Puncture proof tyres? (1 Viewer)

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

Hi
My MH carries no spare wheel and I have looked at many threads about the pros and cons of adding a spare vs roadside repair (get you home) kits.

I have not seen any discussion regarding products that you put in the tyre to make them puncture proof. Ultraseal is one such product...

http://www.ultrasealgb.co.uk/site/

Any views or experiences?

My internal cynic thinks this is too good to be true and it's effectiveness would be difficult to prove short of deliberately trying to puncture your tyre. However, if it does really work, it may provide a neat solution to a worrying problem.

 

[SandraL]

If you stop in time so the tyre has not been ripped to shreds then yes, it will probably work. Given weight of van tyre damage is quite likely that a sealant will not fix.
I think any problem in sidewall is unlikely to be sealed due to flexing of sidewall.
If tyre is not on bead then adding sealant probably not be possible without garage airline to seal tyre onto bead, so sealant must be put in before puncture.​

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

I think the idea is to put the sealant in and forget it before the tyre is damaged. I do not believe it can cover all eventualities and if you run over or hit something that holes the tyre big time or damages the tyrewall you will need roadside help (or a spare). They claim to be able to seal a 6mm hole.

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[138go]

How many punctures do we get. Many years ago you were always running over nails and screws. Not so much today. If you had a puncture would you want to try and change the tyre at the side of the road especially on these new Super Motorways. If you get a puncture you just get the tire people out to sort it. If they cannot repair it then you have a new tyre. How many spare tyres are carted around under a MH for years and then when required are no good. Cracked walls and out of date. Ok so a puncture is inconvenient but getting yourself killed trying to change a wheel on a fully loaded MH without a proper trolly jack is also inconvenient

 

[Deleted member 29692]

There are a range that has something like this installed from scratch rather than it being added at a later date. Is was described to me as a thick layer of tar like substance on the inside of the tyre which it's claimed can cope will multiple holes. They're being marketed as a slightly cheaper alternative to run flats. I forget who makes them though. @Brian and Jo any ideas?

A friend has just has them put on his car so I'll see how he gets on.

If they work and they're made with a suitable load rating for the motorhome I'd use them.

 

[tacr2man]

There is an inherent danger with this idea , if the tyre deflates and runs in a semi flat state for any length of time then damage is done to the sidewall . If the tyre is then re inflated and the owner is not aware that damage has been done , you are then operating with a tyre that can have a instantaneous deflation (blow out) , which can have catastrophic consequences . It is one of the reasons why you should never use an externally applied plug as a permanant repair, as all tyre makers say that for repair a tyre should be demounted and inspected internally for damage , as it show here sooner than on the exterior.

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[Brian and Jo]

In my opinion there is no substitute for a spare wheel .Most of these puncture sealants that are available are as much use as a chocolate teapot.I certainly wouldn’t want any sealant sloshing around in my tyres ,in a wheelbarrow ,ride on mower ,tractor yes fine ,but in a car /Motorhome ,no thanks.I like to know what my tyres are doing and not mask over the fact that there is a big nail or screw in it.What you are talking about Nick I think is the Continental Seal which has a silicone like layer inside the tyre at manufacture which reportedly seals any puncture in the tread area ,we have found otherwise on 2 ocaisions .Tyre manufactures have tried many things over the years none of which have proved to be 100% successful.At the moment as far as I’m aware nothing is available in Motorhome/van tyres,thankfully,apart from the puncture sealants.Most of the tyre failures on motorhomes are age related and down to degradation.We always try and recommend that tyres on motorhomes and caravans are changed after 7yrs max.wether a customer chooses to take that advice ,well that’s another story.
Brian & Jo

 

[42208]

I looked at this a couple of years ago, at the time (guessing it is the same now) opinion was split down the middle between those that thought it was a good idea and those warning of impending doom (both with good expert back up to their claims) making it very difficult to decide. The lack of local installers and didn't fancy diy swayed it in the end. Now 35k miles down the line I have decided if I get a puncture to soak up the inconvenience and let the breakdown man do what I have been paying them for years without using. However, interested to see what folks think today as it basically seems a really good idea.

