New tyres,metal valves?

[Paul and Pippa]

Hello everyone, further to my question on new tyres yesterday.. I opted for Michelin camper, l emailed Kwik fit asking if they did metal HP valves and they phoned and said they would fit metal valves at no extra cost . So l booked online to have them fitted .. Today l had a call from them and was told, l was given false information and they don't fit metal valves and they refunded my money.. I'm now confused.. are the standard valves they fit suitable for the job.. (l'm a newbie full timer) . I appreciate any advice . Thank you

 

[Mikey RV]

I would have thought metal valves would be standard on a camper tyre with the weight.

 

[pappajohn]

Assuming you already have metal valves there should be no need to change them... Or remove them.
If the begin to leak they need new seals, not replacing.

 

[Wh05apk]

What's special about metal valves?

 

[Lenny HB]

Don't have to be metal valves but do have to be high pressure valves. They do rubber snap in high pressure ones the have a brass centre core.
Like this.

If you already have metal valves just get them to fit new cores

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[Paul and Pippa]

Assuming you already have metal valves there should be no need to change them... Or remove them.
If the begin to leak they need new seals, not replacing.

Hiya Pappa, I'm changing my tyres and wanted metallic valves fitted as advised by Michelin

 

[Paul and Pippa]

I would have thought metal valves would be standard on a camper tyre with the weight.

Not the case, apparently .the fitters supply the valves not the tyre manufacturer ...

 

[bobandjanie]

Had camper tyres fitted at Halfords, told them I wanted metal valves, the manager told me he had a motorhome and has normal valves, the tyre fitter said you should have metal valves, the manager went off and got some.
The fitter said if you went down a pot hole at that pressure the normal valve could blow out. Bob

 

[Paul and Pippa]

Had camper tyres fitted at Halfords, told them I wanted metal valves, the manager told me he had a motorhome and has normal valves, the tyre fitter said you should have metal valves, the manager went off and got some.
The fitter said if you went down a pot hole at that pressure the normal valve could blow out. Bob

 

[pappajohn]

Hiya Pappa, I'm changing my tyres and wanted metallic valves fitted as advised by Michelin

You miss my point.
If you already have metal valves they don't need changing.
If you have rubber valves it's advisable to fit metal

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[Paul and Pippa]

Had camper tyres fitted at Halfords, told them I wanted metal valves, the manager told me he had a motorhome and has normal valves, the tyre fitter said you should have metal valves, the manager went off and got some.
The fitter said if you went down a pot hole at that pressure the normal valve could blow out. Bob

Exactly my point.. How many know this? ..the standard valve is not fit for the purpose because of the high pressure

 

[pappajohn]

Don't have to be metal valves but do have to be high pressure valves. They do rubber snap in high pressure ones the have a brass centre core.
Like this.
View attachment 286829

If you already have metal valves just get them to fit new cores

All valves have a metal sleeve but looking at those they also have a metal collar at the bottom, rubber covered, to prevent them blowing out the hole.

 

[Paul and Pippa]

You miss my point.
If you already have metal valves they don't need changing.
If you have rubber valves it's advisable to fit metal

Sorry papa John,, l have cheap Chinese tyres on atm with only standard valves..

 

[pappajohn]

Many years ago one of my first vans had rubber valves.
One tyre had a slowish leak but I couldn't find anything obvious so took the wheel off.
While submerging in the water trough I knocked the valve and heard air escape.
I pushed the valve sideways and it actually came off at the rim.
The rubber had perished and the bit inside the wheel was loose still inside the wheel while I had the rest of the valve in my hand.
That could have gone the next time I set off or at 60mph on the road.
Metal valves after that.
Even if the sealing rings leak the valve will stay in place.

 

[Lenny HB]

Sorry papa John,, l have cheap Chinese tyres on atm with only standard valves..

Standard valves are only suitable for max pressure of 65 psi, way too low for most campers.
Bear in mind pressure increases by at least 10 psi when up to running temperature.

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[Paul and Pippa]

Many years ago one of my first vans had rubber valves.
One tyre had a slowish leak but I couldn't find anything obvious so took the wheel off.
While submerging in the water trough I knocked the valve and heard air escape.
I pushed the valve sideways and it actually came off at the rim.
The rubber had perished and the bit inside the wheel was loose still inside the wheel while I had the rest of the valve in my hand.
That could have gone the next time I set off or at 60mph on the road.
Metal valves after that.
Even if the sealing rings leak the valve will stay in place.

Good point and potential life saving.. I'm only a newbie but think metallic valves should be the norm in MH tyres..

 

[Paul and Pippa]

Standard valves are only suitable for max pressure of 65 psi, way too low for most campers.
Bear in mind pressure increases by at least 10 psi when up to running temperature.

Agreed Lenny.. Tbh l would never have known about metallic valves if not for this fantastic site.. Surely tyre fitting centre's should have a care of duty to fit valves suitable for the purpose .

