Date:         Fri, 20 Oct 2006 22:19:52 +0200
Reply-To:     Robin Oomkes <roomkes@ZONNET.NL>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robin Oomkes <roomkes@ZONNET.NL>
Subject:      Re: speshul tires for the vanagon
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

I've had visitors drive up to my house without them fancy marketing driven
inertia reel seatbelts and hey! they survived!

They had kids in the back without them fancy marketing driven child support
seats and hey! they survived!

Maybe they didn't meet an emergency on a hot day, with 5 year old tires,
with a lot of weight in the van, and slightly under-inflated tires...


----- Original Message -----
From: <JordanVw@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 9:02 PM
Subject: Re: speshul tires for the vanagon


>> - not all tires
>> that have 2 ply sidewalls meet VW specs.
>
> vw specs, vw schmecks. :<)  (notice my smiley face)  :<)
> these arent heavy dump trucks here..  just vw campers/vans..  the "vw
> spec"
> thing is slightly overkill..
>
> most of the vans i had, came to me from the PO (and DPO)  with regular
> 1ply
> sidewall car tires..  seemed to work for them..(and half the folks who
> visit
> me..i notice their 1 ply tires when they stop by w/ their vanagons)
> Personally,
> i would NOT run 1 ply sidewalls myself (they handle like crap), but
> generic 2
> ply sidewalls are easy enough to find anywhere out there without having to
> go
> to some "custom VW spec" tire..   and yes, most of the regular 2 ply
> sidewall
> tires i have bought (including the cheap ones on my van) have sufficient
> load
> ratings for the van..
>
> i guess my main point is i always see people getting all worked up because
> they have it drilled into their heads that vanagons need these "special vw
> spec
> tires" when its all a marketing scheme..
>
> i remember going to sears a number of years ago with my vanagon and have
> them
> trying to sell me these special tires that they had to special order in..
> they wouldnt sell me anything else, they insisted i get these "special
> tires"
> because thats what the vehicle called for in their "special book"
>
> i went back a week later without the van with the loose rims off the van
> and
> told them i needed tires, and what size i wanted, and i was out the door
> no
> questions asked.  those tires were sears trailhandler (cooper) 2 ply
> sidewall
> tires and theyve been holding up great for years. and they were cheap and
> readily avaialble..
>
> there are plenty of low cost tires out there that will safely work on the
> vanagon.
>
> y'all just have to look.
>
> ps, ron, dont worry, i dont think this will cut into your special "vw
> spec"
> tire sales  :<)
> jk :<)
>
> chris
> ok, ok, this is my last tire thread involvement, i promise :<)