It is suspected a blown tyre might have been the cause of a caravan rollover in Queensland yesterday.
It is believed that no one was injured in the accident which happened over 18 kilometres west of Chinchilla on the Warrego Highway.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said two patients were assessed at the scene but declined transport.
A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman told the Chinchilla News that it was investigating why the vehicle towing a caravan rolled.
“Looks like a tyre’s blown,” the spokeswoman told the newspaper.
While the full details behind this latest incident are not known, grey nomads are regularly urged to make tyre safety checks an important part of their overall vehicle maintenance strategy.
Steven Burke, the Technical Manager at Toyo Tires Australia, said tyre failures could be caused by a number of factors, including underinflated or overloaded tyres.
He said they were a scary thing to experience, and could have serious consequences.
“Such failures often occur when a vehicle, caravan or motorhome hits the highway fully loaded for the next adventure, bringing plans to a halt and placing the vehicle’s occupants – along with other road users – in potential danger,” he said.
I checked my van tyres date a couple of years ago. Good condition with heaps of tread. No real wear at all. BUT they were 13 years old. Whoops how could I let that happen. Quick slap on the wrist and down to the tyre store to replace with two new ones. Just had electric brakes, axle and suspension given a good going over. Col
You need to get out more (13 years). Were they the original tyres?
No not original. I checked after seeing so many posts on this matter. Cheers
It pays to check the inside of your tyres after every trip…last year found a large tear on the inside of one tyre..could have blown out easily.
Thought you have to replace tyres if 10 year old regardless to validate insurance
Think you will find it is 5 to 6 years
We have just returned from Killarney and on the way there we had a tyre blowout. A very loud bang and smoke coming from the left hand front wheel of the van. We sustained considerable amount of damage to the wheel hub and inside kitchen cabinetry. It blew off a cupboard door and plugs out of their sockets. It also left a gaping hole from where the hub meets the floor of the van. A truely frightening experience. We have had to buy 4 new tyres and have been told that tyre maintenance should be said as the age of the tyre and not the kms. Their advice is also to change tyres every 4 – 5 years regardless of kms. Ours are 7 years old. The psi on the wheels mention not to exceed 44psi. We were at 42psi and I don’t think that we were overloaded.
Maintenance checks seem to be the key. Also realising that tyres, especially those left open to the elements, need replacing every 4 to 5 years.
Anyone with a van should also invest in a Tyre Pressure Management System. I use Safety Dave and they are very easy to take off/on to adjust and I have found they give precise readings when checked with a digital gauge. They won’t stop the instant blow-out but will alert you to loss of pressure and excessive heat. And they make you ‘tyre concious’.
Suspect the rollover cause may have been a tyre blowout on tow vehicle, as this could have dramatic consequences whilst towing caravan
every morning when caravanning I check all tyres, 4 wd and caravan met hammer and listen to sound, ones a week I check with pump. run back tires on 4 w.d. at 41 pound same with caravan so far so good. fingers crossed. also look every time getting out at tires. it is worth it. herman.