Towing a horsefloat is not without risks. A pleasant outing for horse and rider can turn into the day from hell if things start going wrong. It's impossible, of course, to eliminate every potential problem, but it's surprising how many factors we do have control over. By applying a little common sense and knowing how to deal with some of the problems, we can greatly reduce the chances of disaster.
A worrying number of serious road accidents result from tyre blowouts, regardless of whether or not a float is involved. People, not roads, play the biggest part: A worn tyre is many more times more likely to suffer a puncture than one in good condition.
Overseas studies indicate that 75 per cent of blowouts are caused by under-inflation, which can cause dangerous heat build-up in a tyre. It will also cost you money in extra tyre wear and extra fuel consumption, and will affect the way your float is tracking behind your vehicle.
Have a closer look at those round black things underneath the float. On the sidewall of the tyre you will see a heap of writing –
hopefully there will be something like “185 R14 LT” and another section will say something like “104T Maximum load 850kg at 45 PSI Maximum”
So what does this mean, and more importantly, what do you need to know?
185 R14 – this relates to the tyre size, and is not really important from a maintenance point of view. The 185 is the tyre width in mm, the “R” means that it is a Radial, the 14 is the diameter of the wheel in inches, and the LT means that it is a Light Truck tyre. The most important thing is that you have light truck tyres, as these are designed to carry a heavier load than standard passenger tyres. If you don’t or are unsure, get your local tyre service to check them out and make sure that the tyres are rated sufficiently for the weight of trailer and load. A quick word on retreads – don’t! If you are serious about safety then the little bit you save over the price of a cheaper brand light truck tyre will seem insignificant when you’re sitting on the side of the freeway with a pile of shredded rubber, no spare tyre, probably no jack….. And a very upset (if not injured) horse.
104T Maximum load 850KG at 45 PSI Max – This is the really important bit. The 104 T relates to the load and speed rating capacity of the tyre, and “850kg at 45 PSI max” is the carrying capacity of the tyre when it is inflated to the maximum pressure.
Why is this the important bit?
The biggest cause of tyre failure, or excessive tread wear, is incorrect air pressure. (This also applies to your tow vehicle!) If you have been told that 28 or 32 PSI is the correct pressure – forget it! This has been used by vehicle manufacturers for years as way of giving you a softer ride. Most light truck tyres will range from 45 to 65 PSI depending on the size and the load rating. As general rule, we inflate tyres fitted to our trailers to 40 Psi as a starting point.
So how do you know which pressure is correct?
A simple way to determine the correct tyre pressure is to get yourself a tyre pressure gauge, load up your float with what you would normally carry, check your tyre pressures, and go for a drive. You need to be at highway speed for around 30 minutes, then pull over and check your tyre pressures. If the pressure has increased by more than 2 psi, then your tyres are under inflated. If you feel the tread, they should be warm, not hot to touch.
An even easier way to check this is with a SmarTTyres Tyre Pressure Monitoring System. Simply get the system installed using our mobile installation vehicles (or do it yourself), programme in the recommended tyre pressures for your vehicle, and the system will automatically notify you if your air pressure varies. It also records tyre temperatures, and will notify you of these as well.
Run SmarTTyres TPMS with MaxTT Tyre Treatment for optimal performance. MaxTT Hy-Way is specially formulated for on-road vehicles. It is a combination sealant and coolant, that is proven to combat heat, and seal punctures in the tread area of your tyres. SmarTTyres MaxTT Tyre Treatments are guaranteed to seal tread area punctures up to 6mm in 4 to 8 ply tyres, and 12mm for 10 ply and over tyres. This is a replacement guarantee, and is valid for the legal tread life of the tyre. Terms and conditions apply.