Can I be fined for towing a caravan with incorrect or flat tyres? Penalties for low inflation pressure explained

CARAVANS bring the comforts of home away with you on holiday.

Here’s everything you need to know about your motorhome’s tyres.

Can I be fined for towing a caravan with incorrect or flat tyres?

The maximum fine for each defective or unsuitable tyres on your caravan is £2,500.

You could also get three points on your driver’s licence.

Any spare wheels and tyres carried must also comply with all relevant regulations.

What are the rules for caravan tyres?

Mixing cross-ply and radial tyres on the same axle is an offence.

The differences between the two are that in cross-ply tyres heat dissipates at a slower rate and they also degrade quicker than radial tyres.

Cross-ply tyres also have a lower speed rating than radial tyres.

It is strongly recommended that the tyres’ aspect ratios are matched — however 80 and 82 can be counted as the same — as well as ply ratings and load index values on the same axle, although these are not legal requirements.

Mixing different brands of the same size or specification is perfectly fine.

Tyres must be correctly inflated and free from cuts and other defects.

You’ll find the correct inflation pressure information for your caravan in a number of places: the vehicle’s handbook, inside of the fuel cap, or on a plate near the driver’s door area.

They must have a minimum 1.6mm tread depth across the central three quarters of the tread breadth around the entire circumference of the tyre — this is the depth of a 20p piece’s outer edge.

Tyres must all be of a suitable specification.

Can you tow a caravan with run flat tyres?

Run flat tyres can only be used with vehicles fitted with a tyre pressure monitoring system (TMPS) — electric sensors fitted to the wheels to monitor tyre pressure and feed this data back to the car.

For this reason you can’t use them on a caravan because neither caravans or trailers are currently fitted with TPMS.

Incorrect tyre pressure can adversely affect the handling of the caravan and increase fuel consumption.

There will be an optimum inflation pressure based on the load it is carrying for any given tyre.

It’s advisable to inflate to the optimum pressure for carrying a full load, unless your caravan is regularly used significantly below its maximum weight.

Tyres are designed to operate over a wide range of loads, which can differ when used on a caravan.

For example, a tyre with a maximum pressure of 54psi at its full load may only require a pressure of 30psi when used on a caravan.

Can caravan tyres be repaired?

Encountering a puncture is always a pain, but especially when towing a caravan.

Punctures from nails tend to occur in the central three quarters of the tread, which means there’s a high chance it can be repaired.

But if the tyre has been driven on, further damage to the internal of the tyre, or even possibly wheel, could be caused. 

Punctures caused by sharp rocks and stones usually cannot be repaired as they can cause slashes in the tyre.

If the slash is thin and sorter than 5mm in length, there’s a high chance it can be repaired.

But if the slash is in the side of the tyre it can’t be repaired because the side-wall construction may have been compromised.

How much does it cost to replace caravan tyres?

The price of caravan tyre repairs can vary significantly.

Factors including brand, size and load rating can affect the overall cost.

That said, cheaper tyre replacements on caravans start from around £40, according to tyre specialists BlackCircles.com.