Motorhome tyres

We have Michelin Agilis Camper tyres, Continental do Camper tyres so I think any camper tyre would do.  I think they have CP rating..

We use Continental vanco campers, They are cheaper than Michelin and we find they run quieter and they also do better in user surveys that we have seen

There are those who will swear that you must fit motorhome specific tyres and those who say that you should simply fit ones with the correct load / speed rating.

I have experienced sidewall failure on Michelin tyres that were only a 4 or 5 years old, and I have recently replaced  all 4 Michelin tyres on my camper as the sidewalls were cracking (although the tread was good).

I have fitted Nokian C-Line Cargo tyres.  Not exactly budget at £105 each, but have got good reviews from fleet operators.  They are noticeably quieter than the previous Michelins.

Our's has Continental Vanco Camper tyres. Just in case you are unsure, camper / motor-home tyres, as I understand it, are designed to be on the vehicle whilst it isn't moving for long periods, without causing a flat spot on the tyre through being parked. 

willowbedone - have you weighed the Motorhome in 'holiday' mode - (fully laden for when you go away) - to find the axle weights and with that info you can determine the correct tyre pressures ?

Without that info, if your pressures are set too high or too low, the MH will not drive as you hoped and it may just need altering the pressures to get a better ride on the tyres you have.

I use Hankook tyres, I changed from Continental, and they give a good ride.

After a visit to a weighbridge (£5) fully laden and studying the TyreSafe Motorhome pressure calculator I set them at 51psi Front and 61psi Rear.

There are hundreds of threads on Forums giving the pros and cons of tyres but to save yourself spending money you don't need to a trip to the weighbridge is probably the cheapest option of getting it right.

I would have thought that as long as the tyre load rating for a particular vehicle (MH or Caravan ) is met by the manufacturer specifications , brand type is a personal choice.

psi would then be calculated by tyre load rating & the actually loaded weight of the vehicle . 👍

Camper tyres are designed with stronger sidewalls as they are always loaded unlike a white van which may start the day loaded but empty during deliveries.  They are also designed to sit for long periods of time in the same place either in storage or on site so again differ from normal commercial tyres in this respect.

The tyre manufacturer will let you know what pressure to put in them based on axle load etc. however Michelin say to put 80psi  in rear and 65psi in front regardless of load.

The Marquis brochure for mine says 72/79. I have Continental Vanco's with a nominal max of 69psi. Based on the axle loads, what I need is 61/65. It is further complicated by the tyre pressure sensors nagging me that they are under-inflated. I'm trying, by trial and error, to see how low I can get them without the sensors nagging me. I think I am going to end up with 66/71. I might see if I can get them reset to a slightly lower figure.

Michelin (Agili) and Continental (Vanco) are the most popular OEM tyres. both are specific MH tyres to deal with the situations Michael describes above.

both suppliers are happy to help with the correct tyre pressures (and this is NOT anywhere near 80psi) once you have weighed the van for axle weights.

based on my own weights and the subsequent info from Continental, i cant believe anyone running on a 'light' 3500 chassis can be running anywhere approaching these 'rock hard' levels.

just because most converters put 80psi all round, doesnt make it right......

for info, here is the note from Continental re: my own weights...fully loaded for 3 month tour, incl bikes, tables/chairs/bbq etc, fuel, gas, water, passenger and incorporates 'significant wine allowance'...

Rear axle 1900kg (max 2000)
Front axle 1540kg (max 1850)
Gross 3440 kg (max 3500)

The following is the reply from Continental Automobil. 

The pressures you require are as follows:

Front: 1540kg 3.25bar - 47psi pressure applicable to a maximum permissible load of1590kg. 1850kg Max loading at 4bar - 58psi (1875kg maximum at this pressure)

Rear: 1900kg 4.25bar - 61psi pressure applicable to a maximum permissible load of1970kg. 2000kg Max loading at 4.5bar - 65psi (2060kg maximum at this pressure)

As a general rule for pressures on this tyre, every 100kg added from the base figure of 1490kg at 3bar (43.5psi) will require an increase of 0.25bar(3.6psi) in pressure up to a maximum of 2060kg at 4.5bar (65psi)

as you can see, even upto the maximum weights of the axles for the light chassis, the recommendation is not higher than 58psi front and 65psi rear.

but as the combined axle weights at these max ratings would be approaching 4t, anyone on a 3.5t chassis will hit their limits well before this.

another good reason to weigh one's van.

BB - the details come from an email reply on MHFacts, about 7 years ago, from a Product Support Engineer of Continental Automobil.

His figures are confirmed, by and large, with the SafeTyre advice and I've never had a problem with the tyres or the ride they give.

Putting 80psi in the tyres gives a hard ride and only those with well glued dentures should pump them up so high.

But without weighing the vehicle it's just guesswork.