> I purchased set of Hankook RA08 in 6/08 dated 4/2008.  Glad I
> saw that dating info online. My previous Michelins(which blew
> sidewall) were only 18mos old.(but dated 3 years old).

It all comes down to inventory turnover. Tires that meet Vanagon specs are
lousysellers, not just for tire dealers (online or brick-and-mortar) but
also for the wholesalers they buy from. The Vanagon tires are the ones in
the far reaches of the warehouse under the cobwebs, since almost no vehicle
still on the road takes them. Maybe you'll get the older ones sitting on
that shelf, maybe you get the newer ones.  It's a crap shoot.

Our turnover on Vanagon tires is tremendous. Far from an afterthought,
they're by far our best selling tires.  In fact I have been told that we are
the largest single retailer of Hankook RA08's in the country.  We typically
get them within weeks of when they reach the U.S. from the factory, and a
month later they're already gone and new inventory is on its way.

http://busdepot.com/details/tires.jsp

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

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