How much to pay for new tyres? (1 Viewer)

[Touchwood]

AS I recently had a slow puncture, and the tyres are getting on for 6 years old, I decided to replace them (spare as well) The current tyres were purchased by the previous owner, they're 195/70/15 Austone 8ply 104/102 - £42.55 each fitted in 1988 - they seem to have done well and the ride and handling is just fine, so I reckoned to get the cheapest replacements I could - best price so far £60.00 each fitted.

Reading another thread recently, however, I see that many of you pay far more than this for new tyres - some even stretching to Michelins. Am I making a mistake in just looking for the cheapest available? Is it a case of enhanced safety? Longer life? More grip? Smoother ride?

As usual, all advice sincerely welcomed.

 

[Mikey RV]

Tyres are so important, it's the only thing between you and the road that's holding you there. I have just put two new Michelins on my Burstner at a cost of £190 for the pair. The others had done 20,000 miles. Cost is not a issue with tyres as far as I am concerned. They are important. :thumb:

 

[Touchwood]

Tyres are so important, it's the only thing between you and the road that's holding you there. I have just put two new Michelins on my Burstner at a cost of £190 for the pair. The others had done 20,000 miles. Cost is not a issue with tyres as far as I am concerned. They are important. :thumb:

I take your point Mikey, and the last thing I want to do is compromise our safety by pennypinching - but is there actually any evidence that tyres priced at the cheaper end of the range are any less safe? It may seem a natural assumption that this is the case - but is it?

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[BreweryDave]

I think you pay a lot for the name. Mine had 6 michelins on - but when I replaced the fronts recently I put mid range budgets on - about £50 each.
At the end of the day - there is several tons of weight holding the rubber to the road - so unless you need the grip of a F1 car or drive fast in the wet then I don't think it makes too much difference depending on your driving style. They're all safe - some will be better than others - but cost is always a factor - especially when there's beer to buy

 

[moonman]

I'd say go for the tyres with best grades under the EU labelling scheme that you can afford ensuring that you are buying a camper tyre and not just a van tyre.
The following is quite informative:- http://www.which.co.uk/cars/driving/car-tyres/best-and-worst-car-tyres/

 

[davanne]

I have just put Six new Hankooks on my Ford the others had done 44000 still plenty tread left but they had started to crack they had been on since new in 2006.

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[Mikey RV]

Also make sure they are for a Campervan, road noise is also a factor with good tyres. :thumb:

 

[Bennyheaven]

Which tyres

I've had HANKOOK on my transit for the past 3years and they are fine.15000mls and not half worn. Quiet too. Hope this helps. Terry

 

[Jaws]

AS I recently had a slow puncture, and the tyres are getting on for 6 years old, I decided to replace them (spare as well) The current tyres were purchased by the previous owner, they're 195/70/15 Austone 8ply 104/102 - £42.55 each fitted in 1988 - they seem to have done well and the ride and handling is just fine, so I reckoned to get the cheapest replacements I could - best price so far £60.00 each fitted.

Reading another thread recently, however, I see that many of you pay far more than this for new tyres - some even stretching to Michelins. Am I making a mistake in just looking for the cheapest available? Is it a case of enhanced safety? Longer life? More grip? Smoother ride?

As usual, all advice sincerely welcomed.

Bottom line is, its your life so its up to you if you get something decent or not..
There are few things that I spend proper money on.. both in the bike world and in the car / van department

Bash hats, windscreen wipers and tyres..

All can kill me and mine real easy so all are premium items ( and this is from a man who will try and save 2p on the price of a box of matches if he can !! There is a time and place for frugality, and I do not believe tyres are worth buying cheaply )

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[Inthezone]

Tyres

There are many tyres that will do the job, so really there are these points to think about :-

1. are they sutable for the load and speed
2. the road noise generated by the tyres will vary with construction and pattern.
3. Camper tyres have stiffer side walls
4. Commercial tyres are constructed to achive high mileage and could be a harder compound.
5. ballance of price and ability to perform in all conditions.

in other words "you pays yer money and yer takes yer choice"
personally I would fit the best I could afford to do the job:thumb:

 

[Ambilkate]

We posted on fun 6/13 this

Well £672 lighter:Sad: 4 new Michelin tyres, feel a lot safer on the road.

Plus we now know of another place to mot our motorhome. Furrows at Wellington Telford.

 

[Phill D]

AS I recently had a slow puncture, and the tyres are getting on for 6 years old, I decided to replace them (spare as well) [HI]The current tyres were purchased by the previous owner, they're 195/70/15 Austone 8ply 104/102 - £42.55 each fitted in 1988 -[/HI] they seem to have done well and the ride and handling is just fine, so I reckoned to get the cheapest replacements I could - best price so far £60.00 each fitted.

Reading another thread recently, however, I see that many of you pay far more than this for new tyres - some even stretching to Michelins. Am I making a mistake in just looking for the cheapest available? Is it a case of enhanced safety? Longer life? More grip? Smoother ride?

