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Date:         Tue, 1 Nov 2005 10:24:27 -0900
Reply-To:     Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Tuovinen <mst@AK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Wheels/tires for travel
Comments: To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <43669CE5.8030702@charter.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

John,

The wife and I have talked of doing that trip next summer also. We had considered it this year, but could not schedule the time. I will need new tires before then, is it time for another tire thread?:-)

Mark in AK

----- Original Message ----- From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET> Date: Monday, October 31, 2005 1:48 pm Subject: Re: Wheels/tires for travel To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM

> Dennis, > > I expect to be on that Alaska Haul Road next summer with Michelin XCA > 205-75-14's. How do you think the tire will cope with that road. > > John Rodgers > 88 GL Driver > Chelsea, AL > > Dennis Haynes wrote: > > >Actually, unless you are going to a larger overall diameter tire, > a 15 > >or 16 inch makes the available selections even worse. The major > >attributes of a tire that sets the capacity is overall diameter > and the > >volume/pressure combination of air. As the rim size increases, the > >capacity for a tire of a given outside diameter and width decreases. > >This can only get offset by increased air pressure. 215/70-14 is a > >readily available size and it's capacity is extremely close to > the so > >called reinforced 205-70 the VW placed on the alloy wheels. It > traveled>to Alaska and drove the haul road with 215-70-14 > Bridgestone Potenzas > >back in 1993. The rear tires had most of the tread wear off but no > >flats. > > > >Dennis > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On > Behalf>Of John Reddick > >Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 10:18 AM > >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > >Subject: Wheels/tires for travel > > > >Avoiding the whole tire issue, Gowesty makes a great point about > wheel>size in their write-ups. I have had real world > experience/buffoonery>with > >exacly what they said. > > Driving south on the Haul Road in Alaska in my 14" MXT shod > Westy,>on > >rock completely destroyed both tires on one side of the van. I > had one > >spare. I limped into Fairbanks in search of proper tires. Their > was a > >VW > >Rialta RV with the same problem. I called/checked every tire > shop in > >Alaska for proper tires. No joy. If I had been on 15 or 16 inch > wheels>I > >could have purchased properly rated light truck tires at any > local shop. > > If you need new tires anyway, a wheel upgrade makes a huge > >improvement > >in performance and you ability to source proper tires locally, as > well>as > >your choice of tires. If you plan to adventure far and wide in > you van, > >I > >would definely think about this. It ruined the last couple weeks > of my > >road-trip-of-a-lifetime. > > > >John > > > > > > > > >


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