Which truck tires are best while towing a 5er in sand?

[opjohnny]

The air down method also works in the snow real well. Night and day difference. I learned that in the Jeep club!



John

 

[Bob4x4]

Cooper ATR 265/70/17



I live in Corpus Christi and regularly drive down the National Seashore. I have 60K on these tires and probably 10-15 more before new tires. They have performed flawlessly. I only aired down once, with a 18' bumper pull. 40 front and 25 rear. I debated afterwards whether that was really necessary. It took more right pedal, but next trip with tires aired up no problems. Not saying beach conditions are the same as your conditions will be or that I have never been in deep doo-doo. I have gotten two CTDs stuck in sand. Idling out in 4L 1st gear usually takes care but had to be pulled out once by a friend with a 1953 M37---That was a humbling experience!!



Andy

:-laf:-laf Follow me I will take you to where those 265's will not budge your trailer in the sand at any pressure.

Not all sand is created equal :-laf:-laf:-laf



Bob

 

[Grizzly]

How would a 265-70-R17 Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor perform in sand, aired down.

 

[Bob4x4]

If I remember correctly they have a rounded shoulder. Tires of that design normally do well in the sand. The 265 is a small footprint don't expect to much.

 

[Grizzly]

If I remember correctly they have a rounded shoulder. Tires of that design normally do well in the sand. The 265 is a small footprint don't expect to much.

Bob, my son said that they are square shouldered. 265 is what came on his truck originally, however he could go with a wider tread.

 

[Bob4x4]

Just pulled up a pic from tire rack... ... ..... must of been a diferent gy tire I was thinkig of SuperView of the Goodyear Wrangler SilentArmor



In the sand the wider footprint the better the rounder the shoulder the less it will tend to dig in along with a mild tread pattern. The old dick Cepeck fun country's were near perfect in the sand then they updated to Radials that my brother tryed. Every trip to Glamis he would have one come apart. Desert Rat was covering them for a while then told him no more after about 6 of them.

Has anybody run them recently. Tire integrity ok now?



Bob

 

[Grizzly]

Thanks Bob and thanks everyone for your much appreciate responses.

 

[BK]

I tow on 7miles of beach, soft stuff.

I have a 2500 SRW, but not a 5th, just a regular hitch TT.

But it's all the same.

The taller and wider the tire the better, and airing it down makes all the difference.

A wider tire makes sense to most people for width, but the taller the tire - when aired down makes a longer front print as well. The bigger the front print (width and length), the lower the contact pressure on each square inch of contact = better floatation.

The taller the tire, the more sidewall = more marshmallow effect = better chance for more flotation if the tire sinks deeper. And the more ground clearance, when aired down. In the really soft stuff, when I was aired down for towing, I would drag my pumpkins in the sand with the stock tires. No longer a problem with the 33's.





I used the stock tires till they were bald.

I aired them down to 12lbs in the front, 9lbs in the back and the trailer 20lbs all the way around. At 12lbs, the front tires were almost on the rim. Never lost a bead.

Never got stuck. But would have if I wasn't aired down soo low. Many others did that were too conservative or lazy to air down correctly for the condition.

Besides towing my TT, 8ft bed was filled with Firewood and 50 more gallons of water, and everything else the family wanted. TT was filled with 35gallons of water and food and everything else for a week on the beach.





I went from the stock tires to 305' (33x12) , air down to 15 front and 12 rear when I towed, and 25 and 20 when not towing. Night and day difference even with the 33x12.



I had a '80 yota with 33x12's (not towing and only a 3800lb truck) , and got 60K miles out of a set of BFG MT, ran them on the street and beach at 17psi all the time. Only for the most powdery dried fine sand did I need 4 wheel drive.

 

[FFeiller]

Grizzly, pray it don't rain. when that sand in southern NM gets wet, unless he's got pontoons he'll be on his frame... . without a trailer. i called it a growth experience.

 

[pwerwagn]

Hey grizzly,



I pull my 5th wheel down at the butte a lot, its a 33' thor, weighs a little over 10K dry. On my 2nd gen I ran nitto's (305-70-16), they worked great down there. I never had good luck with BFG AT's down there. My bro in law runs the 305-70-17 nitto on his cummins and pulls his 5th fine. The 305-70 nittos are E's as well. That would be my reccomendation. His truck is 100% stock and runs the 305 on it.



On my 3rd gen im running toyos, but they are 37" tall 13. 5" wide. They work excellent. But I also have beadlocks, so I can air down to whatever the eff I want... :-laf



On my 2 "lake trucks" that I leave down there, one has either boggers or swampers on it at any given time, and the other has a set of older mickey thompson baja belted's (not the HP's).



As far as airing down the 5th wheel tires, dont do it. The tires will create more of a plow than just rolling like they should. Been there, done that... .



--Jeff

 

[Grizzly]

Thanks Jeff, very good advice. What's your uncle Sam doing? He's not at Melloy anymore.



Thanks FFeiller and BK, also good advice.

 

[pwerwagn]

Lol, he is actually in the tire business now. I guess he quit melloy quite a while back...



I dont see him much though. But his son now has all my old 12V parts on his 96.



Tell your son in law, I have a set of 295-70-17 nittos on 17x8. 5 weld cheyenne 8's if he wants to try those down at the butte. I had them on my 12v, but kept them when i sold em...



They are not for sale (well... the tires might be, but the wheels arent), but he is welcome to try them for a weekend if he wishes...



--Jeff