What's the tyre life on a California

stephen

stephen

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I currently have ' Dunlop sport 01 tyres 235/55/17 ' 103W load rating. I've currently covered 600 miles so far in my new Cali. and have noticed the tyres seem to be wearing somewhat, it doesn't take much imagination to see that these heavy vehicles will eat tyres, going by the standard Dunlops I currently have.

At this rate I suspect at 15,000 miles they will probably be shot, I think I'm currently driving quite sensibly, trying to keep the speed down to 65 mph which is giving the fuel consumption figures of 40 miles per gallon on A roads and 37 mpg on quiet country roads at 55, so I'm obviously not caning it,

What experiences has you guys have, concerning tyre,s as my golf at present has 55,000 miles on the clock with the original tyres from new, and still has a reasonable amount of tread left ,properly another 5000 miles if my estimates are correct, and I'm driving the Cali at the same speeds

I also think it's prudent to keep to the same load rating which is currently 103W, which limits tyre choices somewhat in my opinion, I think am looking for a value tire with potential for high mileage, mainly so I don't fill landfill sites up with these unfortunate consumables unnecessarily I would be much appreciate your comments :thanks
 
Well on my 180DSG....I have 43000 miles on the clock....after 20000 took off the wheels with Dunlops on, fronts gone totally and maybe 5000 left on the rears.

Put on a new set of wheels and Dunlops ( I got them off eBay ) after another 20000, same position so put the rears on the front and got Michelin Primacys on the rear. Fronts now almost shot so will put the other 2 Dunlops on the front and use them up. Then go Michelin all round.
 
55k miles on one set of tyres?! :shocked :shocked

My suggestion is that you set up a school for economical driving which will pay for all the tyres you need!

When my wheel alignment was slightly out on the BMW I got 8k miles from a set of rear tyres (Conti Sport Contact 3s so not cheap)! Since had 14k but that's driving carefully! Mind you it's RWD, 300bhp and 430lbs-ft so the poor rears do get battered.

I suspect you'll get more than 15k - I had 4Motion on a Golf R32 and the tyre wear was completely even. And I got 22k from a set of tyres - and that was driving like a bit of a loon.

When our tyres go, I think I'll be looking at some good all weather rubber. Seems a bit silly having "Sports" tyres on a van. I'm of the opinion that stuff should work, not just "look good." With 4Motion, all weather tyres seem a good bet if decent ones can be had in the correct load rating.
 
Tyre life ... Mmmm ...
I've a 57 plate 174 5-pot 4Motion.
I bought it with 28K on the clock in September 2010 with a set of Goodyear Cargos that had done about 2K.
In the 18 months I've had it, me, my wife, younger son, and his partner have done 22K.
(Motorway, highlands, Skye, France (Tarn Gorge, Central Massif) and alot of short drives over Glasgow pot holes).
We are not hell raisers but we all tend to move it on a bit.

I had thought that I would need new tyres for the 2011/12 winter.
But the Cargos still had tread on them well above legal.
My guess is that I'll get a new set late summer which will be about another 5-8K.
I have a big service coming up late this month before we do the outer hebrides so I'll be interested in what the VW Van Centre says.

I'm not particularly wedded to the Cargos but they'll have done about 30K when they die which I think is quite good.
They have a fairly unsophisticated tread ( big understatement) but I've experienced no bad vibes with them (although I've no control comparisons ;-)
A bunch of simple chunks

Interestingly, all 4 corners of the 4x4 seem to be wearing about the same.
I would have thought that the steering wheels would be worse than the back ones.
But not so.

My wife has a BM 325 MSport Coupe with stepped wheels (wider on the rears) and pretty hard suspension.
The back pair go through expensive tyres in just 12-15K.
The fronts, 20K.
This car is not ragged either (she tells me) - I've track-dayed it once but with borrowed wheels and EXCELLENT Falken FK452s!

So I'm pretty happy with the VW compared to the missus'.

I'd be keen to hear what others' experiences are for when I go to get new ones late summer.
The experts tell me Cargos are designed for plumbers vans and rally barges and handling should suffer on the Cali.
But I point out to them that the Cali is hardly designed for track days ...

At the moment I'd get new Cargos I think when new tyre days arrives.
Unless I can find something that makes the ride less bumpy without sacrificng longevity.

