By William Coleman
This month is Tyre Safety Month and as touring folk we are usually driving on 6-8 tyres at a time with another 2-3 stored on board in case of an emergency. So it is safe to say we are a large part of the tyre industry and we need to do all we can to not burn rubber at a fast rate.
Having tyres in poor condition can cause massive issues with safety and the police, if stopped you are looking at a possible 3 points and a hefty fine. Now add to that how dangerous poor tyres can be and you have a possible disaster waiting to happen.
The whole idea behind Tyre Safety Month is to raise awareness of just how important it is to stay on top of your tyre condition. TyreSafe want you to be vigilant and check your tyres at let once a month to ensure you stay safe.
I know that in my much younger years I had no idea how often I should check or how quickly my driving style/habits would eat through the rubber. Once you start looking you then realise you need to check your tracking and alignment to ensure your car is not causing excessive wear. Something that can have a knock on effect on your caravan’s 2-4 tyres.
It is advised that you check your tyres at least once a month, less on the caravan if you are not using it month in month out. I check them after every long distance drive to see if there is any non ware related damage such as nail, glass or anything else than can cause large amounts of damage.
Having a good tow car usually means that you’re not able to get run of the mill rubber for your wheels. With pricey rubber comes reliability so you will more than likely go through a lot less than those who buy standard economy ones.
For those who want to keep on top of tyre safety here are some recommended tips to keep things safe and ensure you do not get caught short on tour towing the caravan.
Frequent Checks
Depending on how much you use the tow car and caravan you should be checking at the very minimum of once a month, more so if you are adding heavy mileage every month.
After each long trip spend 5 minutes going over all of your wheels ensuring there is no damage or baldness. A few minutes every other week will save you a lot of trouble down the road, pun very much untended.
Have The Right Kit
As a kid I would always have a few puncture repair kits knocking around for when I inevitably got a flat. Now as an adult I do the same but for my car, times do not change that much.
You can get a very good puncture filling kit for around £15-25, depending on where you shop. These are more of a bandage that a cure but it will get you home or to a garage in safety without damaging the wheel and rims on your car.
You may also want to keep a tyre depth gauge on hand to make sure you’re within the legal limits. The law requires your tyre tread to have a minimum depth of 1.6mm so get yourself one of these little gadgets and stay within the kaw.
Spares
I know some people who either have no spare of use their old replaced tyre as their spare. Not advisable. When it comes to keeping the spare you should always have one that is in brand new condition.
When I got my new car it came with one of those space saver tyres which I immediately replaced with a real one. The space savers are good for emergencies but personally I would rather trust swap it for the real thing.
Pressure and Alignment
Having low air pressure puts a lot of extra stress on the tyres and can lead to your tracking being knocked out of alignment which just leads to a costly trip to the garage.
Checking your tyre pressure is very easy to do with a generic tyre pub or a trip to your local petrol station that has an air pump.
All of these are things I imagine you already know but it is always good to have a refresh. These tips will work for both the tow car and your caravan or motorhome.
Driving habits will ultimately be the deciding factor in how long your tyre will last. Bad habits like overloading the van or not staying on top of the condition of what you are driving on will see you changing things up more often.
