Best size tires to use with camper

[KillerGmcTruck1988]

Now since I get a different answer from anyone I ask, what psi should they be set at

 

[GoToGuy]

Your aware that besides load rating the 285 tire is 1.2 inches taller than the 265. If the tire diameter is a concern as it does change the effective axle ratio you can shift profile and width to match stock diameter. The 245/ 75 is 30.5 inches tall. The 265 / 75 is still 1.1 inches taller than stock. A 265 / 70 is 30.6 inches tall. Stock ht. So if you want the stock power band you can fit a wider tire without, gear or speedometer changes.
Just a thought.

 

[KillerGmcTruck1988]

Your aware that besides load rating the 285 tire is 1.2 inches taller than the 265. If the tire diameter is a concern as it does change the effective axle ratio you can shift profile and width to match stock diameter. The 245/ 75 is 30.5 inches tall. The 265 / 75 is still 1.1 inches taller than stock. A 265 / 70 is 30.6 inches tall. Stock ht. So if you want the stock power band you can fit a wider tire without, gear or speedometer changes.
Just a thought.

yes im aware, not really a concern for power, i dont have the L05 motor anymore, so not lacking in power, only concern i mainly had as of right now was my last weak point which is my 10bolt which is why i came to that the 265 would be better than my 285 for stress on it

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I have Bridgestone V-Steel LT245/75R16s that were take off from a newer GM truck on the van. Very capable tires. With 80 psi in them, the sidewalls might as well be a brick wall, which helps control sway and body roll. If I am running empty, I run 50 psi on both ends. When I tow, I run 80 psi in the rear. Very common thing among the 8-lug crowd. It prevents the tires from wearing heavily in the center of the tread, gives a better contact patch and smoothes out the ride a bit which can get rough with 1-ton leaf springs. The weight of the van is like having your slide-in camper in your truck everywhere you go.

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[HotWheelsBurban]

I have Bridgestone V-Steel LT245/75R16s that were take off from a newer GM truck on the van. Very capable tires. With 80 psi in them, the sidewalls might as well be a brick wall, which helps control sway and body roll. If I am running empty, I run 50 psi on both ends. When I tow, I run 80 psi in the rear. Very common thing among the 8-lug crowd. It prevents the tires from wearing heavily in the center of the tread, gives a better contact patch and smoothes out the ride a bit which can get rough with 1-ton leaf springs. The weight of the van is like having your slide-in camper in your truck everywhere you go.

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Yup 50F/80R is what the door decal recommends on Rawhide. PO had lowered the pressures to get it to ride better. I put them right, before we went on our first fully loaded swap meet trip. Rides like a one ton truck empty, put a load in it and it turns into a Cadillac. That Xtra Long wb makes it very stable on the road too, even with an empty bed.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Yup 50F/80R is what the door decal recommends on Rawhide. PO had lowered the pressures to get it to ride better. I put them right, before we went on our first fully loaded swap meet trip. Rides like a one ton truck empty, put a load in it and it turns into a Cadillac. That Xtra Long wb makes it very stable on the road too, even with an empty bed.

Drop them to 50 psi when you are running empty, or the center 2-3" of tread will vanish 2-3x as quick and a good bump on a 2-lane road at speed will try to make the rear-end pass you. Best nobody asks how I know how easy they are to lose traction with the road, unloaded at 80 psi.

 

[RanchWelder]

See what happens when you change what the General designed... ?

The problem with altering pressure is now technically your sprung weight and springs are not at the correct ratio... and the sidewalls are more likely to rupture fast if you get a blowout on lower pressure from heat vs tread wear. You are more likely to separate under load.

The 245's are also cheaper.

But think this through... you are tired, the windows are fogged from rain, the guy in the other lane veers into your lane, you cut the wheel with fat tires and the sidewall caves in... I'll let your imagination take it from there... the axle shaft break the tires fly across the highway... There's videos they call them fails.

