Continental Van Contact 100 225/70 R15 112R C summer tires

[mentaliss]

anyone using these tyres? if so whats the verdict.....( note the 112R load rating)... Continental tyres according to many reviews outscore Michelins camper tyres..unfortunately I need the higher rated tyre :'(

[Keithl]

Hi Larry,

 

I can't comment on the Van Contact 100 but how about Vanco 2? They also rated at 112R.

 

I've been running mine now for about 18 months and find them great and noticeably quieter than the old Continental Vanco 8PR that they replaced and also very good on wet grass (although our MH is rear wheel drive).

 

The price seems to vary considerably but my local independent, family run tyre dealer got them for me at a price to match the best on-line.

 

Keith.

[mentaliss]

Thanks Keith

seriously considered the Vanco 2 until Continental told me there no longer available :'(

 

 

sorry, should have mentioned that I'm looking for the original Vanco 2.....load of 115

[Keithl]

Sorry but don't understand your reply.

 

What Load Index are you actually looking for?

 

Keith.

[mentaliss]

The original vanco 2 was 225/ 70 R15 and the load rating of 115 was available in the size tyre ;-)

[Keithl]

I think you will find it was actually a double rating on that specific size of the Vanco 2.

 

Have a look at this Continental Tyres download booklet... Link

 

If you look at Page 22 you will see that the standard LI (Load Index) for a 225/70 R15 is 112R which means it can support an individual weight of 1,120 kg (or an axle weight of 2,240 kg) up to a maximum speed of 106 mph. (Note the 110R refers to use on a twin rear wheel set up).

Then it has a bracketed LI of 115N which means it can also be used to support a weight of 1,215 kg (an axle weight of 2,430 kg) BUT at a reduced maximum speed of 87 mph.

See page 7 for Speed Index and page 8 for Load Index ratings.

 

The question now is whether the Van Contact 100 can be run at the reduced speed Load Index of 115N as Continentals on-line product range guide Link only states the 112/110R Load Index for a Van Contact 100.

 

A call or email to Continental may be the best way to answer this question.

 

Keith.

[Derek Uzzell]

mentaliss

 

As Keith says, the standard Load Index (LI) of a 225/70 R15C tyre is 112 and (referring to your earlier postings about uprating your motorhome's axle-loadings) it would seem that you had no need for tyres with a higher LI.

 

"Vanco 2" still seems to be available in 225/70 R15C size via the Oponeo website if that's what you want

 

http://www.oponeo.co.uk/tyre-finder/van-tyres-continental-225-70-r15

 

A 225/70 R15C Michelin Agilis Camping (although having the same 112 LI) MIGHT provide more overloading tolerance and should be obtainable at around £100. Or you could opt for Hankook's Vantra LT RA18 for around £75.

 

(I doubt you'll get any owner-feedback regarding "Van Contact 100" as it's a relatively new product. It seems to be reasonably priced and the technical information on Continental's website suggests it would be suitable for motorhome usage.)

[CPeachey]

Just had these fitted.

CONTINENTAL - VANCONTACT 100

205/70R15R

Quantity: 5 Total: £529.00 inc VAT

Total items: 5 Total: £504.00 inc VAT

From E-Tyres

I e-mailed Conti asking for the recomendation for replacing the original 9yr old Vanco's and had this reply.....

Thank you for contacting us

With regards to your query I can Advise you the best recommended tyre for

your vehicle application is the Continental ContiVanContact 100, this tyre

is the latest in our van range, it has better wet grip and fuel efficiency

with a lower external noise grade.

The recommended tyre pressures for the amount of weight carried are as

follows :

 

205/70 R15 106R Continental ContiVanContact 100

Front Axle @ 1530 kg = 3.50 bar / 50.7 psi

Rear Axle @ 1250 kg = 3.00 bar / 43.5 psi

(have put 52psi front and 50psi rear)

 

I have only driven "round the block" so far but they did seem a lot quieter, (but would any new tyres be quieter?)

 

I chose these as I could not see any reason to pay more for stronger tyres that MY van did not need.

[Derek Uzzell]

Regarding your comment - "I have only driven "round the block" so far but they did seem a lot quieter, (but would any new tyres be quieter?)" - Yes, one should expect a brand-new tyre to be significantly quieter than the tyre it replaces until the smooth shiny outer surface of the tread has worn off. Similarly, until the tread has 'roughened up', one should expect significantly reduced braking performance.

 

The EU tyre-label data for the tyres you bought (B/B/72bB) suggests that they should provide good fuel economy, good braking performance on wet roads, and an average external noise level.

