BFG KO2s are NOT great snow tires.
265/75R16
Yup, the tire that seems to be THE go to tire for any upfitting of Sprinters. The secret to this tire is that they make it in many different sizes and different load ranges. Plus they look great. The trouble is that they are actually kind of a mediocre snow tire even through many offer the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) designation making them an actual ‘snow tire’. Don’t get us wrong here. We have put many miles on the BF Goodrich KO2 both with our 2013 NVC3 2500 as well as our 2020 VS30 4x4.
From BFG: “The All-Terrain T/A KO2 ("KO2" for Key benefit On- and Off-road with 2 identifying it as BFGoodrich's 2nd generation KO tire) is an On-/Off-Road All-Terrain light truck tire developed to meet the needs of jeep, pickup truck and sport utility vehicle drivers who want confidence and control on- and off- road. The All-Terrain T/A KO2 was designed to deliver go-anywhere traction along with outstanding durability, great wear and year-round traction, even in snow.”
Check out our full blog post on the KO2 Tire Review for Sprinter Vans.
BFG KO
BFG KO2
The old BFG KO (left tread) was replaced by the BFG KO2 (right tread). The tread pattern is very close. The biggest change is the sidewall design and construction and the larger sipping. We wish there were more sipping on the KO2s. This is one of the benefits of a tire like the WILDPEAK
A/T3W are that they have additional sipping.
We used these tires in winter conditions over the past few years, driving through 1-80 across the Sierras and through Utah. While the KO2’s do perform better in snow over a standard tire like a Kumho 857, but lets be real, that’s not saying much.
Driving through chain check of Donner Pass kept us going without much issue. But what if we wanted to go beyond the lightly dusted roads.
We found that if the temps are low and the snow is crunchy the KO2s (and other tires) hook up quite nicely. The tires clear the snow easily and the relative grip keeps things planted. With the van being a little heavier and the higher PSI of the E Load Range makes the rear tires spin on occasion.
When going off-road in the snow, much like sand, the KO2s really benefit from airing down. This is where the tires shine. The shoulder of the tire is constructed in such a way that airing down the tires to 15psi is perfectly acceptable and keeps the tires from slipping off the bead or getting pinch flats.
@40 PSI the tires start packing
The real challenges happen when the temps climb. Slush or even clear but wet pavement can show that the tire compound and design will allow the tire the slip. It just doesn’t feel as planted as it should. And when snow is a bit warmer we found that the tires begin packing with snow and acting like slicks. Obviously faster driving maintaining momentum is a strategy. But if you need to come to a stop and then get going again, you’ll find that you might just be stuck for a while. The tires easily just dig in and sink.
Momentum driving and airing down is a necessity with KO2s. Otherwise, they just don’t grip very well and pack snow like crazy.
