Tire update for truck camper

[Cordy]

After towing a 5th wheel for 13 years DW decided we needed to try a Truck Camper and make a trip west. I have a 1999 3500 and the GVWR is 10500 lbs. Truck ready for travel weighed 7000lbs. We purchased a TC with dry weight of 3181 lbs. Weighed truck with camper for a total weight of 11000 lbs. I feel I need to up grade the tires and wheels now running 235/85/R16 with a weight of 2778 lbs. Which put my weight right at 11000 lbs. have been looking at the 265's which I understand will not work on my present wheels. So am looking for any information on what I need to do to go to a higher rated tire and wheel. Think would feel more secure with a higher rated tire and wheel.







1999 Red Quad Cab 3500 RV275 injecters,G56 6spd. tran. KN air filter,BD exhaust brake,Edge,4inch exhaust,gauges,air bags,relocated fuel transfer pump,other up grades.

 

[HBarlow]

If your LT235/85R16 tires are LRE they should be rated 3,042lbs. each in single configuration, a little less when used in a DRW application.

Is the 2778 lbs. figure you quoted the downrated rating for dually configuration or are your tires LRD? The truck should have LRE tires.

Your truck should be safe enough at 11,000 lbs. with a pair of extra leaves in your rear springs, a set of Timbrens, or airbags and good shocks. The truck camper weight is mostly on the rear axle and with four good quality OEM sized LRE tires under it you should be okay. Technically overloaded but for private use you should be okay.

 

[NIsaacs]

Weigh your front axle and subtract that weight from the rear, that should give you more then enough tire capacity even with the camper loaded with living supplies. However, you might overload the capacity of the rear axle a little.



Nick

 

[Cordy]

The 2778 lb. is the downgraded weight for dual tires. I will eventually be pulling a boat which should have mentioned it being a 16ft aluminum. with 48hp motor. The tires now on truck are LT235/85R16E which will need replacing soon. The extra weight was what I am concerned about so I was thinking of a figure around 11500 t0 12000 max. With camper on bed of truck it now rides and drives like pulling the 5th wheel.



Cordy



05 Hitchhiker LS 34. 5 RLTG

1999 Alpenite TC

 

[WyoJim]

I just put 4 new michelin 745/16 on my truck for a trip to Pennsylvania. $820. IT has made 14 trips to Pa. It has Rancho 9000 shocks on it. Thats all, no air bags or any of the rest of that garbage. The loaded S&S Camper weighs about 3500. I can't believe the chicken little S**t I keep seeing on this forum about weight.

 

[Bill Stockard]

After towing a 5th wheel for 13 years DW decided we needed to try a Truck Camper and make a trip west. I have a 1999 3500 and the GVWR is 10500 lbs. Truck ready for travel weighed 7000lbs. We purchased a TC with dry weight of 3181 lbs. Weighed truck with camper for a total weight of 11000 lbs. I feel I need to up grade the tires and wheels now running 235/85/R16 with a weight of 2778 lbs. Which put my weight right at 11000 lbs. have been looking at the 265's which I understand will not work on my present wheels. So am looking for any information on what I need to do to go to a higher rated tire and wheel. Think would feel more secure with a higher rated tire and wheel.

.



I too haul a heavy slide in truck camper (see my signature) and the loaded weight exceeds the truck's GVWR by about 500 lbs. I weighed it on commercial scales with the camper loaded and ready to go including me, my wife, and the weenie dog. I also weighed each axle and even though the combined weight exeeds the truck's GVWR, the axle weights are well below the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) sticker on the driver's door jamb. I have hauled this camper thousands of miles without any problem with the OEM size tires. I think if you weigh each axle you will find that you too are below the axle weight ratings.



I hauled two different campers which weighed about the same on my previous 2000 3500 dually for tens of thousands of miles on the OEM tires. I had a rear inside dual valve stem failure and the tire was run deflated for nearly 100 miles before I discovered it. The truck was also over the GVWR, but only about 100 lbs. The axle weight was well within the GAWR.



