Terry,
I agree with you, mostly.

The tire manufacturer should be able to tell anyone, based on vehicle
weight and front/rear distribution (what is it for Vanagons, anyway?)
what the pressure should be.

Either Sean got a dummy at Michelin, or they are doing the litigation
dance ("our lawyers tell us to have no opinion when it comes to what
you put these things or what pressure to run them at, or...")

Tire manufacturers put the MAX pressure on the side of the tire so
that you won't exceed that and overstress the tire and rupture it.
It's not meant as a recommended running pressure. (But the tire shops
that don't know anything about proper load vs. pressure always use
this number as the recommended pressure...)

Dave

>I kinda disagree with the response you gave---
>
>If your running the van heavy, and the max load rating is at at specific
>pressure you best be running with what the tire mfg. recommends---not
>the vehicles mother----
>
>Different tires, different pressures, different load ratings---
>
>VW has no idea what kind of hoop you have on that Van----the recommended
>tire pressure stated on that tag is for the tires VW hung on that Van
>when new---not what you went out an bought for replacements-----
>
>I have a hard time swallowing that Michelin told you not to run Max
>pressure as they recommended on the sidewall--
>
>Why in the heck would the even bother to print it on the sidewall then?
--
Dave Carpenter

Whatever you wish for me,
May you have twice as much.

"Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think
we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering." -- Arthur C.
Clarke