Should I carry a spare tyre? AND legality of tyres older than 10 years

[mark61]

quoted from MOT Manual cars and passenger vehicles Section 5 tyres .

Tyre age​

The check of tyre age applies to all vehicles with more than 8 passenger seats, other than vehicles of historical interest.

so cars (Class 4) and motorcaravans (class 4) with less than 9 seats not applicable HTSH

RFF

(m) A tyre over ten years old is fitted to a front steered axle of a bus, coach, or any axle on a minibus with a single wheel fitment	Dangerous
A date code illegible: (i) on a tyre fitted to a rear axle of a bus or coach (ii) or not visible on a tyre fitted to a front steered axle of a bus or coach or any axle on a minibus with a single wheel fitment	Minor Major

Exactly, the various .gov sites are very clear and up to date.

Not that any of it helps me, can't remember having a tyre for more than 4 years, 5 max.

 

[Fazerloz]

Well I was warned that my tyres were Over ten years and would fail class 4 mot. Checked class 4 mot tyres age. On internet And it states it’s a fail if over 10 years or undated. Motstation verified this. So not sure about class4 excluded threads or onlyhgvs etc. Personally check your tyre date and check at mot. Stan. And yes I would trust a policeman if he told me that such and such was illegal/ legal I often wonder if some of the advice given is a bit dated. Ie. It was legal when I was a lad so it’s legal now. I took my test in 1966 in a 4 ton lorry and only heard about the age limit/ tyres 2 months ago it was also pointed out to me that there were small cracks in the tyre that I had not seen So I agree with some posts. If there old change them. Brian.

IF you do not have 8 passenger seats the your MOT station is wrong. I would not use them what else could they be wrong about.

Taken from the latest Mot manual.

Tyre age​

The check of tyre age applies to all vehicles with more than 8 passenger seats, other than vehicles of historical interest.

Tyre age is determined by the date code on the sidewall and will be a three or four-digit code. Tyres with a three-digit code will be more than 10 years old.

The code is usually located in a ‘window’ on the sidewall and may or may not be located at the end of the DOT number (see image below).

The first two digits of the code represent the week of manufacture of the tyre and the second two digits represent the year of manufacture. In the example above, the tyre was manufactured in week 35 of 2016.

Tyres over ten years old at the time of test must be failed if they are on:

• any front steered axle
• any rear axle of a minibus with a single wheel fitment.

Tyres not displaying a date code must also be failed. However, date codes are only required to be marked on one side of the tyre so it may not be possible to see the date code on twin wheel fitments. Under these circumstances you should advise the presenter and assume the date code is present and the tyre age is acceptable.

On tyres where the date code is illegible, for example, due to kerbing or deliberate tampering, a major or minor defect must be recorded, depending on the location of the tyre.

 

[Fisherman]

 

[Red Dwarf]

Should I carry a spare tyre? Yes. I mentioned in another thread some time ago that if you’re here in the far north you can easily be a hundred miles away from a new tyre. The local recovery agent tells me that many folk get stranded because of an irreparable tyre and no spare wheel.
Given the roads here can shred a tyre inner wall if you go over the edge of the road surface, not carrying a spare seems at best, careless. The lack of spare wheels with many modern vehicles is down to weight reduction to improve the demands of economy.
Drive carefully on rural roads, take it easy over cattle grids and watch out for the rough edge of the tarmac!

Also worth mentioning. If you do have a spare wheel, carry the suitable tools to change it. I’ve seen cars that have been lowered and the original jack being too big to fit under the vehicle.

 

[Fazerloz]

How many of you actually check the date code on the tyre before haviing a new tyre fitted. Or just accept that its a new tyre that is been put on.

 

[wildebus]

Should I carry a spare tyre? Yes. I mentioned in another thread some time ago that if you’re here in the far north you can easily be a hundred miles away from a new tyre. The local recovery agent tells me that many folk get stranded because of an irreparable tyre and no spare wheel.
Given the roads here can shred a tyre inner wall if you go over the edge of the road surface, not carrying a spare seems at best, careless. The lack of spare wheels with many modern vehicles is down to weight reduction to improve the demands of economy.
Drive carefully on rural roads, take it easy over cattle grids and watch out for the rough edge of the tarmac!

Also worth mentioning. If you do have a spare wheel, carry the suitable tools to change it. I’ve seen cars that have been lowered and the original jack being too big to fit under the vehicle.

Saying it is 'careless' not to carry a spare is in itself a careless thing to say.
One problem on many motorhomes is where to carry the spare even if you wanted one. Not that many have garages or lockers big enough for a spare.

I don't carry a spare in the motorhome. Guess why? (And it is not a matter of not caring as my last car did not have a spare as standard so I put on in the boot, and the current car did not come with a spare so I bought one to put in the spare wheel sized space under the boot floor).

 

[izwozral]

That's one of the first things I did when I purchased the motorhome was make a bracket to hold a spare wheel.View attachment 99444View attachment 99445

Ah, but does it dispense beer?

 

[Red Dwarf]

Saying it is 'careless' not to carry a spare is in itself a careless thing to say.

Really, why? I would think myself careless if I was setting off (especially to remote places) if I didn’t have a spare wheel and tools to change it.
Much after 5pm up here in the north you’re going nowhere or being recovered if you don’t have a spare. That a vehicle doesn’t have provision for carrying a spare, make provision!
I mentioned some time ago about a guy in a VW T5 camper who popped two tyres going over a cattle grid. He had really low profile tyres on silly big alloys. He had one standard T5 wheel with a standard tyre. Holiday somewhat ruined.

No spare, you’re taking a gamble.

