Tyre Size Puzzle
My caravan needs new tyres this year but I'm a bit puzzled by the size. The tyres that are currently on the caravan are Kargomax C ST6000 and the size shown on the tyre wall is shown as 185R14C 104/102N. Looking online for a supplier I keep being asked for the profile figure but this doesn't seem to appear on the tyre wall. (My car tyre shows 235/50 R17 as a comparison). Can anyone throw any light on this? It's probably dead simple really and I'm misreading something. Thanks in advance.
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John, The Cargomax tyres are still available for around £70 at Asda Tyres.
One important thing I would check when you find suitable tyres is to check the manufacturing date on the sidewalls, as they can sometimes be 'in stock' for many months (sometimes years when sold on Ebay).
When I replaced 2 tyres on my caravan, I used National Tyres and stipulated that the tyres needed to be less than 3 months old, so that I got maximum use out of them before changing again.
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It's a good point you make about the tyre manufacturing date, largerorwine. My current tyres were made in week 11 (mid March) 2014. This was just over a year before I bought the caravan brand new. Checking manufacturing dates is not something that immediately springs to mind when collecting a new caravan especially when one has an horrendous hand-over.
Just as an aside, we ordered the caravan in February but were told that we couldn't have delivery until April. Not too long really except that when we got the van (a Lunar) we found manufacturing papers in the 'van (so much for the PDI) that showed it had been fully completed the previous October. This would have made the tyres seven months old at that date.
I have seen the tyres online at Asda but that would need someone to fit them. Spoke to Kwik Fit's mobile caravan tyre fitting department. They don't do Kargomax tyres but offered me Hankook tyres at £75 or Continental at £80.50 all in. They claim they are commercial van tyres so suitable for caravans. As that particular department is the one fitting caravan tyres I must accept their professional judgement I suppose. Anyone with any comments?
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Those prices sound excellent for mobile fitting, and Quick Fit should know their stuff.
As already said, just check sidewalls to check date and that the C is present on the size markings.
When I looked yesterday, 102/104 were less common than 100/102 load rating - but that was probably because I sorted the results by price!
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Just because they are commercial van tyres does not mean they are suitable for caravans. If you currently have a load rating of 102/104 then you should replace with the same.
As you already know there is a really poor choice of not very good tyres in this size.
The Hankook and Contis offered may be 100/102 rated as this seems to be the load rating for that tyre in their range.
Ask them what load rating, and while you are on the call ask them why the hell they would recommend a tyre without asking for this information and you are disgusted at their lack of responsibility for their customers safety.
Assuming that your van weighs less than 1600kg then the 100/102 could be fine but make sure it meets the caravan manufacturers minimum requirements in the handbook which may be 102/104 requirement.
Also you need to make sure the 100/102 tyres have max specified PSI lower than you need, i.e. modern caravan pressures are required to be 60 or 65 PSI, the tyre you are fitting needs to be able to operate at that pressure.
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I think you should find everything you need here.:-
https://www.tyresafe.org/caravan-tyre-safety/
There is a document you can download. I keep an older copy in the van.
Colin
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The "Tyre Size Puzzle" refers to the challenge of selecting the right tyre size for a vehicle, balancing factors like load capacity, driving conditions, and performance. An incorrect size can affect handling, safety, and fuel efficiency, making it crucial to follow manufacturer recommendations and consult experts when in doubt.
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