opinion on the tyres’ legality. There is the possibility (because of the age/mileage combination) that faults that are not easily visually evident (eg. cracking within the tread pattern) might become apparent if the wheels were removed from the motorhome and the tyres inspected very closely, but that’s more of a possibility than a probability. And, if you wanted a tyre-fitting company to carry out that type of in-depth inspection, you should expect to be charged for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 pkc - 2013-08-18 7:56 AM ...If you intend to cross the Channel be aware that there are restriction on putting different tyres on axles etc... The UK has regulations regarding putting different TYPES of tyre on vehicle axles and (I suspect) similar rules will also apply in all Continental European countries. I think you may be referring to a rule that is enforced in France (and may, or may not, be enforced in other countries) that stipulates that, as well as conforming to the TYPE-related tyre rules applied in the UK, the same MAKE of tyre must be fitted to each end of a 'single wheel' axle. This has resulted in some UK motorists who have needed to have a new tyre fitted to their vehicle in France having to buy two new tyres. The same-make-of-tyre-per-axle rule is not enforced in the UK and is not a UK MOT-test requirement (For what it's worth, I think it is also not a requirement of the French MOT-test equivalent either.) As long as the tyres fitted to a UK-registered vehicle meet UK regulations, there's no reason to believe they will be deemed illegal when the vehicle is travelling in any other EU country even if (like France) that country's tyre-fitting regulations differ from the UK's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkc Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Exactly what I meant Derek, thank you for the clarification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anesta Posted August 18, 2013 Author Share Posted August 18, 2013 Thanks everybody, all the advice is really helpful! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timkitchen Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I think you need caravan professionals for having complete servicing of your Motorhome. You don't have to worry about it, please visit the "Mark Caravan Medic" situated in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. In my opinion, it is the best place for you and I am also one of a client of this company. To get more information, visit this link- http://markcaravanmedic.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 timkitchen - 2013-08-23 9:33 AM I think you need caravan professionals for having complete servicing of your Motorhome. You don't have to worry about it, please visit the "Mark Caravan Medic" situated in Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire. In my opinion, it is the best place for you and I am also one of a client of this company. To get more information, visit this link- http://markcaravanmedic.co.uk/ As Stephen (anesta) will be buying a motorhome from a dealership (when, one might reasonably assume, it will have been serviced by the dealer's staff before the hand-over takes place) I really can't see why your advice should be relevant in his particular case. Perhaps you just intended to provide general advice - that motorhome servicing is best carried out by competent professionals. If that's so, it would have been preferable to have posted that advice separately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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