Switch to 19.5" wheels & tires

Hello,
I have learned a lot by reading in the truck camper forum here. I just recently registered to become a member of this site. It seems like there are some really interesting and knowledgeable people on this site. I have been around the RV life style a very long time. My folks were fulltime RV’ers for twenty some years. I got into pickup campers in 1994. This is my first post; I am not very experienced at posting on the internet. Also I hope I am not beating a dead horse here since I know this subject has been here before. I just wanted to see what some of the people that have experience with SRW pickups and 19.5” wheels, tires and heavy campers, think of my situation and the way I am handling it. I want to go to the 19.5’ wheels and tires for the safety margin to gain with them.
I have 2000 Ford F350 with the 7.3 Liter Diesel engine, crew cab long bed, and single rear wheel pickup. In the pickup, I carry a 1992 Lance model 900 overhead camper that is for an extended cab or crew cab, which has an 11 foot 3 inch floor. I did put on the pickup the Rancho 2.5 inch level kit, which means it now has 4 leaf springs on each side of the front-end and it is double shocked and air bags on the rear axle. My pickup has 149,000 miles is still in good shape. As much as I would like to get a dually I don’t see that happening for a long time. If I would change anything I would like to go to 9.5 foot camper. I have taken the pickup and camper to a scale to be weighed. I have the following weights:
The pickup by itself with a full fuel tank, but no passengers.
The pickup = 7,770 Lb’s
The front axle = 4,560 Lb’s
The rear axle = 3,230 Lb’s

The camper wet weight, with everything in it full; water tank, propane bottles and everything needed to go on a long hunting trip = 4,770 Lb’s.

The weight of the pickup when the camper is on it, but no passengers:
Pickup and camper total weight = 12,540 lb’s
Front axle = 4,690 lb’s
Rear axle = 7,850 lb’s
Both the pickup and camper are kept in a non climate controlled pro-panel building when not being used. They are separated most of the time.

I contacted Rickson Wheel, and talked to a really nice lady by the name of Heather. Heather was very informative and helpful. I did tell her that I am interested in the 19.5” x 7.5” steel wheels that are rated at 5000 lb’s. After I got all the weight information to Rickson they sent me their suggestions on tires, which are: Toyo M608-245/70R19.5 – load range H – 16 ply, rated at 4940 lb’s. Said this tire is new from Toyo with identical tread as the M608Z.

Has anyone reading this had any experience they would like to share with a situation like this?

Thanks

Truck Campers

Kayteg1
Explorer II
Nov 11, 2018
mbloof wrote:

- Be prepared for "sticker shock", commercial truck tires cost 2-2.5x what LT tires cost
.

I had 19.5 wheels on my F450 flatbed and when I had blow-up on the road, the mobile service brought me $120 Sailun (?) tires.
When with flatbed it is hard to compare the comfort, I kept the records and got honest 60,000 miles from cheap tire and my F450 was hauling 20-30k lb most of the time.
F350_RR
Explorer
Nov 11, 2018
mbloof wrote:

- Lastly, the Toyo M608z's are not quiet and "sing" while on the highway. (noticeably louder than the stock tires they replaced)

- Mark0.

The Continental Hybrids sing also, especially on wet roads. It sounds just like the big guys. It reminds me that we are riding on unstressed tires
Bedlam
Moderator
Nov 11, 2018
Open shoulder tread on the front will make noise in the cab. If you choose a closed shoulder for the front, I found they are quieter and track better (which was unexpected).
JimK-NY
Explorer II
Nov 11, 2018
I saw little difference in price of tires when I upgraded from 17 to 19.5 wheels.

If you go with Rickson wheels, plan on a lead time of over 1 month.
mbloof
Explorer
Nov 11, 2018
Kayteg1 wrote:
mbloof wrote:

- Be prepared for "sticker shock", commercial truck tires cost 2-2.5x what LT tires cost
.

I had 19.5 wheels on my F450 flatbed and when I had blow-up on the road, the mobile service brought me $120 Sailun (?) tires.
When with flatbed it is hard to compare the comfort, I kept the records and got honest 60,000 miles from cheap tire and my F450 was hauling 20-30k lb most of the time.

I'm used to ~$150 each for "E" LT tires. The "G" Toyo's cost nearly $400 ea. and at the time Michelin's were +$100 each more then the Toyo's.

Local Les Schwab in Oregon. Obviously YMMV.

So in my own personal experience the Vision rim's were inexpensive compared to the actual tire cost.

