Q Are tyre sealant products a viable alternative?
We noticed that a major motorhome insurance company ws offering a 5% tyre safety discount for pre-puncture tyre sealant (cost £30 per tyre), which claims to seal a penetration before deflation and acts as a permanent repair for the lifetime of the tyre. Is this a recommended and practical alternative solution to carrying a spare tyre? This website link may help davan.co.uk/phantom-tyre-protector
Ian & Sue Smith
A
If a tyre sustains any damage that encroaches into the sidewall region, it cannot be repaired either by traditional means or by a sealant, whether that is the pre-puncture sealer or the repair sealant supplied by many vehicle manufacturers as a substitute for a spare.
There is a British Standard covering tyre repairs, BS AU 159, and this document includes a definition of the area of a tyre that can be repaired where penetration has occurred. The repairable area is largely the flat tread area in contact with the road. As there is always the likelihood of a puncture occurring outside this repairable area, a replacement spare tyre is always worthwhile to have on board.
BS AU 159 does not recognise certain repair methods and this includes liquid sealants. All authoritative bodies state that the sealants supplied by car manufacturers as a substitute for a spare wheel are a temporary get-you-home fix only.
Of course, the pre-puncture sealants can be considered in a different light, but the British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association btmauk.com offers the following advice: Where a pre-puncture sealant is used, tyres should be frequently checked for penetration. This will avoid the aggravation of minor damage and allow the pursuit of a permanent repair at the earliest opportunity.
Important notes:
Some aftermarket sealants may adversely react with the material of the rim, tyre or valve
Sealants applied through the valve may impair its function, causing blockage or leakage, inhibiting routine pressure maintenance
Liquid sealants may damage or disrupt the operation of the electronic sensor inside the tyre in certain types of tyre pressure monitoring systems
Some sealants may be difficult to remove from the tyre, making repair impossible
That said, one tyre manufacturer, Continental, does produce a range of ContiSeal tyres, which contain a sticky viscous sealant layer that claims to deal with up to 80% of punctures and is capable of dealing with punctures that are up to 5mm diameter.
The question then is, how different is the aftermarket pre-puncture sealant product from the product used in ContiSeal? That is something I am unable to fully answer, but one drawback highlighted by BTMA, regarding aggravation of damage, is applicable to the ContiSeal tyre system.
With a puncture sealant in place, a nail or screw embedded in a tyre could aggravate the area of penetration if not spotted and removed, thus causing greater damage to the tyre. Only regular inspections will ensure that such penetrations are spotted.
BTMA’s comment about sealant being difficult to remove from the tyre to make a repair possible, is working on the basis of the sealant not being a permanent repair (in accordance with the BS AU 159 definition of a permanent repair). It is certainly valid for the temporary repair sealants, which are regarded by all as simply a temporary repair. Many tyre fitters will not repair a tyre in which a temporary tyre sealant has been used because of the problem of cleaning it out to enable a permanent repair to take place.
I would only recommend a safety-related product like this where it met with a recognised standard, such as British Standards. At present I understand there is no BS for such sealants. However, if I had a motorhome for which I could not carry a spare tyre, then I would be very tempted on a personal basis to use such a pre-puncture sealant.
Before use, there are a few questions I’d ask about the product and the installer.
My major concern would be where is the sealant being sourced from? I would be wary of DIY sealants from unknown sources like eBay. I have come across drivers with out-of-balance wheels after using sealant. This could be if the incorrect amount or type is used.
If you check up on the manufacturers of these prepuncture sealants, many of them sell heavily in the construction vehicle market and such tyres operate under significantly different conditions to a motorhome.
A tyre sealant designed specifically for lighter vehicles and installed in a professional manner may well be successful. I have heard of a few cases where, on start up, a small amount of tyre imbalance is noted, but after a short period of driving this disappears. Another concern I would need reassurance on, is the BTMA comments about application of sealant through the valve, with implications for its functionality and, in my case, any adverse effects on the Fiat electronic tyre pressure monitoring sensor installed.
On a more positive note, it may be worth mentioning that the UK distributor for Tyre Protector is Phantom, which has been successfully providing services for UK caravanners and motorhomers for many years.
