Tyres are the only components between a caravan and the road, and on an off-road caravan they work harder than most buyers assume: they carry the full loaded weight, absorb corrugations, gravel and rocks, and still have to survive long hot highway towing. For an importer or dealer, the wheel and tyre package therefore matters for three practical reasons. It must be rated for the caravan's loaded weight, it must be replaceable in your market, and it must suit the terrain your end customers actually drive. All three can be checked before you place an order, and this guide shows exactly what to look at.

Match the Tyre Load Rating to the Caravan's Weight

The first check is arithmetic, not opinion. A caravan's rated mass is carried through its axles, and each tyre must be able to carry its share of that load — with a margin, not just at the limit.

• A single-axle caravan puts roughly half its relevant mass on each wheel.
• A tandem-axle caravan divides the load across four wheels, but real-world loading is rarely perfectly even between axles.
• Divide the axle's rated load by the number of tyres on it, then compare that figure against the load index printed on each tyre sidewall.

The load index is the international number that states the maximum load a tyre can carry at its rated speed and inflation. Index 100 means 800 kg per tyre, index 112 means 1,120 kg per tyre, and the scale is fixed, so it is easy to check. The requirement is that the tyre capacity covers the loaded weight with headroom, because corrugated roads, heat and running at reduced pressure for soft ground all add stress that no one should consume the entire safety margin to absorb.

When you review a factory specification, ask for the tyre load index and speed symbol in writing, not just the size. A caravan that is legal when empty can be marginal or overloaded at the tyre level when customers load it for a real trip, and that is the situation a dealer does not want to discover through a claim.

Read the Sidewall Like a Buyer

A tyre size such as 265/75R16 breaks down into four pieces of information: 265 is the section width in millimetres, 75 is the aspect ratio (sidewall height as a percentage of width), R means radial construction, and 16 is the rim diameter in inches. After the size comes the service description: a load index and a speed symbol, such as 112S, which together define what the tyre can safely do.

Suffix letters carry meaning too. A "C" or light-truck (LT) designation signals a reinforced construction built for load, and this is the class most buyers expect to see specified on a caravan that will be towed loaded. The complete service description is also what a tyre shop in your market needs to supply a correct replacement, so it belongs in the specification sheet and later in the owner documentation.

Passenger Tyres Do Not Belong Under a Loaded Off-Road Caravan

Caravans are towed at or near their maximum weight for long stretches, which is a different duty cycle from a passenger car carrying two people. Passenger (P-metric) tyres are built with softer sidewalls tuned for car loads and ride comfort; under sustained caravan loads at highway speed they flex and heat more than their construction assumes. Light-truck and commercial-class tyres use stiffer casings and heavier construction precisely because they are designed to sit under load for long distances, including on rough surfaces.

This is why the specification should name the construction class and not just say "tyres included". If a supplier only states the size, ask for the complete description — size, load index, speed symbol and class — and have it confirmed in writing before the order.

Tread Choice Is a Market Decision, Not a Feature List

Tread patterns are a compromise, and the right compromise depends on where the caravan will actually be towed:

• Mud-terrain tyres give maximum grip on loose, rocky and muddy ground, which is why they appear on many purpose-built off-road caravans. The trade-off is noisier, firmer behaviour on sealed roads and usually quicker tread wear.
• All-terrain tyres sit between the two: strong off-road performance with more civilised highway manners, which makes them the popular middle choice for buyers who do a mix of roads.
• Highway-terrain tyres are quietest and longest-wearing on bitumen but offer the least traction once the road ends.

Published specifications for several mid-size LZM export models list 265/75R16 mud-terrain tyres as the standard fitment, so before you order a stock batch, decide what your buyers actually drive on. If most of your customers tow to campgrounds on sealed roads with occasional gravel, ask the factory in writing whether an all-terrain fitment can be supplied for your order, and record the answer and any price effect on the order confirmation.

The Spare Is Part of the Deal

A caravan with a missing or mismatched spare creates a roadside problem for the customer and a support call for the dealer. Check these points while the order is still on paper:

• The spare should be the same tyre size and service description as the road wheels, on a matching rim.
• Confirm where the spare is carried and that the mounting allows it to be removed and refitted easily, including with the caravan loaded.
• For remote-touring buyers, ask whether a second spare or a wheel matched to popular tow vehicles is available as an option, rather than assuming it.
• Agree a maximum tyre age at delivery. Tyres carry date codes (typically a week-and-year marking), so you can check at the pre-shipment inspection that the batch is fresh production instead of old stock.
• Record the wheel stud pattern and offset in the documentation, because customers who fit aftermarket wheels will ask, and a dealer who can answer is a dealer who sells the next caravan.

Replacement Availability Is an Importer's Problem

Tyres are the highest-wear service item on a caravan, and your customers will replace them far sooner than they replace anything else. An importer should therefore choose a specification that the local tyre market can actually supply:

• Tyre brands with established distribution in your country mean every replacement is a normal purchase, not a special order.
• Unusual sizes or rim fitments shrink the replacement pool and push up the customer's cost and downtime.
• Confirm in writing how tyres are treated under the factory warranty, because consumable treatment differs between suppliers and customers will ask about it.

In effect, the tyre spec you approve at ordering becomes part of your after-sales story. A caravan that any local workshop can re-shoe is easier to sell, easier to keep in service and easier to resell.

What to Put in the Order

Turn the checks above into written contract points:

• Tyre brand, model and full service description (size, load index, speed symbol and construction class) for every wheel position.
• Tread type, and confirmation if you have requested a change from the standard fitment.
• Spare wheel quantity, specification and carrier, plus the wheel stud pattern and offset recorded in the documentation.
• Maximum tyre age at delivery, checked against date codes at the pre-shipment inspection with photos.
• Cold inflation values in the owner manual, and any tyre-pressure monitoring option.
• Wheel torque specification and the re-torque instruction after the first tow, so your service team and customers handle wheels correctly.

Start from the published specification of each model you plan to stock. The off-road caravans for dealers that LZM lists for export show standard inclusions per model — including the wheel and tyre line — so the written starting point already exists before you ask for a quote, and the sales team can confirm the tyre detail for the exact configuration you order.

Quick Answers for Dealers and Importers

Can I change the tyre specification on my order, for example from mud-terrain to all-terrain? Ask in writing before ordering. The tyre fitment is part of each model's published specification, so any change should be confirmed on the order confirmation together with its effect on price and lead time — never assume a change was made because it was discussed.

How do I check that the tyres can carry the loaded caravan? Take the rated load per axle, divide it by the number of tyres on that axle, and compare the result with the load index printed on the sidewall. Require the tyre capacity to exceed the loaded figure with a margin, and ask the factory to confirm the load index and speed symbol in writing.

What should a replacement tyre match? The complete service description — size, load index, speed symbol and construction class — not just the rim diameter. Two tyres with the same size but different load indices are not equivalent, and mismatched load capacity on an axle is a safety problem, not a specification detail.

The practical takeaway: treat the tyre package as a specification you approve, not an accessory the factory happens to include. Confirm load index margin, construction class, spare and tyre age in writing, and choose a spec your local market can replace. Those four decisions are cheap to fix on the order and expensive to fix after the container arrives.

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