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I pilfered this picture from a for sale ad, same tires though. |
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Sunday, April 3, 2011
14" Truck Tires
My Camper Van has 14 inch wheels, and calls for a reinforced truck tire in order to handle the weight, wind, and other qualities associated with sliding a brick down the highway. Twenty years ago, many trucks and vans had 14" wheels, but as time passed, most vehicles began to climb up to 15, 16, 17, 18 inches and beyond. While the VW can be "upgraded", it's not a cheap undertaking. The bolt pattern (5x112) is not too common, and many modern rims with that pattern have a different offset triggering the need for spacers and longer bolts. Additionally, in many cases the center hole is too small and requires enlarging. All of this helped me to decide to seek out a 14 inch truck tire. Canadian Tire recently discontinued the only model that came close to meeting the load requirements. Kijiji to the rescue. Boss Tire in Moncton has a "Westy-Aware" staff member, and accordingly carries an affordable and appropriately rated tire. It's a Hercules G4000LT in a 185R14 flavor with a "D" Load Rating (102/100). Compared to special ordering one of the rare and expensive alternatives, $89 a tire is hard to beat...now to get them on...