Tyron Bands Are You Aware of the Pitfalls
With regard to the debatable value of Tyron bands, please consider my encounter with them. I had Tyron bands retro fitted to my Bailey Senator, after falling for the salesmans spiel promoting the safety benefits that they offered and how I could rest assured
that I would never be the victim of an upturned caravan on the motorway after a blowout. I went ahead despite protestations from my truck driving husband who could not see any real safety benefits and who has recovered from many blow outs on his 44tonne chemical
tanker without major incident, and he does all the hauling of our van.
Returning home after our first trip with the bands fitted, we had a puncture at Newark and so headed into nearby ATS for a repair / tyre replacement as necessary. As soon as I told the fitter a Tyron band was fitted he replied that he could not proceed
as they did not have the specialist equipment necessary, this was surprising on two accounts, 1) They are one of the largest nationwide tyre fitters in the country, 2) I was not aware of any such specialised equipment being necessary.
It turns out that a special long Allen key is required to remove the band, and then a special machine to refit it, the Allen key is supposed to be supplied along with the bands by the dealer, and a sticker applied to the wheel to show they are fitted (this
was not so in our case).
The alloy wheel was removed and replaced with the steel spare to get home, whereupon I took the damaged alloy back to the dealer who said no problem to fitting a new tyre. Upon collection the invoice was £114:40, after they picked me up of the floor it was
explained that it was necessary to charge an additional 1 hrs labour @ £44 plus vat, because of the specialised and time consuming nature of these repairs.
By now, and particularly after suffering my husbands repeated “I told you so”, I started to consider the future problems that I would now have to encounter.
As we run on alloy wheels with Tyron bands fitted, and carry one steel spare without, consider the potential problems on any trip abroad. If we have a flat we would change for the spare, but my policy has always been to repair the original as soon as possible………how
could this now be done as no tyre fitters abroad will handle the Tyron bands, we would have to hope we had no more flats with the other alloy wheel. The only solution would be to carry two steel spares without bands fitted, and if a problem arose remove the
offending wheel, leave the van and drive to a garage for repairs, ………..and fitting these bands is supposed to reassure and provide stress free motoring.
My biggest gripe regarding this fiasco, is not so much the limitations self imposed by using these bands, but the fact that the dealer failed to mention any of these drawbacks when selling me this equipment as I certainly would not have continued with the
purchase had I known. Unfortunately I am now stuck with them as they were too expensive to remove and leave at the back of my garage.
Comments
-
I have had Tyron Bands fitted to my last four or five caravans and take comfort in their presence but luckily I have not been faced with having to deal with any punctures. Unlike you I was given the long Alan key each time but have never needed it. I also bought my own Tyron kit for doing the job myself and in an emergency I think I could manage even though I am no more than a reluctant diy er. This kit is/was generally available on the internet and was not overly expensive. I know it's an additional expense but, having to replace a blown tyre in France many years ago I can still remember the problems we had getting a suitable replacement. This was in the days before I used Red Pennant. It would' not happen now.
I hope this has been helpful. My dealer knows that the first thing I always ask for in the deal when changing my van is the Tyrons and I don't plan to change anytime soon. Better a blown tyre with hassle than a written off van.
2 -
I believe that way back when caravan wheels did not have a built in " bead " around the rim to stop a punctured tyre coming off.
Nowadays modern caravan wheels are as car wheels and have this bead therefore no need for Tyron Bands.
Maybe wrong but this is what I've been told by my dealer.
1 -
We have Tyron bands, but always have the allen key in the car toolbox, so in the event of any problems we have it with us. Surely the problem was with the original dealership which fitted them and didn't give you the sticker or the allen key?
One other point, regardless of the Tyron bands, if you have Alloy wheels then you really should have an identical spare, with the same tyres on all three. In many countries abroad it is illegal to run with different tyres on the same axles, never mind different wheels (even between the site of any incident and the tyre depot).
1 -
When I caravanned I had Tyron safety bands fitted to all of my later caravans but they were fitted at my instigation so I was in a different position to the OP. Unlike a car or a twin axle caravan you are only relying on two wheels on the road so any catastrophic failure on one side there is a risk of damage to the second wheel. I have seen the damage caused by a tyre failure on a caravan. Now whether Tyron bands are the answer is, I suppose, open to debate. I came round to thinking that perhaps investment in some decent tyres and regular tests and replacements at the prescribed intervals or earlier if there were signs of damage might be a good alternative to having Tyron bands fitted? They are very labour intensive to change and having watched them being changed the £10/20 often charged extra I imagine might not fully cover the cost.