I'm retired but wander back into my old department 'for coffee' whenever the missus gives me a job to do.
At least once a week ;)
My colleagues race Porches, Evos and other junk in Scotland and mainland Europe and talk tyres all the time.
I'm not a novice either (ex Croft in a previous incarnation) but I haven't seen or heard anything that would convince me that there's a 'good' tyre for the Cali.
I'm sure this thread will tell me otherwise ...
Maybe ...
 
Thanks all, for this information, very interesting

KernowLad

In recent years have been very aware of what western cultures are doing to the worlds ecosystem.

I'm trying to do my bit, in reducing my so-called footprint, and treading lightly in my endeavours, to leave my children and grandchildren a world worth living in!

People may need education in driving vehicles fugaly, all I would suggest on this matter, is don't let ego rule, over common sense.

One only needs to drive slower to reap the benefits; of reducing the likelihood of being a road casualty,
saving on insurance,
saving on one's bank balance (purchasing a vehicle appropriate for your true needs),
increasing vehicles longevity through less component stress,
and a myriad of other commendable reasons, in
doing our bit to save the planet, in trying to reduce CO2 and and human associated WASTEFUL WAYS.

None of us needs to go to school, or indeed set up a school? every one of us knows how to do this, all we need is the will! Or should I say willpower,

To be quite honest I feel somewhat guilty in purchasing such a extravagant type of vehicle myself as the California .

 So if I can reduce the vehicles foot print, in some way by going slower, it will go someway in reducing my guilt,

But on the other hand if one aspires to owning a camper van, I can't think of any better vehicle, considering it's relatively small 2 liter power plant, and also it's diminutive overall size, Compared  to most of the rest, where people seem to aspire to have every conceivable luxury, a sort of mobile luxury house on wheels?
With cost to their fuel consumption and also environmental damage, of no consequence.

My reasoning was if you drive her sensibly, and she lasted!! my doubts may have been alleviated, to some degree 

It's just the tires seemed to be wearing out unexpectedly, scuppering my plans somewhat.

By the way, van drivers, or indeed their vehicles, seem to be the fastest vehicles on the roads nowadays, and also they seem to be driving very close to vehicle ahead, on the outside lane normally, of dual carriageways nine times out of ten, so if any vehicle category needs decent tires, I feel this is it; (the commercial van sector).

It's almost laughable that they don't supposed to go over 60 mph,

You can have the most economical car on the planet, and if you drive like a loon, then your fuel consumption will plummet. Its just the law of thermal dynamics and physics, one cannot get something for nothing.

My other car is a Golf blue-motion which I regularly get 85 MPG and once or twice over 90 I feel overall my journey times aren't drastically longer then someone continuously breaking the speed limit, on the same journey, because inevitably they come across traffic 20 miles up the road, and more often than not probably 100 yards further along the road in a jam,then someone driving sensibly, so nowadays you don't get there any quicker ultimately, which has been proven on numerous occasions by myself.
 It all depends on how much traffic there is in any one location.

Some popular tires for Vans as well as 4x4s;

http://www.oponeo.co.uk/tyres/235-55-r17-tyres

http://www.oponeo.co.uk/tyre-details/yo ... 7-103-y-zr

Barry 
I can't see the Goodyear cargoes in my size: 235/55/R17, even though their load rating  is very good at up to 115;
G 26 and marathon versions. :thanks :grin:
 
Wow - epic post!

Done all the IAM stuff which helps to demonstrate economical driving. But I do drive swiftly in the BM mostly because I enjoy it!
 
KernowLad

I am Just torn between enjoying myself, and doing what my conscience tells me is the right thing to do.

I also used to like speed, and most properly still do; Motorcycle racing on TZ 250s  350s Yamahas, and later on 850 norton combinations, as passenger which certainly gets the adrenaline flowing! I can tell you,

I don't know if this is a age thing ha ha, But in recent years, I just think it's rather self indulgent... since I've been interested in Eco issues, with one thing and another, I just feel personally, I need to think of others and the environment, which for me I feel is more important at this time.
Don't get me wrong,
 I wouldn't want to spoil anybody else's fun though. :D :thumb
 
stephen said:
KernowLad

I am Just torn between enjoying myself, and doing what my conscience tells me is the right thing to do.

