Bargain Tyre Protectors

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Feb 26, 2013
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Pinar de Campoverde, Spain
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24,871
MH
Giottiline T60
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Since March 2013
It's amazing what you can do with 3 beach mats, some gaffa tape and 6 bungee straps.
The mats were those with silver one side and rattan on the other that we bought from the cheap Chinese bazaar shop in El Campello. They came in 2 widths and for our 16" wheels we only needed the narrower ones. We cut each mat in half and then sealed the cut edge with a line of gaffa tape. We then added 2 extra strips of gaffa tape 10 inches from the top at each end to reinforce the mat so we could poke a hole in it for the bungee to hook through. Hey presto we had some pretty impressive looking tyre protectors. The total to cover all 6 wheels was €6 for the 3 mats, €1.60 for the bungees and €1 for the gaffa tape, total cost €8.60 (approx £6.10) :clap2:
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Brilliant idea.
If only more people would realise how damaging UV rays are for the compound structures of tyres, most especially in hot southern climates.
Like for instance when an unprotected static tyre is hung on the back door of a MH or 4x4 it can go from brand new to being absolutely ruined in only 12 months because of the suns rays.
 
A tyre specialist recommended me protecting tyres from sun damage using shoe polish. Less storage space but possibly messy if not careful when checking tyre pressures:cautious:
 
I don't get it :rolleyes: Unless you are stationary for weeks/months on end? I have had cars for 40 years and never covered the tyres :eek: and they have all lasted OK....

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I don't get it :rolleyes: Unless you are stationary for weeks/months on end? I have had cars for 40 years and never covered the tyres :eek: and they have all lasted OK....

And that is where the problem lies!
A static tyre does not flex and as such is dead to the extent that the molecular structure of the compounds remains static the result of which is rapid compound degradation.
It is exactly the same with a tyre fitted to a vehicle that is seldom used, such as a prized classic car or indeed so many Motorhomes. These can be left for months on end without being moved, just like so many caravans that are left out on seasonal pitches.
What happens in cases like this is that the flat section at the base of the tyre which is in contact with the ground becomes memorised by the compound and a flat section is the result. This is the reason why tyre savers are such a very good idea, such as these Broken Link Removed

As I wrote earlier I used to write and produce literature for some of the major international tyre organisations in years gone by, I can assure you my comments written above are based on hard earned fact.

Oh and one thing is for absolute certain, I have never ever met more experts on anything to do with tyres than the wrench monkies employed in the vast majority of tyre fitting bays throughout the World !
 
A static I can understand, but Coolbeanz is travelling. Surely that makes it no different than a car....:)
 
A static I can understand, but Coolbeanz is travelling. Surely that makes it no different than a car....:)
We spent 30 days at Alfaz del Pi and we will probably be here at El Campello for 30 days. If you touch anything that is black on a sunny day you know how much the colour attracts the heat. Most days we can't even walk on the beach barefoot it's so hot so I can only imagine how hot our tyres must be getting.
We have just noticed that the 4 rear tyres are the same age as the Motorhome (11years), I have never owned a car where the tyres lasted 11 years. I can only assume that the previous owners used tyre protectors as they are only just showing signs of sun damage so we are looking to replace them ASAP. I am chuffed to bits with our tyre protectors and they will be put on every time we are stationary from now on. (y)

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We spent 30 days at Alfaz del Pi and we will probably be here at El Campello for 30 days. If you touch anything that is black on a sunny day you know how much the colour attracts the heat. Most days we can't even walk on the beach barefoot it's so hot so I can only imagine how hot our tyres must be getting.
We have just noticed that the 4 rear tyres are the same age as the Motorhome (11years), I have never owned a car where the tyres lasted 11 years. I can only assume that the previous owners used tyre protectors as they are only just showing signs of sun damage so we are looking to replace them ASAP. I am chuffed to bits with our tyre protectors and they will be put on every time we are stationary from now on. (y)

Ah I see, in that case they make perfect sense :)
 
We have just noticed that the 4 rear tyres are the same age as the Motorhome (11years), I have never owned a car where the tyres lasted 11 years. I can only assume that the previous owners used tyre protectors as they are only just showing signs of sun damage so we are looking to replace them ASAP. I am chuffed to bits with our tyre protectors and they will be put on every time we are stationary from now on. (y)

I don't know the actual technical expression that insurance companies use, but it is with regards to maintenance.
I do know that the Caravan Club strongly suggest that tyres should be changed when they are 5 years old (on caravans) but I don't know what they suggest with motorhomes.
Personally, I wouldn't even think of driving your prized Hymermobil at anything above 30 mph with tyres of that very considerable age mounted on the wheels. I implore you Coolbeanz to very seriously consider putting on some new rubber before you drive it again on the open road because if one of the tyres was to go pop and it was to cause an accident then the boys in blue will always look for a reason why and signs of lack of maintenance doesn't go down very well with them and this would be exactly the same with the insurance company as well.
 
I don't know the actual technical expression that insurance companies use, but it is with regards to maintenance.
I do know that the Caravan Club strongly suggest that tyres should be changed when they are 5 years old (on caravans) but I don't know what they suggest with motorhomes.
Personally, I wouldn't even think of driving your prized Hymermobil at anything above 30 mph with tyres of that very considerable age mounted on the wheels. I implore you Coolbeanz to very seriously consider putting on some new rubber before you drive it again on the open road because if one of the tyres was to go pop and it was to cause an accident then the boys in blue will always look for a reason why and signs of lack of maintenance doesn't go down very well with them and this would be exactly the same with the insurance company as well.
Fear not because as soon as we noticed the age Glynn was contacting all local garages trying to source some new Michelin Agilis tyres to match the new ones on the front. The escapade that followed will be published in Mays blogpost :doh:
 
So the obvious question is;

If your going to renew your tyres every five years, do you need to protect them from the sun for those five years ? Would the sun wreck new tyres in less than 5 years ?
 
So the obvious question is;

If your going to renew your tyres every five years, do you need to protect them from the sun for those five years ? Would the sun wreck new tyres in less than 5 years ?
See Buzzy Beans previous entry where he mentions a tyre can be ruined in 12 months, for the sake of £6 it was well worth it.

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