Tires for G1500 AWD van?

[zuren]

I just picked up a 2005 Chevy 1500 AWD van and tires will be the first order of business. The intended use of the van is a weekend, and sometimes extended, campervan that won't be nearly as heavy as a Sportsmobile (more like a VW Westy; sleeping, storage, etc.). It will see little to no towing. It will probably see ~7500 mi./yr. of mostly pavement but also gravel, fire/forest service roads, 2-tracks if possible (for camping, hunting, fishing).

Can anyone comment on the Firestone Destination A/T and BFG All-Terrain T/As?

Firestone Destination T/A

BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A

My experience with BFG tires has not been good (loud, uneven wear, wore out quickly) but I know many run them here and I was using Traction T/A car tires; maybe the truck tires are different. The Firestones get better reviews and are cheaper. Just wondering if anyone has any real-world experience?

The current tires on the van are 245/75-16 so I'm looking at 265/70-16 and 275/70-16 in the D weight range. D-rated tires should be more than enough for this van.

Thanks!

 

[RocKrawler]

Having run both I'd recommend the Firestones. Disclaimer that they have been on lighter vehicles, but very impressed with ride, tracking on wet/dry/bumpy pavement, dirt/snow traction, much quieter than the BFG's. I had them on my LX450 and still have them on my daughters 4wd Ranger. Got them on sale for huge savings and would not hesitate to run them again. Although many prople run BFG and love them, I'm not one of those guys and would not buy a set unless it was a street only rig, and they were the absolute cheapest option (which they never are). Being an MT guy and having limited first hand experience with AT tires on my personal rigs, the Firestone would be my first choice of tires I have actually run myself. If looking into other options, I'd also consider the Hankook and Nitto AT's based on great things I've heard about both of them from several customers.

Hankook

Nitto:

 

[kntr]

I love BFG ATs. They are great on and off road. I can usually get 50k miles out of them, sometimes 60k. Yes, they are a little more expensive, but well worth it. Check the weights of tires too if you are worried about gas mileage. For a AT tire the BFG is on the light side and wont effect your mileage as much as a heavy tire.

 

[zuren]

I love BFG ATs. They are great on and off road. I can usually get 50k miles out of them, sometimes 60k. Yes, they are a little more expensive, but well worth it. Check the weights of tires too if you are worried about gas mileage. For a AT tire the BFG is on the light side and wont effect your mileage as much as a heavy tire.

You bring up a good point:

Firestone Destination A/T = 45 lbs.
BFG All-Terrain KO = 49 lbs.

I haven't been able to find much on the Nitto's or Hankooks.

source: tire "Specs" for each tire at www.tirerack.com