Wheel Balancing
Hello everybody, my first post and hope you are able to help. Just looking at the tech notes concerning caravan wheels and tyres. I read this:
"Balancing caravan tyres has some advantages; improved tyre durability and wheel bearing wear. Tyre imbalance becomes increasingly significant from around 55mph upwards, so balancing is particularly worthwhile if significant motorway towing is likely."
Can anyone shed some light on HOW this is to be achieved? I don't fancy towing my 'van into the local kwikFit......!
Thanks.
Comments
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One solution is to get someone like 'Tyres on the Drive' to come and balance your caravan wheels with their mobile equipment. We used to do this when the caravan was stored in the UK.
The other is to take one caravan wheel off, put the spare on, and take the first wheel and tyre to be balanced. Pick it up, bring it home, and replace it.
Replace the process for the second wheel.
We usually do it when the tyres need replacing - not between times because these days we don't tow for anything like the distances we used to, as we store our caravan in France1 -
Exactly as Val has described. We used to take our wheels to the depot for balancing of tyre replacement. Put the van up on axle stands and you can take both wheels at the same time.
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Yes I'd agree with the above comments also. It is well worth getting caravan wheels balanced. Our 2016 Elddis Affinity 550 was delivered without the wheels being balanced. On our first journey out, when we arrived we found several oven screws had worked loose to the point where the handle fell off and also the shower door screws had shaken loose. I had checked the caravan before the journey so came to the conclusion that the unbalanced wheels cannot have helped.
We had the wheels balanced and no further problems with loosening screws (plenty of other problems but that's a different issue).
I wrote to Elddis suggesting that it may be wise to balance the wheels and I notice that on their latest models they actually do supply them balanced, which has to be a good thing.
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Hi guys, many thanks indeed for all your thoughts and comments. The solution is so simple now that I see it! D'oh! I shall mix and match your very practical solutions. Happy caravanning and a happy New Year to you all.
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Hi, when you get the van serviced should it be something the garage would offer you?
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I’d be very surprised if a caravan dealership would have the equipment and they’d probably stare at you blankly if you asked.
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Mobile tyre fitters are very useful for balancing, but depending on age of tyre I also get them to change the valves. I have had several failures of valves at 3-4 years. It also gives a good fitter a chance to check tyre wall condition too. Older tyres are fine (mine 10 years ) if checked regularly for damage and deterioration.
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Age is no guarantee. A friend had a blowout on a tyre that was less than five years old on his MH. I travelled all the way to the Med and back many years ago with tyres that I'm sure were way older than five years before I was aware of such matters.
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i am still not aware of such matters and my caravan tyres are 10 years old and still have plenty of life in them
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Perhaps you might benefit from raising your awareness levels, CG.
I hope for your sake that the statement about plenty of life in your tyres doesn't prove to be inaccurate. 🤞
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As far as I am aware as long as the tread is at least 1.6mm deep that is the only legal requirement unless I am missing something
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It is unlikely that the tread depth will ever be a concern for most caravan tyres. Far more of a problem would be tyres 'drying out', cracking, becoming less flexible and de-naturing. I have replaced the tyres on the rear of cars for such reasons
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You certainly are. Easy has explained it - tis the sidewalls.
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Caravan tyres will rarely, in the recommended life of a tyre, wear down to the 1.6mm minimum. They aren't really doing much work. What can / frequently does happen is that splits occur between the tread and this seems to have nothing to do with mileage, just age. This can lead to a blow-out so for the sake of safety of all on the road regular inspection between the treads is, in my mind, essential.
There is some paradox whereby car tyres, in use far more of the time, don't seem to suffer with this problem in the same given time period. Why this is so I can only guess at.
As far as balancing goes, whilst vibration may not be felt much in the car, there will still be some significant vibration in the caravan with unbalanced tyres. This can and sometimes does lead to things in the caravan loosening and/ or falling off or out of cupboards. My own thought is that this may be a contributory cause of some joint failures leading to water ingress especially on joints which are poorly sealed in the first place.
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Tyres look in good condition, no cracking or damage last time I looked so not overly concerned just keep them at right pressure and that's it
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Your choice.
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But short of taking your tyres off there is no way of checking this
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Forgive my ignorance but I have never heard of this five year rule. Is it just caravan tyres or car tyres as well and if so is it written into law anywhere as I cannot find reference to it anywhere
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It's a guide line .... like the 85% 'rule'
As above, car tyres are normally worn out within 5/6/7 yrs but, as caravans & motorhomes don't tend to do the mileage, it's suggested that tyres are replace sooner rather than later. And there is no legal max age, though common sense comes into the equation too.
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See also item 4 of the following taken from the Advice and Training section found at the head of this page.
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