On Val's point even if the spare is a steel as opposed to an alloy it should still be the same size tyre so shouldn't run into any difficulties in terms of the law. Perhaps worth pointing out that many cars, if indeed they have a spare, usually have an emergency spare wheel which must be acceptable Europe wide as it has to meet those regulations. Questionable whether they are suitable whilst towing?
David
0 -
A steel spare wheel on a vehicle otherwise fitted with alloy wheels or a space saver spare wheel are illegal everywhere in Europe, but as they are intended for emergency use only, they are tolerated for that sole purpose and must be removed at the earliest possible opportunity. It is not acceptable to continue one's journey to one's final destination with either of those types of spare wheel.
0 -
Alloy wheels have a dish to permit the easy assembly and removal of a deflated tyre. If there was no dish, the tyre fitter would be unable to fit or remove it. Steel wheels have a more pronounced dish because of the construction of the rim. The Tyron band bridges the dish and therefore prevents the tyre bead climbing off the rim when it rotates in contact with the road.
0 -
nearly. Tyron bands are, as you say, are supposed to stop the tyre bead from going into the centre of the rim (ally or steel), but, the bead would only make its way into the centre of the wheel under hard/fast cornering when the tyre would suffer rapid deflation as it fell into the cente. However, the need for a band is prevented by the safety lip incorporated with both modern alloy & steel rims on both cars & trailers
1 -
Just to add another note on the subject, Tyron bands can only, at best, prevent the bead from dropping into the well, but they won't prevent the tyre from disintegrating and shedding its tread, so I wonder what the point is of having them. The bead alone won't provide any lateral grip.
0 -
We did have them on one caravan and were given a bag with what was described as a tool if they needed changing but never looked in. At the end of the day you have to decide whether the promised benefits are real and if they justify the cost. As far as I can see no one has proved they work or do not work so we are all in the dark.
0 -
In our case, having suffered from a blowout whilst having Tyron bands on the tyre, and travelling near to the speed limit on a single track road, the big advantage was that the tyre itself was held on the wheel. Whllst the tyre shredded, it didn't flap off the wheel rim, and therefore damage to the caravan was minimised. Both our dealer, and our insurers were amazed by the small amount of damage to the caravan. The only damage was a hole in the wheel arch about the size of a ping pong ball, and no damage to floor panels, side walls, or other parts of the van.
If you 'google' tyre damage to caravan after blowout there are some images showing just how serious the damage can be - and indeed it can lead to a caravan being written off. Ours was minor in comparison.
It's not true to say that no tyre fitters abroad will tackle them. We have booklet of approved Tyron band workshops in Europe, which was given to us when we had them fitted, and this remains with us in the car whenever we travel in Europe. If anyone has Tyron bands, travels in Europe, and doesn't have this information then get in touch with Tyron and ask for one. But apart from that, we found a tyre dealership near Soissons who had no problems, even though they weren't on the list. As long as you have the tool then it's not a long job, or an expensive one, to remove the tyres.
1 -
Dianne
Perhaps worth pointing out that you have a twin axle van so you have a cushion of safety if one tyre has a problem. On a single axle van you don't have that luxury. So how beneficial Tyron Bands are or otherwise it is understandable that people will want to buy something they feel gives them extra security. It's a shame the likes of the two Clubs don't put such products under independent scrutiny?
As I understand it the system was originally developed by Dunlop as as an additional safety feature for police and military vehicles and I think Tyron saw an opportunity for use in caravans.
David
2 -
You would expect any manufacturer, especially in the field of safety, to offer good convincing evidence that the product actually works?
Makes you wonder why only one company produces that system...I don't see patents as a deterrent
Perhaps I have missed the demo videos??!
PS. Testing companies have to be paid....normally by the manufacturer or marketing company
0 -
This might help you all with the discussion. Have them on my Coachman, fitted by PO and dealer fitted new tyres when I bought it so won't be worrying about it
0 -
We did have them on our Coachman single axle David. We had a blow out before they were fitted on the M25 and had no problems and no damage whats so ever.
When we had the low out we thought we had Tyron Bands fitted as they were ordered when we bought the caravan. The the Caravan dealer was diddled by the local Tyre Company who fitted them for them. One of the employees was pretending to fit them and then taking the Bands and selling them. Rogue.
My OH would never bother again as you say we do not need them on the twin axle we have now. Certainly no one has ever thought it worth copying them..
DianneT.
0 -
Interesting that people keep using the term "Blowout" that to me, means the tyre exploded, delaminating etc. Like the remains of tyres you see on the hard shoulder or central reservation.
