Tires on caravans and trailer tents are often too old

A sample from BOVAG shows that almost 30 percent of caravans and half of trailer tents are equipped with outdated tires. During an initial inspection of almost 150 caravans and trailer tents last month at various locations in Central Netherlands, BOVAG found that almost 30 percent of the caravans were equipped with tires that were older than January 2013.

The advice from the trade organization and various insurers is to replace these tires every six years. Over time, the rubber on your tires wears out - even when standing still in a garage or at a campsite - and hairline cracks can develop, for example.

The profile of the tire may still be in tip-top condition, but if the temperature inside the tire rises during the journey, the consequences of such damage can be disastrous. Inspections in previous years by BOVAG and the police also showed that many caravan owners pay little attention to the tires.

How old?

You can easily read the date of manufacture from the tire yourself, because it is stated with four numbers after the letters DOT. The first two digits represent the production week and the last two represent the production year.

Also gas hoses

Just like tires, gas hoses are made from the natural product rubber, which deteriorates in quality over time, with all possible consequences. Manufacturers therefore indicate an expiration date on the gas hoses, but experience shows that many holidaymakers do not pay attention to this. Especially in German-speaking countries, periodic inspection of the gas system in a caravan, camper or trailer tent is legally required and some campsites in Germany, Austria and Switzerland refuse campers - including foreign ones - on the basis of this provision.

The risk of explosions and fire must be kept to a minimum and that is why the so-called G607 inspection can now also be carried out in the Netherlands in accordance with German guidelines. A large number of caravan companies have now been trained for this and have the correct certifications, so that holidaymakers are not faced with any nasty surprises on site.

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