Working on a new to me truck that will eventually have a slide in. I have a couple sets of rims and tires. My question is what set will provide more stability if any or should I focus on load capabilities? Tire tread on both are at the end of usefulness so regardless of what set I use I'll have to buy new rubber.

One set is LT 265//75R16 E rated 3415 lbs @ 80psi



The others are
LT 315/75R16 E rated 3860 lbs @ 65 psi

 

You might want to think about your slide in camper.
the taller your truck is the higher you have to raise the camper just to get it in the bed. I can tell you , when your camper is jacked up to the max it's really scary but doable.

 

I would be surprised if there is any appreciable difference in handling. How much difference is there in the actual diameter of the tires? Any idea what camper you might be putting on the truck?

Steve

 

Tire comparison chart says, 315's are 3" taller and 2"wider than 265's

 

I was running 295-75-16 on my last truck. LI 129 rated at 3950#. Very beefy.

 

h mm, good point wasn't even thinking about that. I checked it and currently the bed is at 33.5 ish from the ground and the smaller tires are whats on there now. I think that must be close to stock as the truck has a leveling kit. Supposedly 2 inch lift in the front only so back should be unaffected.

 

Thats about what I get doing a quick compare height wise, so the 315's would raise everything about 1.5 inches, probably 2 with new tread.

 

I've been driving on the 265s since a few days after I got the truck. Ive got about 1000 lbs on board on a regular basis so I'm going to switch to the 315's and see if I feel any substantial difference. Not quite the same as any camper Id be interested in but if its noticeable then Id be leery going with them.

I don't have to buy right away but have two I'm interested currently.
1996 lance squire 9' 6 that was around 2400 dry I think.

Then there's a 2004 Northland grizzly 990 with a slide. Listing info is sparse. Seller says close to 10' but cant find weight decal on it and I cant find any info online for that year and model. I suspect its over my payload.

 

Another thing to consider, when talking loading an additional 2400+/- lbs on any stock 3/4 ton truck PLUS gear and occupants you'll be pushing the outer limits of the power train and suspension.
If you are new to larger vehicles and heavy loads I would suggest doing a little homework and ask a LOT of questions.
Fortunately or unfortunately you will get a huge amount of help from seasoned veterans on this topic.
Have fun

 

Mickey, 2400# on a 3/4 ton may tax the suspension. But how do you see this taxing the powertrain? Not sure i understand...2400# is nothing for a 3/4 ton truck with any of the available engines.

 

2,400 pounds will normally mean 3,200 to 3,400 ready to go adding the normal 800 - 1,000 that is typical and going with the larger tire, I think is large enough so you will feel it in acceleration and where you are in the torque curve while driving.

Figure normal rear axle weight unloaded, add the weight of the camper and added pounds, You can figure almost all the total is on the rear axle. Then decide if you need that much tire. When I size things, I always go big enough, but not big for the sake of being big.

 

You might also want to check the wheels’ load specs. My recollection is Ford’s 16” SD wheels were load rated for 3415 lbs., but I can’t find a spec online.

The specs may be located inside the wheel.

Also note that physically larger tires effectively reduce the truck’s axle ratio.

HTH,
Jim / crewzer

 

Yeah, the axle ratio was my thought too. With those big tires you can calculate the reduction, but I bet it is enough to feel the lag in acceleration and more downshifting in the hills.

 

I was just looking at all the CAT slips for my truck and noted the stock tire size that comes on the truck exceeds the rear axle rating for the truck by 250 pounds. I'm not sure there is much value in having tires that exceed the axle rating. I can't say it is that way for all Ford trucks, but I bet it is.

Steve

 

First off thanks to all for the info and quick replies. This site has helped me through so many driveway (and a few road side) repairs its has to be close to 10 grand in labor savings.

Ive had a 99 f350 dually in AK for over 15 years and hauled some large loads short distances and a 5th wheel some very long distances but this new (year 2000) rig is in WA and though its a f350 too, its not a dually and Ive never hauled a camper so yep, I definitely need to get educated.

This rig has the factory camper/tow package with front and rear sway bars (1 1/4in). It hadn't seen much maintenance in a while so Ive been going through it since purchase in January. New water pump, oil cooler seals, cooling system flush, power steering pump, Brakes, ball joints, front hubs and u-joints, serviced the 4x4 auto hub lockers, replaced vacuum system, shocks, sway bar down links and and bushings. Also had the front and rear drive lines rebuilt. Engine and tranny wise so far so good but it does have 300k on it. Ive put about 5k miles on it and it really runs and shifts well but I suspect the tranny will be an issue at some point. Engine wise my comparison is to the 99 with injectors that are original too so there is another thing that should get replaced sometime down the road.

Back to loading I'm somewhat disappointed in how little payload this thing has. GVWR is 9900 and according to the original owners notes in the manual its weight with some gear and 3 people on board is close to 7300. Not a lot left for a camper.