Date:         Mon, 6 Sep 2010 17:29:06 -0700
Reply-To:     Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Im also looking for tires for my Vanagon westy
Comments: To: tina canny <tcannytlc@yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To:  <528501.48510.qm@web113805.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

dear hollywood tires
an important remark that must be made in the discussion of tires ...
what sort of driving do you do ... and even more to the point where and on
what sort of surfaces ...
if you are headed our into sandy desert then you require a tire tread that
will deal well with sand ...
if into wet mud and snow like conditions ... then a tire that deals well
with mud and snow ...
if rain wet road surfaces with minimal ice .. the  a tread that handles rain
well ...
if hot dry asphalt  with minimal rain then ... thr tread should be such that
it runs well on hot dry asphalt

next question is weight ...

not just the van weight ... but what do you haul with your van ...
inside ... loaded with all your stuff for a road trip...
tools ... bikes .. kayaks ...  sleeping gear ... and extra stuff ...
with me it is always lots ...as i use my van like a truck ...

i am in the teperate rain forest of the pacific west .. in bc canada ... and
do almost exclusively rain soaked road driving ... so i have a gowesty 15
inch tire and wheel pkg ...
with Michelin hydro edge tyres ...
gowesty will ship the wheel pkg right to your door mounted and balanced
ready to go ... just put on your vehicle ... (you can request any tire you
like put on the wheel ... )

but be sure to answer the question regarding the kind of driving you do and
the ways you use your van to get the sort of tire you will find most
suitable ...
there are some cases where the use of an all season tread can cause your
insurance to become void ...\
(although i have only heard of this during one of those consumer tv shows
that advises people on purchase) ...
the insurance co will likely say simply that your equipment must meet OEM
safety standards
Two years ago i investigated an incident with one of our vehicles and the
driver claimed it was tire failure on the new vehicle ... investigation
proved that the tires on the vehicle were specifically for the vehicle and
specifically for the road condition present at the time ... so that didnt
fly ...
good luck ...
there is lots of stuff about tires on the various vanagon sites ...
as with all things read with an eye to the source ... some vendors say they
are best ever ...
some say the tires are best ever ...
and some waste considerable words telling you why others are not any good
...
let your own understanding of what is reasonable as a source tell you what
is what ....

   1. *vanagon*.com - *Tires* & wheels for
*Vanagons*<http://www.vanagon.com/info/tires/index.htm>
   These tires have been recommended by members of the vanagon mailing list.
   *....* See Michael Sullivan's *Vanagon tire* section diagram this link
   leaves vanagon. *...*
   Vanagon tires <http://www.vanagon.com/info/tires/index.htm#tires> - Tire
   Recommendations<http://www.vanagon.com/info/tires/index.htm#tire_recommendations>-
Vanagon
   wheels <http://www.vanagon.com/info/tires/index.htm#wheels>
   www.*vanagon*.com/info/*tires*/index.htm -
Cached<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UQgC6v4gYQsJ:www.vanagon.com/info/tires/index.htm+vanagon+tires&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a>-
   Similar<http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=P2R&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=related:www.vanagon.com/info/tires/index.htm+vanagon+tires&tbo=1&sa=X&ei=ZoaFTJC9FoT6swOp1ej2Bw&ved=0CCkQHzAA>
   2. *vanagon*.com - *Tire* codes<http://www.vanagon.com/info/tires/codes.htm>
   *Tires* are usually named with a series of codes. For example, one of the
   recommended *tires* for *Vanagons* is the 'Yohohama Y356 LT 195/75 R14
   (load range D)'. *...*
   www.*vanagon*.com/info/*tires*/codes.htm -
Cached<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:_Zt8qLsI_gAJ:www.vanagon.com/info/tires/codes.htm+vanagon+tires&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a>
   Show more results from
www.vanagon.com<http://www.google.ca/search?q=vanagon+tires+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#>
   3. this page - BusDepot.com - VW Bus / Camper / *Vanagon* / EuroVan
*...*<http://www.busdepot.com/details/tires.jsp>
   Jump to *Tires* for Eurovans (or for *Vanagons* with 15" or 16" Wheels).
   "<http://www.google.ca/url?q=http://www.busdepot.com/details/tires.jsp%23Eurovan&usg=AFQjCNFTOuk0h6Swz3VFlRp4M3Lz4Gxwog&sa=X&ei=ZoaFTJC9FoT6swOp1ej2Bw&ved=0CDkQygQ>‎:
   What *tires* should I buy for my Eurovan (or my *Vanagon* *...*
   www.busdepot.com/details/*tires*.jsp -
Cached<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6-0lx1gVzEEJ:www.busdepot.com/details/tires.jsp+vanagon+tires&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a>-
   Similar<http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=P2R&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=related:www.busdepot.com/details/tires.jsp+vanagon+tires&tbo=1&sa=X&ei=ZoaFTJC9FoT6swOp1ej2Bw&ved=0CDgQHzAC>
   4. *Tire* Guidelines <http://www.roadhaus.com/tires/guideline.html>
   Specs on a sampling of today's most popular *Vanagon Tires*. * Size: *
   Load Index *...* VW Vanagon Original Equipment Tires 1984 - 1991 > Click
   Here. Comments: *...*
   www.roadhaus.com/*tires*/guideline.html -
Cached<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:MbwlXfag4Y8J:www.roadhaus.com/tires/guideline.html+vanagon+tires&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a>-
   Similar<http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=P2R&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=related:www.roadhaus.com/tires/guideline.html+vanagon+tires&tbo=1&sa=X&ei=ZoaFTJC9FoT6swOp1ej2Bw&ved=0CD8QHzAD>
   5. *Tires* <http://www.roadhaus.com/tires.html>
   11 Jul 2005 *...* These *tires* are an excellent choice for the big,
   heavy *Vanagon* Westfalia (5097 lbs). I had passenger car *tires* on
   before and can Not believe *...*
   www.roadhaus.com/*tires*.html -
Cached<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:YpY_piKCU84J:www.roadhaus.com/tires.html+vanagon+tires&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca&client=firefox-a>-
   Similar<http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=P2R&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=related:www.roadhaus.com/tires.html+vanagon+tires&tbo=1&sa=X&ei=ZoaFTJC9FoT6swOp1ej2Bw&ved=0CEQQHzAE>


---
scott @turbo suggests
84 R 14 C  8PR  is what I'm recommending for 14 inchers on vanagons these
days. Just got some ... super strong tires ....the ones I just got are rated
for 1,800 lbs each, at
65 psi max. Like 'em real well.

I even ran my 85 Westy GL on 15 inch steel wheels with very expensvie
michelin agilles 205/65 R 15 C tires on it for one day ................and
didn't like how it felt  as much as the 185 R 14 C's.  is what I'm
recommending for 14 inchers on vanagons these days.
Just got some ... super strong tires ....the ones I just got are rated for
1,800 lbs each, at
65 psi max. Like 'em real well.

----
he is very knowledgeable regarding everything westy ... yet even with his
excellent eye for details there is no remark on tread ...
which .. i believe to be the second most important question to ask in any
tire discussion ...
second only to the $$$ one would like to spend ... and in the course of what
you do and how you use vehicle ...
ok i repeating self now ...
yours


-- 
roger w
 From Proverbs:
Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a
servant who becomes king ...
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