EXPERT’S CHOICE: WARWICK LESLIE (MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ALU-CAB)

There aren’t many tyre options for off-road camper owners. On one hand you want something that offers maximum traction off-road, but at the same time, comfort plays a big role when you’re spending the bulk of your time on long-stretches of tarred road.

Naturally, comfort has a lot to do with road noise and vibrations, so from that perspective, a mud-terrain isn’t necessarily the obvious answer. All-terrains offer a great balance between comfort and traction, but they don’t always have what it takes from a ‘load capacity’ and puncture-resistance point of view. This is particularly important for off-road campers that are generally heavier than stock standard 4x4s.

Fortunately, because Alu-Cab specialises in lightweight aluminium products, our overland solutions are generally stronger and/or lighter than products made from cheaper and/or heavier materials. Nonetheless, when your rig is equipped with a drawer system, rooftop tent, solar panels, water reserves, firewood, dual batteries, a 12V fridge, and a long-range fuel tank, the mass inevitably adds up.

Fitting a tyre with a high payload capacity not only ensures that your tyres are adequately specced for the vehicle, it also allows you to deflate your tyres for off-road use, without significantly risking sidewall damage or potentially overheating the tyre.

With the above points in mind, we’ve tested almost every major tyre product on the market, but sometime in 2016 we came across the Cooper S/T MAXX and fitted them to our very own vehicles.

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The S/T MAXX offers a great combination of strength, load capacity, and aggressive off-road traction, and in many respects, fills the gap between what is typically considered an all-terrain tyre, and what is commonly deemed a mud-terrain. In other words: The S/T MAXX can be seen as a “hybrid” tread pattern that offers many benefits to off-road camper owners.  

What’s more, because a number of our products are used in the 4x4 rental market, we witnessed first hand how some of these companies benefitted once they equipped their fleets with the S/T MAXX.

Needless to say, a safari rental company is the ultimate proving ground in terms of durability. The moment a product or solution fails to offer reliability, longevity, and value, the impact is quickly felt in terms of profitability.

Over the years, Alu-Cab products have evolved to meet the demands of the 4x4 rental- and safari markets, but like all things overland related, your vehicle is only as reliable as its weakest link, and your tyres should never be that point of failure. 

Beyond that, I think I speak for a lot of 4x4 owners when I say: Strength and reliability may be obvious requirements in any overland vehicle, but it doesn’t hurt to have a good-looking rig, too. And on that front, the S/T MAXX certainly delivers.

Click here to chat to one of our TyreLife experts, or to receive an instant online quote. No obligations. No strings attached.