I'd guess the tongue weight of a boat trailer with an aluminum boat and a 48-hp motor will be 100 lbs. or less.



Keep good quality OEM size tires on your truck, check the tire pressure regularly, and enjoy your truck camper.



Bill

 

[HBarlow]

I just put 4 new michelin 745/16 on my truck for a trip to Pennsylvania. $820. IT has made 14 trips to Pa. It has Rancho 9000 shocks on it. Thats all, no air bags or any of the rest of that garbage. The loaded S&S Camper weighs about 3500. I can't believe the chicken little S**t I keep seeing on this forum about weight.

Wow, where'd you find those Michelin 745/16s?

My local SAM's Club doesn't stock or sell that size.

 

[CRath]

My previous truck was a 01 3500 DRW and I hauled around a 11. 5 Fleetwood Caribou w/slideout. I scaled each wheel before and after loading the camper and I was just over 12,000 lbs. The camper alone wet was 5000lbs... all of it was on the back axle. The truck was completely stock and I never experienced any trouble. I even ran that combination with a 4ft extension hitch hauling an enclosed trailer with about 200lbs tougue weight. The rig was very back heavy and sloppy but no tire issues at all.

The only issue I ever had was the top heavy nature... camper was 12' high on the truck. Previous to that camper I had a 10. 5' camper around 3500lbs and I drove for hundreds of miles not realizing I had lost a valve stem on an inside dual... again no problems related to the 235 85 16 tires. For what it's worth.

 

[WyoJim]

Wow, where'd you find those Michelin 745/16s?



My local SAM's Club doesn't stock or sell that size.

My bad Harvey..... 245/16





Did you get involved with the fires?

 

[Regcabguy]

I just put 4 new michelin 745/16 on my truck for a trip to Pennsylvania. $820. IT has made 14 trips to Pa. It has Rancho 9000 shocks on it. Thats all, no air bags or any of the rest of that garbage. The loaded S&S Camper weighs about 3500. I can't believe the chicken little S**t I keep seeing on this forum about weight.

Good luck stopping that mass without an EB. The 99's brakes were marginal at best. 745/16 tires?

 

[HBarlow]

My bad Harvey..... 245/16


Did you get involved with the fires?

Nope, fortunately I have not. The fires have burned in the south of Crosby County and east around Benjamin.

Fortunately, there is a cotton field to the west of my farmhouse where the prevailing winds originate and a pond across the highway to the southwest so I am fairly well protected from wild fires but the entire state may burn before we get rain.

 

[SBall]

I couldn't agree more.

Good luck stopping that mass without an EB. The 99's brakes were marginal at best. 745/16 tires?

Very good point! I was especially glad to have it when one of my service brake lines rusted through...



An exhaust brake is a must have with a slide-in camper in my humble opinion.

 

[WyoJim]

Very good point! I was especially glad to have it when one of my service brake lines rusted through...



An exhaust brake is a must have with a slide-in camper in my humble opinion.

It has 230000 miles with several loaded panic stops that were successful without an exhaust brake.

I live at 4300 ft and east from my house goes straight up to 9000 ft and I have been up and down this mountain hundreds of times. My first set of brakes went over 150000 miles. An exhaust brake is not a must have,

 

[Bill Stockard]

It has 230000 miles with several loaded panic stops that were successful without an exhaust brake.

I live at 4300 ft and east from my house goes straight up to 9000 ft and I have been up and down this mountain hundreds of times. My first set of brakes went over 150000 miles. An exhaust brake is not a must have,

I agree an exhaust brake isn't a must have when only hauling a slide-in truck camper with a third gen truck. We travel mostly the western mountain states and never needed an exhaust brake. The brakes on third gen trucks are effective. However, when towing 5th wheels with our previous second gen trucks, an exhaust brake was necessary traveling the same area and we were glad we had one.



Bill

 

[WestTN]

The tongue weight of the boat trailer is all you need to add to the rear axle computation. And at just 2,700 lbs load capacity per tire, the rears will carry over 10,000 lbs.