Are these incidents really blowouts or just punctures that deflate the tyre quickly. I've experienced a rear wheel blowout on a HGV I was driving years ago. You certainly know about it when it goes bang and not a lot of the tyre is left on the rim. Put it this way, you wouldn't have much trouble getting a tyron band off
If it were what I call a Blowout you would be running on the rim and band or not it wouldn't matter.
0 -
Not long after I bought my first caravan I suffered a blowout on the dual carriageway from Monmouth to Newport. We were doing just under 60mph when I heard a loud sharp noise come from behind and in my near side mirror I saw the nearside caravan tyre flapping around. I pulled over to the limited hard shoulder and the tyre had shredded but was still on the rim. Throughout the caravan stayed stable and it was only the noise of the deflation that drew my attention. The only assistance to stability was the caravan loading, noseweight and a spring arm stabiliser.
It transpired that the tyres were well over 10 years old and although I had checked them and seen that they had adequate tread depth I was totally unaware of the guidance relating to caravan tyres. Although this incident happened many years ago it affected my approach to tyres in that I change at 5 years from date of manufacture, always use good quality branded tyres with C rating and where possible fit a higher LI than recommended by the caravan maker. EG my previous caravan had MTPLM of 1400kg with a combined LI of 1420kg. So higher LI tyres were fitted.
1 -
Perhaps worth putting into the mix that we now have tyre monitoring systems which can give advance notice of a tyre problem. They weren't available when Tyron's were introduced all those years ago.Although they won't help in a sudden failure.
David
0 -
Generally, a blowouit is a consequence of running for too long at too low a pressure (which may be the result of a slow puncture). The tyre gets too hot due constant flexing of the sidewalls until it finally suddenly fails. When that happens it is inevitable that the the wheel will be running on the rim.
0 -
A very pertinent point and whilst a believer in Tyrons adding something to the safety I have no doubt TPMS is invaluable for caravans where the driver and anybody else in the car can be totally unaware of a caravan puncture until long after the tyre is wrecked.
I am not convinced that many caravan tyres suffer “sudden failure” [blowouts] but are brought to the point of sudden failure from the consequences of running under inflated. This initially starts to flex the wall causing wall overheating followed by a break down in the polymers physical properties and strength to a point where the wall is no longer able to retain the pressure and then it blows out. But long before this final failure the tyre is past use; TPMS has the potential to alert whilst a viable tyre still exists. Tyrons role is way past that point and IMO adds some degree of safety in better retaining what remains of a tyre for a few seconds after the catastrophic tyre failure, enabling one that time to stop, though clearly that is not a view some hold. I have had my share of catastrophic tyre failures all with caravans, all with Tyrons, all survived with undamaged rims. So it is not inevitable that the van runs on the rim, at least initially after failure there has always in my cases been enough wall to protect the rim. I had to help, well actually take over and remove and refit the bands with both a French & even a UK tyre fitter. The biggest issue is not being able to cope with bands, but fitters not being able or prepared to read the most basic of instruction.
0 -
Running on the rim is inevitable unless one is able to come to a stop very quickly after a blowout. I was in the middle lane overtaking a truck at the time when I had mine and because of heavy traffic it was at least half a mile before I was able to pull over to the hard shoulder. By that time the tyre, or what was left of it, was just short of catching fire, but the caravan itself behaved impeccably, despite not having Tyrons and despite having to negotiate a bend in the slip road before coming to a stop.
0 -
Clearly with enough running to wear or displace whatever remains of the tyre, the rims will ultimately ground; but in all my cases, all using Tyron Bands, that did not happen.
In my cases with the wheel recess not available for the beads to fall away into, the bands could arguably be why enough wall remained to carry the load and my rims did not ground or get damaged?
Seeing all my failures resulting in relatively light consequences, I will not be changing away from bands. However, now with a TPMS I don't expect to again put them to a test, but have added confidence that they are there to do what up to now they have.It is comforting to read others without bands have no issues, but I prefer to add what extra safety I can see, to how I caravan.
0 -
I wonder what part the safety hump/lip played when your tyre blew? I've only had two blow outs solo & one slow speed puncture towing in 38 yrs driving. On one solo occassion, the tyre wall on one side of the tyre was shredded but the remnants stayed in place on the rim till I got to the hard shoulder from lane 3 and both times the rim was undamaged. No bands involved.
Bands were to stop rims pre safety lip from allowing their tyres to move sideways under cornering till a bead fell into the centre well. The need for bands was removed many years ago.
1