I also used to like speed, and most properly still do; Motorcycle racing on TZ 250s  350s Yamahas, and later on 850 norton combinations, as passenger which certainly gets the adrenaline flowing! I can tell you,

I don't know if this is a age thing ha ha, But in recent years, I just think it's rather self indulgent... since I've been interested in Eco issues, with one thing and another, I just feel personally, I need to think of others and the environment, which for me I feel is more important at this time.
Don't get me wrong,
 I wouldn't want to spoil anybody else's fun though. :D :thumb
Click to expand...

Not at all! We live in a house made completely from local timbers, only buy local fresh produce, work with a lot of "green" companies, run a commute friendly freelancer network, fly very little, etc. Hardly ultra green but we try our bit too!

However bikes scare the bejebus out of me!
 
Until last week I had a 2002 Westfalia Cali. Like Barry, I found tyre wear was very good although mine was not a 4x4. From memory I got 38000 miles per set. I used 'van' tyres, a bit hard on the coccyx but plenty of wear.

With the new one, I don't know, we'll have to see but I am heartened to see 40mpg being viable. But, strangely my new van which has DSG automatic also has an optional 'sports box' how weird is that. Not good for good mpg!

David
 
I sold one of my 2011 DSG California's with 16/17,000 miles and there was plenty of life left in them. We do rotate them at approx 12,000 miles which helps.

:thumb
 
Re: What's the tyre life on a California
by MickyBlue » Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:37 pm
I think I will be getting some of these Goodyear all weather tyres as my next set, when they are available again.

They are similar to the OE fit I had on my Freelander 2 and lasted well, with good all round dry/wet/muddy field performance.

I think these tires will be definitely on my shortlist.
 As they tick all the right boxes, concerning a 4 motion Cali, and are a good choice for all year long motoring, especially over muddy fields.

They seem very difficult to get in the Cali size of range though,
And are a tad expensive but probably worth it. :grin:
 
stephen said:
Re: What's the tyre life on a California
by MickyBlue » Wed Mar 14, 2012 6:37 pm
I think I will be getting some of these Goodyear all weather tyres as my next set, when they are available again.

They are similar to the OE fit I had on my Freelander 2 and lasted well, with good all round dry/wet/muddy field performance.

I think these tires will be definitely on my shortlist.
 As they tick all the right boxes, concerning a 4 motion Cali, and are a good choice for all year long motoring, especially over muddy fields.

They seem very difficult to get in the Cali size of range though,
And are a tad expensive but probably worth it. :grin:
Click to expand...

TBH £150 a tyre is nothing these days, a lot of 'shopping trolley' car tyres are £80-90 & some of the run flats' are a hideous price.

My personal opinion is on this is, why spend £40k+ on your vehicle then skimp on the less than a square foot of rubber contact patch that keeps it on the road shiny side up?

Maybe it stems from riding 170 & 190bhp BMW bikes ;)
 
Yep - £150ish seems pretty good to me seeing as our BM tyres are a fair bit more yet the same radius!

I've had a good set of tyres pretty much save my (and wife's) life on a near monsoon condition M5 as a Ford Ka aquaplaned, hit the central barrier and bounced off in front of us. Had we not been on Conti Sport Contacts, I hate to know what would have happened.

Like Micky, I will never go budget on tyres (or brakes)!
 
Hi  Mickyblue 

The analogy with powerful motorcycles, is a different one, in my opinion ,
 To a utility camper-van.

 Where the motorcycles primary function is to have fun in exploring the speed potential of a 200 MPH plus crutch rocket! with money no object, and safety at these speeds, the primary concern, whether the tires last 500 miles or not is of no concern to the motorcycle rider of these sorts of machines, if he has any sense.

On the other hand the camper van is a whole set of different criteria,

Safety obviously is a concern to ANY road user, especially in wet weather and in slippery icy conditions ,that the van is expected to find from time to time, also the ability to cover vast distances in much more varied conditions with substantially heavier loads   to that of the motorcycle,
 With high-performance vehicles one has to come to the realisation that the stickier compounds needed for cornering, braking and acceleration at speed,
Dictates a much softer, more expensive compound, which would be inappropriate on a relatively heavy camper-van, where relatively good overall traction, in all conditions, including the odd muddy field, and also at speeds that a Volkswagen polo driver would find laughable, and also trying to fulfill the high mileage imperatives, that the normal driver of these vehicles would expect, and also fulfilling a more modest price considering the much slower performance potential of these vehicles

Also expensive high-performance tires have very little grip until they heat up sufficiently, 

So at the end of the day, unless one aspires to speeds in access of 150 mph in order to heat them up sufficiently enough to make then worthwhile, then I feel the budget end of the spectrum in this case seems like a good idea,
after all my 'continental eco-3'- 195/65/15 tires for my golf have excellent grip in all conditions especially the ice. And only cost £59 fully fitted and also have completed 55,000 miles, if I found a decent tire for the Cali,
 that would cover only half this distance, I would be quite happy, considering the weight of the Cali. And have no aspirations to go above 65-70MPH unless overtaking.