I hope you don't get upset... Your post #13 is your brain kicking and working correctly, in my humble opinion.
You already know it will ruin the 10 bolt, in your heart... it's all about un-sprung weight.
GM pays guys millions of dollars to get this one thing right because people get hurt or worse when they go beyond the safety limits.

The short bed is a top heavy nightmare on the K5 Blazer. GM modified the safety warning and recommended NOT pulling the topper off, because when they flipped people sanded their heads off down the highway. WHEN THEY FLIPPED, not if... those were 31x10.5.

My best advice is to do a complete axle swap to 10.5" 3/4 ton front and rear axles with 8 lugs, the engineered correct flex ratio springs, torsion bars and run the 265's all day. The 10 bolt and those weak springs are the weak link...

Then it will not only look cool, you probably won't break anything with normal road hazards.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

See what happens when you change what the General designed... ?

The problem with altering pressure is now technically your sprung weight and springs are not at the correct ratio... and the sidewalls are more likely to rupture fast if you get a blowout on lower pressure from heat vs tread wear. You are more likely to separate under load.

The 245's are also cheaper.

But think this through... you are tired, the windows are fogged from rain, the guy in the other lane veers into your lane, you cut the wheel with fat tires and the sidewall caves in... I'll let your imagination take it from there... the axle shaft break the tires fly across the highway... There's videos they call them fails.

I hope you don't get upset... Your post #13 is your brain kicking and working correctly, in my humble opinion.
You already know it will ruin the 10 bolt, in your heart... it's all about un-sprung weight.
GM pays guys millions of dollars to get this one thing right because people get hurt or worse when they go beyond the safety limits.

The short bed is a top heavy nightmare on the K5 Blazer. GM modified the safety warning and recommended NOT pulling the topper off, because when they flipped people sanded their heads off down the highway. WHEN THEY FLIPPED, not if... those were 31x10.5.

My best advice is to do a complete axle swap to 10.5" 3/4 ton front and rear axles with 8 lugs, the engineered correct flex ratio springs, torsion bars and run the 265's all day. The 10 bolt and those weak springs are the weak link...

Then it will not only look cool, you probably won't break anything with normal road hazards.

If you are talking to me in that long post. Having the rear tires at 80 psi on an 8-lug truck, SUV or Van when you are not heavily loaded or towing is asking for trouble. In a lightly loaded vehicle, the tires do not have enough load on them to keep the tread flat with the road at 80 psi. This is the reason they run 50 psi in the front. When you are lightly loaded and hit a bump, the rear end launches like a pogo stick, reducing the already narrow tire contact patch, causing the vehicle to come unglued in the back and tries to spin out. At 50 psi this is not a problem and 50 psi is more than enough to keep the sidewalls from overheating running empty. I mean the same tires are up front at 50 psi and on a truck, the front end is heavier than the rear end.

But I agree on the 10.5 axle. I have seen the aftermath of broken C-clip axles and it is not pretty, especially on a lifted truck. GM should not have even put that rear-end in the cargo/passenger vans or suburbans because of the load they see and how weak that POS is.

 

[South VA]

I run 50 front/80 rear on my K2500 Suburban, per the door sticker, even when empty. Seems a bit firm when I'm not towing the camper. But that's what the sticker says, right?

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Well, not long ago I just happened to look another sticker, located on the very same door, only higher up. That one says for improved ride with up to 8 passengers and a 200 lb. cargo load, to set the tires to 40 front/ 50 rear.

Not sure how I missed that.

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So I'm going to give it a try at the lower pressures.

 

[1989GMCSIERRA]

on my tow vehicles I do 65 psi empty and 70 towing. I have never gone to 80 psi and I tow a 34 foot Avion XB at 9500 lb dry and a 34 foot triple axle enclosed with 16k.
I run 265/75/16 E on one of my duallies 235/85/16 E on the other dually and 295/75/16 D on my 3/4 ton which doesn’t tow heavy as it’s a single wheel.
When I had a 88 Chevy 1 ton dually in ran 235/85/16 E range.