One thing that all vehicles have in common is tyres. It doesn’t matter if you want to go away for a weekend or whether you want to make a trip around Australia—your choice is paramount. So, how adventurous do you want to be? If you wish to stay on the blacktop, a set of highlights around the tyres may be perfectly suitable. If you want to open up a wider variety of road conditions, you may want to move to a set of all-terrain tyres. And if you want to be even more adventurous, maybe a set of mud-terrain tyres are better suited to your needs.
The different tyres have gotten different applications. For highway terrain, tyres are perfectly suited to the blacktop—they do a brilliant job out there, but they may not work too well on the gravel because they could be a little bit too soft and maybe not quite as puncture-resistant as you would like. When we go to an all-terrain tyre, it’s much more suited to gravel roads. We find that the tread pattern, being a little bit closer, is slightly more resistant to punctures. And if you head into a muddy, slushy, or with big mud holes, then maybe a mud-terrain tyre is more suited to your application. The tread pattern on the mud terrains is nice and open, and it will self-clean easily in those conditions, but it is more susceptible to punctures on higher-speed gravel roads.
We’ve looked at the tyres on the vehicle, but what about the tyres on the trailer? Do they need to match? If the tyre size on the trailer allows it and you’re travelling further, where the likelihood of spare tyres is not that great, then it’s probably a good idea. The important fact to remember is that the trailer tyres are not being driven, giving you greater flexibility regarding tyre choice. We recommend that you use a light truck tyre, which is an all-terrain pattern. This will allow you to carry the weight better and be more durable.
Tyre pressures are always going to be one of those great campfire discussions—what tyre pressures to use and where? On the compliance plate in the trailer and the tyre placard, normally found at the vehicle’s driver’s door, the recommended tyre pressure for both the car and the trailer will be there. So how do we choose tire pressures for a given surface? Luckily, the tyre manufacturers have given us plenty of guidance for this. So if we’re going to be travelling on high-speed gravel roads, something like the UNA Data Track or the Birdsville Track, then the three manufacturers would say we would use a 20% reduction from highway pressures. Say this tyre is at 36 psi; that 20% reduction would result in around 28 psi for gravel road use.
The 20% rule works as the general rule of thumb because the tyres are literally just pressure vessels. It’s not the tyres that carry the weight; it’s the air inside them. The best analogy I can give you for that is an air mattress. If I’m lying on an air mattress inflated too hard, I will have a terrible night’s sleep. I may touch the ground through the mattress if it’s too low. But when it’s inflated just right, I will get a great night’s sleep.
How does that relate to our tyres, then? Well, if we’re on a corrugated road and the tyres are overinflated, we’ll get a lot of skip and movement out of the car and the trailer, which could be a safety issue for us. If the tyres are underinflated, there will be a lot of sidewall movement, and it may lead to overheating and premature failure. Of course, as always, if you’re unsure about what pressures to run in any particular environment, chat with the manufacturer of your tyres to get the best and most accurate information.
When we look at the combination we had here when we ran them over the weighbridge, the dual cab came in at twenty-three hundred and fifty kilos, and the camper trailer came in at nineteen hundred and twenty. So, what does that mean for our road pressures? On the front of the car, we had 35 psi; on the rear, we had 40 psi; and for the camper trailer, 55 psi. When we then move into a dirt road situation with the same vehicle and trailer and the same weights, we can adjust the tyre pressures to suit. This means that they’re now 28 psi for the front tyres, 33 psi for the rear tyres, and 45 psi for the trailer. Dropping those tyre pressures for the dirt road will give us some extra tyre flexibility and better traction. But remember, if we drop our pressures, we need to drop airspeed.
Australia allows you to travel fantastically long distances, but to get there safely, you have to rely on the performance of your tyres. When checking your tyres for signs of wear or damage, these are some things you should look for. Firstly, we’re looking at the sidewalls—don’t forget you must also check the inside ones. Here, we’re looking for cracks, nicks, damage, bulges—anything that may cause an issue later.
Every tyre will have an element of wear; you’re aiming for even wear. If you notice that your tyres have uneven wear, you need to look for the reason. It could be a wheel alignment issue, or it could be over-inflation. You’ll have a wear strip down the centre if they’re over-inflated. Under-inflation will cause a wear strip on both edges. These could be the cause of the uneven wear of your tyres.
If you notice any of these signs of wear, it also means your tires don’t have the full tread in contact with the road surface, which affects performance. Part of ensuring even wear is diagonally rotating your tires. Now, don’t forget the spare on your car, and your trailer should be included in that rotation.
The other thing to be aware of is the age of your tyre. Like all rubber, it gets old. You may have plenty of tread on the tyre but consider the age. Every tyre has a stamp on it with the date of manufacture, and it’s recommended that about five or six years is the life of a tyre.
Checking your tires doesn’t finish when you drive out your driveway—it’s an ongoing thing for your tour. Checking them for nicks, cracks, and anything else that’s happening along the road should be a daily check. I recommend you do it in the evening when the tyres have cooled down, and you’ve got plenty of time to sort out any issues so it doesn’t delay your departure in the morning.
You’ve had a fantastic trip, and now it’s time to store the trailer. A few things you can do to help preserve those tyres: park them out of direct sunlight if possible, get the weight off them by putting them up on their jack stands, and have that last little check of the tyres. Look for any nicks or damage, so you have plenty of warning about replacing them before your next holiday.
Whether driving on highways or crossing rugged dirt paths, choosing the right tyres is the key to ensuring safe and comfortable travel. During the journey, tyres not only carry the weight of the car but also bear every intimate contact between you and nature. Regular inspection and correct adjustment of tyre pressure to ensure the good condition of the tyres can not only improve the vehicle’s handling performance but also effectively extend the service life of the tyres. Whether you are just starting or have ended an unforgettable journey, remember that good tyre management is the solid foundation for safe travel. Let us embrace each unknown journey with more adequate preparation for our next journey.