 

[42208]

http://www.ultrasealgb.co.uk/site/index.php?&MMN_position=1:1

For those not familiar with it

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[rosalan]

I had a tyre go down last week in my car.
No spare but I do have a compressor and bottle of goo.
The system is, empty all air out of the tyre, squirt in the goo with the valve at a high point then inflate the tyre and spin it to disperse the goo.
The AA man who eventually joined me, said that the tyre could not then be repaired and would best be thrown away (he said).
Two years ago I won a hole in the side of my motorhome tyre. The goo and pump I carried at the time, would be useless but fortunately I had bought a second-hand wheel and tyre from a Motorhome Show which saved the day.
I know it is inconvenient to carry a spare nowadays, which are heavy, take up space and can be dirty but I for one, will never rely on the goo bottle in my van

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

rosalan, I agree, the "goo" systems have their limitations, principally that a tyre that would have been repairable is "ruined" by the "goo" as it cannot be cleaned off. The "instal before you have a puncture" stuff seems to be water soluble and can be cleaned off the inside of the damaged tyre for a potential repair.

 

[Dogeared]

I wonder how easy it is to clean the wheel after the goo has been used. When my granddaughter bought her first car the other month, I insisted that they supplied a spare, even though they had one of the goo things supplied as free. Really don't fancy messing with something like it, as I would expect a puncture to happen at the most inconvenient of times. Really didnt want her trying it at the side of the road

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[Silver-Fox]

If tyre is not on bead then adding sealant probably not be possible without garage airline to seal tyre onto bead

You can pop a tyre back on the wheel using gas blown into the tyre and igniting it, the same as they do in places like Iceland.
Its not for the faint hearted though and can be dangerous

Ive done it and it goes off with a hell of a bang

 

[tonyidle]

All of my punctures (I say all but five in 40+ years is the total) have been due to penetrating objects and in every case the slow release of air caused could easily have been sealed with goo. A true blow-out can't be solved by anything other than a spare wheel and tyre but what is the likelihood if tyres are kept up-to-date? A slow puncture caused by a penetration is best solved by using a remote pressure monitor because it too will cause a blow-out if it goes unnoticed until the tyre overheats. In short I would (do) use water soluble goo and a TPM and check regularly for objects embedded in the tyres. I do have a spare under the van as it happens. It came with the van. Our Smartie has no spare and there's no possibility of carrying one.

 

[Dare_Devil_Dennis]

Not saying yea or nay yet, but this youtube video shows them firing bullets at a tyre with this stuff in and no deflation.



If it works with my Tyrepal, I'll probably give it a go.

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[vwalan]

i have used oko for several years .
its easy to remove from the wheel when you remove the tyre .
i found it very useful in the deserts of africa .
thorns grow just under the surface ,hard to see them . i got fed up of repairing punctures . then used tubeless repair strips . not for use on the road in eu. but oko bought at our local cornwall farmers or mole valley farmers works a treat. have seen a slight green film under wheel arches when several punctures in the same tyre . but it seals after awhile . i then add a bit more just for luck.
mind lately i havnt used it as i havnt been across to even maroc for awhile but if i was going i certainly would put half a bottle in each wheel before i went .
have know tyres with 11 slight punctures sealed . tyre almost worn out used to go down a bit every two days . worried about going flat on ferry back from spain put some in go for a ride ,tyre stayed up for two weeks then tyre changed as it was quite worn .
but look on ebay oko can be bought on there .
i always have a few bottles in my truck . just in case . mind i carry patches ,tubes , gaiters and tubeless repair kit . plus two spare wheels and tyres for the truck and two for my trailer . cant buy tyres abroad they are expensive . uk is about cheapest place i know in eu or maroc should you need a new one .
i do have bead breaking and tyre levers on board as well. plus compressor .

 

[42208]

Never had a puncture with the motorhome so just wondering, are those that have had one happy to see it repaired and refitted or do they go for a new tyre in which case the cleaning of the tyre is not overly relevant.

 

[TerryL]

I once asked a tyre fitter about the use of these sealants. The first thing he said is that they wouldn't carry out any kind of repair on a tyre so treated. He wasn't particularly enthusiastic about them!

