Message Forums

Well Tentz; I know from personal experience as well as having spoken to countless people both at my site as well as on other forums of this type that there are a lot of tyre fitting businesses out there in the UK who ask: -

"We fit a lot of tyres for caravan dealers and most of them don't want the wheels balanced, so do you?"

As most of the UK manufacturers don't bother and as the National Caravan Council don't think that it is required then this appears to be the line that they take !!!!

All premium tyre manufacturers stress how vitally important it is to balance wheels/tyres as does also the NTDA (National Tyre Distributors Association) and all suspension and shock absorber manufacturers that I know of.

But you go and have a look around almost any caravan dealerships vans oin display and I bet you a pound to a penny that the vast majority of new or even second hand vans are not balanced.

Quote: Originally posted by Tentz on 30/11/2011

---

I don't see what you mean about caravan wheels needing more balance weights either. The wheels, steel or alloy are manufactured to same standard as car wheels & tyres used are just normal car or commercial van tyres.

---

If you have Tyron Safety Bands fitted they certainly need nore balencing weights. On my caravan wheels there is a whole row of weights! Without the bands I can't see them needing more than say a car wheel.

David

Quote: Originally posted by Tentz on 30/11/2011

---

I don't see what you mean about caravan wheels needing more balance weights either. The wheels, steel or alloy are manufactured to same standard as car wheels & tyres used are just normal car or commercial van tyres.

---

Unfortunately and contrary to what most people would or could wildly believe, there are next to no regulations in place in the UK with regards to the manufacturing standards of the wheels fitted to caravans or trailers............ Unlike wheels fitted to cars & commercial vehicles.

If you were to make contact with any of the specialist wheel manufacturers who supply the automotive industry and ask their opinions of the wheels fitted to (UK manufactured caravans), their replies would not be allowed on these pages.  Conversley any wheel fitted to a German manufactured caravan has to be TAG approved which is why there are so few designs/styles of wheels fitted to their vans and the cost of these wheels is very significantly higher than those fitted to UK vans.

As for the tyres, a very limited few of the UK caravan manufacturers are now starting to fit higher quality tyres, but there is still a great deal of rubbish being fitted, I am so sorry to say.

We have had two people stop with us at LT this year who have since purchased new caravans and at my suggestion as a final deal clincher, they both said "to seal the deal I want you to supply my new van with premium quality branded tyres and have the wheels balanced as well".............  I am very pleased to say that their supplying dealers in both cases agreed to do so and for no extra charge!

Quote: Originally posted by Tentz on 01/12/2011

---

Both UK & German caravans use the same Al-Ko or BPW chassis supplied with same wheels/tyres & steel or alloy wheels.

Yes & No Tentz.

Yes German vans are built on Al-Ko and BPW chassis but they are to different weights and specifications.

As for the wheels, they are very definitely to different build standards and quality and it is only the German vans that have to have all of their components tested to the rigorous TGV government controlled standards.

Someone I know who owns a 2011 Hobby which came on steel wheels has been trying to buy some alloys for it and the difference in cost between TGV stamped German wheels and the types as fitted to the UK vans is enormous.

In my working days I used to be a consultant to several of the Worlds leading tyre manufacturers and this resulted in me getting to know several of the wheel manufacturers and importers very well indeed.  As stated in an earlier post, what the ones I have spoken to about the quality of UK caravan wheels is not at all complimentary, whereas they have nothing but praise for German van wheels.

---

Quote: Originally posted by phil76 on 01/12/2011

---

A nephew of mine who has his own garage business fits and balances lots of tyres he told me that the majority of alloy wheels need more weight to balance them compared to steel wheels he also said that alloys on caravans offer no improvement over steel wheels and are just the fashion at the moment I have to agree.

---