Should I toss a unroaded BFGAT or keep it?

[PhilipA]

I recently bought a 2003 Coromal SEKA 505 PIONEER XL.

It is like a museum piece, hardly used by the Po as he was legally blind.

It had 3x 265 75 r16 BFG ATs on it.
When I asked him when he had fitted them he replied "in 2003 when I bought the caravan! It was the first thing I did." The van has been kept under cover for nearly it's entire life.

So I thought that having 18 year old tyres is not good so I was able to score 3xToyo 123/120s with 9MM tread and late 2017 production dates for a cheap price.

I had the 2 Toyos fitted to the wheels.

Now the conundrum.

The spare BFG is PERFECT. Not a crack or scuff (even between tread blocks). It still has the paint on the tread, but is AT LEAST 18 years old. It is so old there is no 4 digit production date on it..

Should I fit the third Toyo or store it ?
Opinions welcomed.
Regards PhilipA

[scarry]

OLd BFG's are notorious for getting very hard,and cracking in between the tread blocks.

I would dump it,at the appropriate place.

[cripesamighty]

The question I would be asking is how much is the caravan worth to you if the tyre lets go while you are on the road?

[Saitch]

Take it off the rim and have a look at the inside of the tyre.....................and then toss it!

[gofish]

Lose it

[Blknight.aus]

I recently bought a 2003 Coromal SEKA 505 PIONEER XL.

It is like a museum piece, hardly used by the Po as he was legally blind.

It had 3x 265 75 r16 BFG ATs on it.
When I asked him when he had fitted them he replied "in 2003 when I bought the caravan! It was the first thing I did." The van has been kept under cover for nearly it's entire life.

So I thought that having 18 year old tyres is not good so I was able to score 3xToyo 123/120s with 9MM tread and late 2017 production dates for a cheap price.

I had the 2 Toyos fitted to the wheels.

Now the conundrum.

The spare BFG is PERFECT. Not a crack or scuff (even between tread blocks). It still has the paint on the tread, but is AT LEAST 18 years old. It is so old there is no 4 digit production date on it..

Should I fit the third Toyo or store it ?
Opinions welcomed.
Regards PhilipA

pull it but if it fits the rim and you dont mind carrying the carcass, carry it as an emergency spare or "bush tyre" the kind of tyre that you use for anything not typically tyre related. Think Push bar pad, engine drop pad, on top of a gas bottle head to protect it from damage, that kind of stuff.

[PhilipA]

Thanks for the feedback , You have convinced me as painful as it is.

Regards PhilipA

[BMKal]

I have two Mickey Thompson A/T's up the back yard that are also in "as new" condition. But they've been there a few years now, so will probably be used for growing spuds. [bigwhistle]

[RANDLOVER]

I have two Mickey Thompson A/T's up the back yard that are also in "as new" condition. But they've been there a few years now, so will probably be used for growing spuds. [bigwhistle]

You might also brush some black shoe polish into any cracks, and go on to set a world speed record like Burt Munro does in the film "The World's Fastest Indian" [biggrin]

[Slunnie]

You might also brush some black shoe polish into any cracks, and go on to set a world speed record like Burt Munro does in the film "The World's Fastest Indian" [biggrin]
Such a good movie!!! :burnrubber:

[Tombie]

I’ve got an 18yo never roaded 275-70-18 Mickey T that’s heading for the bin.

At $670 a pop [emoji3]

[Saitch]

Sort of 'On Topic'.
Came out to a flat, front tyre on the D3, the other day. Took it off and couldn't find anything in it. As my eyesight is not as it used to be, off I went to the local mechanic/tyre bloke I use.
Turns out that it had cracked the bead. Now, this was at normal pressure and reasonably normal driving.

Ol' mate didn't say that I needed new tyres, but he did point out the DOT and that they'll be 8, next birthday.

I'm thinking that the dilapidation of the compound, over time, may have a bearing on the bead break.