Because diesel at £1.50 +a litre, would spoil my enjoyment somewhat, in getting there only 10 min faster, and most probably low 20s MPG for the privilege. ;)
 
KernowLad

It's well known that super wide ties aquaplane in the wet far more, then skinnier ties with a decent tread, some tires are more appropriate for wet conditions, then others I went through a large puddle of water on the A12 dual carriageway and was following up a BMW M5 he hit the water just in front of me and spun up the road several times to he hit the gravel, on the hard shoulder, but the Landrover that I was in just behind, had no trouble whatsoever, because I had skinny off road tires with deep tread patterns,
Of course on a bright hot summers day, the tables would be completely turned around, considering the dry weather capabilities of my Landrover weren't particularly good, I think this occasion the water was so bad, that the police had to shut the road, as it was at least 3 inches deep, and at least three other vehicles spun off all high performance types, with wide tires.
The BMW in front, was doing approximately 65  at the time, same speed as me! :doh
 
stephen said:
Hi  Mickyblue 

The analogy with powerful motorcycles, is a different one, in my opinion ,
 To a utility camper-van.
Click to expand...

I feel you misunderstand me somewhat. I am not trying to equate Cali tyres to dual compound sticky bike tyres :lol:

I mean not skinping on a decent tyre for the relative vehicle, conditions, and type of usage.
 
I'm with Micky here. Certainly not going to be flinging our California around bends, but I still want the best available rubber for job. IMO that's probably a good All Weather tyre for a 4motion. The overtly sporty tyres fitted seem a bit of co odd choice by VW but I'm fairly pleased with them so far.
 
Maybe teh lateral forces of corenering at high G loadings aren't too important. Stopping a great heavy thing quickly definitely is though along with good response when swapping lanes or swerving. The manufacturers put a massive amount of work into these tyres - I'll probably stick with the standard tyre for this reason!
 
Don't always rely what manufacturers choose. Its often cost driven. The run flats supplied with our BM were utterly appalling yet laughably expensive. The transformation after fitting decent non run flats was night and day.
 
LOL! Very true and a good point I would make an exception for run flats and the oh so easy to damage rims that BMW and Audi use these days!!
 
Californiaman said:
LOL! Very true and a good point I would make an exception for run flats and the oh so easy to damage rims that BMW and Audi use these days!!
Click to expand...

You would not believe how hard it was to find a 335d WITHOUT M Sport stuff (I really don't like it) and WITHOUT 18 or 19" spindly alloys that break at the first sign of a pothole! Managed it in the end, just ended up with 17s that IMO look nice but are a bit of a shocker to keep clean! Just done the full cleaning works and sealed them so they should be good for a little while.

Not only are they much stronger than most 18s and all 19s, they are also MUCH lighter! and they say these big wheels improve performance... :shocked :lol: My exasperation with the proliferation of massive alloys on rubber band tyres wider than the Nile still continues...

Apologies for the random rant!
 
For the vast majority it is style over function. The problem is partly that with a low profile tyre you loose the sidewall flex etc (which is fine on a race track...) but this means that the flex needs to be built into the wheel (and tuned in conjunction with the suspension). I think that in a few cases they are simply not fit for purpose on the roads in the UK.
(I am also a boring fart though....)

oddly enough I have just been offered a 640d M sport BMW lease for £500/month. Which is a bit of a bargain. Was tempted until my boss pointed out that it'll cost me another £500-1000 a month in wheels. He knows my commute! (and his 335 has cost him a couple of fortunes)
 
Can you get an SE instead with sensible rubber? Those 640ds are VERY nice indeed!

I have fairly reasonable tyre costs on my 335d thanks to sensible rubber and a fairly restrained right foot.
 
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