Send my truck to Costa Rica- Need help getting her ready for the big life change

I have a 2005 Double Cab, V6, long bed, w/ topper, that has lived most of its life on the highways of California and Im getting ready to send it to Costa Rica to live the rest of its days bash rivers and crawling in the mud. Im doing a few mods here before shipping and need some help.

Suspension:
OME Soft Valving Shocks and 885 coils w/ spacer
Dakar HD rear pack

My issue here is that Im wondering if the 885 coils / HD rear are too stiff for this truck. It will be doing 95% of its driving on dirt/rock and I even have a really uneven rocky climb to get to my house in the hills. Some people say it is fine but I assume most people are driving predominantly on pavement. The truck has stock bumper, but does have the extra weight of the big cab, 6' bed, some camping tools in the back, thule box, topper, and I do have a wooden bunk/ platform for sleeping in the back. Do you guys think that weight will be enough to calm down the stiffness of the HD rear and 885s?

Tires:
As I said, this truck will be living on dirt and touch pavement once a month or so. There are lots of river crossings, rocky climbs, and clay down in CR. There also arent many people. So I want this thing to be dialed in so I have the confidence to take some of these roads on my own and be self sufficient. Given the situations, I think a BFG KM3 285/70/17 is probably my best option. Do you think the extra weight is a big deal? It seems like it would be to most peple, but hell. Im never trying to pass people while twing on a high mountain pass or have any of the MPG problems. Most of the time im going less that 30 mph and bumping around on the rough roads. I just want to be able to tackle anything CR throws at it and I think this tire could handle just about everything.

The problem I see with the KM3 is the E rating. I want a smoothish ride on these rough roads and have some back problems. So if I can try to eliminate the harshness, that would be great.
Maybe go with a Duratrac instead? But Ill be losing off road performance maybe for the softer ride. What would you guys recommend given my particular situation? Any other brands you'd recommend?

Any other modfications you would recommend?
ARB Snorkel is on the way already.

Thank you so much for any advice. Greatly appreciated. Hopefully I can get this thing all dialed in and it will live out the rest of its years doing what it was meant to do.

 

I have spent some time on the "roads" of costa rica and I think you're headed on the right path.

I can't comment on your suspension setup, as I haven't run that particular configuration.

Regarding the tire weight I generally try to find the lightest tire that suits my needs and is still durable. Yes you won't be dealing with freeway or highway speeds, but the weight will still be a factor. CR has some steep roads and back country, on stock gears you will feel the weight/size of the tire. As you mentioned, the E rated tire is going to ride rougher, you may be able to counter that with lower pressure.

An important factor to consider is what tires are commonly available down there. Picking the best tire in the U.S. market may not translate to the best tire in CR.

We went A LOT of places with a diesel hilux on 265/75/16s while we were down there, probably 1500ish miles and few of that was pavement.

 

Good point on the availability. I know we can get BFG there. Im not sure what part of the season you were there but it is a different animal during the summer. Heavy rains, mud slides, very full rivers, etc. So the off road performance is pretty important to stay confident. Im sure most of the time one could get by with an AT just fine. But it is great to know your rig is ready for the challenge when it shows itself.

 

Rainy season is no joke, and turns those roads to slip and slides. I think an MT or close to it is a good choice.

 

Is there another MT tire you like that is lighter? Thanks for the replies.

 

The km3 in a 285/70/17 weighs 67 pounds according to the google machine, I have to believe there's lighter options out there.

My truck runs a 255/80/17 Toyo AT3 that comes in at 50 pounds. I don't want to start a tire model/brand/size/weight debate here, but I've found that rotating weight is some of the most noticed weight on ANY wheeled vehicle I've owned and modified.