Inflation before vacation!

TyreSafe, Britain’s leading tyre safety organisation, is urging caravanners this summer to check the tyres on both the caravan and the towing car before every journey. Tyres are critical to driver and passenger safety, and to ride and handling. There are also key recommendations which drivers should follow in order to reduce the risk of an accident on the road, particularly in the wet.

As the use of caravans is largely seasonal, it is vital that the condition of the tyres is checked, as degradation or cracking of the sidewall can result from prolonged inactivity. Tyres do degrade over time and trailer caravan tyres that are more than 7 years old should be replaced. Like cars, the minimum legal tread depth for trailers or caravans is 1.6mm throughout the central 75% of the tread width, around the tyre’s entire circumference.

Furthermore, research has shown that tyre pressures of both the towing vehicle and caravan are often overlooked, with under or over inflation severely affecting the behaviour and stability of the combination. The correct inflation should always be checked from cold in order to ensure the highest degree of accuracy, and be proportional to the load of the caravan. Incorrect pressures result in both increased tyre wear, a higher output of CO2 emissions, and reduced fuel economy.

Others aspects of tyre care frequently overlooked include the spare tyre which must be checked and adjusted to the same pressure to that of the caravan. It is also important to ensure that all tyres are of the same construction across each axle. TyreSafe recommends that manufacturer instructions should be consulted where possible, and motorists are strongly encouraged to spend time ensuring the safety of their vehicles before setting out on a long journey. It could make all the difference to a successful or ruined holiday.

To view the latest Caravan Tyres and Your Safety leaflet, reproduced with the kind permission of the British Tyre Manufacturers Association, please log on to tyresafe.org.