new tires -- help

reposting this here -- think i posted it in the wrong place

hey guys new member , occasional visitor , i was hoping to get some confirmation on new tires that i want to purchase . ive googled a bit and think i know the answer but would like some help before i spend the $500 or so.

my truck is a 2008 base toyota tacoma extended cab, auto trans, not 4 wheel drive , 4 cyl
my current tire size is 215/70 r15

im looking to increase the size of my tires (wider and taller), but i cannot afford a lift kit or new rims
through my research i have found that the largest tire suggested for my truck would be 265/75 r15 -- that would make it wider but about the same height as my current tire???

also i saw on another tacoma (in a parking lot) a size 31x10.5 r 15 lt -- i really liked the look, it almost filled the whole tire well, would this tire work on my truck???
i dont do much off-roading , mostly highway -- but i liked the deep tread and beefier looking tire

also i occasionally pull a 5x10 trailer and more frequently i will load the back of the truck with some lumber

so will either of these tires work for my truck? would one be better than the other ??? (they are both roughly the same price) can you suggest another tire size that may be better ??? how much will these tires affect my performance??? (low end torque, turn radius) what else should i be concerned with if purchasing these tires ??? do yo have any pictures i can look at to compare tire sizes ??

ok thank you very much in advance , im a bit scared of spending the money and/or messing up my truck

thank you thank you!!!