19.5" Tire Comparisons

[n0arp]

I've been running a DRW for the last couple years, and prior to that had a SRW with 19.5s on it. I'm looking at possibly upgrading the DRW to 19.5s in the near future.

Currently running OE size 235/80r17 Goodyear Duratrac tires.

I ran Michelin XDS2 245/70r19.5 tires on my old truck, which were great on the road, but somewhat lackluster off pavement. A decent AT. I'm currently looking at the Toyo M608Z, Cooper RM253, and Goodyear G622 RSD tires, as well as considering any others I see with more aggressive treads.

We bought the truck camper to take further off the beaten path than we were going in our fifth wheel, and don't want to lose a bunch of that ability due to tire choice. Having run them before, I'm aware of the limitations that these have and understand that there will be compromises. I just want to minimize them.

For those of you who have 19.5s, what tires are you running, how do you use them, and what are your thoughts on them? There are a lot of reviews out there, but very few that I can find that actually discuss tire performance specifically in loose dirt (not sand that would require airing down), mud, and snow.

As an aside, I added Supersprings SSA24 leafs to my truck yesterday, and now the ride height with the truck camper is the same as the unloaded height before. A bit higher than I was going for, but I'll take it. Haven't driven it yet... The AirLift 7500XL bags could barely lift the camper and are still in place, but now can lift it with ease. Don't waste your money on those, except maybe to use for side to side leveling. Blargh.

Edit - I'm also strongly considering a larger LRE tire, such as 275/65r20 or 295/65r20 Cooper STT Pros on aftermarket DDC wheels. The wheels would be the limit then, with the fronts @3,500lbs/ea compared to the 3,085lb load rating of the factory tire size. The main concern with 275+ tires is fitting between the jacks of the camper.

[Grit_dog]

Good morning.
Your comment about the airbags leads me to believe something was not right with your setup. Capacity/lift is a function of pressure and those bags should easily take all the camper weight right off the springs and actually start pulling on the springs.

Regarding 19.5s I’ve only used them (a lot) in commercial applications, construction work. Wouldn’t be my first choice or second choice for rough/off road/ low traction conditions. They are not good all purpose tires as much as LT tires.
I’m sure they can be tailored better to the specific use better than a fleet of construction trucks, but ....
Question, why are you considering upgrading? Based on your signature, I don’t see anything remotely needing 19.5s with a dually.