Van and motorhome tyres: C tyres, CP tyres and load capacity

The C after the tyre size stands for commercial: a van tyre. Continental describes C tyres as tyres with a reinforced carcass and adapted sidewalls, built for high loads in commercial use. A size such as 225/75 R16C therefore has two load indexes, for example 118/116. The first number applies to single fitting, the second to twin fitting, so two tyres side by side on one end of the axle.

CP stands for Camping Pneu. Continental writes that these tyres are developed specially for the demands of motorhomes. The construction is stiffer, which supports stability with a high body and in side wind. And the tyre is designed for a higher pressure, to counter deformation from standing still. A motorhome, after all, stands still for a large part of the year, with its full weight on the same four spots.

Sources: Continental, motorhome tyres. ANWB Camping, tyres for caravans and motorhomes. Consulted 6 November 2026. The pressure for your vehicle is in the handbook or on the sticker from the body builder.

Can a motorhome run on C tyres? That depends on what the manufacturer of the motorhome specifies. The ANWB, the Dutch motoring organisation, writes that some motorhomes under 3.5 tonnes are fitted with van tyres, but that this can lead to problems, because it is the standing still that puts a heavy load on a standard van tyre. If the handbook of your motorhome specifies a CP tyre, that is what we fit.

Compare the load index of the tyre with the maximum axle load on the registration certificate. The load index is the number after the tyre size and stands for the maximum weight one tyre may carry. According to the load table of tyre manufacturer Pirelli, 104 stands for 900 kg, for example. Two tyres on an axle may then carry 1,800 kg together. The registration certificate, and the RDW registration check (the RDW is the Dutch vehicle authority), state the technically permitted maximum mass of the vehicle and the maximum mass per axle. The tyres on an axle together must be able to carry at least that axle load.

1. Find the maximum mass of axle 1 and axle 2 on the registration certificate or in the RDW registration check.
2. Read the load index on the tyre and look up the matching weight in a load table.
3. Multiply by two (or by four with twin fitting) and compare with the axle load.
4. Check the speed rating as well: it has to match the maximum speed of the vehicle.
5. If in doubt, call us with your registration number. We look up the permitted sizes and indexes.

The pressure is in the handbook of the vehicle or on a sticker from the body builder, and it is much higher than on a car. The ANWB writes that tyre manufacturers generally ask for values above 2.5 bar for a cold tyre on caravans and motorhomes, and that the maximum pressure can even be above 3 bar. Continental mentions 4.5 to 5.5 bar on the rear axle for CP tyres. On a van the value depends on the load: empty and fully loaded often have different pressures.

Measure cold, so before you set off or after no more than a few kilometres. Check before every long trip and in any case every month. Keep in mind that not every pump at a petrol station reaches 5 bar. We check the pressure at every tyre change and at every service. More about measuring and topping up is in our article on tyre pressure.

A motorhome often does only a few thousand kilometres a year. The tyres then hardly wear, but the rubber does age. According to the ANWB, UV light, heat, oxygen and the weather attack the material. You see it as fine cracks in the sidewall and between the tread blocks. On top of that, flat spots can develop on the tyre when it stands for a long time. It helps to move the motorhome a short distance now and then in storage, so that the tyre stays round.

That is why age advice applies to motorhomes. Continental advises replacing motorhome tyres after 6 to 8 years. The ANWB writes that the tyres of a camping vehicle approved for 100 km/h must be renewed after 6 years at the latest, and otherwise after 8 to 10 years at the latest. For all tyres, Continental advises replacement when they are older than 10 years. You read the age from the DOT code on the sidewall: the last four digits are the week and year of production, so 2219 is week 22 of 2019.

For tread, the ANWB advises replacement below 4 mm on caravans and motorhomes. The legal limit is 1.6 mm. How to judge tread, age and damage yourself is explained in our article on when to replace your tyres.

At the APK the inspector checks the tread, damage, the size per axle and the pressure. The Regeling voertuigen (the Dutch vehicle regulations, article 5.2.27) requires at least 1.6 mm of tread in the main grooves all the way round, no damage with the carcass visible, no bulges and the same size marking on one axle. The tyres on an axle must have an equal pressure, with a difference of no more than 0.3 bar. A load index or a maximum age is not part of the APK requirements. So whether the tyre may carry the weight is your own responsibility, even though the inspector does not test for it.

As an RDW-approved APK station we inspect motorhomes up to 3,500 kg, not heavier ones. The intervals and what else is inspected are on our page about the APK for motorhomes in Rotterdam. For vans with a commercial vehicle registration (often called a grey plate) we have a separate page about the APK for vans.

We supply and fit C tyres and CP tyres of all makes, from budget brands to Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Pirelli and Goodyear, for motorhomes and vans up to 3,500 kg. Our workshop has five heavy-duty lifts, including lifts for motorhomes and vans up to 3,500 kg. A Fiat Ducato motorhome, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter or a Volkswagen Crafter with a high roof can come to us. Call us in advance with your registration number and the height of your motorhome, and we tell you what the tyres cost, including fitting, balancing and disposal of the old tyres.

At every fitting we balance the wheels and set the pressure to the value for your vehicle. We only align when there is a reason for it, for example uneven wear, a steering wheel that is off centre or a motorhome that pulls to one side. If you use your van for work, say so when you book and we tell you in advance when it will be ready. More about what we do for vans is on our page about van repair in Rotterdam. Everything about our tyre service, the three price classes and what the price includes is on the page tyre replacement in Rotterdam.

No, not if the manufacturer specifies a C tyre or CP tyre, and not if the load index of the car tyre is too low for the axle load on the registration certificate. A car tyre has a lighter carcass and is not built for the high pressure and the weight of a van or motorhome. We look up which tyres are allowed on your vehicle using your registration number.

A C tyre is a van tyre with a reinforced carcass for high loads. A CP tyre is, according to Continental, developed specially for motorhomes: stiffer against side wind with a high body and built for a higher pressure, so that the tyre does not deform when standing for long periods. A motorhome that stands still a lot is better off with a CP tyre if the manufacturer specifies one.

Continental advises replacing motorhome tyres after 6 to 8 years. The ANWB mentions 6 years with an approval for 100 km/h and otherwise 8 to 10 years. The APK has no age limit for tyres, but old rubber cracks and can blow out under high load. The age is in the DOT code on the sidewall.

The value is in the handbook or on the sticker from the body builder. According to the ANWB, manufacturers generally ask for more than 2.5 bar on motorhomes, and Continental mentions 4.5 to 5.5 bar on the rear axle for CP tyres. Measure cold and check before every long trip.

Have the tyre pressure checked first, because a soft tyre on one side is enough to make a motorhome pull. If the pressure is right, we measure the alignment and check the suspension. We align motorhomes and vans up to 3,500 kg on our own alignment equipment. Call us in advance with your registration number and the height of your motorhome.

Yes. Motorhomes and vans up to 3,500 kg can come to us, including a Fiat Ducato or a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a high roof. Call us with your registration number and the height of your motorhome, and we tell you what the tyres cost.

We supply the tyres ourselves. That way we are sure the size, load index and speed rating are right, and we sort it out if anything is wrong with the tyre. Do you already have tyres? Call us with your registration number and we tell you what we can do for you.

• Continental: Reifen für Wohnmobile: C and CP tyres, pressure, age (in German)
• ANWB Camping: Banden voor caravans en campers (in Dutch)
• Pirelli: Tyre load index and chart
• RDW: APK-handboek: tyres, article 5.2.27 Regeling voertuigen (in Dutch)
• Continental: Tire age: tyres older than 10 years