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[vwalan]

I once asked a tyre fitter about the use of these sealants. The first thing he said is that they wouldn't carry out any kind of repair on a tyre so treated. He wasn't particularly enthusiastic about them!

having used oko i found i couldnt get a patch to stick inside the tyre or on a tube that had been in a tyre with it . but in morocco they gave both a good wash in water and used an old fashioned heat vulcanizer and repaired the tyre and the tube .
years ago i worked for ats at the time they were doing away with heat vulcanizers in the mid 70,s in uk. i often have since wish one had come my way . they were great back then for repairs .
mind i do know of a tubeless tyre that had a repair strip put in on a small puncture in 2008 and its still working . only a temporary repair they say. it will be it will be a bald tyre next year. ha ha . need replacing then .

 

[Spanner]

Tyre sealant is only temporary and is never going to fix anything but a minor leak, also tyres are often damaged in the sidewall from accidentally mounting kerbs etc.
In the event of a puncture or blow out if you don't have a spare wheel (or tyre) what is the breakdown man going to do ? especially if it's after 5pm or at a weekend where do you buy a tyre from ? also many tyre depots don't stock specific motorhome rated tyres but rely on a next day service.
I believe in carrying a spare wheel, just in case

 

[vwalan]

Tyre sealant is only temporary and is never going to fix anything but a minor leak, also tyres are often damaged in the sidewall from accidentally mounting kerbs etc.
In the event of a puncture or blow out if you don't have a spare wheel (or tyre) what is the breakdown man going to do ? especially if it's after 5pm or at a weekend where do you buy a tyre from ? also many tyre depots don't stock specific motorhome rated tyres but rely on a next day service.
I believe in carrying a spare wheel, just in case

tyre sealant does seem to work even with bullet holes in the tyre . or a knife blade pushed through.
of course there are limits .
best carry a spare wheel and tyre .
breakdown man . !!!!!!
puncture isnt a brake down its just an annoyance, just fix it .

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[colyboy]

I have had "puncture proof" sealant in my tyres (I am touching wood at present) for the last 9 years (two vans) and have never had an issue with it. Had to change a tyre once when the tyre was split on the side, again no trouble with the break down van who went off and got another. Very rarely check the tyre pressure as I don't seem to loose any.

colyboy

 

[colyboy]

People seem to have not looked into this "goo". Tyre repairers will not/do not like the puncture repair products you buy in an aerosol from Halfords as this product is sticky. The "goo" is water soluble and washes off with water and is NO problem tyre fitters.

colyboy

 

[Flook]

There are several types of goo stuff, I use Gloop. I use it in my cycle tyres and it worked a treat when I changed the tyres from road tyres to off-road ones, as I noticed two holes filled with green Gloop, which meant the tyre had two punctures and had held for at least two months.

I had a nail in the front nearside tyre on the car. Removed nail and tyre deflated, put Gloop into tyre, pumped up and have never had an issue since (that was three years back) I have had another in the rear offside wheel, a slow puncture, again put gloop in pumped up again no issue.

The same on my BMW motorbike, I have had the tyre fitters put gloop in when I have had new tyres fitted. Of course I have pointed out to them each time about the old tyres have gloop inside, so they are more careful when removing the tyres as they reckon the green gloop inside is still runny and can be a mess to remove from the wheel rim if not forewarned.

I have been informed that tyre fitters do not like removing tyres that have had any form of internal puncture preventative installed. As this can be messy job and they do not like to get covered in it, so they make excuses. I got this information from an acquaintance of mine from bike club who has his own large tyre business.

It has been mentioned that tyre fitters do not like to repair tyres if stuff like gloop has been installed. All I can think of is this: if the tyre is in such a state to be repaired then surely it really needs to be replaced anyway? plus gloop can be wiped off and that part of the tyre can be de-greased with an alcohol based substance before application, however, if that occurs, the tyre needs to be replaced anyway.

Gloop and other substances will only cover the inside of the tread, not the wall of the tyre this is indeed true, also internal tyre pressure monitors wont work efficiently if gloop etc has been installed in the tyre, as the monitor is covered in the stuff and cannot give a decent signal.

Flook

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