As usual, all advice sincerely welcomed.

i agreew ith all above make sure the load rating is as required as your van is mostly fully loaded unlike your average delivery van.

on your post ,,, were your current tyres really purchased in 1988 and still in use.... or is that a typo..:Blush:

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[Touchwood]

I'd say go for the tyres with best grades under the EU labelling scheme that you can afford ensuring that you are buying a camper tyre and not just a van tyre.
The following is quite informative:- http://www.which.co.uk/cars/driving/car-tyres/best-and-worst-car-tyres/

Now you're worrying me. What's the difference? I assumed that if I got the correct load rating it would be OK?

 

[JeanLuc]

Much good advice already and I tend to buy premium. However, I think any good brand can provide you with suitable tyres: Continental, Michelin, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Hankook etc. Also consider Vredestein, Khumo, Avon.

I do not agree with other posters that you must use Camper Tyres (marked CP). Standard van tyres (marked C) will do perfectly well. The benefit of CPs is the strengthened sidewall that is designed to withstand being left stationary for extended periods. But many motorhomes are built with the standard van tyres and work perfectly well. I have had Conti Vanco C tyres on mine since buying it 7 years ago (second hand). I replaced all four about 5 years ago and they are still in good condition with no sidewall cracking.
When I next replace the tyres, I shall go for winter tyres (snowflake marked, not just M&S). These are unlikely to be CP tyres but in my view, offer greater benefits in terms of traction.

One word of caution. If you decide on CP tyres, these often require quite high inflation pressures. That means you need to ensure the fitter does not use standard rubber valves. The Schrader standard valve is designed for a maximum pressure of 4.5 bar / 65 psi. Above that you need to specify high pressure valves.

 

[Forestboy]

Bottom line is, its your life so its up to you if you get something decent or not..
There are few things that I spend proper money on.. both in the bike world and in the car / van department

Bash hats, windscreen wipers and tyres..

All can kill me and mine real easy so all are premium items ( and this is from a man who will try and save 2p on the price of a box of matches if he can !! There is a time and place for frugality, and I do not believe tyres are worth buying cheaply )

Same here. Crash helmets and tyres two items where I buy the best and I'm a terrible skinflint. :thumb:
Never considered wipers though:Blush:

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[Wildge]

money well spent

:thumb:
We have just considered £600 money well spent on 4 Michelins.
''Plenty of tread on 'em yet'' said the man in the Garage waiting for his van ''I wouldn't a changed em''.....totally ignoring all the cracking around the side walls.... and the reg. showing the van is 7yrs old so the tyres could have been at least 8.
You pay your money and make a choice........savings or safety

 

[hilldweller]

I take your point Mikey, and the last thing I want to do is compromise our safety by pennypinching - but is there actually any evidence that tyres priced at the cheaper end of the range are any less safe?

They are all CE marked !

 

[chaser]

If camper tyres are so bl#### good why do we have to change them before they wear out, if we had a van tyre on it would probably last just as long but be worn out by then so you wouldn't feel so bad at changing them

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[connie]

How much to pay for new tyres

Hi
I just put 4 new Pirelli chrono on my van recommended for camper cost £469 all fitted. with the camper tyres the walls are thicker. it's the long time standing still that makes them crack and can have a flat spot due to just standing.

 

[cmcardle75]

AS I recently had a slow puncture, and the tyres are getting on for 6 years old, I decided to replace them (spare as well) The current tyres were purchased by the previous owner, they're 195/70/15 Austone 8ply 104/102 - £42.55 each fitted in 1988 - they seem to have done well and the ride and handling is just fine, so I reckoned to get the cheapest replacements I could - best price so far £60.00 each fitted.

Reading another thread recently, however, I see that many of you pay far more than this for new tyres - some even stretching to Michelins. Am I making a mistake in just looking for the cheapest available? Is it a case of enhanced safety? Longer life? More grip? Smoother ride?

As usual, all advice sincerely welcomed.

If you do the typical low mileage and drive slowly, buy proper winter tyres. These will have a softer compound and, thus, will last many more years before the sidewall cracks, which happens when the rubber naturally hardens over the years. The fact they'll do half the mileage of a hard compound tyre is of no concern, because you'll not be doing 50,000 miles on them in any case. Additionally, they'll be better on muddy fields and have better grip on tarmac.

If you drive many miles and typically wear tyres before they age expire, this does not apply.

Finally, always check your minimum load rating and always buy a tyre at least 3 above it to prevent premature failure.

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

It depends if you want something that will do,or something designed for the job!
As a young man, making love, I could have used cling film and an elastic band,or I could have paid a little more and gone for a proven brand designed for the task in hand
I'm 43 and have two lovely children,thank God I didn't skimp and go for cling film or I may have a netball team by now



Vlad .

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[Scottyboy]

I just had 4 new 225/70/15 112 Continetal Contivan contact 100 tyres fitted for £373.00, I used a place called Grippy, Google them, they are mobile and come to you and fit them, I am really pleased. Personally I am not bothered about camper tyres, I use continentals on my work van and have been impressed with the grip especially in the wet.

 

[TheBig1]

as already pointed out cp tyres have thicker sidewalls and carcase to resist deformation. this deformation is not just the downward force applied by the weight when parked. they also resist flexing as the tyre turns a corner. hence you get better road handling

cheap tyres are good for your wallet, but not safety. most standard commercial van tyres cannot handle the permanent weight loading or the pressures quoted by fiat. the guy that does my tyres refuses to fit budget tyres to motorhomes as in his qualified opinion, they would be dangerous