Jaws
LIFE MEMBER
- Sep 26, 2008
- 23,952
- 76,709
- Funster No
- 4,189
- MH
- C class, Chieftain
- Exp
- since 2006 ( I think ! )
Some may be aware that this year I have been involved with tyre tests for my motorhome
It all started when I tried to get a pair of Hankooks, but soon found out they were no longer available in the UK in the spec I was looking for
I tried all sorts of makes ( wellllll, given the cost to me was the price of diesel to a tyre fitter it would be rude not to
)
Tyre size used are 225/75/R16C
Plated weight of vehicle 5.25t
Tested on various roads and conditions and also firm grassed areas in wet and dry conditions
I am not going to 'slag off' any particular make except for one.. Michelin Camper Tyres were plain horrible.
They were the noisiest, the harshest ride, the worst grip under certain conditions and the most expensive
Other well known makes tried included Avon and Continental, plus there was a couple of oddball ones thrown in the mix as budget end examples
The very last tyres to go on were Davanti DX440's ( as an aside they are also marked up as mud and snow tyres )
As soon as they went on the sound level was noticeably lower.. About the same level as the Hankooks gave
We have done approx 4500 miles on them so far .. I would like to comment on the wear rate, but so far there is none determinable, so other than saying it appears to be very good I have little to add
Grip level is little short of amazing.. Such things are hard to judge under normal road use, as I, like most motorhome users tend not to drive the van like I stole it
But off road.. Perfect. They are equal or better than even the Hankooks which I raved about for ages.
These last few months have not exactly been arid, and as is the lot of motorhomers ( probably world wide ) we have found our selves in a few soggy, rutted fields.
Not once did I find myself wondering where the nearest tractor was ... Yes, the tyres slipped, but just like the Hankooks, 2nd gear and tickover saw the tyres wade through the goo and dig us out of the goop
All very nice, but now the most surprising result..
It was not on the test list so I never gave it much thought .. until on the way home from Birmingham on Wednesday
For some time I had noticed our fuel consumption was way off. As long as we have owned the van it has not been great.
When I first got it the average was 19 mpg.
I bought a plug in box box from Torquing of Diesels, and with a couple of phone calls re setting it up for best economy saw the average mpg rise to 21.5 .. Not staggering, but given the miles we do, and the fact most of the time we are fully freighted, I was content.
Over the last couple of months economy suddenly shot up to 25.4 MPG
I racked by brains trying to figure out what I was doing that could give such a big jump
It was not until last Wednesday that it dawned on me.. The tyres.
They are the only thing that has been changed.. Now I know that tyres can and do make a difference, but the increase in economy has left me Ghast well and truly flabbered
So for me, the Davanti offerings are hence forth top of the list.. Oh, and as yet another bonus... they were actually on the list as a middle range economy priced tyre
Retail at about £70 a go
It all started when I tried to get a pair of Hankooks, but soon found out they were no longer available in the UK in the spec I was looking for
I tried all sorts of makes ( wellllll, given the cost to me was the price of diesel to a tyre fitter it would be rude not to
)Tyre size used are 225/75/R16C
Plated weight of vehicle 5.25t
Tested on various roads and conditions and also firm grassed areas in wet and dry conditions
I am not going to 'slag off' any particular make except for one.. Michelin Camper Tyres were plain horrible.
They were the noisiest, the harshest ride, the worst grip under certain conditions and the most expensive
Other well known makes tried included Avon and Continental, plus there was a couple of oddball ones thrown in the mix as budget end examples
The very last tyres to go on were Davanti DX440's ( as an aside they are also marked up as mud and snow tyres )
As soon as they went on the sound level was noticeably lower.. About the same level as the Hankooks gave
We have done approx 4500 miles on them so far .. I would like to comment on the wear rate, but so far there is none determinable, so other than saying it appears to be very good I have little to add
Grip level is little short of amazing.. Such things are hard to judge under normal road use, as I, like most motorhome users tend not to drive the van like I stole it
But off road.. Perfect. They are equal or better than even the Hankooks which I raved about for ages.
These last few months have not exactly been arid, and as is the lot of motorhomers ( probably world wide ) we have found our selves in a few soggy, rutted fields.
Not once did I find myself wondering where the nearest tractor was ... Yes, the tyres slipped, but just like the Hankooks, 2nd gear and tickover saw the tyres wade through the goo and dig us out of the goop
All very nice, but now the most surprising result..
It was not on the test list so I never gave it much thought .. until on the way home from Birmingham on Wednesday
For some time I had noticed our fuel consumption was way off. As long as we have owned the van it has not been great.
When I first got it the average was 19 mpg.
I bought a plug in box box from Torquing of Diesels, and with a couple of phone calls re setting it up for best economy saw the average mpg rise to 21.5 .. Not staggering, but given the miles we do, and the fact most of the time we are fully freighted, I was content.
Over the last couple of months economy suddenly shot up to 25.4 MPG
I racked by brains trying to figure out what I was doing that could give such a big jump
It was not until last Wednesday that it dawned on me.. The tyres.
They are the only thing that has been changed.. Now I know that tyres can and do make a difference, but the increase in economy has left me Ghast well and truly flabbered
So for me, the Davanti offerings are hence forth top of the list.. Oh, and as yet another bonus... they were actually on the list as a middle range economy priced tyre
Retail at about £70 a go
