Per my previous post, I installed a set of 205/65/15 Sentury Touring tires. These were about the cheapest tires in this size I could find. This was essentially an experiment to see how this size tire would work on my 2015 NV200. Tires were mounted on the stock steel rims and new TPM sensors installed. I currently have 60,304 miles on my van. I have put 4,300 miles on the new tires. Here's my thoughts, analysis, and observations.
1. My van typically runs a light to medium load. This tire size seems to be a great choice for me so far. The ride is ridiculously better than the stock tires. The van feels so much more sure footed in all situations including some of the dirt roads I run. Van sits nearly an inch higher so a little extra much needed ground clearance.
2. Initially I thought my mpg may suffer but the opposite has been the case. I checked mpg (miles/gal-not computer) through four tanks of gas. I obtained anywhere from 1/2 to 1 1/2 mpg better fuel economy. I ranged from 26 1/2 mpg to 28 mpg. I run mostly two lane country roads at 55-70 mph. Rough guess is 80% cruising 20% city driving.
3. Acceleration did suffer but it is minimal and only noticed under pedal to the metal situations. NV200's are not fast to start with.
4. Tires do not rub anything under any circumstances so there's no clearance issues at all. The ruts, bumps, and potholes are subdued somewhat with the large diameter and taller sidewalls.
Conclusion - I am extremely happy with these tires installed on my van. They are wearing fine and when I finally wear them out will most likely replace with the same size but a higher quality tire. I'll give another update down the road but so far so good.
I built a set of roof racks for my van. I had scrap metal left over from previous projects. I purchased the tubing. Like most of the junk I build, they are overbuilt. Tubing is 1" OD with .120" walls. Angle and flat are 3/16" thick and base plates are pieces of commercial lawn mower blades (no longer sharpenable) cut to size. The bend in them gets the base off the van top. I glued 1/8" thick neoprene rubber to the bottoms and used pvc caps on the end of the tubes. I made the tailpiece so I could throw up whatever material I'm loading and not damage the body/doors/roof. I could drill holes in the uprights if I ever needed a box or similar setup. Just got tired of not being able to haul anything 8' or longer and having to use one of my other vehicles. If I did not have everything but the tubing, I would have built a different design. These will hold more weight than my roof and pretty much anything I'll ever stack on it. There is a little more wind noise, not enough to bother me, and a slight reverberation in the roof/sidewall of the van. Hopefully the pics uploaded.
1. My van typically runs a light to medium load. This tire size seems to be a great choice for me so far. The ride is ridiculously better than the stock tires. The van feels so much more sure footed in all situations including some of the dirt roads I run. Van sits nearly an inch higher so a little extra much needed ground clearance.
2. Initially I thought my mpg may suffer but the opposite has been the case. I checked mpg (miles/gal-not computer) through four tanks of gas. I obtained anywhere from 1/2 to 1 1/2 mpg better fuel economy. I ranged from 26 1/2 mpg to 28 mpg. I run mostly two lane country roads at 55-70 mph. Rough guess is 80% cruising 20% city driving.
3. Acceleration did suffer but it is minimal and only noticed under pedal to the metal situations. NV200's are not fast to start with.
4. Tires do not rub anything under any circumstances so there's no clearance issues at all. The ruts, bumps, and potholes are subdued somewhat with the large diameter and taller sidewalls.
Conclusion - I am extremely happy with these tires installed on my van. They are wearing fine and when I finally wear them out will most likely replace with the same size but a higher quality tire. I'll give another update down the road but so far so good.
I built a set of roof racks for my van. I had scrap metal left over from previous projects. I purchased the tubing. Like most of the junk I build, they are overbuilt. Tubing is 1" OD with .120" walls. Angle and flat are 3/16" thick and base plates are pieces of commercial lawn mower blades (no longer sharpenable) cut to size. The bend in them gets the base off the van top. I glued 1/8" thick neoprene rubber to the bottoms and used pvc caps on the end of the tubes. I made the tailpiece so I could throw up whatever material I'm loading and not damage the body/doors/roof. I could drill holes in the uprights if I ever needed a box or similar setup. Just got tired of not being able to haul anything 8' or longer and having to use one of my other vehicles. If I did not have everything but the tubing, I would have built a different design. These will hold more weight than my roof and pretty much anything I'll ever stack on it. There is a little more wind noise, not enough to bother me, and a slight reverberation in the roof/sidewall of the van. Hopefully the pics uploaded.
