We need new tires for our church van. I personally am a Michelin fanboy with a sometimes adulterous affair with Continental. Our tires are 7 years old and have some serious cracking. Probably got 10k miles on them. My tire supplier says he would go with General HD60's if it were his van. They are about $70/tire cheaper than Michelins and about $50 cheaper than Continentals. Any suggestions? Safety is my main goal. Remember the bulging tire issue?
Tires for 15 Passenger Church Van
- Thread starter Gebo
- Start date
How is the church van driven? Is it used primarily around town, to pick up members of the congregation for church activities? Or does it take youth on road trips, for activities that may be a few hundred miles away?
If it is primarily used locally, with only an occasional road trip, I would have no problem with saving the congregation's money, and going with the General tires. But if you take it on the road often, then go with the Continental or Michelin tires.
If it is primarily used locally, with only an occasional road trip, I would have no problem with saving the congregation's money, and going with the General tires. But if you take it on the road often, then go with the Continental or Michelin tires.
Next set of tires will age out as well. I’d go with the generals
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- Dec 7, 2012
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I have no experience with that General tire, but I am a big fan of General Tires. Have ran their Grabber A/TX on multiple vehicles and had a set of Grabber APT on my last F-150.
I'd go with them, General is under the Continental umbrella.
I don't see an HD60 tire. I see an HTS60, HD and HD Van. Looking on TireRack, their countries of origin range from Czech Republic, Mexico, Portugal, Ecuador and United States. No Chinese tires.
I'd go with them, General is under the Continental umbrella.
I don't see an HD60 tire. I see an HTS60, HD and HD Van. Looking on TireRack, their countries of origin range from Czech Republic, Mexico, Portugal, Ecuador and United States. No Chinese tires.
The safest thing to do is to ditch those 15-passenger vans altogether, but that is a different discussion altogether.
Go with the Generals.
Go with the Generals.
Generals. And those 15-passenger vans are essentially a small bus, but with none of that makes it one. When it’s time to replace that, a cutaway paratransit or school-type bus built on the same chassis as a Ford E-series might be a good consideration.
The cutaway with a long version of something like a modular ambulance (with seats, obviously)?
Is it height and/or mass-for-crash? Or something else?
Is it height and/or mass-for-crash? Or something else?
Whatever you get do not get Uniroyal tiger paw tires!
At 5yrs replace them.
Get tires with appropriate load and very good wet performance. General is a subsidiary of Continental, and Continental is an expert in wet performance. So, should not be far behind premium products.
For that application, I'd go with the Firestone Transforce HT tires. We have two different ambulance fleets locally (both under different ownership) and the Transforce is all that both fleets use... on either Chevy or Ford.
An ambulance that is on a call cannot deal with an unexpected tire issue.
An ambulance that is on a call cannot deal with an unexpected tire issue.
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Better handing and weight capability. Dual rear axle and it should be more stable. Many 15 passenger vans are single-wheel and are loaded down to their max GVWR - and there has been many rollover crashes of those. CA for sure, but other states wants a CDL with a passenger endorsement to drive one of these - the airport van rental operations just take out 3 seats to make them a 12-passenger which falls under passenger car rules.
Plus, it’s a lot easier to get in/out of a passenger cutaway with a transit-style door, seats - and if there’s anyone wheelchair bound, there’s also a lift, the back seats flip up and reveal wheelchair securements(Q’Straint type). But they are more expensive than a 15-passenger van.
Prices and local dealerships is part of the reason. Also many come with that so replacing with the same is an "easy" justification to meet loads.
The ones on our ambulances that I drive suck in the rain, worse in the winter, OK in the dry. Again fleet/district vehicles so that is what you get. Our are also dual wheel so we have 6 of them on each ambulance.
MasterCraft Avenger GT or General Grabbers are the two best tires going. I know this from my own use driving on Pittsburghs very demanding streets! We have some of the steepest and oldest streets and roads in the country. Now I am not complaining, I love driving here. It's anything but boring. Being very challenging also keeps poor drivers off the roads...
I know the Mastercraft tires are made by Cooper who also make Cooper Cobra and Mickey Thompson street tires. I have had Cooper Cobras and while they were decent tires, there nothing close to the Master Craft Avenger.
I just bought four Master Crafts Avengers, 225/70R15. Two wheels didn't need any balance weights! The other two wheels only needed one very small weight. Now my tire shop, does excellent work. They balance the wheel seperatly remount the tire several times to find the best spot were the light and heavy spots can cancel each other out. Then they shave the excess rubber the tire manufactures are suppose to remove then he will add weights if needed.
My 69 el Camino goes down the road smoother then most new cars. It have a full primiter boxed frame. I also use the factory steel, Kelsey Hayes, Rally wheels. They are very strong and look great as far as Im concerned.
I know the Mastercraft tires are made by Cooper who also make Cooper Cobra and Mickey Thompson street tires. I have had Cooper Cobras and while they were decent tires, there nothing close to the Master Craft Avenger.
I just bought four Master Crafts Avengers, 225/70R15. Two wheels didn't need any balance weights! The other two wheels only needed one very small weight. Now my tire shop, does excellent work. They balance the wheel seperatly remount the tire several times to find the best spot were the light and heavy spots can cancel each other out. Then they shave the excess rubber the tire manufactures are suppose to remove then he will add weights if needed.
My 69 el Camino goes down the road smoother then most new cars. It have a full primiter boxed frame. I also use the factory steel, Kelsey Hayes, Rally wheels. They are very strong and look great as far as Im concerned.
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I’ve seen LingLongs and Sailuns on the paratransit vans in my town - despite the fact they are an FTA(by ways of subsidy from the local rail system) funded agency and are obligated to Buy America rules. It was what the local mom & pop tire shop had, they can’t be bugged to sign a tire leasing contract with Goodyear or Firestone on a per-mile basis.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
I remember that thread like it was a few months ago, you’re telling me it’s been 7 YEARS!?