Barry Norris
Refuelling my pride and joy, I was horrified when fuel started spilling onto the forecourt. Investigation by an approved dealer found the biodegradable vent pipe on the top of the fuel tank had been nibbled away by rodents (shown in the picture).
The dealer replaced the complete tank because repair of the vent pipe was not possible, so it said, and the bill was extreme. Posting on Facebook revealed this rodent damage is a common problem and I found out at the same time the vent pipe is actually replaceable, but the part is only available to order from Italy.
Why should owners be liable to expensive repairs via bad design and implementation? Motorhome manufacturers go some way to prevent rodent ingress, but should take responsibility where poor material choice incurs horrific bills on owners.
Is there redress in this case against a motorhome manufacturer who fails to protect vulnerable biodegradable edible fuel tank vent pipes and a reputable dealer who did not offer a vent pipe replacement, but a complete fuel tank change?
Manufacturers could cover these costs where quality issues should be addressed and acted on in recalls.
When motorhomes are sold, manufacturers know vehicles will be stored on secure sites to comply with insurance during winter months, so should ensure the motorhome is fit for purpose.
Michael Parsons
A In my earlier life, I was a civil engineer and early in my career I dealt with drainage problems, and one issue at a school was where rats had eaten the pitch fibre pipes.
Pitch fibre pipes were used in the 50s and 60s as a lighter and cheaper material for small-bore drainage pipes. Pitch fibre pipes are made from wood fibre impregnated with coal tar.
However, as rats’ teeth continually grow, they need to keep gnawing to keep their length down and they gnaw at almost anything. The most common situation for rat damage in motorhomes and caravans I’ve come across is gnawing at plastic insulation on wires and cables.
You could refer to the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949: Duties of local authorities.
(1) It shall be the duty of every local authority to take such steps as may be necessary to secure so far as practicable that their district is kept free from rats and mice, and in particular:
(a) from time to time to carry out such inspections as may be
necessary for the purpose aforesaid;
(b) to destroy rats and mice on land of which they are the occupier and otherwise to keep such land so far as practicable free from rats and mice;
(c) to enforce the duties of owners and occupiers of land under the following provisions of this Part of this Act, and to carry out such operations as are authorised by those provisions.
The recommendation to motorhomers wanting to keep their vehicle in a storage compound is to check that the compound owners have a recognised pest management procedure in place. Insurance companies will not cover damage by rats and mice, as they consider it is a preventable risk.
I consider it unlikely there is any legal comeback on the vehicle manufacturer, as what materials are rat-proof?
There are ultrasonic devices, but if you don’t have easy access to a mains supply they will soon drain your leisure battery, although a good solar panel system may be the answer. Otherwise, regular use of a vehicle will help.
As for the legal redress against the main dealer, I’m not sure. If it was a main dealer, I would have assumed he would have access to a schedule of available parts. If the dealer deliberately went for the full replacement rather than just a replacement pipe, that’s bad practice, but I’m still not sure it is illegal.
I’d be tempted to complain to the dealer in the light of a spare pipe being available. If the dealer does not provide an appropriate explanation or compensation, the dealer could belong to a trade association, which may operate a conciliation scheme that you may be able to use – see this Citizens Advice web page citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/buying-or-repairing-a-car/motor-industry-associations
Barry Norris
I have seen and heard of many cases of particularly mice getting into or damaging various parts of motorhomes. It can be surprisingly difficult to prevent. The worst would seem to be when they get into air filter ducting and eat their way through air filter elements. Sometimes they get trapped and their bodies end up damaging or contaminating air flow meters and even causing engine management light issues.
You can prevent this by installing a wire mesh over the air inlet. In some markets, such mesh is fitted at the factory and in some it is not. In the case of exposed pipework such as yours that has already been the subject of damage, I would be inclined to shove some wire mesh into the gap between the fuel tank and the floor of the vehicle. Plastic covered wire mesh would be better to prevent corrosion but anything would be better than nothing.
If the gap is very small, then a fat bead of silicone sealant may deter pests. They do not like grease, either.
Nick Fisher