 

[Peskyrabbitt]

I was about to ask the question also regarding metal valves, but you beat me to it. I have an older Renault Trafic Holdsworth Motorhome,( We Love it ) We were on site just a few days ago and woke up in the morning to find my drivers front tyre flat, My Wife tried to blame me for pumping them up too far the day before, but when I checked them they were approximately 40-45 psi, I said that was too low, so after researching the net I found that they should be about 55 psi ?, so that,s what I put them at. Anyway after getting a shot of a high pressure compressor found out that it was leaking at the valve ( rubber and perished ) The same person offered to take me to the local Garage to get it repaired so I accepted. Job done and back on Motorhome, it was the valve. Anyway was speaking to the owner of the Camp Site on leaving and he is a Motorhomer also and told me that they should be metal. I was a bit annoyed because the Garage had fitted a rubber valve, but I did not know any better being a Newbie and a stranger to the area. But I will be changing all my valves very soon to metal.

 

[Lenny HB]

Agreed Lenny.. Tbh l would never have known about metallic valves if not for this fantastic site.. Surely tyre fitting centre's should have a care of duty to fit valves suitable for the purpose .

Tyre fitters don't have a clue, I had a puncture repaired by ATS, before I could stop the guy he had ripped the high pressure valve out. When asked if he had a high pressure valve to replace I got "we do all the local dairy's vans they run at 80psi we use standard valves" .

 

[pappajohn]

Agreed Lenny.. Tbh l would never have known about metallic valves if not for this fantastic site.. Surely tyre fitting centre's should have a care of duty to fit valves suitable for the purpose .

Most drive-in tyre centers mostly cater for cars and the tyre fitters are geared up for cars.
Yes, they do light trucks and vans but to the fitters they are just bigger cars.
When I've had car tyres fitted I always ask what torque they set the nuts at?

"we set them all the same..XXNm"

"OK. Back it out and I'LL get my torque wrench out the boot and set them to manufacturers torque"

They don't care, they don't have time to care

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[Mikeco]

Standard valves are only suitable for max pressure of 65 psi, way too low for most campers.
Bear in mind pressure increases by at least 10 psi when up to running temperature.

The increase when running does not count, if the pressure is 65psi when cold then normal valves are okay.

 

[Mikeco]

Had metal valves on a Burstner a few years ago but they did not like the alloy wheels, one valve got corroded after two years and snapped off.

 

[Madcaravanner]

You are using Kwik Fit ?????????

Find a local mobile guy who NEEDS the customer base
he will be cheaper
fit what you ask including metal valves
and do it where YOU are so you don't need to drive to him

 

[Paul and Pippa]

I was about to ask the question also regarding metal valves, but you beat me to it. I have an older Renault Trafic Holdsworth Motorhome,( We Love it ) We were on site just a few days ago and woke up in the morning to find my drivers front tyre flat, My Wife tried to blame me for pumping them up too far the day before, but when I checked them they were approximately 40-45 psi, I said that was too low, so after researching the net I found that they should be about 55 psi ?, so that,s what I put them at. Anyway after getting a shot of a high pressure compressor found out that it was leaking at the valve ( rubber and perished ) The same person offered to take me to the local Garage to get it repaired so I accepted. Job done and back on Motorhome, it was the valve. Anyway was speaking to the owner of the Camp Site on leaving and he is a Motorhomer also and told me that they should be metal. I was a bit annoyed because the Garage had fitted a rubber valve, but I did not know any better being a Newbie and a stranger to the area. But I will be changing all my valves very soon to metal.

I'm also a newbie(7 months) as l said in a previous comment, if not for this site l would have brought new tyres and been confident just having my new tyres, and would've been ignorant to the fact that you should have the proper valves ... After reading a few comments it seems many are also misinformed about the importance of using metal valves..

 

[GWAYGWAY]

It was ordinary valve on my Chausson and all the trouble I had was flat tyre caused by valve failure. They were tha original valves and 8 years old, they failed when the rubbere failed, but it turned out that the Ford factory in Turkey had been fitting these very dodgy ones for years, the brass insert only went into the rubber about 10mm and the UK type goes right down, it was the valves flexing so much that split them. I fitted metal ones and no more trouble.

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[missmollie]

If your wheels already have metal valve bodies the tyre fitter will replace the actual schrader valve that screws into the metal body, you don't need to change the whole thing unless it is corroded. You should have metal valves due to the high pressure like a truck does, have tried Tyres on the Drive or Black circle for your tyres?

 

[Paul and Pippa]

I would have thought metal valves would be standard on a camper tyre with the weight.

apparently not ,,I have just sent an email to Kwik fit expressing my concerns

 

[Paul and Pippa]

You are using Kwik Fit ?????????

Find a local mobile guy who NEEDS the customer base
he will be cheaper
fit what you ask including metal valves
and do it where YOU are so you don't need to drive to him

yes the company was Kwik fit

 

[Paul and Pippa]

If your wheels already have metal valve bodies the tyre fitter will replace the actual schrader valve that screws into the metal body, you don't need to change the whole thing unless it is corroded. You should have metal valves due to the high pressure like a truck does, have tried Tyres on the Drive or Black circle for your tyres?

I did try those mentioned but Kwik fit were cheaper

 

[Happy1]

I use a local firm found via the black circles website that like all of them says they are the cheapest and he beat their quote! I never trust the big companies to do anything to my vehicles they just don’t have the expertise in my experience.

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