Lance 1025 on 3/4 ton diesel Silverado

[woodchuck1]

I'm used to pulling a small arctic fox 5th wheel, but am looking at buying a 2001 Lance 1025 which is supposed to weigh 2600 lbs. I know I need to get my 2006 Chevy 3/4 ton diesel long box weighed but can anyone tell me if this is a doable combination. I suspect that I'm going to be pretty close on the numbers. Any advice would be appreciated.

[billtex]

billtex wrote:

bedrocker wrote:
Bill I'm using that size tire
on my OEM Ford wheels No problem 🙂

What size...285/75/16?

What is your wheel width?

No clearance issues?

How do you like the performance?

What size were you running previously?

How heavy are you running?

Rear axle load?

Tx, Bill

[billtex]

bedrocker wrote:
Bill I'm using that size tire
on my OEM Ford wheels No problem 🙂

What size...285/75/16?

What is your wheel width?

No clearance issues?

How do you like the performance?

What size were you running previously?

Tx, Bill

[bedrocker]

Bill I'm using that size tire
on my OEM Ford wheels No problem 🙂

[billtex]

travelnutz wrote:


285's = 32.83" high, 11.23" wide, 103.13" circumference - 3750 capacity -(don't use as it hits and is more "wallowy"/"wandering" due the the greater distance from the tire bead to the tread surface giving more flexing) A couple of the reasons why few keep the 285's on when carrying a heavy TC!

Can anyone elaborate on this?
Anyone run 285/75/16 on GM OEM wheels?
How did it work out?
I am running 265 on OEM GM wheels no problem for 30k miles...
Tx, Bill

[travelnutz]

wintersun, the OP has 16" wheels not 17". Tires are different! The charts give the actual distance traveled with one complete revolution at full inflation. In the OP's case it's 80 psi. A 245 tire will squat more than a 285 with the same load and inflation.

[wintersun]

travelnutz wrote:
Redsky,

Going from 245 tires to 285 tires is just under 8% difference not 4% if both sizes were 75/16's "E" range and inflated to 80 psi. Here's a quick calculator for tire size differences:

http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-calculator/

There are many others that give more info on tires and tire differences and the effects.

"IF" is the operative word. I replaced 245/75R17 tires with a 31.5" diameter with no load, with 285/70R17 tires that with no load have a tire height of 32.76". The 245/75R17 tires have a theoretical 641 revs/mile and the 285/70R17 tires have a theoretical 617 revs/mile.
That works out to a difference of approximately 0.0374414976599064 which I rounded to 4%.

But it is theoretical as I do not know the revs per mile with a 3,000 lb. load on these 3750@80 PSI tires. Obviously there is sidewall flexing that reduces the radius of the tire and with it the circumference so there are actually more revs per mile traveled (which is what the odomoeter and speedometer are using for their inputs).

In my own experience with the two sets of tires my mileage and speed readings were accurate with the stock 245/75R17 tires and no heavy camper load in the bed and were also accurate with the new 285/70R17 tires. Empirical results are what count in the real world. Beliefs are what get us into so much trouble and cause so much grief in the world.

[chalet05]

I carried 1050S on 3/4 ton RAM for 3 years with no issue, but I watched weight very closely. Truck came with camper pkg and I added Timbrens. Just purchased 1 ton dually so not so fussy.

[travelnutz]

woodchuck1,

You don't need any tire with more capacity than the 265/75/16 "E" size max for your '06 ext cab LB 4X4 truck. 3415 lbs each or 6830 for the 2 rear tires. Unloaded, your rear wheels weight on a cat scale will be less than 3,000 lbs if it's a D/A and the TC you asked about is 2600 dry. Less than 5,600 total will be on the rear tires with the dry TC on. That leaves you 1200-1400 for the less than 50% rear wheel portion of passenger's weight (notice where the seats in the cab are in relation to the front and rear axles) and what YOU put inside your TC including freshwater when it's filled. Also note that Lance's freshwater tank is located under the step at the far forward end of the TC floor so perhaps 1/4 to 1/3 of the water weight is actually on the front tires. So is the water heater and the refigerator's weight. Always load your TC with the canned goods/liquids and weighty stuff as low and as far forward as you can. Enhances handling! Weight added up high in the TC adds to cornering tipping and swaying with crosswinds.

You be the judge when you put the TC on as to if you need to add airbags or suspension help due to a sagging rear. Make sure your shocks are good as they make a big difference in driving and handling. If you add airbags, only 40 to 45 psi should be needed for leveling and the best ride quality.

How do I know? Had a 9-1/2' Lance with a dry weight of 2480 on a 1993 Chevy 2500 ext cab LB 4X4 with airbags and 265 Michelins for nearly 100,000 miles and it wasn't an HD model. Went to Alaska twice loaded for 9-1/2 weeks travel from Michigan (over 13,000 miles) and many trips all over the USA and Canada. Many trips with a 2150 lb boat/trailer behind. Not one even tiny problem! Then put the same TC on our new 2004.5 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC LB 4X4 truck for approx 40,000 miles before using our very heavy 11'4" Lance we bought new in 1997 for our DRW 3500 originally that we had in storage on the 2004.5 in 2009. Both TC rigs handles very similar and the only change made was going from 40 psi in the airbags to about 65 psi. Airbags are fabulous and fully adjustable and the air for them is free. At worse all you need is a small cheap hand held 12V air compressor to fill them anywhere!

[woodchuck1]

Again, thank you for all the help. This was invaluable. This forum really is the information highway.
Peter

[billyray50]

billyray50 wrote:

Redsky wrote:
I switched to 285 tires from the factory 245 tires and in theory the gearing should have been 4% taller but in reality with the weight of a heavy camper in the bed the tires squat down and the speedometer is dead on accurate with the larger tires as a result. Without the camper the truck is going about 2-3 MPH faster than the speedometer indicates which is not enough to worry about.

X2 on speedometer change.

No big deal though.

[billyray50]

Redsky wrote:
I switched to 285 tires from the factory 245 tires and in theory the gearing should have been 4% taller but in reality with the weight of a heavy camper in the bed the tires squat down and the speedometer is dead on accurate with the larger tires as a result. Without the camper the truck is going about 2-3 MPH faster than the speedometer indicates which is not enough to worry about.

X2 on speedometer change.

[billyray50]

I still am glad I went with the Nitto Durra 285/75r/17s high load index on my forged Aluminum rims from stock 265 Michelins E tires after they wore out. Heavy camper with 3970 lbs. a piece at 80 psi. Will never go back to Stock tire. They always looked to small on my Dodge.

[travelnutz]

Redsky,

Going from 245 tires to 285 tires is just under 8% difference not 4% if both sizes were 75/16's "E" range and inflated to 80 psi. Here's a quick calculator for tire size differences:

http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-calculator/

There are many others that give more info on tires and tire differences and the effects.

[Redsky]

I switched to 285 tires from the factory 245 tires and in theory the gearing should have been 4% taller but in reality with the weight of a heavy camper in the bed the tires squat down and the speedometer is dead on accurate with the larger tires as a result. Without the camper the truck is going about 2-3 MPH faster than the speedometer indicates which is not enough to worry about.