 

[wildebus]

Really, why? I would think myself careless if I was setting off (especially to remote places) if I didn’t have a spare wheel and tools to change it.
Much after 5pm up here in the north you’re going nowhere or being recovered if you don’t have a spare. That a vehicle doesn’t have provision for carrying a spare, make provision!
I mentioned some time ago about a guy in a VW T5 camper who popped two tyres going over a cattle grid. He had really low profile tyres on silly big alloys. He had one standard T5 wheel with a standard tyre. Holiday somewhat ruined.

No spare, you’re taking a gamble.

tell the vehicle dealers who sell you the vehicle, not the customer.

what do you think breakdown services are for?

 

[Red Dwarf]

Yes, it’s odd that spare wheels have become an add on accessory.

Breakdown services in the highlands. I’ve experienced having to wait over eight hours for RAC recovery. My point is that in remote areas a simple puncture can take a day to sort out if you haven’t got a spare.
Recovery is mostly done by local agents, in busy periods the nearest recovery to become available might be a hundred miles away.

 

[Drover]

I carry a puncture repair kit, admittedly it wont fix a large rip. But holes ip to 12mm no problems.

 

[wildebus]

Yes, it’s odd that spare wheels have become an add on accessory.

Breakdown services in the highlands. I’ve experienced having to wait over eight hours for RAC recovery. My point is that in remote areas a simple puncture can take a day to sort out if you haven’t got a spare.
Recovery is mostly done by local agents, in busy periods the nearest recovery to become available might be a hundred miles away.

8 hours in the highlands for RAC Recovery!! That's dreadful.

Then again, I broke down on the M3/M25 Junction around 8AM on a Sunday. Eventually got an RAC Recovery vehicle picking up my car around 3PM I think it was. Think I got home around 6PM or something (and I lived around 45 minutes from where the car broke down). Move to Greater London and save an hour


Now as far as waiting for recovery if you can't swap a tyre, there are a mryiad of things that can go wrong with a vehicle past a puncture - just how many things do you cater for if you have to somehow build a bracket for a spare wheel on or in your motorhome (hey, who needs that shower anyway?), why stop there? Maybe carry head gaskets, timing belts, starter motors, fan belts, cam shafts, the list is endless (maybe a spare axle if you have a Mercedes bus?).

Time for realistic pragmatism.

 

[Fazerloz]

Really, why? I would think myself careless if I was setting off (especially to remote places) if I didn’t have a spare wheel and tools to change it.
Much after 5pm up here in the north you’re going nowhere or being recovered if you don’t have a spare. That a vehicle doesn’t have provision for carrying a spare, make provision!
I mentioned some time ago about a guy in a VW T5 camper who popped two tyres going over a cattle grid. He had really low profile tyres on silly big alloys. He had one standard T5 wheel with a standard tyre. Holiday somewhat ruined.

No spare, you’re taking a gamble.

What other spares do you carry as many things can leave you stranded or ruined hol. Where does the list end, gearbox perhaps.

 

[Glass man]

Beware, if you go anywhere really remote like the far north of Finland, Sweden or Norway you can be over 100km from a garage and MUCH further from a tyre specialist. I found a van with a flat 130km away from the nearest garage. Fortunately the van had a spare.
In remote locations breakdown insurance may not help you as you have not fulfilled all the requirements for having a " serviceable vehicle. "

 

[jagmanx]

IMHO
1 Not having a servicible spare is lunacy.
2 Running with old Tyres is also Lunacy
3 Not checking tyre pressure is simply STOOPID.
END.
Old MOTs checked Brakes Steering and lights only.
My simple list is Brakes Steering and Tyres...no explanation needed !

 

[mark61]

I always carry a spare tyre, but, I've not had to do a roadside change over since the late 90's. I've had a few punctures, but always slow, very slow. So why do I still carry one? Probably because I know the places I'm most likely to really damage a tyre, no recovery truck is going to be coming to assist. I'd be relying on mates.

Horses for courses, anyway, I'm pretty sure the people here who don't usually carry a spare, are more than sensible enough to carry a spare if heading out into the wilderness or places where recovery will be a very long wait.

 

[wildebus]

Beware, if you go anywhere really remote like the far north of Finland, Sweden or Norway you can be over 100km from a garage and MUCH further from a tyre specialist. I found a van with a flat 130km away from the nearest garage. Fortunately the van had a spare.
In remote locations breakdown insurance may not help you as you have not fulfilled all the requirements for having a " serviceable vehicle. "

So you are saying the vehicle manufacturers are selling MILLIONS of unservicable vehicles then? don't talk total tosh.

 

[Bigshug]

This was a kumho less than a year old on my brothers motorhome!

 

[jagmanx]

To add to my thoughts.
In 2019 near Interlaken we had a "very flat" the tyre was kaput.
We had a spare which was duly fitted and we could drive back to our campsite.
There was a local garage who did the job of replacing the tyre.
It was Friday 5pm going on 6pm
So no progress not Until after the weekend !!!

Without a spare we may have been recovered to the centre of Interlaken and been forced to book hotel type accommodation and for maybe 4 nights....at some cost As it was we could return to the campsite and wait there .
my spare was old so 2 tyres and fitting for £400 plus.
campsite extra nights at £40 a night. But we could eat our food in the motorhome and relax in the day !
Interlaken Hotel and food for 4 nights...At least £600 extra !

Simple ..... make sure you have a useable spare wheel/tyre ( Or a spare wallet. ! )

Ok a mobile tyre fitter MAY have been available but ?????
Some breakdown policies insist on a spare..No spare No recovery !

 

[mark61]

If I remember correctly, spare tyre and tools to change tyre are mandatory in Czechia and Slovakia.
Pretty sure they are the only European countries with that rule. Could have changed since I been, don't know.