Thanks Charlie. Yep, it is a Kodiak. Front axle is rated at 7K....it is a Dana 70 or 80 (would have to check my notes.) The next year they upped it to an 8K rating but with no apparent changes to it. Too many of them were overloaded as soon as people put on snow polows etc. Mine was weighing about 6500 but with my new extended hitch/frame at the back and with my 300 lb. dirt bike way up and back there behind the camper....I keep shifting weight off the front and onto the rear. I weighed on the way to the expo and I was at about 6200 on the front, 13,200 on the back. Rear is an S130 rated at 13,500.
Current tires are Michellin XDS2 245/70R19.5.
Having said that I know it is "possible" to do, and someday I may get more serious about it, but for now the combination of 1) needing to modify my storage boxes for a little more space 2) substantial cost 3) increased overall height......and a couple of others I'm keeping that one on the back burner for now. My priorities are currently focused on major electrical upgrades to make it more livable long-term being less dependant on the generator. We want our rig to be more ready for fulltiming off the grid......and rather than make the big truck more capable we depend on our 2 dirt bikes for the futher back.....and honestly We are thinking a little about using a capable off road Jeep as a toad (and with her little XR200 on that second bumper.) It would be a more practical/sensible option most likely, for North America anyway.
I checked out the Rawhyde Kodiak at the expo - it had been converted to some giants. Rated at 11,000+ each and I think 70MPH...wheels were rated at 12,000+. I think they were actually Goodyears not Michellins but they looked pretty similar to the XZL's. Of course, massive suspension improvements, gearing changes, no height concerns....etc. etc.
Very interesting tire site for sure. That tire essentially looks like a semi-super single (14" wide) but in a 19.5. You couldn't air down much but still might float better than my dually? Looks very interesting regardless.....but for the time being probably off in wishful thinking land for us.