 

For mentaliss, who is planning to run 225/70 R15C tyres near to their recommended maximum axle-load 2240kg limit on his motorhome, the logical approach would be to choose a 'camping-car' tyre as this will have been designed for exactly that purpose - being operated continuously close to its maximum design-loading. Currently, there is only one 'camping car' pattern marketed in that size - Michelin's "Agilis Camping". I'm inclined to say that tyre choice for metaliss is a 'no-brainer' - any tyre except "Agilis Camping" will not have been specifically designed for the type of operation he has in mind and won't have the potential to be inflated to the high pressure that "Agilis Camping" can handle and, indeed, that Michelin advises should be used.

[mentaliss]

Derek Uzzell - 2014-05-08 9:08 AM

 

Regarding your comment - "I have only driven "round the block" so far but they did seem a lot quieter, (but would any new tyres be quieter?)" - Yes, one should expect a brand-new tyre to be significantly quieter than the tyre it replaces until the smooth shiny outer surface of the tread has worn off. Similarly, until the tread has 'roughened up', one should expect significantly reduced braking performance.

 

The EU tyre-label data for the tyres you bought (B/B/72bB) suggests that they should provide good fuel economy, good braking performance on wet roads, and an average external noise level.

 

For mentaliss, who is planning to run 225/70 R15C tyres near to their recommended maximum axle-load 2240kg limit on his motorhome, the logical approach would be to choose a 'camping-car' tyre as this will have been designed for exactly that purpose - being operated continuously close to its maximum design-loading. Currently, there is only one 'camping car' pattern marketed in that size - Michelin's "Agilis Camping". I'm inclined to say that tyre choice for metaliss is a 'no-brainer' - any tyre except "Agilis Camping" will not have been specifically designed for the type of operation he has in mind and won't have the potential to be inflated to the high pressure that "Agilis Camping" can handle and, indeed, that Michelin advises should be used.

 

 

Hi Derek

Its nice to be infamous :-D I do respect your knowledge of my situation and your very helpful posts however I'm not convinced that the Michelin Agilis Camper tyre is superior to the Cont' no, Im certainly not a tyre expert but I don't believe that most of the poster's in my original topic were either.

Most reviews I have read always puts the Cont' qualities above the Mich' , I have from my research found no evidence that the Mich' tyre is superior than the Cont', the load ratings are the same as is the ply rating, its also interesting when I discussed these points ( payload/ Tyres) with Gareth at SVTECH he recommended the Cont' Vanco 100 which he claimed had a load rating of 115..... needless to say I wasn't able to source these tyres.

What I do find disconcerting is the fact that when one rings Mich' Tech they always end up telling their customers to inflate (camper tyres) to the max 80psi (?) (?) uh! so whats the point of weighing individual axle's if the tyre manufacture can't be specific when asked what the tyre pressures should be........ from my own previous experience with Cont' they were able to give me exactly what pressures I should apply to my two previous vans, that I do find reassuring

:-)

kind regards, mentaliss

[Keithl]

Larry (Mentaliss),

 

I would not have any problems with running Conti 112R rated tyres at your axle loads, personal preference you understand and nothing overly technical although I went into this issue in great detail after buying our MH and finding it was plated at 3,800 kg rather than the Merc standard of 3,500 kg.

 

As I have said earlier I changed our tyres 18 months ago for Vanco 2 of the exact same size and LI as original fitment and, like you, I run them at near their limit but I have checked pressure versus load ratings very carefully and ensure the pressures are correct before any journey and am perfectly happy with them.

 

Yes you could argue that CP or 'Camping' tyres MAY be better but no-one has convinced me yet that they are actually any better and, as there is NO standard relating to their manufacture and load carrying ability, I'm afraid I personally see them as another overpriced accessory.

 

My opinion for what it's worth, at the end of the day it's your MH and your money!

 

Keith.

 

PS I have a Load versus Pressure graph for 225/70 R15 112R Conti tyres containing data from both TyreSafe and Conti if you would like a copy.

[mentaliss]

Keith

yes please, is that a PM then??

 

many thanks for your thoughts and I do agree, until there is engineering/ structural tested evidence behind Mich' claims regarding their 'camper tyres' then I will stay sceptic to their claims :-S

[Keithl]

mentaliss - 2014-05-08 8:39 PM

 

Keith

yes please, is that a PM then??

 

Success! I managed to attach it for anyone who wants a copy!

 

Please note that it only applies to 225/70 R15 112R Tyres.

 

Keith.

Tyre Pressures v Axle Load.xlsx

[Derek Uzzell]

Keithl - 2014-05-08 6:27 PM

 

...Yes you could argue that CP or 'Camping' tyres MAY be better but no-one has convinced me yet that they are actually any better and, as there is NO standard relating to their manufacture and load carrying ability, I'm afraid I personally see them as another overpriced accessory....

