Are Tyron Bands Worth It? (Cost, Review, Helpful Guide)
Safety precautions do not always come in the shape or design we are expecting but they do provide a very good service when applied correctly. One of the places RVs need extra safety precautions is on their tires. They can blow at any time.
Tyron bands are designed to keep the tire on the rim when you have a blowout. When installed, you may get an insurance premium break as they are supposed to be that good. However, whatever you save on insurance, you are going to use it for the installation of these bands. They are not cheap.
To learn more about this safety feature just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about before you make the leap. Tyron bands depend on your risk factor so it may not be something everyone should have.
Tyron Bands Review
What are Tyron's Bands?
This is a band of tough material that goes into the well on your tire rim. Not the wheel well where your tire sits but inside the tire and on the rim.
It fills that spot where the bead connects to the rim and when you have a blowout, the band is supposed to hold the bead in place and keep it from separating from the rim.
The air pressure inside the tire is what holds these bands in place. Then when you get a flat tire, the band holds the rubber in place so that you do not have any other trouble that normally comes with a flat tire.
The rubber is not supposed to be able to come off the rim which minimizes damage to the wheel as well as your coach, etc. The good news is that you only have to buy these bands once.
Every time you change your tires, they are removed, then refitted to the rim. This lifetime use may help justify the high cost to buy them in the first place. Also, they come in different sizes and widths to fit the rims you already have on your RV, etc.
How do Tyron's Bands Work?
After the band is fitted to your rim, it is supposed to hold the rubber bead in place as you drive. Then when you get a flat, it prevents the rubber bead from rolling off the rim.
This action is supposed to give you better control when you have a blowout. It is also supposed to stop the tire from flapping about causing more damage to your RV or trailer. It holds the rubber to the rim making sure damage is kept to a minimum.
There is nothing special about these bands other than the fact they simply hold the tire on the rim when it normally could go anywhere. When the rubber is held to the rim, you get better traction than if you were only driving on rims.
It is supposed to cut down on fatalities due to flat tires which can happen in different circumstances. These bands were first invented in 1977 and were used initially for patrol, military, and fire department vehicles
Then it took the company 25 years before it developed a multiband that was adjustable to different wheel sizes.
How Much do Tyron's Bands Cost?
We wish we had good news to report here. If you live in Britain, you may be able to get these bands for 69 BP but we are not sure what year that price was quoted for as the website is copyrighted from 2003 to 2023.
69 BP equals about $75 to $80 US but that is not the going price for them in America. So far we have seen quoted prices between $1800 to $3000 installed. There is some work to the installation so that may be why the cost is so high.
We checked the Tyron website but it does not list a cost and it has not been updated since 2015. The prices we are quoting are from 2020 and 2018. Many people will support the high cost when they compare the repair bill they got when they had a tire blow out during their trip.
The roadside service cost for replacing the tire, etc., was only $700 but the damage to the cargo bay, according to the owner, cost the insurance company $10,000.
Saving the insurance company large payouts may be one reason they are possibly giving premium discounts if you have these bands installed.
Are Tyron's Bands Worth It?
Maybe and we thought you may enjoy that answer over ‘it depends’. It is hard to say as not all RVs and tires suffer a blowout that sounds like a loud bang and there is a sudden loss of control.
Most tire failures, when it comes to flats, are slower leaks and you rarely feel any problem as you slow down. Nails in the road, jagged glass, etc., do not always produce an exploding tire that causes a lot of damage.
When the tire explodes like the one illustration in the previous section happens, then these bands may be worth the cost. The question that needs to be asked and answered is how many times have you had that severe type of tire trouble?
Some people will install these bands because they do not want to experience that loss of control even once. To them, it is worth the expense to protect themselves and their families.
If you decide to go this route, try to avoid getting them at a dealership. This is one item that has a large mark up so you may be paying more than you should for this safety feature.
Shop around first as you may be able to save a lot of money on these bands or you may find a tire pressure monitoring system that also saves you money and helps you monitor your tires better.
Tyron Bands Reviews
The reviews are mixed as they should be. Not everyone is sold on this system because they feel they can get a better set of tires for the same price this system can cost. They feel that better tires will protect them better than these bands will.
Also, they feel that these bands are not worth it because a good tire pressure monitoring system will help[ protect you and your family when they are installed.
One owner stated that if you drive a single-axle vehicle or trailer, these bands are worth the money. They feel it is better to have them because you never know when or if you will need them or not.
Those owners who are super safety conscious cannot say too many good things about these bands. They love them and feel every RV owner should have them installed.
Another owner wonders what is special about them because all it does s keep the rubber from coming off the rim. He asked how many flat tires actually come off the rim. Normally most do not.
So he is wondering if anyone should use them as they do not do anything that special and may only be needed on rare occasions. Other owners like the peace of mind they get when they have these bands installed.
They do work and since this is a judgment call on your part, you need to study the situation from all angles. The main complaint has been the price.
