Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 07:58:55 -0700
Reply-To: steve@SYNCRO.ORG
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Steve Schwenk <steve@SYNCRO.ORG>
Subject: Re: [Syncro] Verdstein Tires
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Rainer, than you for the great report on the
Vredestein. I need new tires and cannot afford the
upgrade to 15" (R&P + gearing change) right now, so i
have to get 14" tires. It is either the Vredestein
transport snow or the michellin agilis. Having driven
on neither, it is a tough call. I would like to try
the Vredestien, though.
Thanks much, Rainer.
Steve
"Dr. Rainer Woitok" wrote:
>
> Steve and Syncronauts,
>
> On Thu, 2001-06-21 10:20:15 -0700, sxs@concentric.net wrote:
>
> > Anyone have any experience with the Verdstein Transport
> > Snow.
>
> Just for the record: the tire is named Vredestein Transport Snow in most
> sizes and Vredestein Grip+ in size 205R16 (don't ask me why, but it's
> otherwise definitely the same tire).
>
> It was one of the tires I recently asked this group about, and I got an
> answer from David Marshall, who had driven them on a customer's Syncro
> for a short drive, and who seemed really impressed. And it was the tire
> I finally decided on in my recent hunt for new Syncro tires.
>
> Basically, these tires
>
> - are light truck snow tires (M+S rated, of course),
>
> - have spike holes (in case you need spikes in winter),
>
> - are cheap (just for comparison, here in Germany an Internet-dealer
> wanted some DEM 180.- for the Vredestein, around DEM 220.- for the
> Goodyear Wrangler AT (both in 205R16) and about DEM 240.- for the BF
> Goodrich AT (in size 235/75R15). I shopped around a bit in my local
> neighbourhood and got the best deal -- you'll never believe me -- at
> my friendly local Volkswagen dealer: some DEM 120.-),
>
> - have a really awesome tread pattern.
>
> You can view these tires and find out more about them at
>
> http://www.vredestein.com/page_tyres.asp?BandTypeID=25&taalid=3
>
> Well, what's my personal experience with these tires after some 800 kms
> of driving them? Like David Marshall I'm impressed. Almost all of
> these 800 kms were on paved roads, and most of it on our good ol' German
> Autobahn. With respect to noise I don't think these tires are any
> louder than the Semperit HiGrip I had mounted before. With respect to
> handling they're superb. The Syncro runs as if on rails, and even heavy
> crosswinds are a piece of cake.
>
> And off-road? Well, only this much up to now: last weekend, Thursday
> trough Sunday, we attended a come-together of 4x4 tourists, most of
> them, but not all, with a preoccupation for Africa (in particular the
> Sahara), and some of them with really impressive trucks (even 6x6). In
> the night from Friday to Saturday it started raining, and the meadow we
> were camping on rapidly turned into really nice black muck. Those who
> were there with normal 2WD mobile homes tried to leave the meadow
> Saturday morning, before things turned too bad, but for them it was
> already too late. LandCruisers, LandRovers, and Unimogs had to tow them
> out. Nice to watch, and since it continued raining, we anticipated more
> to come on Sunday.
>
> We were not disappointed, rain and meadow cooperated. Sunday morning,
> even big 6x6 trucks (but with road tires) simply refused to move, and
> even two Unimogs with good off-road tires couldn't persuade them to
> change their mind. Finally the farmer who ownes the meadow came with
> his big tractor with the big agricultural tires and started to tow out
> everything which refused to move on its own.
>
> After having had a helluva time watching other people getting stuck and
> also watching other people conquering the mud more or less effortlessly
> (apart from some drivers being better than others, it really boiled down
> to what tires you had mounted), we finally packed up and got going
> ourselves. And the Syncro simply drove out, looking neither left nor
> right. Of course I locked both diffs, but there was almost no wheel
> spin, the tires just toothed their way accross what was left of the
> meadow and up to the paved road ...
>
> This weekend I plan to do some more off-roading, I want to test the
> tires a bit more and also to test my new ground anchor ... but it may
> turn out a bit difficult because it has dried up since last weekend and
> I might run into problems finding the appropriate mud ... :-)
>
> Have a nice weekend, all of you.
>
> Sincerely
> Rainer
>
> '89 Caravelle GL Syncro 16"
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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> | Regionales Rechenzentrum | |
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