 

It's not a question of whether 'camping-car' tyres are generally better than 'white-van' tyres for motorhomes, it's whether Michelin "Agilis Camping" in 225/70 R15C size would be the most rational choice for Larry's Dethleff's Advantage in view of the information he has provided in his earlier postings.

 

Despite there being no technical standard for CP-marked tyres, it takes little research to prove that, in 8-ply-rated form (which, with one size-exception, camping-car tyres all are) there is a significant difference between a CP-marked tyre and its white-van equivalent.

 

This difference is revealed in the maximum inflation-pressure that the tyre is designed to handle, with CP-marked tyres being inflatable to 5.5bar (80psi), whereas 8PR white-van tyres have an advised pressure limit of around 4.5bar (65psi). A CP-marked tyre has the characteristics of a 10PR tyre (designed to be inflated to a high pressure) and it's reasonable to assume that it shares a 10PR tyre's load-carrying capabilities. As Michelin used to advise regarding their 'camping-car' tyre products, they are "8PR-marked tyres offering a 10PR load-carrying performance".

 

I explored this with Michelin in 2002, when I was considering whether I should fit 225/70 R15C "XC Camping" (the only camping-car tyre then available) or "Agilis 81" to my Herald motorhome.

 

Michelin advised as follows

 

"XC Camping has heavily braced construction, designed to run at higher pressures (up to 80psi) than Agilis. It is durable with long life. The 'logic' attached to XC Camping relates to its tougher construction should one be in the habit of running very close to the maximum vehicle axle weight limits.. Should the 'running condition' be known, in the form of axle weights obtained via a weighbridge and be well within the the vehicle's stated limits, then one may wish to benefit from the wider availability (hence potentially more competitive price) and 'M+S' capabilities of Agilis."

 

The reality, in Larry's case, is that he has been compelled to increase his motorhome's rear tyres from the standard 215/70 R15C size to 225/70 R15C because the vehicle's measured rear-axle loading was well beyond the 2060kg maximum allowed by the 109 Load Index of the former tyre-size. However (as I said in this earlier thread)

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/cheapest-way-to-increase-the-payload-weight-of-a-3-5kg-motorhome/34398/

 

"...Moving from 2000kg to 2210kg would mean that 225/70 R15C tyres with a Load Index of 112 (2240kg) would still be close to their design maximum and I don't think 15"-diameter motorhome-suitable tyres are available with an above-112 Load Index. It's likely that moving to, say, a 2240kg rear-axle limit would also involve adding air-assistance and, as AGD points out, this would place extra weight on the rear axle."

 

Once Larry's Dethleffs motorhome has been uprated as SVTech has recommended and he has played about with transferring load away from the rear axle where practicable, the motothome is still going to be operating continuously with a rear-axle loading approaching a 225/70 R15C tyre's designated load-carrying maximum. This scenario is (as Michelin told me in 2002) what a 'camping-car' tyre is designed to handle. And, as the only camping-car tyre-pattern currently marketed in 225/70 R15C size is "Agilis Camping", that's the rational choice.

 

These two earlier threads cover a fair amount of tyre-related ground and it will be seen from the first thread that (after protracted discussion/argument) Tracker eventually settled for 225/70 R15CP Agilis Camping tyres when his motorhome was replated to provide increased load-carrying capability.

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Tyre-Types-and-pressures/29031/

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Autosleeper-Symbol-Tyres/31891/#M378978

 

At some point the talking has to stop and Larry will need to commit to a particular make/type of tyre. I'd choose "Agilis Camping" because everything tells me it's the logical choice and there's no direct alternative in the tyre-size required. If Larry chooses otherwise, that's his prerogative.

[Keithl]

Derek Uzzell - 2014-05-09 8:25 AM

 

At some point the talking has to stop and Larry will need to commit to a particular make/type of tyre. I'd choose "Agilis Camping" because everything tells me it's the logical choice and there's no direct alternative in the tyre-size required. If Larry chooses otherwise, that's his prerogative.

 

Keithl - 2014-05-08 6:27 PM

 

My opinion for what it's worth, at the end of the day it's your MH and your money!

 

Keith.

 

Derek,

 

Exactly how I finished my post, Larry has to make his own decision.

 

The only thing I would add, as has previously been pointed out, is that Vanco 2 tyres are double rated and have a higher LI of 115N at a reduced SI of 87 mph so are adequately capable of carrying the loads mentioned. Whether Van Contact 100 are double rated has not yet been ascertained.

 

Keith.

