I include the spare tire in the rotation, a five tire rotation.  That way, I get full service out of each of the five tires, and when I replace them, I have five new ones of the same make and style.  I don't like to have a tire with different tread design and possibly different structure on the ground.  Rotating the spare keeps things constant in that regard.

mcneely

---- Dan Andrews <devilish.dan@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> That's the exact spare tire I have on my '82 T3 here in Australia. :)
>
> I've only owned it since September (it's my first 'car'), and was surprised to learn that 'rotating the tires' doesn't involve moving the spare through a period of service - it just sits there (across the decades, it would seem)
>
> -Dan
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On 02/04/2013, at 1:51 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:
>
> > Hi all,
> > I am finding a lot of these 14 inch original tires in the spare tire
> > holder of vanagons.
> > Specially ..
> > The Contental 185R14 C  TRANSPORT RS 771.
> >
> > I am removing one from the rear of an 85 Westy right now ..,
> > there are huge chunks of tread missing, and obviously splitting cord
> > structure below that.
> >
> > Lucky no one got killed !
> > These people had a rear tire go flat about 6 months ago ..or some tire
> > failure ..
> > so they put this spare Continental on ..
> > and drove it for 6 months.  They are very lucky  their Westy stumbled
> > under power recently ....otherwise this tire failure wouldn't have been
> > discovered until total failure and some possible serious mishap. .
> > I could tell on the test drive there was a thump from a tire, but they
> > couldn't.  I think they drove from Oregon to LA or something out of town
> > like that...very lucky the van didn't run right.
> >
> > IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE TIRES as a spare, I would not drive it more
> > than 10 miles at 40 mph.
> > I have seen many of this exact brand and model of tire fail ..
> > as in tread separation, even when only one year old.
> >
> > and ......
> > I have seen a whole rash of people driving vanagons when they are not
> > working right ..and they have no idea lately.
> > I have also seen a whole rash of really bad vanagon and car work lately.
> > I promise you ..
> > if you take your van in for 4 brand new tires and alignment ...odds are
> > 95 % they won't even check the spare tire pressure.
> > and ...
> > there are hundreds of vanagons right this very second with very low
> > spare tire pressure ..
> > and hundreds with original spare tires.
> > Plus................., Tire shops are not smart enough to sell you a new
> > tire or decent used spare when they put 4 brand new tires on your Vanagon.
> >
> > It's fine if people run their vanagons into the ground..
> > but when it comes to bad tires, or poorly working brakes ..
> > you are not the only person you might hurt.
> >
> > I just had another van ...gorgeous 86 Syncro Vanagon ..if the oil
> > warning buzzer had not gone off on them ..
> > the people driving it had no idea the brakes are working only about half
> > of normal performance.
> > Very old male driver .....shouldn't really be driving ..
> > his partner can't see very well, so she doesn't drive ..,,,
> > it's a good thing they had an engine problem ..
> > and besides the operator of that van being clueless about it not working
> > right at all ..
> > his fairly fresh engine rebuild had about 20 workmanship mistakes on it
> > ..missing parts, wrong parts, wrong fasteneers, etc.
> > And the guy who did the engine job is 'a VW trained german certified
> > mechanic with 30 years experience' ..........Totally sloppy work IMO>
> >
> >  The vanagon people with the failed tire ...their friend asked me who
> > to take their Jeep Cherokee to for good work ..
> > I honestly could not think of one shop in my area that could be trusted
> > to do good work on it.
> >  Dang ..
> >
> >
> >
> > .

--
David McNeely