TPMS or Tyron Bands?
We ordered a new caravan at the February NEC show which should be delivered in September. When we took delivery of our current caravan we decided to have Tyron Bands fitted as they were on our previous caravan we had bought second-hand and seemed a good safety feature. For this reason we ordered our new caravan to also have the Tyron Bands fitted.
We are now wondering if we should cancel the Tyron Bands and buy a TPMS system? The Tyron Bands are good in that they help to keep the tyre on the wheel rim after a puncture and reduce the likelihood of damage to the caravan should this happen. The TPMS system however should give early warning of tyre deflation so might actually prevent the tyre being damaged in the event of a puncture.
What do you think is the best?
Peter
Comments
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No-one, not even the manufacturer, has ever proved that, under otherwise identical conditions, one would be better off with Tyron bands than without. They can't stop the tyre from disintegrating even if they were to prevent the tyre bead from separating from the wheel rim, but I've never had that happen following a blowout, even without Tyron bands. Forget the bands and go for TPMS.
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I have purchased the Tyron band kit to replace the bands as I often travel abroad. It’s so simple to replace Tyron bands with the spider kit that fits nearly in a small carry case. Most tyre places will brake the bead on the tyre for you which is by far the hardest bit of the job. I take the wheel from them remove the band and let them fit a new tyre and fit the
Band back and they finish off balancing the wheel as well. Possibly a 15 min operation with all the tools in the box ! The last tyre place I visited to break the bead bought a kit and now offer this Tyron band removal refit as a service. They are happy to sell a tyre after all and no more than £15 to remove refit band. I wouldn’t be without them and the kits for life.0 -
Tyron bands and TPMS are two completely different animals. The TPMS will warn you of a slow puncture so you can get it sorted. Tyron bands should help in the event of a catastrophic pressure loss. I don't dispute what Lutz says about the effectiveness of Tyron bands, but I would rather have Tyron bands than TPMS if I was only going to fit one system. Providing you check your tyre pressures cold before each journey, then the chances are you will note a slow leak, though I do appreciate something like a nail or screw picked up en-route will cause a slow(ish) leak, but I would expect you to notice a change in handling and investigate before the pressure drops dangerously.
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But Tyron bands have never been proved to be of any benefit. Material disclosed by the manufacturer show that a blowout need not have any negative consequence with bands fitted, but without providing any comparative evidence that the result would have been any worse without them. It is therefore impossible to draw a meaningful conclusion.
I have experienced a blowout on the caravan at motorway speeds. If it had not been for hearing a big bang and seeing bits of rubber flying through the air in the rearview mirror, I wouldn't have known that a blowout had occurred. I even had to negotiate a bend in a slip road as I was leaving the motorway in that condition before I was able to come to a full stop. For that reason, I see no advantage in having bands fitted. On the other hand, TPMS would have warned me before the worst had happened.1 -
I totally agree with @Lutz . I've recounted it before - but some years ago, we were going on holiday with our inflatable dinghy and outboard on a trailer being towed by my Disco. We were on the M5 heading for Dartmouth and tootling along at a steady 60 mph. I became aware of a car overtaking me, flashing his headlights and the passenger waved frantically at me and kept pointing towards the rear of the unit as they came past. I immediately pulled over onto the hard shoulder (thank goodness there was one!) only to find that one of the tyres was completely shredded and the wheel was so damaged it was useless. My main point is that I was completely unaware that there was anything wrong. Because of the comparative weights of car and trailer, I had not noticed anything untoward whatsoever.
Since I had borrowed the trailer from our marina - there wasn't a spare and after being recovered, the boat and trailer spent its holiday in Weston-super-Mare, whilst we were in Dartmouth! It took a few days for the garage to source a new wheel (and tyre).
On returning to caravanning, our new Bailey had TPMS already fitted as standard and whilst our present Knaus didn't, I fitted the external sensors within a week of getting it.
That also proved to be a wise decision because, just after getting the Knaus - and returning from a trip to the dealer's in Cumbria, I was about 3 miles from home when the alarm went off on one of the tyres. Fortunately, it was a slow puncture (a nail through the tyre) and I was able to limp home slowly before it completely deflated. It might have been a different story had I carried on as normal.
Whilst I concede that TPMS probably isn't as vital from a safety point of view, on a TA van, a shredded tyre can still do a lot of damage to the wheel arch etc - but I would say it's absolutely essential on a single axle van. It's not just the pressure that's being monitored - but also the temperature of the tyres and a drastic increase in temperature gives advance warning that something is wrong, allowing you to take remedial action before a catastrophe occurs.
I now wouldn't dream of towing anything without TPMS fitted.
Edit - I think the fact that TPMS has been a requirement for all new cars, for some years now, speaks for itself.
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I'm on the TPMS side of this debate. We had them as standard on our last caravan, and I bought the sensors to use with this one. Thankfully, we've never had a problem, but it is re assuring to be able to see the tyre pressures and temperatures in real time.
Having said that, I see no problem in having both systems
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