Date:         Wed, 26 Mar 2003 07:04:11 -0800
Reply-To:     Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA>
Subject:      Found: good tire source in Victoria, BC
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

I know this is a common topic, so I thought I'd share my recent tire
experience. Since having to turn our '88 Westy into a full time kid hauler, I
decided the old Sears LT tires on the rear wouldn't cut it anymore after I
spun out and hit the rev limiter in 2nd gear on an on ramp in the rain. (it
was just after this that my wife admitted she had kicked the rear end out a
few times also...)
This and the threat of snowfall a month ago lead to me seeking a source
for 2 new tires (the 6 year old Yoko Y370s on the front are ok still). After
much calling around, I found that most Kal Tire stores carry the Yoko
Y370 load range D in stock, and the price is actually less than I paid 6
years ago! They also had a deal where wheel alignment is half price with
purchase of 2 tires. So I got 2 Yokos @ $95 CDN, and a 2 wheel
alignment for $28, total after taxes, etc was about $270. I dealt with the
Kal Tire in Langford, who were excellent, and did the job in about an hour.
I was able to watch the alignment, which is a good thing, because the
setting on the brand new looking xxxx 9000 machine (I forget the name)
was set to a Vanagon Syncro. I had to inform the guy that unfortunately
mine was not a syncro... :-(
Other than that small slip, I was quite pleased with the work and the price.

Considering the only other tire close to the Yoko in price was a WooSung,
and the Michelin, BFG A/T, etc were considerally more, I consider the
Yokos a good deal, and will probably replace the front in a year or two
also.Shawn Wright, I.T. Manager
Shawnigan Lake School
swright@SLS.bc.ca
http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright
http://www.sls.bc.ca