[mentaliss]

update;

 

Started fitting the Air assisters today, fitted rivet nuts in third cross member made up strengthening plate welded it onto the cross member, under sealed the area, will fit the spare wheel into position Sat'............

[Derek Uzzell]

Keithl - 2014-05-09 8:36 AM

 

Derek Uzzell - 2014-05-09 8:25 AM

 

At some point the talking has to stop and Larry will need to commit to a particular make/type of tyre. I'd choose "Agilis Camping" because everything tells me it's the logical choice and there's no direct alternative in the tyre-size required. If Larry chooses otherwise, that's his prerogative.

 

Keithl - 2014-05-08 6:27 PM

 

My opinion for what it's worth, at the end of the day it's your MH and your money!

 

Keith.

 

Derek,

 

Exactly how I finished my post, Larry has to make his own decision.

 

The only thing I would add, as has previously been pointed out, is that Vanco 2 tyres are double rated and have a higher LI of 115N at a reduced SI of 87 mph so are adequately capable of carrying the loads mentioned. Whether Van Contact 100 are double rated has not yet been ascertained.

 

Keith.

 

If you refer to Continental's 2013-2014 Technical Databook, you'll find that all Continental 'van' tyres in 225/70 R15C size (including "Van Contact 100") are 'double-rated', with a 115 Load Index/140kmh speed-limit being possible rather than the standard 112 LI/170kmh.

 

But the 115 Load Index is linked to a 7J wheel-rim and, as Larry's motorhome was fitted with 215/70 profile tyres (almost certainly 'camping-car' tyres originally) it very likely has 6.5J rims. If his motorhome has 7"-width rims he could exploit Continental's 115 LI/140kmh option: if it has a narrower rims he cannot.

[Robinhood]

Derek Uzzell - 2014-05-10 8:45 AM

 

If you refer to Continental's 2013-2014 Technical Databook, you'll find that all Continental 'van' tyres in 225/70 R15C size (including "Van Contact 100") are 'double-rated', with a 115 Load Index/140kmh speed-limit being possible rather than the standard 112 LI/170kmh.

 

But the 115 Load Index is linked to a 7J wheel-rim and, as Larry's motorhome was fitted with 215/70 profile tyres (almost certainly 'camping-car' tyres originally) it very likely has 6.5J rims. If his motorhome has 7"-width rims he could exploit Continental's 115 LI/140kmh option: if it has a narrower rims he cannot.

 

....I have to say, Derek, that the interpretation of the data for load index and rim size in said document is rather less than clear.

 

If one tends to your interpretation of the various values, however, I think it would be more likely (because of the dividing line in the load-index column), that the dual-index rating of 115 applies to both 6.5J and 7J rims (but not to 6J).

 

Reference to the values for other tyre sizes would appear to support this interpretation, but as I say, it is far from clear.

 

 

[Derek Uzzell]

Robinhood - 2014-05-10 9:18 AM

 

Derek Uzzell - 2014-05-10 8:45 AM

 

If you refer to Continental's 2013-2014 Technical Databook, you'll find that all Continental 'van' tyres in 225/70 R15C size (including "Van Contact 100") are 'double-rated', with a 115 Load Index/140kmh speed-limit being possible rather than the standard 112 LI/170kmh.

 

But the 115 Load Index is linked to a 7J wheel-rim and, as Larry's motorhome was fitted with 215/70 profile tyres (almost certainly 'camping-car' tyres originally) it very likely has 6.5J rims. If his motorhome has 7"-width rims he could exploit Continental's 115 LI/140kmh option: if it has a narrower rims he cannot.

 

....I have to say, Derek, that the interpretation of the data for load index and rim size in said document is rather less than clear.

 

If one tends to your interpretation of the various values, however, I think it would be more likely (because of the dividing line in the load-index column), that the dual-index rating of 115 applies to both 6.5J and 7J rims (but not to 6J).

 

Reference to the values for other tyre sizes would appear to support this interpretation, but as I say, it is far from clear.

 

 

Fair enough.

 

Let's forget the 7"-rim and say instead

 

"All Continental 'van' tyres in 225/70 R15C size (including "Van Contact 100") are 'double-rated', with a 115 Load Index/140kmh speed-limit being possible rather than the standard 112 LI/170kmh. To exploit the 115 LI option, higher inflation pressures would be required as shown in Continental's Technical Databook."

 

 

[Robinhood]

The page referenced here confirms that the newer ContiVancontact 100 (225/70 R15C) is indeed dual-rated much like the older Vanco2 in the same size.

 

http://www.continental-tires.com/www/tires_de_en/themes/van-tires/summer-tires/contivancontact-100.html?page=4