The aggressive tread is not a biggie for me. The D697's have been excellent in regard to their traction on everything from the desert sand to the boulders & rocks of the Munja track to the steep jagged climbs in the Gregory NP. Wet weather driving hasn't figured much at all, & river crossings have been fine. If it weren't for what I consider the overly flexible sidewalls of the D697's & their tendency to chip the tread too easily I wouldn't be looking at changing.
If we ever get caught by wet weather, we can just stop & wait it out until things dry out of we have to.
The current D697's are only about 12 months old (bought 4 in Broome), & probably don't have much more than 12,000kms on them, but the rears are already looking half worn with the passenger side rear quite badly chipped. I've heard stories about different quality rubber dependent upon whether the tyres were made in Japan or elsewhere. I think the current set have worn far more quickly than the previous set, with the majority of that having been on dirt, but still quicker than I expected. I haven't rotated them, & have decided not to. The two half worn spares are 7+ years old now, so need replacing. I will swap the two rear tyres with each other, & when they are in need of replacement will buy 4 new tyres & use the current front tyres as spares. For the time being I'll leave the D697's on the Tvan (2+spare).
Winnie, I note your comment about weight. My back may not appreciate it! Do you know if the Toyo RT's are much the same or lighter?
Rear passenger side - approx 12,000kms
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