Haven't posted in awhile but have a tire question

Sorry. Without the weights I can’t advise you.

See how much clearance the 265s have in front at steering lock both directions. Add the additional height/width of the 285s to see if you can expect them to rub or not.
If you have a diesel you may not notice the additional diameter much in power or mileage. If you have a gas truck it will be a bit more noticeable.

Another option, find a set of newer takeoff 18” wheels and tires. Those will have addl capacity compared to the ole 265/16s. Same clearance analysis applies.

MTK251 wrote:
Just bought new lance 850 and currently run 265/75-16 tires on 2002 Dodge 2500 quad cab long bed 2wd. Camper is a little heavier than my 2005 lance lite 835.
Just wondering if anyone has run 285/75-16 on the 2wd dodge? I haven't weighted the camper yet but feels a bit heavier than previous camper. Just trying to have a safe cushion on my tires.

You didn't say what brand or load range your tires are. Do you have any reason to think that 285s can carry more weight than 265s? Are the 265s in question Load Range C, while the 285s are Load Range E?

On this page, you can find links to Tire Load/Inflation charts for pretty much every manufacturer:

https://www.escapees.com/education/smartweigh/forms/#tireinfo

I have a Ford F250, and for questions like "Will such and such a tire fit my truck?" I go to the Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forum.

You might be better off logging into a Ram forum for questions like this. Probably a LOT more people there who may have dones such tire swaps.

Tires are build with very loose tolerances, so generic calculators will give you huge error margin.
The only way to tell for sure is go to tire manufacturer site and reputable manufacturer will have actual loads, sizes of rims specific tire can be mounted on and rpm to compare to original tire, so you don't have big speedometer error.

I think that if you do your homework, you might be able to avoid the expensive Ricksons. Weigh the camper and run the numbers. Higher capacity 16" tires are more available than other rim sizes, but pay attention to the single vs. dually number ratings. Make sure the load capacities of the rims will handle the weight as well and you might be OK.

Look beyond the "letter" rating. Pay attention to Load Index (LI.)

Load Index refers to the actual weight the tire can carry at max inflation. Max inflation relates to the "letter" rating.

Tire data can sometime be confusing and there are many "experts" on the forums who base wieght carrying solely on the letter. Not all "E" tires are the same and may not be able to carry the same weight.

Check out this article: Load Index vs. Load Rating

The old way of determining load capacity by a "letter" (D, E , F, G) connotation is not really valid as much as it used to be but it is important because the letter relates (among other things) to what the tires maximum PSI can handle and Load Index (LI) relates to weight carrying capacity.

LI is the actual weight the tire can handle at the max PSI. So the two go hand-in-hand. Look at both when selecting a tire.

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:

MTK251 wrote:
Just bought new lance 850 and currently run 265/75-16 tires on 2002 Dodge 2500 quad cab long bed 2wd. Camper is a little heavier than my 2005 lance lite 835.
Just wondering if anyone has run 285/75-16 on the 2wd dodge? I haven't weighted the camper yet but feels a bit heavier than previous camper. Just trying to have a safe cushion on my tires.

You didn't say what brand or load range your tires are. Do you have any reason to think that 285s can carry more weight than 265s?

While I'm sure there are exceptions, based on my research a LT265/75R16E is usually rated 3,415 lbs, 285/75R16E is 3750 (SRW, 80psi). That's an extra 670 lbs on the rear axle or 1340 lbs all around. Of course, this assumes the wheels are rated at least as high as the tires.

Thanks to all that replied. I have some more homework to do. My current tires are Michelin
E rated 3415 pounds each. So far I think I'm under the tire weight ratings , but won't know until
I get loaded up and get on the scale.

"but won't know until
I get loaded up and get on the scale. "

Just go on a diet before you cross the scales! Everyone puts on a few extra lbs around the holidays...

Try to get each wheel weight separately.
Those TC are not build for having weight evenly spread on the sides.

Don't do it. I had a 2002 ram quad cab 2wd. Mine was a short bed. Great truck. After much research in which everyone said it would work I went with 285/75-16s. After mounting I turned the wheels from side to side-no problem, an inch of clearance. When you go out a driveway with a hard turn the truck bounces and the tires hit metal. I grooved the front tires and had to replace them after 15000 miles.