Budget Tyres

viatorem
viatorem Forum Participant Posts: 645
edited February 2018 in Tips for making Caravanning & Touring Cheaper #1

Having recently been made redundant at the "wrong age" we decided to embrace an earlier than planned retirement which has the advantage of more caravanning trips but the disadvantage of a tight budget. Time had come for new tyres, Now I would normally have chosen an all season tyres to cope with frequent CL visits but they are quite pricey £140+ each and a very limited range in the 225 55 18 SUV size In fact there are very few tyres that seem CL compatible in this size Uniroyal rain Expert is one of the few that have good reports of soft ground traction (about £105 ea) My neighbour swears by Accelera Iota on his Disco 3 but they don't do my size. I decided to try a budget tyre with the criteria that they must be  made in Europe after past experience on a second car (now gone) After a bit of research found a brand called Tigar from Serbia, Michelin own the brand and have invested over $200M in the factory in 2014.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCemXgw10Ag

I could not find any real reviews of the 225 55 18 SUV summer tyre but decided to risk it and try a set at £77 each from ATS (Michelin owned) They are not all season but are M&S rated in old school terms which is unusual for this size.

So far so good, very quiet and grippy in the wet. Not sure how they will wear but will keep an eye on it. First CL visit next week so it is bound to be soft.

Has anyone found a good budget brand tyre, what is your experience?

 

 

Comments

  • viatorem
    viatorem Forum Participant Posts: 645
    edited February 2018 #2

    p.s The same tread pattern/size is available branded as Kormoran and Riken both Michelin budget brands. When I inquired about these at the dealer they told me that Tigar was the correct compound for UK and Northern Europe and that the other brands were for different territories. Southern Europe and Eastern Europe/Russia. Also differing compounds as road surfaces are made up of different aggregates with different grip/wear characteristics. Maybe BS but who knows! 

    I have found that some tyres are not available from UK dealers but are on some websites that ship you the tyres supply only (no fitting) eg Maxxis AP2 all season. Maxxis do not import these to the UK. 

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,425 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2018 #3

    why do you mean by CL compatible?

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited February 2018 #4

    I assumed providing more traction for use on grass and soft going

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited February 2018 #5

    Unless it has the tread profile of a tractor tyre, I doubt that you would really notice the difference. If it's wet, muddy and slippery, the only thing that will make any difference, IMHO, is a really knobbly tyre. Anyone remember the old 'town & country' tyres. Knobbly edges but they were noisy on tarmac.

  • Boff
    Boff Forum Participant Posts: 1,742
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    edited February 2018 #6

    I disagree, Tyres with a decent treed pattern will make a difference on wet or muddy ground.  Mind you once the tread is full of mud then the tyre becomes just another slick. We have had General grabber AT2 and now AT2s on the rear and Maxis bravos A/T tyres on the front of the Landcrusier and I am happy with them. 

  • viatorem
    viatorem Forum Participant Posts: 645
    edited February 2018 #7

    I agree with Boff I have used General Grabber AT2s in the past and never got bogged, even towed a 3.5T motorhome through a boggy gate once.

    However  the later generation SUVs generally have larger rims with lower profiles, in the 225 55 18 size I have most tyres are similar to a road car tread.  There is nothing like the AT2. We prefer basic CLs these road bias tyres are hopeless on sloping wet grass, something with a bit more traction actually reduces wheelspin and saves the turf. 

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited February 2018 #8

    Plus with AT’s they eject mud from the tread very quickly👍🏻

  • Boff
    Boff Forum Participant Posts: 1,742
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    edited February 2018 #9

    Yes all over the front of my vanfrown

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited February 2018 #10

    Fit longer rear mud flaps Boff. I did to stop my log trailer being covered in mud, it works👍🏻😊

  • Hakinbush
    Hakinbush Forum Participant Posts: 286
    edited February 2018 #11

    have you looked at Michelin Latitude Cross DTs basicly a summer tyre but deffo an all terrain without the noise of general gabber, which to be honest is getting a bit dated now, your probs want  "extra load" or 108h if you google em theres usually some one doing deals.. 

