Kumho Road Venture AT51 vs BFG AT KO2 ?

[Vanagon Nut]

Hi all.

Searched "what tires fit" and the forum. Didn't find a whole lot of info on the Kumho AT51. Could be my keyword search terms but....

I've bought my Mefro 15" wheels and am deciding between the BFG AT KO2 or the Kumho AT51. I'm looking for a good snow rated tire (snow flake symbol) I can run all year but would be ok in muddy/wet.

According to tirerack.com the Kumho has a slightly deeper tread, and a higher load rating. (stronger sidewall?). I see a lot of folks running BFG AT KO tires. What am I missing? BFG tire tread is better for my purposes?

User input on the AT51 would be most welcome!

Neil.

Kumho

BFG

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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA

1988 West DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN

[vw4wd]

I am also looking at new tyres here in the UK. I have been running BF ATs (the older pattern) in 215/75x15 and am researching what alternatives should be considered.

I have also noted that the load ratings are a bit close to the limit on some tyres in that size. For instance, the BFGs are available as both 97 or 100 load rating. The 100 is 800kg (1760 lbs) per tyre and I would want to go much below that. For comparison, 97 is 725 kg (1600lbs). A syncro camper can easily be pushing the 2.5 tonne maximum vehicle weight.
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Garyd

1990 Transporter syncro camper with 2 litre AGG 'GTi' engine

[Vanagon Nut]

Thanks for the point regarding the BFG load rating options. Looking at tirerack.com, they explain why there's 2 different numbers shown for load index. (quoted below). I didn't know that.

"Real life" vehicle weight is certainly a consideration. Van-cafe offers the BFG AT KO2 as one tire option with their 15" wheel packages. The BFG has a C load rating and if I'm not mistaken, C load tire rating is shown on the Vanagon door pillar. Since the BFG/Kumho are a light truck tire, it doesn't have to be derated. Much has been written here on load ratings, derating etc. Check out Kamz "what tires fit" post.

Neil.

edited for clarity

"When looking at light truck (LT) or newer Special Trailer Service (ST) tires, there are two load indexes branded on the sidewall, separated by a forward slash. Using an LT235/75R15 104/101S Load Range C tire as an example, the load index is 104/101. 104 corresponds to 1,984 pounds, and 101 corresponds to 1,819 pounds. So what is the true load carrying capacity of the tire? The answer changes depending on the situation in which the tire is being used.

Since LT tires are commonly used on trucks with dual rear wheels, they are branded with two load indexes. The first number indicates the load carrying capacity if the tire is installed on a truck with a single-wheel rear axle, and the second number applies when the tire is used in a dual rear application.

Though it may seem counterintuitive that a tire is rated to carry less weight when working in tandem with another tire in the dual pair, the purpose is to build in additional reserve capacity should one of the two tires fail, leaving the sole remaining tire to carry the load normally handled by two tires."
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1981 Westy DIY 15º ABA

1988 West DIY 50º ABA

VE7TBN

[dougnlina]

Reviving an old thread, should probably be moved to the what tires fit sticky, I'll leave that up to the moderators.
My last tires were the BFG KO2s and I now have the Road Venture AT51s on my van, Both are the same size 215/75 R15s. I got about 25K miles out of the BFGs, which did not seem like a lot. I am now about 5000 miles into the Kumhos and I will do an update down the road once they wear out. I actually wanted to get another set of the BFGs but (long story short) my wife and I were traveling and they were not available in the correct size in a timely manner - so I ended up with the Kumhos.
Initial impressions: They are fine tires, ascetically a bit more of a "work truck" looking tire than an "off road" tire. I really liked the look of the aggressive tread on the sidewalls of the BFGs, the Kumhos do not have this. Noise level on the Kumhos is they are a bit quieter, but their "sound" is more like a zipper, more akin to the sound of going over a textured surface. So far they seem to be wearing well, maybe a bit better than the BFGs as the BFGs seemed to tear up the edges of the tread that was on the outsides of the front tires. The BFGs have a top PSI of 50 PSI, the Kumhos 60 PSI. I ran the BFGs at 45 PSI, I run the Kumhos at 50 PSI
I just returned from a Thanksgiving trip to death valley using the Kumhos, last time I was there was in 2018 with the BFGs. I feel Death valley is like the ultimate tire test. We did a bunch of aired-down washboard and rocky offroad travel. This years trip included driving into the Striped Butte valley and back out. 21 plus miles each way of hard travel. The vans clearance at times requires you to hug the side to keep the oil pan off the rocks so the tires are basically getting their sidewalls clawed at by sharp baby-head size rocks. I was a little worried that the Kumhos sidewalls would not stand up to the abuse but they did fine. Overall I was impressed with the tires, real good traction, and how well they held up. The traction in sand seemed to be on par with the traction I got from the BFGs as well. On the washboard, I think the BFGs did better aired down, the ride was more compliant, but not by a large factor. We just did some really bad washboard this time out and I can usually get going fast enough to smooth the ride out with the tires aired-down, but on some of the stuff this trip I was not able to get to that same comfort spot. It could have been that the washboard was just hellacious (it was), but the airing down trick just did not seem as effective in some situations with these tires. I have not had the Kumhos in snow or heavy rain yet.
So to sum things up, these are good tires, they have passed every test so far and I would not dissuade anyone from buying them. The more I use them the more I like them. There is a "BUTT" in there. This will seem shallow but I like the "macho" look of the BFGs better. I have had a fondness for the BFGs since my early fwd days and they will probably be my go to tire even though I suspect that these Kumhos are going to actually give me better service in the long run. Tires are kind of a personal thing. But I will say that the Kumho tires are real good tires that I will run on the van and get my moneys worth before changing. I will try to update this in a year or two when they wear out, but in general if you are thinking about these tires and they appeal to you I say go for it, they are good tires.
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"Olive" a '60 Ragtop Beetle
"Grover" a '87 Syncro Poptop 1.8T