Van tyres: what to check before you drive

Van tyres carry more than car tyres

Even empty, a van is heavier than an ordinary car, and with a load the difference grows even further. Depending on the model, payload ranges from roughly 1 100 to 1 450 kilograms, and all of that weight is transferred to the road by four contact patches about the size of your palm. Van tyres therefore work under completely different conditions from those on the car you drive to work. A minute spent inspecting them at pick-up is well worth it.

The letter C in the size marking

You can recognise tyres for commercial vehicles by the letter C after the size. It means a reinforced construction with stronger sidewalls that can withstand a higher load and higher inflation pressure. A car tyre of the same size without this marking does not belong on a van, even if it looks the same at first glance. When fully loaded, its sidewall would deform and overheat.

Load index and speed rating

The size is followed by a number and a letter — load capacity and maximum speed. The number tells you how many kilograms one tyre can carry; the letter sets the speed limit of its construction. Commercial tyres often have two numbers, because single-wheel and twin-wheel fitting on the rear axle are calculated separately. You will find the values prescribed for a particular vehicle in its registration certificate.

Tread depth

The tread determines how much water the tyre can clear from the point of contact with the road. A worn tyre still brakes reasonably on a dry road, but quickly loses grip on a wet one. With a loaded van you notice this sooner than with an empty car, because the inertia is greater. You can estimate the depth even without a gauge — most tyres have tread wear indicator bars in the grooves, and once the tread is level with them, the tyre has reached the end of its life.

Age and condition of the sidewalls

On the sidewall you will find a four-digit number in an oval that shows the week and year of manufacture. Rubber ages even without driving; it hardens and adapts less well to the road surface. Apart from age, look out for cracks, bulges and scuffed sidewalls — the sidewall is often damaged by hitting a kerb and, unlike the tread, cannot be repaired.

All-season tyres on heavier vehicles

An all-season tyre is a compromise that shows up sooner on a commercial vehicle than on a small car. The more weight the vehicle carries, the faster the rubber reaches its limits — in hot summers it softens, in winter it lacks sipes. Seasonal tyres therefore make more sense on vans. You will find an overview of the vehicles, including their dimensions, in our fleet.

Checking the tyres before driving and pressure according to load

Walk around the van

The quickest check is to walk around the vehicle and look at all four wheels from the side. An underinflated tyre can be seen with the naked eye — the sidewall bulges and the contact patch on the ground is wider than on the other wheels. Look into the tread as well to see if a screw or a piece of glass is stuck in it. With our vans, the condition of the vehicle is photographed at pick-up via the web app anyway, so you have a reason to inspect it either way.

Pressure differs according to load

A van usually has two sets of prescribed pressures: for an empty vehicle and for a fully loaded one. The table is usually on the driver's door pillar or on the fuel filler flap. The difference is not cosmetic; on the rear axle it is often a significantly higher value. If you drive loaded at the pressures for an empty vehicle, the tyre overheats, holds the road less well and fuel consumption rises.

When to measure the pressure

Pressure is measured on cold tyres. After a longer drive the air in the tyre warms up and you will measure a slightly higher value than the real one. So if you are inflating at a petrol station after half an hour's driving, bear in mind that the real value will be lower. In the colder months pressure drops naturally, so in autumn check it even on a vehicle where it was spot on in spring.

Even wear tells you something

A worn outer edge of the tread points to long-term underinflation, a worn centre to overinflation. Wear on only one side of the tyre usually means misaligned wheel geometry. With a rental vehicle you don't have to deal with it, but it is good to report such a finding — it helps you and the next driver.

Find out what the van has instead of a spare

Not every vehicle has a full-size spare wheel. Some vans carry only a sealant kit with a compressor, which can handle a small puncture in the tread but won't help with a torn sidewall. Check what is in the equipment before you set off — searching for it under the floor of a loaded van at the roadside is unpleasant. The wheel wrench is usually kept with the jack, typically under a seat or under the floor of the luggage area.

If you get a puncture

Don't carry on driving with an obviously damaged tyre, not even for a short distance. A loaded van is much less forgiving of a flat. Stop in a safe place, secure the vehicle and contact the rental company — we operate non-stop, so you will get through even at night and at weekends. The procedure for these situations is summarised in the FAQ.