  • OrionCalls
    OrionCalls Forum Participant Posts: 116
    edited February 2018 #12

    To get the tyres you want slightly cheaper you could also use the cashback sites, At least one of them is giving 5.25% off ATS

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited February 2018 #13

    Dated H?, I take it you are referring to their use as road tyres. The use for them out in forest & fields are a boon👍🏻😊

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2018 #14

    I've just put a set of BF Goodrichs on my Touareg,  Expensive - yes; noisy - yes; will they get me out of anything - yescool

  • Phishing
    Phishing Forum Participant Posts: 597
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    edited February 2018 #15

    I have had the Uniroyals, very good tyres. Uniroyal is a Continental sub brand. Rainsport is excellent on wet but not really for soft stuff.

    They do Yokohama Geolanders SUV in this size, very good and bit more bite on the soft.

  • Hakinbush
    Hakinbush Forum Participant Posts: 286
    edited February 2018 #16

    Not knocking em mate just saying technology with tyres moves on and most people caravanning with a 4x4 would find it quite easy to enter-exit a pitch with out too much trouble, well unless your our chairman who ripped the a...e out of his van taking a run up an hill..

  • Lynneallan
    Lynneallan Forum Participant Posts: 77
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    edited February 2018 #17

    H - love your dog. Lynne

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Forum Participant Posts: 3,579
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    edited February 2018 #18

    I cannot say we have tried the tyres referred to but my daughters have tried various cheapo makes and found them lasting far less miles than more expensive ones. I tend to go for mid range tyres which seem to be the best balance between cost and mileage. Like most things you generally get what you pay for although there can be bargains out there.

  • BrianAdams
    BrianAdams Forum Participant Posts: 10
    edited February 2018 #19

    Try Tyre-shopper.co.uk .Cheap as chips .

  • Scottie2
    Scottie2 Forum Participant Posts: 226
    edited February 2018 #20

    Hello Viatorem,    Try website for TYRE LEADER who have many many makes and sizes and really competitive prices...They deliver tyres straight to your home....Your local gar@ge will normally fit for a tenner each but you will still be in pocket.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited February 2018 #21

    I bet that if you asked, your local indepedant tyre bay ie NOT Kwikfit/ATS/etc would likely match the Interweb price ..... mine does.

  • Scottie2
    Scottie2 Forum Participant Posts: 226
    edited February 2018 #22

    Hi MollysMummy, I have used Tyre Leader five times over the years and each time have checked their prices with various sites and  tyre fitting outlets such as those you mention and I have always a price advantage from the source I suggest and that includes what I pay my local garage to remove, fit new, valve, rebalance and vat....Sometimes my old Michelin’s have 2mm left, (I.e. if I am changing because I am going away for four months touring) ,and in that case a local second hand tyre dealer buys them from me which means I can get £10 each . This also then means no disposal charge from my fitting garage.

  • viatorem
    viatorem Forum Participant Posts: 645
    edited February 2018 #23

    interesting Tyre Leader have two of the brands I mentioned above Kormoran an Riken at £74 and 80  which makes them more expensive fitted than the officially imported Tigar. All the same tread patterns  but different compounds 

  • viatorem
    viatorem Forum Participant Posts: 645
    edited February 2018 #24

    this company also has competitive prices if you want to get tyres fitted yourself

    https://www.camskill.co.uk/

     

     

  • Tuckton
    Tuckton Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited February 2018 #25

    i've always bought mine online from Blackcircles.com they are the cheapest giving you the overall price for the tyre, fitting, and delivery to the fitter chosen nearest to where you live.

    I bought 4 Toyo all terrain tyres for £220 last year 17" rims I'm sure they had 9" tread.

    Just take your vehicle in get the tyres fitted no extra money to pay you pay online. 

  • Tuckton
    Tuckton Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited February 2018 #26

    Should have said 9mm tread 

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2018 #27

    I use Black circle.  This year had my tyres check before our lakes/scotland tour and had enough meat on tyres for 4 to 5 thousand miles so thought I would leave changing till our return.  However it rained just about every day and standing water made the the car a little skittish.  Ordered new boots (grandtrek) from BC and had them delivered and fitted in Oban.  Good tyres, good price and great service from BC and the tyre fitters.  

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