If you don’t want to spend a fortune on new tires try these…

[KatieZ]

Finally getting rid of the lousy original Continentals on the rear of our Sprinter. Did not want to spend upwards of $250 each on new tires like most of them are nowadays! Found these Accelera Epsilons for $96 each on Amazon with free delivery. Recently got them installed ($291.00) and so far they are outstanding. Quieter than the Continentals and seem to have a real smooth ride. Thankfully these are not China bombs, they are made in Indonesia which is fine by me.

[Mollysdad]

Every tire has a code beyond the date code which allows the buyer to look up the country, city, and factory that made the tires. It takes a little Google Sleuthing but it's not that hard.

[3OnOurWay]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

Every tire has a code beyond the date code which allows the buyer to look up the country, city, and factory that made the tires. It takes a little Google Sleuthing but it's not that hard.

Thanks for posting that. Didn’t know.

[Sav'h Steve]

Common knowledge: When I buy new tires (bunch of vehicles) I always look at the date of manufacture as Mollysdad points out.

What I didn't know is that the country of origin is in the DOT code. NICE.

[Runamuk13]

Interesting!
Mollysdad - please post a link to the website you reference.
Thanks

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Runamuk13

Interesting!
Mollysdad - please post a link to the website you reference.
Thanks

https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/mid/

[Saullman]

I wasn't aware that 'Indonesia' manufacturing processes are any different from 'China'

[waninae39]

cheap tires are just cheap tires

you get what you pay for
stick to name brands, as they have better products and real warrantees

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by waninae39

cheap tires are just cheap tires

you get what you pay for
stick to name brands, as they have better products and real warrantees

Not to mention a cheap tire can end up costing much more in the long run, in more than one way.

[pmckitrick]

Definitely not an area where I want to be thrifty.

[amgostick]

As the financial guys like to say "Your Mileage May Vary"

Post back in a few years what your experience has been.

[Tireman9]

Originally Posted by KatieZ

Finally getting rid of the lousy original Continentals on the rear of our Sprinter. Did not want to spend upwards of $250 each on new tires like most of them are nowadays! Found these Accelera Epsilons for $96 each on Amazon with free delivery. Recently got them installed ($291.00) and so far they are outstanding. Quieter than the Continentals and seem to have a real smooth ride. Thankfully these are not China bombs, they are made in Indonesia which is fine by me.

Have you read the tire sidewall to see if those tires have Nylon cap ply over the steel belts? Not including the Nylon is one way to cut cost and of course reduce durability.

[DaveG]

Questions: In general I wonder if budget tires are actually less expensive than premium? A Sprinter can really work a tire. Are the Accelera Epsilons rated well for stopping and gripping the road when wet? In other words are they a good match for a heavily loaded tall Sprinter?

[GeorgeKG]

You saved $600 by buying cheap tires for a van that will cost over $250k to replace if there is a significant tire related accident. That math doesn't add up to me.

[wwwtractor]

Went with 4 Michelin Agilis CrossClimate 0071B7EB00BX1624 for the back and am happy so far. Plan to replace the front with them when worn. They ride a little softer.

[KatieZ]

I can’t say what the difference might be between Indonesia and China tire manufacturing but everyone knows that Chinese tires suck. I won’t purchase them

[KatieZ]

The Continentals sucked and the worst tires I ever owned were Michelins so……..

[crispyboy]

Originally Posted by KatieZ

The Continentals sucked and the worst tires I ever owned were Michelins so……..

Since when have Continental or Michelin been bad tires? Maybe a one off bad tire but in general these are considered top shelf products.


Good luck.........

[ylwjacket]

Not sure of all the venom here at the OP. It's America - if she wants to try some cheaper tires, then so be it. If there are any specific pointed known issues with the brand she chose, maybe we could point that out, as opposed to slamming the choice.

Katie - the only reviews I saw online said they might slip in rain. So, be careful the first few times out in the wet until you get a sense of how they perform.

If you get a chance, post back after some inclement weather, and a few hundred or thousand miles to update us.

As for Continentals and Michelins: not on camper vans, but i have had some of each on performance cars and off-road trucks, and haven't noticed them being any better than anything else. The Continentals I had wore out fast, and I changed them as soon as I could.

All tires and brands have sweet spots in their applications, and a blanket statement about all situations isn't useful.

I have my first camper van, and I'll do like I do with anything, and research the heck out of tire options before replacing them.

Katie - might want to baby them a bit since there isn't much info on this application, until you get a feel for them.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Sav'h Steve

What I didn't know is that the country of origin is in the DOT code. NICE.

One detail. DOT does not mandate the code be shown on both sides. So you might find it inside but not outside. Boooo.