- Mark0.
billtex
Explorer II
Nov 12, 2018
swhunter wrote:
Thanks to every one for your replies.
I did forget in the details about my pickup that it is a 4x4.
I currently don’t need new tires. But would feel safer upgrading to the 19.5”s. I have a lot of weight on the pickup when the camper is on it. I have had blowouts with the 265-75Rx16 that are load range E rated at 3415 lb’s. I think the weight contributed to the blowouts. The best set of tires I have run were Michelins 285-75Rx16 load range E that are rated at 3750 lb’s. Aired up to 80 psi they rode a lot better than the 265’s. It feels like the 265’s side walls give a lot more than the 285’s, and they just feel very squishy even though they are aired up to the max 80 psi. The last set of tires I got are 265’s. At the time I got them they were cheaper than 285’s and I thought I would upgrade to the 19.5”s so why spend the extra money for the 285’s. Well that was two years ago. I want to go ahead and upgrade to the 19.5”s because I would feel a lot safer with them when carrying the camper.
Taking into account what others experience when switching to 19.5”s I need to figure which route to go. I know there are issues with Rickson taking a long time to have the wheels made. When I talked to Heather she said it would be at least 14 weeks from the time the wheels are ordered to the time they ship the wheels. Really, I am ok with that. As long as I get them by May it would be fine. I really like the idea of the steel wheels rated at 5000 lb’s. As for the tires I defently don’t want a highway tread, I prefer an all terrain tread. I know Toyo tires are supposed to be good on big trucks, but I don’t have experience with them in anything light like pickups. I am just like everyone else I have run a lot of different brands of tires on pickups and cars. Some of the ones I like best are Michelins, Coopers and I like the Goodyear Dura Trak on my Toyota 4x4. I am looking forward to driving the pickup and camper with 19.5”s and would feel a lot safer with a more heavy duty tire, and I’m trying to make the best decision cost and safety wise.
Thanks again to everyone for sharing their experiences.

Don’t rule out BFG 295-75-16 LR 125 3970 # ea. This is approaching a G rated tire...without going to 19.5’s which is a whole nother set of challenges.

If you really think you need a SRW running 19.5’s ...you should probably just go dually.

Good luck, be safe,
Bill
Grit_dog
Navigator
Nov 12, 2018
^ While I run on LT tires at pretty much max capacity or more, there is no denying that 19.5s are a completely different class of tires. Not even close by comparison.
If I hauled more miles, more regularly, it would be a no brainer for tire wear, stability and factor of safety.
And if you're running LT tires, ditch the 16" rims for some 18s or preferably 20s. The amount of sidewall on big tires on smaller rims is counterproductive when trying to control body roll on a srw truck, even if the capacity is there.
jimh406
Explorer III
Nov 12, 2018
billtex wrote:
If you really think you need a SRW running 19.5’s ...you should probably just go dually.

For sure, Rickson’s cost plenty enough to make a DRW doable from a money perspective. Of course, you still have to be able to get by with a DRW the rest of the time. There are disadvantages of a DRW, but carrying a TC or any other heavy load isn’t one of them!

Your experience may be different, but from what I found, 19.5s give you almost nothing on a trade. In that respect, do decide if you are keeping it long term before going all in with 19.5s and wheels, especially for Ricksons which add quite a bit to the “investment”.

Fwiw, a DRW wasn’t possible for me for a number of years which is why I ran the SRW. Eventually, even the SRW was too big to park since I change employers/locations. At that point, it ceased to be my daily driver. The DRW is quite a lot different loaded.
Optimistic_Para
Explorer
Nov 12, 2018
I'm going to throw something into the mix here that's based on some stuff I've read, rather than stuff I've actually had personal experience with. Hopefully, some people here WITH personal experience can comment on it and correct me if any of it is wrong.

I've read that once you get beyond Load Range E tires, airing down for better traction off road - whether we are talking beach running or forest service roads - is no longer a viable option. Supposedly the much heavier sidewalls keep it from sagging and getting you the much larger footprint airing down normally gives.

I also read an article on beach running by a guy with a DRW truck & camper. He put 2" aftermarket spacers between his rear wheels, which allowed him to air down on beaches without the usual problem of the two sidewalls touching.

This leads me to think that the 19.5 inch wheels and tires are a valid solution for people that run on pavement all the time, but are less than optimal for people who take their truck and camper off pavement.

Comments, anyone?
jimh406
Explorer III
Nov 12, 2018
Well, you can go “off” pavement, but you can’t air down due to the type of bead that 19.5s have. The beads separate easily, but also, the sidewalls don’t really deform like C/D/E tires do. Beach hardpack is fine, loose sand is not.