Tyron Bands vs Retroband
The review for the latter brand’s device is glowing as most reviews are. These bands, including Tyron, were first made for the military. It seems that in Afghanistan the Taliban, etc., would shoot out the tires of military vehicles and then attack the disabled vehicle.
As this system worked for the military, they could keep driving with a flat tire, it made sense to develop something similar for RVs, fire trucks, and so on. It is a way to remain in control when you have a blowout.
There really is not much difference between these two band systems. They both fit into the wheel, they both supply support when you lose tire pressure and they both keep the tire from coming off.
What is the difference between these two band brands is that Tyron only offers support to keep the rubber form coming off the rim. The Retroband is supposed to offer RV support as well as steering control.
But according to Tyron’s website, their bands offer far more support, including steering, than the Retroband review is crediting them with having. Then if you thought the Tyron prices were high, you should see the cost for the Retroband system.
Bands for the Retroband system for a 295/305 tire start at almost $3600, tires in the 315 tire size start at around $4600 and those tires at 365 will cost about $4700 approx.
More than what the Tyron bands have been reported to cost. There are other tire sizes available but you need to contact the company or dealer to find out which ones and how much.
Tyron Bands For RV
The company is supposed to make multiple sizes ranging from 13 to 16 inches. We cannot confirm that as their website does not have a lot of specific information. They are still being sold, but the company does not put a lot of effort into their website or web pages.
There are Tyron bands for RVs and the attitude about this device is split. Some owners feel that the companies that make all varieties of these bands are only using scare tactics to sell their products.
That may be so, but one real-life story had the wife driving when the blowout occurred and she was able to steer safely to the side of the road. This was related by a friend of the family and not the company.
It is going to be a judgment call on your part if you want them or not. What stops most people from installing them is their high cost. Also, they point out the millions of big rigs that do not have this device on their tires and they do well all the time.
One thing you can do is talk to your insurance company. See what they say as they will be footing a lot of the bill if you do have this problem while you are on the road.
Finding Tyron Bands For Sale
There is an American website but it has not been updated since 2015 and we are not sure if the company still operates in the country. The only word we found on the website about buying this product is to contact your RV dealer.
The company does not have any prices or a store for you to order directly from them. But if you live in the UK, the company has about 160 dealers that you can find and talk to. The link to those dealer locations is here.
Their website is updated and is current as of the turn of the year. We have not come across any American stores or dealers that market this product. You may have to contact the British company to find out more information.
With that said, you can try eBay or the many RV discussion forums. They list these products from time to time and you may get your best deal from those outlets. Or try Craigslist or other classified ad newspapers online or traditional, and see if any are for sale.
Who Installs Tyron's Bands?
The only news we have found on this topic is that the RV dealers seem to have a monopoly on this product and its installation. When we checked the different threads on the many discussion forums, talking about this topic, all they say is a dealer, etc.
Unfortunately, the closest information we have come across dates to 2020. We have not found out if Tyron is still available in America or not after that date. The experiences some owners have had with dealer installation have not been good.
There is an installation tool you can buy but where it is sold and how much is also sketchy Some owners have said they have the tool and it works well but they do not provide any purchase information.
We would recommend that you read this website discussion forum. There is an interesting discussion about a very long statement published by one of the founders of Retroband and it includes remarks about Tyron.
Read the follow-up comments as well to get a better perspective on the statement and the two products.
How To Tell If Tyron Bands Are Fitted
One way to tell is if you are given an installation tool or not. If the dealer installed two bands, then you should have two tools handed to you when you are ready to leave.
The reason we say that is that the installation tool is included with your band purchase. Other than that, you may not know if they have been fitted to your wheel. There is nothing that shows outside of the tire that tells you that those wheels have this safety feature.
The best thing you can do is ask the previous owner and see if they tell you or not. The next best thing to do to find out is to ask your dealer to install them. If they take the tire off and see that the bands are there, then you have saved yourself some money.
How To Remove Tyron's Bands
There is a process to doing this work and the information does come from Britain. This brand of the band seems to be very popular there. Here are the steps needed to remove the bands:
1. Let all the air out of the tire and use a special tool to expose the bands and the wheel well.
2. The dealer uses a special sizing tool to fit the band
3. Then an Allen wrench is used to loosen the screws and make sure you keep the Allen wrench in your RV in case you need it later on.
4. Once the screws are loose, remove the studs that provide space between the band and the rim.
5. Remove the bands.
The bands are supposed to come with the installation tool plus a good set of instructions. Read those instructions and hopefully, they are written in proper English. Keep the tool and instructions with you at all times in case you need to change the tire after a flat, etc.
Some Final Words
Added safety is always a good thing as long as the cost for that safety feature does not cost an arm and a leg. From all reports, these bands seem to work and do protect everyone inside the RV or other vehicle.
Hopefully, your insurance company gives you a break on the premium cost when you have them installed. The trick is getting them at the right price. These are not cheap safety features.
