QuestionIn a 9/1/2009 response to "William" regarding replacement tires for a 2001 VW Eurovan Camper, you suggested Continental 215/65R16,107/109R as a more appropriate replacement tire for the OEM: Dunlop SP Sport 2000 E 225/60/R16 102H reinforced, max pressure 49psi, max load 1874lb. I recently purchased a set of the Continental tires (Vanco 2) you described and they have a maximum pressure of 69. What tire pressure would you recommend for my VW full camper ? What speed limits should I observe due to its R rating?
AnswerDee,
Here is my standard answer on inflation pressure and tire size.
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On every vehicle sold in the US - and I understand this is a worldwide practice as well - there is a sticker – commonly called the tire placard - that lists the original tire size and the proper pressure for that size. The placard is usually located on a doorpost or in the glove box – but sometimes it is located in the trunk or on the fuel filler door.
BTW, it doesn't matter who makes the tire or what pressure is listed on the tire's sidewall, if the tire size is the same as the placard, then the pressure listed on placard is also appropriate.
One word of caution: Some trucks use tires with the letters "LT" in front of the tire size - and some trucks use tires with the letter "P" in front of the tire size - and some trucks use tires with the letter "C" after the tire size. You should not use "P"'s in place of "LT"'s and vice versa.
For this situation, you should be sure the pressure on the sidewall equals or exceeds that pressure on the placard. If you do this the issue about the letter "C" in the sidewall will take care of itself (which is not true with "LT"'s vs "P"'s.)
If you are using a tire size that is different than what is listed on the placard, then the pressure has to be recalculated. The calculation is not difficult, but it requires tire load tables which are not allowed to be published in the Internet because of copyright laws. However, I have a copy and would be glad to do the calculation, but the starting point is the vehicle placard: Tire size and inflation pressure. I will also need to know the new tire size.
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In the case of the Eurovan - especially the Winnebago Rialta - the tire load carrying capacity becaomes the issue - and falls under the situation with the letter "C" after the tire size.
So look at your vehicle and see what it says.
R speed rating? In the US speed ratings are more an indication of capability of the tire - and therefore how much risk of failure there is - and not so much a limitation. That's because, if you observe the speed limits, you will not exceed the capability of the tire.
