Category Archives: Van tyres

Winter Tyres for Vans and Motorhomes

Van in Snow

 

Here at Winter Tyre Reviews we’re going to look at what’s available to keep your light commercial vehicle and motorhome safe on the roads this winter.

With our partner Tyremen, we have found the top five winter tyres to review for small vans, larger vans and motorhomes.

So we will start with the Vredestein Snowtrac Rein which is used on small vans such as the Nemo or Blipper.

Vredestein Snowtrac Rein

So what’s it like? A great little tyre ideally suited to small light vans when weight is an issue.

It’s directional tread pattern is ideally suited to the quick clearance of snow, slush and water during the cold, damp months. The tread blocks allow superb bite into winter surfaces for excellent acceleration and keeps the tread free of snow.

Giving increased grip and handling it gives the assurance of summer tyres during the warmer days. Braking is improved over standard tyres further increasing the safety of the driver and cargo!

With a fuel rating of E, a wet grip of C and noise level at 70db, (explained here) it’s the perfect choice for winter.

The perfect all rounder.

We rate at 9/10

Next on our list is the Hankook RW06

Hankook RW06

 

 

The Hankook RW06 is a mid-range, affordable winter tyre, specifically designed for a multitude of light commercial vehicles.

A robust wide tread pattern gives maximum contact area with the road, vastly improving handling, traction and braking in snowy, icy and wet conditions.

Manufactured with multiple sipes in the tread blocks, safe winter driving is assured.

This tyre does not have studs within the tread pattern and relies solely on the rubber compound and tread design, which we feel, works very well.

Fuel rating is F – G, Wet Grip E and Noise 73db.

We rate 9/10

Next on our list, the Bridgestone W800

W800

 

To give this tyre it’s full name, the Bridgestone Blizzak W800, a formidable looking tyre with some great properties.

It comes in rim sizes 14″ to 16″ and is a non-directional tread pattern. Again, this is a tyre for the commercial market and has proved popular with drivers and fleet owners.

A zig-zag sipe pattern within the tread blocks ensures great grip on acceleration, assured braking and all round handling properties.

A durable and comfortable drive, helps maintain stability of the vehicle keeping driver and cargo safe.

However, it rates badly for fuel usage, which a lot of winter tyres do, but this is the worst ratings.

So, Fuel F to G, Wet Grip B to E (only one tyre rates E the rest are B or C) and Noise 72db to 74db.

Therefore, we rate 7/10

We are now going to look at multifunctional winter tyres for commercial vehicles and motorhomes.

The Vredestein Comtrac Winter

Comtrac Winter

 

Vredestein are huge in Europe, and given that winters there can be far worse then in the UK, winter tyres are very popular.

Surprisingly, a lot of people on the continent love to go away in their motorhomes during the winter. Ski resorts are very popular and winter tyres are a legal requirement, which is why we have these.

A solid directional tread pattern with zig-zag sipes gives superb grip in all winter conditions and clears snow, slush and water quickly and effectively.

Stopping distances are reduced compared to summer tyres and acceleration is assured and responsive.

With a rubber compound designed to perform in colder conditions, this is the perfect multi-vehicle tyre for both commercial and motorhome.

With Fuel ratings between E and F, Wet Grip of E and Noise at 71db it is probably one of the best available.

We rate 9/10

Last on our list is the Continental Vanco Winter 2

Vanco Winter 2

 

Continental are a very popular premium brand, as you may have noticed from all the TV adverts during football games, and why not, do you get what you pay for?

Well, yes and no. They make great tyres but are sometimes a little expensive.

However, as one of the original suppliers of winter van tyres, they have led the way and this is why.

A superb tread pattern with directional sipes gives an assured performance in colder conditions.

Grip is constant and the tyre moves slush, snow and water from the tread quickly to ensure traction and braking is effective.

It is a genuine winter tyre and its ratings are, Fuel E, Wet Grip C and Noise 73db.

Due to it’s cost, we rate 8/10

For more information on tyre ratings, click here.

For more information, or to check the suitability for your vehicle, take a look at our partner, Tyremen’s website here, or call 08456 807808

Have you used winter van tyres? Please leave a comment or ask a question below, we always respond!

Thanks

The Winter Tyre Reviews Team

Vredestein Comtrac Winter

vredestein comtrac winterWinter tyre reviews, and our partner Tyremen, take a look at the Vredestein Comtrac winter van tyre here are the basics

Sizes available: 15″, 16″ & 17″

Speed ratings: R (106mph) T (118mph)

Suitable for: most commercial rated vans

Considering winter tyres for your van? Well finding out about which product to go far can be challenging. My site here promises to give a mix of personal opinion, customer feedback and tyre test reports, but unfortunately the latter wont be possible here. That is simply because the motoring magazines don’t bother with the commercial market, we need one of the commercial vehicle magazines to jump on this. However in the mean time lets concentrate on customer feedback and my experience with the product.

So who buys winter van tyres? Quite simply, lots & lots of people; van drivers that need to deliver year round to rural areas, self employed traders that can’t afford to not get to a job right through to the emergency services. In addition to drivers needing winter traction we also have supplied these to people that use their vans in semi off-road conditions. The directional tread pattern works great at clearing snow and slush, but the same principle allows the tyre to dig into mud, its particularly popular with camper van owners!

We get fantastic feedback from customers that have used the Comtrac Winter in all of the above conditions. A large percentage of users keep these tyres on year round. The Comtrac winter has a rubber compound that stays soft when the temperature drops, but this doesn’t means that it’s soft and will wear out quickly when used in the summer. Drivers get excellent longevity from the Comtrac Winter. More recently Vredestein have also launched the Comtrac All-Season which is a true all-season tyre and would offer similar performance to this tyre, although they are a bit expensive.

Our drivers have reported back and praised the winter performance they have had from these tyres. They really can make the difference between getting the van out of the drive or not.

Other winter van options? Further in-depth reviews to follow however:
Michelin Agilis Alpin – newest winter van on the market, great winter credentials, good longevity, but expensive
Continental Vanco Winter 2 – good product, not as hard wearing as the Vredestein
Hankook RW06 – mid-range in price, reasonable winter traction

Looking to buy? Tyremen are major stockists of the Comtrac Winter, cheap prices, good stocks and free delivery.

Have you used the Comtrac Winter? If so I’d love to hear your comments.

The Winter Tyres Review team