TYRE RATINGS
WORDS PHILIP LORD, IMAGES VARIOUS/RV DAILY
The combined load ratings of the tyres on any potential new van you buy must meet or exceed the caravan’s GTM to be safe and legal. You can check the load and speed ratings by finding the load index on each tyre’s sidewall, translating it to kg and adding them up (see examples in table below). The kilogram total should exceed the caravans GTM rating.
To be on the safe side, the tyre’s maximum speed rating should be a minimum of ‘L’ (120km/h) for a caravan, although most are N (140km/h) or higher (see speed rating table below).
The recommended tyre pressures on the van’s placard should correctly calculated – so the question to ask the manufacturer or dealer is, were the tyre pressures calculated according to the Tyre & Rim Association of Australia Handbook?
Tyre load index can be found adjacent to tyre size found on the tyre sidewall. For example, in 225/70R16 100T, ‘100’ is the load index. Examples of load indices and the correlating maximum load in kilograms.
GUIDE Caravan design and engineering – Part 4
Tyres to some people are just 'there' but you need to much more invested and interested than that!
GUIDE Caravan design and engineering – Part 4
TYRE RATINGS
The combined load ratings of the tyres on any potential new van you buy must meet or exceed the caravan’s GTM to be safe and legal. You can check the load and speed ratings by finding the load index on each tyre’s sidewall, translating it to kg and adding them up (see examples in table below). The kilogram total should exceed the caravans GTM rating.
To be on the safe side, the tyre’s maximum speed rating should be a minimum of ‘L’ (120km/h) for a caravan, although most are N (140km/h) or higher (see speed rating table below).
The recommended tyre pressures on the van’s placard should correctly calculated – so the question to ask the manufacturer or dealer is, were the tyre pressures calculated according to the Tyre & Rim Association of Australia Handbook?
Tyre load index can be found adjacent to tyre size found on the tyre sidewall. For example, in 225/70R16 100T, ‘100’ is the load index. Examples of load indices and the correlating maximum load in kilograms.
WORDS PHILIP LORD, IMAGES VARIOUS/RV DAILY
Tyres to some people are just 'there' but you need to much more invested and interested than that!