Suitable tyres

[mibosa]

Today I am getting my Viscount Ambassador up on car ramps in preparation for a plumber/gasfitter to istal gas to the van on Monday.  I current have the mini wheels on to get under my carport but have noticed the vans normal tyres are 175/70R13 which show a maximum weight on the tyre should be 475 kg.  I recall when going over a weighbridge on the day I bought it and it was about 800+; I can't recall the exact amount.  So now that I have added batteries, new flooring to be added etc etc, I might easily go over the 475kg x 2 = 950 kg allocated amount.  What is the answer here?  Is that why I sometimes see people with small truck tyres on their vans?  Are they a better quality and have a higher weight per tyre rating?

Or do I need to go to a different size rim eg 14, 16 inch?  And will this be obtainable to suit the stud spacings on my current hubs?

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

Regards,

Bob

[shesgotthelook]

I have no technical experience, but have always put light truck tyres on caravans.

[Roehm3108]

You should really go and speak to a tyre expert on this question. You will get a confusion of answers here and still be none the wiser.

[mibosa]

Thanks shesgotthelook, but why did you do that? Did you have them laying around and thought you would use them or did you use them for some other reason even if you don't have the technical experience? Do people use them because they are normally on light trucks which I assume weight a couple of tons or could do once loaded?? I will have to have a closer look next time I see some on a vehicle to see what their load rating is.

Thanks,

Bob.

[mibosa]

Responded at same time Roehm3108, I agree. I just thought there would be someone to come out with all the techno reasoning etc.

Thanks,

Bob.

[shesgotthelook]

Have always put new tyres on at the tyre shop. That is always what they gave me.

[Rattles]

Light Truck Tyres are a requirement for Caravans also they have a higher load carrying capacity compared Car tyres, Each tyre carries half the Caravans mass less half the draw bar weight, 14 " tyres will carry a greater load than an similar width and profile 13" tyre, the higher the load carrying capacity of the tyre fitted the lower the tyre pressure that is required to carry the load, thus the less harsh the ride inside the Caravan.
Going to 14" tyres can be a problem for a Caravan designed for 13" tyres due to access, to place the tyre on to the hub larger bag size may not fit between the outside of the wheel arch and the hub and also the offset of the chosen rim can cause clearance problems to both sides of the Caravan wheel arch, also the 14" Tyres chosen may have a larger rolling diameter and this my exceed the brakes design working loading.

Having taken all the above into account if selecting 14" tyres you will also have a much larger of choice of tyres.

Rattles

[mibosa]

Thanks Rattles, nicely explained. Time to start measuring my current hubs and see what size rims, and then tyres, will fit.

Thank you.

Bob

[fordprefect]

Hi
My ambassador originally had 6.50 x 6.50 x 13
Criossply Light truck with 100 percent aspect ratio
Load capicity must exceed van gym
Measure the rolling diameter before you buy tires and rims
Stud pattern should be 5 x 108
As per early Holden
Offset is the same as eh Holden
Ht has different offset for 14s
Are you in Sydney as you can come and see mine
Regards Alex

[mibosa]

Thanks Alex, I am in Adelaide. I do travel regularly to NSW, all over but mainly to Camden and the Blue Mountains, so prior to my next trip I might make contact and see if we can catch up for me to have a look at your van. Thank you for the offer and thank you for your input.

Regards,

Bob.

[akeepsake]

Hi Bob you have a vintage van right well you need vintage ( new) tyres to give you the best original look and get away from the industrial truck tyre look!!
And yes they are load rated because these old new tyres are 4 ply and did I mention they look the ducks guts!
Here's an example here that would work www.antiquetyres.com.au/node/333 Otherwise follow the link to home and search for yourself
They are a bit dearer than truck tyres but are the cats meow for looks Check out mine on my Jenno resto thread! I think mine were about$300 each bu well worth it
Cheers Andrew

[mibosa]

Thanks Andrew, I will look at your thread, this time I will pay more attention to something I hadn't really noticed before!

Regards,

Bob

[Don Ricardo]

Hi Mibosa,

I can't speak about the tyres that Akeepsake has posted about, or Rattles comment that light truck tyres are a 'requirement' for caravans. I can tell you, though, that the caravan service place where we have had our caravan serviced for the last 30 or so years have told us we should have light truck tyres on our van, which is what we have. This is because light truck tyres have the higher load carrying capacity required for vans, as Rattles has said.

That just confirms the comments of others on this thread. However, what I will add is that light truck tyres need to operate on a much higher pressure than car tyres. Again on the recommendation of the caravan service people, we run our caravan tyres at between 48 and 50 psi. At that pressure the van tracks perfectly behind our car without even a waver. If the pressure gets down to car tyre levels (ie in the 30 psi's), the van is wagging its tail all over the place.

Just a bit of extra info that may be useful to you.

Don Ricardo

[seeshell]

Hi All

I agree that some of the light truck tyres are a bit agricultural looking (as if I'll be driving through paddocks in The Blue Flyer!), but do be careful sacrificing looks for performance. A lot of medium size cars will have a curb weight of around 1400 kgs - but this is carried over four tyres, so each only has to manage about 300-350kg from that distribution.

In contrast, many vans are single not tandem axle and carry similar weights laden (and should be able carry to the limit of the axle rating), so may need to do from 700kg to 900kg or more each! It's easy to see how the higher load ratings and stiffer sidewalls can really help with a smoother safer tow.

Check out some of the older style Bridgestone tyres - still commercially available, and not too nobbly/SUV-ey looking. The 613V is not too bad. GT Radials make a Maxmiller range, and KargoMax which simulate older looks, and Firestone do a CV4000 which is ok as well. Most rate around 900kg each, so in pairs safely manage a single axle arrangement (1800kg overall) at around 45psi.

Safety first!
Seeshell

[moparman]

Thought this may help in regards to this thread!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_code

[mibosa]

Thank you to everyone for their input. I have been able to do some research now on tyres and as much as originality would be nice I cannot justify the cost as suggested by akeepsake on my project and there is a good chance I will head down the path of light truck tyres. My current front wheel drive family car would be able to tow the van, but not suitably up and down hills etc so the eventual weight of my van will determine what vehicle I purchase as the tow vehicle.

Regards,

Bob

[akeepsake]

No pressure my end it's all a matter of taste vs budget vs the right rating the link I sent you the 4ply tyres are rated at 1200 pounds each total 2400 pounds ( about 1200 kg) which is plenty for most 12-14' bond woods. I agree truck tyres are a common sense alternative and fit in the reasonable price range but the extra money in my case was worth it for the outcome on my van and I am nowhere near the load limit
Cheers

[mibosa]

Hey Andrew, I understand and I appreciated your input. The link you sent certainly is an eye opener and would be quite educational to many who think that tyres are just tyres! As I type this I am hearing a news report about a car that rolled because of a burst tyre! And that makes many of us think about insurance and if the insurance company ascertains that we had incorrect tyres, resulting in no payout!

I just want to be careful financially that I don't end up with a van that has cost me thousands more than what I could sell it for, if and when that day ever came. I have enjoyed the project very much but it is easy to get carried away in the spending department and I have to keep it all in perspective. My priority is to get it on the road so that we can do more weekends away etc, because we both still work our travel priorities are overseas travel, leaving the bigger local trips for the day when we can't do the long haul flights and associated activities.

Thanks again Andrew,

Regards,

Bob

[akeepsake]

All good Bob Sounds like you'll sort it
Let us know what I decide on so others can use the info in the future
Cheers A