Yeah, I've wondered about those reinforced belts too. Seems like a good idea in theory, but are they really that much better for everyday driving? I usually stick to OEM belts—safe bet without breaking the bank.
I've seen a few claims involving those reinforced belts snapping just as easily as OEM ones—usually at the worst possible moment, like halfway to grandma's house. OEM belts might seem boring, but boring beats roadside adventures any day... trust me on this one.
Had a similar experience myself a couple years back. Thought I'd be clever and upgrade to one of those reinforced belts before a long weekend trip. Sure enough, halfway through nowhere, it snapped—left me stranded for hours waiting on a tow. Switched back to OEM after that, and honestly, haven't had an issue since. Sometimes the boring choice is boring for a reason... reliability matters more than marketing hype.
I get where you're coming from, OEM is usually the safe bet. But honestly, I've had pretty good luck with aftermarket belts—just gotta do your homework first. Couple summers ago, I put a reinforced belt on my old VW bus before a cross-country trip. Did fine for thousands of miles, even through some brutal heat. Maybe you just got unlucky with a dud? Still, can't argue that peace of mind counts for a lot when you're miles from anywhere...
"Couple summers ago, I put a reinforced belt on my old VW bus before a cross-country trip. Did fine for thousands of miles, even through some brutal heat."
That's interesting...I've heard mixed things about reinforced belts, but your experience sounds pretty solid. Makes me wonder though—do you think the success you had was more about the belt itself or how carefully you installed and tensioned it? I've noticed some aftermarket belts can be pretty sensitive to installation details compared to OEM stuff. A buddy of mine swears by aftermarket belts too, but he's meticulous about tensioning and alignment every time he installs one. Maybe that's the key?
Also curious, did you carry any extra belts or other spare parts just in case something went sideways during your trip? Always debating how much backup gear is really necessary versus just overkill...
