Help with Tire size for towing

[tufts1]

Hi! New to this forum! I have been reading a lot of the posts on similar questions and there is a lot to sift through and make sense. Hopefully folks on the forum can help me out.

I purchased a 2021 F350 Tremor with the towing package. I will be towing a Grand Design 5th wheel 310 GTK. I am curious on the collective opinion as to whether it makes sense to upgrade tire size to 35x12.5 on new 18" rims to provide more rubber on the ground and perhaps improve overall handling, especially while towing. If the answer is yes, then the next question is tire recommendations. I understand there is more side wall flex in the stock tires for off-road and rock crawling (non of which I will do) so if I upsize, the question is to which manufacturer?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Tuxedomouse]

Maybe you could go lower and wider with a 295/70R18? That would give you some more width and remove some wiggle I think.

Some of the heavy towers will chime in...

 

[tufts1]

Maybe you could go lower and wider with a 295/70R18? That would give you some more width and remove some wiggle I think.

Some of the heavy towers will chime in...

Thanks! I was looking at the Wrangler Duratracs 35X12.5R18LT 128Q F which is simply a wider version of the stock tire Looking forward to further replies.

 

[Loshad]

If you have no intentions of going off road why did you get a Tremor, just for looks? For towing you would have been better off with a straight F350. While most people are reporting good towing with the Duratracs a more road-centric tire would probably tow better and greater width wouldn't necessarily translate to better towing.

 

[tufts1]

If you have no intentions of going off road why did you get a Tremor, just for looks? For towing you would have been better off with a straight F350. While most people are reporting good towing with the Duratracs a more road-centric tire would probably tow better and greater width wouldn't necessarily translate to better towing.

Thank you for the response.

Why a Tremor? Fair question. A Platinum F350 was my first choice. But none of the dealers had any inventory and none were coming in that were not sold and ordering one would take too long. They did locate a Platinum Tremor outfitted for 5th wheel towing that was sufficient for towing the rig we have coming in a few weeks. So it was more about timing and availability than anything else.

 

[KrazyCajun]

Check out the Toyo RT 35x12.5. They are expensive but last as well as has more load rating than the standard setup. They look good and perform pretty well. It’s kinda like I would normally overlook them because of price but then after having them I’m like yeah I will be buying another set as its well worth it.

 

[Mike Alcocer]

One thing you will need to pay attention to is the weight rating of the tire

The stock tires have a load capacity of 4079 lbs each. The duratrac 35 you mentioned is a bit over 100lbs less per tire. The bfg 35 is rated at 3500ish which is a substantial difference.

Assuming the vehicle has a roughly 3000lbs load capacity, which would include you, gear, passengers and tongue weight of your trailer. So if you lost 500 lbs per tire you would have a significant reduction in load capability.

 

[soulezoo]

Falken Wild Peak AT3W in 12.5x35-18, F rated. 55k warranty and 3peak snowflake rated.
/thread.

The taller tires with more sidewall will introduce more flex than a 20" wheel combo. But you lose some comfort. Straight road tires for towing get pretty harsh on the ride, although you make it up in lower rolling resistance and more longevity.
Seriously speaking, what's good for towing is the polar opposite of what is good for traction, off road, inclement weather and comfort.

Those Falkens above check off more boxes than any other tire I've ran, and believe me I have tried most.

Good luck to you.

 

[DanMan583]

Hi! New to this forum! I have been reading a lot of the posts on similar questions and there is a lot to sift through and make sense. Hopefully folks on the forum can help me out.

I purchased a 2021 F350 Tremor with the towing package. I will be towing a Grand Design 5th wheel 310 GTK. I am curious on the collective opinion as to whether it makes sense to upgrade tire size to 35x12.5 on new 18" rims to provide more rubber on the ground and perhaps improve overall handling, especially while towing. If the answer is yes, then the next question is tire recommendations. I understand there is more side wall flex in the stock tires for off-road and rock crawling (non of which I will do) so if I upsize, the question is to which manufacturer?

Thanks in advance.

If you’re towing a 5th Wheel you’re going to put a lot of wear on the stock tires anyway. Seeing as how they are rated at 4,080 lbs each, you’re not gonna find many tires that exceed that rating. You’ll find a few that come close and even fewer that match it unless you go with the exact same size. So, you may as well just use them until they wear out, save yourself some money, then upgrade to a different brand that has a better reputation for stiffer sidewalls. If that is in fact what you decide you really want after towing enough miles on the stock tires.

Just a suggestion, why swap them now if you’re going to use them hard while towing? But, if you do decide that you want a different tire then I would definitely recommend seriously considering the Nitto Ridge Grappler. They do have a stiffer sidewall than the Goodyear’s, and the truck definitely handles differently. I went with the 35x12.50 R18 but only because I also wanted to go with a different Wheel/Tire combo.

Others on this forum have gone with the Nittos and have also had very positive results with them. Just be sure to always check the load rating on whatever size you decide to go with because it can vary quite a bit. ??