How to check your caravan tyres after sitting still for long periods
It's a caravanner's worst nightmare: setting off on your summer holidays only to have a tyre blow out, leading to costly repairs and heavy claims on your insurance.
How Your Caravan Tyres Get Damaged
Your caravan's tyres can become distorted after sitting for long periods of time. If the tyres are exposed to sunlight, then the UV rays can damage the rubber.
Your caravan tyres may be older than you think. It's easy to check the age of a tyre by finding the DOT code and then looking for the three- or four-digit code which will give you the month and year of manufacture. Old tyres can crack through lack of use.
Tyres can become under-inflated over the winter, and that reduces the tyre's grip and increases braking distances. Worse still, the excessive flexing of the sidewall can cause the tyre to blow out.
What to Check Before You Take Your Caravan on the Road
You should check your caravan's tyre pressures on a regular basis throughout the winter. Check the pressure when the tyres are cold, and make sure the valves aren't leaky.
Make sure your caravan tyres aren't over- or under-inflated, as this decreases the contact patch and impacts on handling.
Carefully examine the tyre for cracks in the sidewall, cuts, material embedded in the tyre and any signs of impact damage. If you're not certain what you're looking for, then book a free tyre safety check with Protyre online.
Find the DOT code and check the age of the tyres. If they're over five years old, no matter how good the remaining tread, you'll need to replace them.
Get a professional's opinion - Free Tyre Checks are available at all Protyre garages - Book yours today!
Take advantage of Protyre's Free Tyre Check. Let our expert technicians check and inspect for tread depth, pressure, wear and damage to ensure your tyres are safe and legal.
Can you legally tow a caravan?
You'll also need to ensure that your car is capable of towing your caravan, so have it serviced and check the MOT is in order.
When should your car be serviced?
For optimum safety, you should have your car serviced before you set off on holiday. Our Bronze check-up would be ideal. Make sure car servicing intervals are no longer than 12 months. Click the banner to book a service today.
Booking the MOT and service together saves time and money, as issues can be resolved there and then. At Protyre we also offer MOT retests if your car fails and needs repair work. Free MOT retests can be booked along with our other services online.