From 1 March, motorhome drivers keen to extend the camping season beyond the summer months have a new tyre option in the form of the Michelin CrossClimate Camping. By summer 2022 Michelin will offer the tyre in eight dimensions, a line-up that covers 99 per cent of the market.
In response to market demand, General Tire has introduced the first all-terrain tyre with a C-identification for campers and vans. This new tyre, part of the General Grabber AT3 range, is available in size 235/65 R16 C.
Not all motorhomes are ponderous wheeled boxes that slow traffic. Van-based campers, such as VW’s freshly-facelifted Transporter 6.1, deliver driving dynamics approaching those of saloons and SUVs – and require tyres that are up to the job. German specialist publication Promobil put the new VW T6.1 through its paces fitted with eight brands of size 235/55 R17 tyre – all reinforced ‘C’ (for commercial) models – and found a clear winner.
All-season tyres offer safety in a wide range of weather conditions and have gained a lot of traction within the passenger car segment. But what about campervans – is all-season a good choice of tyre for those hoping to squeeze in a belated post-lockdown holiday? Auto Bild Reisemobil fitted eight sets of all-season campervan tyres to a VW Crafter with a 600 kilogramme payload and put them through their paces to check performance in dry, wet and snowy conditions.
Campervan and caravan owners can choose from two new Maxxis tyres this year – the Campro MAC2 and Trailermaxx Eco.
Van and campervan tyres can lead hard lives. The vehicles they are fitted to are often driven fully loaded on poor roads and gravel surfaces. The tyres must bear the entire weight of the vehicle and provide safe and stable handling under all conditions. To give these products more strength, Nokian Tyres is now introducing its Aramid Sidewall technology into all Nokian van and campervan product lines. From 1 January 2018, it is present in the Nokian WR C3, cLine Van, cLine Cargo and Weatherproof C ranges. Nokian SUV tyres have been manufactured with aramid sidewalls for several years now, and in addition to the abovementioned products the material can be found in 15 Nokian tyre lines.
Promobil, a German magazine focusing on camping vehicles and accessories, has tested five size 235/65 R16 C/CP summer tyres. Various wet and dry tests were carried out at Continental’s Contidrom test facility in Germany. Promobil voted the Pirelli Carrier Camper the winner, however Continental’s Van-Contact 200 also received a “highly recommended” rating.
Not many tyre testing niches exist within AutoBild Group publications, and another one has now been filled: Testers have added a one-tonne load to a VW Crafter and tested seven size 235/65 R16C tyres on the laden vehicle. Two tyres – the Hankook Valtra LT and Pirelli’s new Carrier Camper – were voted test winners – and were rated “exemplary” along with Michelin’s Agilis+. Continental’s VancoCamper and Dunlop’s Econodrive occupied the mid-field with “satisfactory” ratings. Two tyres, the Firestone Vanhawk and the Nankang Passion CW-20, were rated “not recommended”.
Auto Bild Reisemobil