[Tins]

You might also brush some black shoe polish into any cracks, and go on to set a world speed record like Burt Munro does in the film "The World's Fastest Indian" [biggrin]

After cutting the tread of with a kitchen knife....

[PhilipA]

You have hit one of those pesky things called "a rock" or maybe "a Kerb" which has caused the rim to squeeze the said tyre between it and the said rock or kerb.

This is the result of the ridiculous low profile tyres fitted. Thank goodness they have strong wheels.

I went to a NSW Range Rover meeting once where a member stood up and criticised a well know PREMIUM brand of tyre as he had destroyed 11 on his D3 between Sydney and Darwin. The tyre company to their credit had replaced 10 under warranty but had refused the 11th.

Regards PhilipA
BTW tyre has gone to tyre dealer with the admonition that if I see it on Facebook Marketplace I will be mightily upset. Now a 3.5 years old Toyo semi mud is the spare.

[Tombie]

Phillip, the D3 has almost the exact same sidewall height as a D2.

(Unless it’s running 19s or above)

[Tins]

(Unless it’s running 19s or above)

Not really an off roader, or even an outback tourer, if it is.... Sidewalls are like cubic inches; no substitute. Tesla don't make tyres yet.

[Saitch]

Phillip, the D3 has almost the exact same sidewall height as a D2.

(Unless it’s running 19s or above)

Yep, I'm running 245x60x17. Not exactly low profile.

[Slunnie]

You have hit one of those pesky things called "a rock" or maybe "a Kerb" which has caused the rim to squeeze the said tyre between it and the said rock or kerb.

This is the result of the ridiculous low profile tyres fitted. Thank goodness they have strong wheels.

It's a Cooper "Tire" as I'd expect too.

[PhilipA]

It's a Cooper "Tire" as I'd expect too.
That brand sounds familiar as per my anecdote.
Just on that I bought some second hand Bridgestone D693 Duellers in 245 70x16 . I was on the track they call a road from Racecourse up to Crescent Head and off to the side of the road to avoid the corrugations and heard a BANG. I was staying in Kempsie . Went out next day and big lump on sidewall of LH front which was the one that hit. I suspect it had a hit before as I had a niggly very slight shimmy at 90kmh.
So it can happen even with a good brand and high sidewalls.

Regards PhilipA

[Saitch]

So it can happen even with a good brand and high sidewalls.

Regards PhilipA

I don't think it's a 'Brand Specific' issue. When the Dunlops on the Goldstream Wing1 hit around 9 y.o., they started to show cracks in the inner casing.
Might have been a major problem as, from the exterior, they looked OK. This is the result of one letting go, which made me check t'others. Looks a bit worse for wear, as it happened on the M1 at 100 Km/h.

.......and 'No', they didn't sit around like a stale bottle, for months on end and were a good tyre for the camper, overall.

172096

[V8Ian]

Pleased to see it padlocked on, Steve.
Watch out, there's a theif about. [bighmmm]

[PhilipA]

sort of on topic, seeing I was talking about my caravan spare.

I just fitted normal nuts to the wheels of my caravan in place of the 15 X five sided security nuts fitted to Coromal vans, on the KISS principle.
I don't want to be in the middle of nowhere with no tool to undo them .(although I have 2)

Is it a problem that spares are stolen?
I have never come across it in the country even in Kununurra>
I guess a compromise would be one on each wheel .
Regards PhilipA

[Tins]

Pleased to see it padlocked on, Steve.
Watch out, there's a theif about. [bighmmm]

In that instance I reckon I'd steal the padlock..

[Saitch]

Pleased to see it padlocked on, Steve.
Watch out, there's a theif about. [bighmmm]

Ian, with my brain cells' retention capacity, it's all about remembering where things are![biggrin]

[ramblingboy42]

...this tyre...what this thread's about.....chuck it the back garden and grow pumpkins in it.