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Tires question...

10398 Views 13 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  USN_RET_OLD1
I'm looking to get the NV200 not for business, but for recreation; to keep all my gear in there (bikes etc.) and to have a place to sleep/camp in.

But is it really true that the tires only last 15,000 miles and cannot be purchased anywhere but the dealer for about $200 each?

If so that is crazy and could be a deal breaker for me. I really like the van otherwise, looks and feature-wise...
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Yes pretty much true. I have been in contact with the tire manufacturer ( due to a youtube video I posted slamming the tires ) and I am meeting them next week. I have heard of cases where the tires are worn out in actually 10K. Nissan knows there is a problem yet due to the layers Nissan buys the tires from the Tire maker then re- sells them to the actual dealership which then marks the *#%*^# out of the price which for the consumer ends up 140-150 per tire. Nissan corporate which is in my town has actually had the local service department take the vans down to the local truckstop to have them weighed on a truck scale trying to claim - oh you are over weight - nope they werent. I can tell you that the 205 tires for the transit connect work fine on the van and will be about 50.00 cheaper per tire. Evidently the tire company specked out a 205 and Nissan originally said no which is why the 185 tire. The tire manufacturer has actually been great as far as reaching out to me and suggests I may be a beta tester for them.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzJR2_7gyOg&google_comment_id=z12qvpzjgsbehfc2223kgbpxozegetbmf&google_view_type#gpluscomments
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Myke, I thought the dealer was crazy in what they charged for those wheel barrow tires. I went the more economical/aesthetically pleasing route with 16" wheels/tires.

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10k, that just crazy. Good luck with the testing, hopefully we will get more options...

The 16" wheels look like a good solution. Although having to get new wheels for a brand new vehicle bugs me. But could be an option...
The only reason you would need that same tire is if you are going to haul the kind of weight it is designed for. Any tire that size will work fine. I talked with a bakery that had one and the first thing they did was get a Michelin tire that was the same size. They wanted a smoother ride for hauling their cakes.
We recently bought a used 2013 NV200 and with only 20K miles on it were suspicious as to why the dealer (not a Nissan dealer) had put new tires on it. After some surfing I've found the reason (no doubt the originals were badly worn) and this forum has the best information I've yet found about replacements.

The dealer put Kelly Explorer Plus 185/60R15 M+S on it, which are rated 84T and so I know the load rating is cut in half to 750lbs. We're fine with that (we bought it for light recreational use) but I'm somewhat dismayed that the dealer would put these tires on and not warn the buyers (us!) that the GVWR has changed and the door sticker PSI recommendations are wrong (these Kellys are max 44PSI).

Maybe these wheels/tires will work just fine for us but I'm interested in alternatives and wonder about these things:

1. AFAICT the 185 number is the tire width, and the 60 number is the ratio. Is there a reason I see no one discussing a higher profile/

2. When the diameter of the wheel changes it affects the speedo. Does anyone here know if the NV200's speedo can be "calibrated"?

3. I assume the wussy wheels on this thing are selected for size & weight in order to improve the MPG. Could the weight of larger tires be offset by lighter i.e. aluminum rims?

I'm no expert in truck/car/van tires so would love to hear some feedback even if these are dumb questions!

TIA and glad to have found this forum!
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^^Hey man, OP here...

I don't know the technical aspects of tires and what not but I wonder if not using a properly rated tire could cause safety concerns. That is my issue anyway...

I don't know the answer to your questions, but hopefully others will chime in!
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This is the only bug with my 200

my van is never at full load ( used as a carpet upholstery van )

so does this mean i can look at none C rated tires ?

My 200 has now done 15,000 miles and tires are now needing changed

My van



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^^Hey man, OP here...

I don't know the technical aspects of tires and what not but I wonder if not using a properly rated tire could cause safety concerns. That is my issue anyway...

I don't know the answer to your questions, but hopefully others will chime in!
Well as panemo opines it seems any 185/60R15 tire ought to work, providing you observe the PSI and load ratings. In my case I shudder to think that some less-suspecting person might have bought our NV200 and loaded it down to exceed the Kelly's GWVR.

When I look-up the Kelly tire they list the weight capacity at 1,102lbs. So if I calculate 4x1102 and then subtract the Curb Weight of the NV200 which is 3255lbs I get a load carrying capacity of 1,153lbs. Given my typical load will be <700lbs it seems I am loading these tires to less than 60% of their capacity.

I hope this is right because I will be carrying my FAMILY together in the vehicle for cross-country trips and would hate to suffer a blowout from inadequate tires.... :eek:
Well myke232 I see it's just You & Me in this thread isn't it. I'd hoped for some community input...

Anyway FYI I did find a retailer called Big O Tires that carries a Continental tire, the Vanco Connect, that is rated C (commercial) and load rating 94 so it appears to be the same Load Rating at least of the Nissan-dealer tires.

http://bigotires.com/Tire-Results/2013/Nissan/NV200/SV

Unfortunately they have no dealers in my area but maybe you live in their territory. I do think that more tires will appear on the market as the NV200 gains more market share and also that Chevrolet is private-labeling the NV200.
I am in the UK

van now has 15,000 miles , today i have binned the Good Year tyres as they are now illegal

replaced with Falken reinforced rather than a C grade van tyre.

will let you know what i think.
Well myke232 I see it's just You & Me in this thread isn't it. I'd hoped for some community input...

Anyway FYI I did find a retailer called Big O Tires that carries a Continental tire, the Vanco Connect, that is rated C (commercial) and load rating 94 so it appears to be the same Load Rating at least of the Nissan-dealer tires.

http://bigotires.com/Tire-Results/2013/Nissan/NV200/SV

Unfortunately they have no dealers in my area but maybe you live in their territory. I do think that more tires will appear on the market as the NV200 gains more market share and also that Chevrolet is private-labeling the NV200.
Cool, that's a great find. First one I've seen that has all the same specs. There are no stores in my area either, maybe they ship. At least it's a good start. Yeah, hopefully there will be more options available.

If the factory tires only lasted 15k miles and there were other options to choose from, it wouldn't bother me. But only lasting 15k and having no other options is ridiculous!
Well, there are "other options" like my Kellys if you don't need the GVWR. You had said you were looking at the NV200 for recreational purposes not commercial, so maybe like me the non-C tires might be OK.

OTOH I'm amazed to see some of the RV-type conversions for the NV200, mostly across the Pond it seems. I would think any of these would demand MUCH BETTER rims and tires than even OEM.
Good tires for NV 200

My front tires wore out at 22K. My stock rear tires are going strong. I replaced my fronts with "Sumitomo Tour Plus LST" Tire Category: Passenger Size: 185/60R15 Speed Rating: T UTQG: 700AB Load Index: 84 Ply Rating: SL Warranty Miles: 90000 Miles. from "NTB" for $75.00.
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