I find these tire arguments absurd. When in doubt, err on the side of
safety. That just seems like common sense to me. 

VW's own engineers (and the U.S. D.O.T.) state that most standard-load tires
are unsafe for use on Vanagons and Eurovans (yes, even in 15-16" sizes).
That is a fact and is not debatable. Countering their recommendations with
vacuous arguments like "I've always used passenger car tires and never had a
problem" is like saying "I never wear seatbelts and never had a problem" or
"I drink and drive periodically and never had a problem" or "I smoke two
packs a day and never had a problem."  It's Russian roulette. Yes, the odds
are that you'll never have a problem - but if you do, it might kill you.
Take the risk if you like, but don't con yourself into believing that you're
not taking some level of risk. 

There are thousands of parts on your Vanagon where you could cut corners and
not risk your safety. Tires are not one of them. In a sudden panic
situation, your tires will have a HUGE impact on whether you have an
accident or avoid it. Good, properly rated tires for Vanagons aren't all
that expensive.  Why even consider chancing it just to save $20 on a tire?
Isn't your safety - or even just your peace of mind - worth that much? I
don't get it. This should be a no-brainer.

For more on Vanagon tire safety (including VW's recommendations), see:
<http://busdepot.com/details/tires.jsp>

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  www.busdepot.com
  (215)  234-VWVW

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