Caravan tyres and pressures

Suspension, chassis and wall system are decided at the factory. Tyres are replaced throughout the van's life and change where it can go and how it behaves.

A specification such as 265/75R16 123/120Q records size, construction, load index and speed rating. Read the load index first: the tyres carry the whole loaded van between them with margin.

Network RV runs a 235 all-terrain on 15-inch rims on-road and a 265 mud-terrain at high load rating on 16-inch rims off-road.

All-terrain is quieter, longer wearing and better in the wet, and handles formed gravel. Mud-terrain clears loose surfaces and usually has a tougher casing, at the cost of noise, weight, wear and fuel on bitumen.

Buy for the surface where you spend the most nights, not the hardest surface you may see once.

An LT tyre has more plies, a stiffer casing and a higher load rating than a passenger tyre of the same size. Ask for the fitted tyre's load rating and compare it with the axle rating.

Start with the van's placard for the original tyres, then the tyre manufacturer's load-pressure table if size or construction has changed. Pressure follows load and must be set cold.

Lower pressure can soften corrugations, but builds heat and increases the risk of rolling a tyre off the rim, so it must be paired with lower speed and manufacturer guidance. Check the spare too.

The placard, tyre manufacturer and dealer are the authorities, in that order.

Caravan tyres often die of age before wear. The four-digit sidewall code gives week and year: 2225 means week 22 of 2025. Check every tyre including the spare, inspect for cracking and take replacement intervals from the manufacturer and service centre.

Tyres are one of six systems that change for unsealed roads. Read what changes when a caravan is built for dirt, or start with do you need an off-road caravan? For replacement tyres and wheels, see parts and accessories.