I think it depends on where you drive your vehicle.  Since I take my
vehicles off road and explore the rough logging roads here in northern
Maine I spend the extra  $$ on light truck tires with strong sidewalls.
People who spend their lives in the woods all advise the same thing.  A
passenger tire is fine if you are on a well maintained dirt road or
pavement, but if the road gets rough a light truck tire does a much better
job at resisting sidewall cuts by large sharp point stones or abrasions.
Even so, I have had one failure in my 6 ply (true 6 Ply ,not "6-Ply
rated") tire due to rock puncture of the sidewall.  It really comes home
to you when you are 10 or 15 miles from the nearest main road what that
means!

Best Regards
Howard Allen
S. Portland, Maine

"Don't tread on me."

Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sent by: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
10/03/2005 06:34 AM
Please respond to Andrew Grebneff

        To:     vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
        cc:
        Subject:        Re: Vanagon Tire Guidelines Report

>         Its a good report, Larry, but for two things. You insist that a
>Vanagon is a "Light Truck" and needs truck tires, and that just ain't so.
I
>have used a 1984 GL as my contractor's work van for 12 years. I have run
>only passenger car tires and have had no problems whatsoever. I don't
>understand why you are so stuck on this. A 1982 Crown Vic runs passenger
>tires and weighs more than my van, tools and all. A Mercedes weighs more
>than my van and comes with car tires. Your Vanagon is a car, Larry. If
you
>want it to drive more safely, install  wider rims to hold more volume of
>air, and mount some nice modern car tires with modern tread design and a
>modern compound. No really, don't just theorise, do it and see.  Jake

AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!