@Socalexpeditions Ram 2500 Regular Cab Camper Build

@Shmellmopwho built me some sliders! Stoked. New bumper arrives today too.

 

Happy to be part of the build homie!!

 

Thuren Bumper installed!

 

Lights mounted!

 

Filmed a full walk-around!

https://youtu.be/R2opO2oJkhI

 

Finally got the camper on

 

How did you get that plate approved??

Nice rig!

 

Why did you switch from the Razrs to the Ridge Grapplers? Are you happy you made the switch?

Both tires are in my top 3 for my next set and I’m having a really hard time choosing. I would be interested to hear your thoughts comparing the two if you have a minute.

 

Wizardry! Haha.

 

I made the switch cause the Razrs were wearing down. I absolutely despise Nitto Ridge Grapplers. These are one of the most overpriced, low grip, and heavy tires I could have ever chosen. But I was in a bind and that was all I could pick (or Toyo MT's, but I hate those even more). On a midsize truck, the Maxxis is a fantastic option and I would highly recommend them. The Maxxis with 30k miles on them were quieter than my Nitto's with 500 miles.

 

That’s some great info, I really appreciate it. I’ve watched a bunch of your YouTube content by the way…good stuff!

 

Thanks for watching man. I would always check Walmart for good prices on tires - I know they have 35x12.50r17 Kenda's for sale right now for $230ish a tire, which is dang cheap.

 

Of course! I’ve been looking at Walmart as well because of their killer prices, my Grabbers are getting loud as hell so I’m looking to replace them soon. My top 3 contenders are the Razr AT, the Klever RT or the Ridge Grapplers. I’m having a very hard time deciding haha

 

Well I'd definitely say the Ridge Grass are not worth it. So between the Razr and Klevers, you cant go wrong with either. If you do more wheeling, go with the Kenda. If you drive street more, then the Razr is a great option. The Kenda comes with more tread depth so the odds of it lasting longer is very likely.

 

It’s so interesting to hear that about the Ridge Grapplers because I’ve read all of the mega thread here about them and 95% of the people posting in that thread say they’re the greatest tire on the planet.

I do probably 75% roadway, 25% trails. I’m leaning towards the Razrs for that reason just like you said. I’ve also literally never found a negative review about them anywhere. Everyone that runs them swears by them. Same with the Klevers but I’m running a hybrid tire now and I’ve done mud tires before, so I kinda want to give an AT tire a go.

 

Find the correct size and weight tire for your truck. You drive a Ram 2500. We drive Taco's.

I would love to see Maxxis Razr AT 265/75R16's in 116/C weight, but they are not available. I was super excited to see the Razr A/T announced, because it is so similar to Nitto Ridge Grapp's profile and tread... but I'm disappointed they are only available in 123/E. I have run Maxxis tires on my mountain bikes for decades, and they are awesome... so I trust the brand completely.

Ridge Grappler 265/75R16 116C: 48.94 lbs (*ding*ding*ding*) $233.00
Ridge Grappler 265/75R16 123Q: 56.37 lbs $277.00
Razr AT 265/75R16 123E: 53.3 lbs $217.96

I disagree with your weight/grip gripes, from the East Coast and Appalachia perspective.

I have 2x fitted 116T 265/75R16 Nitto Ridge Grappler, and they have been awesome. Best tire for a stock TRD Off Road, IMO. It fits, and it grips. 1/16" less tread depth... meh... not important for a lightweight truck like the Tacoma.

123/E tires are way too heavy a tire for the Tacoma, unless you are rock crawling, desert blasting, or carrying massive loads (for a Taco).

I have run 120K on the OG Wranglers and 2 sets of Ridge Grapplers, with daily gravel, mountain and highway miles, plus weekly trails (mild blue ridge mountains and some beach time). I have bumpers, sliders, Prinsu and a heavy ARE cap... plus dogs, bikes, boats, gear on the weekends.

Ridge Grapps are soft rubber compound, so if you are doing massive highway miles or constant gravel, they are not the tire for your rig. My current set is over 40K miles and still not down to the tread wear indicators or stone ejectors.

Nitto's don't have a mileage rating because they prioritize grip over wear. I have had zero issues with them, other than a few plugs in slow leaks when a nail or screw got embedded in the carcass.

I will say... Ridge Grapps have a peculiar tendency to drift when you hit the throttle from a standstill and immediately make a sharp turn... DRIFTORO!! I think it's a quirk of the lateral/diagonal grooving on the tires. I also will say I enjoy this quirk. The tires do not have any negative wet handling characteristics from what I have experienced. They are not a snow tire... so do not expect them to have incredible wet acceleration grip.

Run them at 30 PSI cold, and air the Grapps down for offroad: they will crawl or float over almost anything. The sidewalls are very stout, the bead seats are secure, and the sidewall tread is taller than anything else out there for a C/116 load tire.

 

Definitely agree on the weight - I've had Ridge Graps on my Tacoma, and on my Ram 2 times now. In rain, they are hydroplane prone. In mud, they cake and don't eject anything. In snow, they cake and and/or slide out. Learned all of those the hard way. They do just fine highway and normal dirt roads, until they start chunking.

Tires are a very opinionated thing, and I've tried out so many sets that I too have built opinions on them. I encourage people to try stuff out but if you ask my opinion on Nitto's it won't be the best.

 

New build thread: https://www.tundras.com/threads/socalexpeditions-2010-tundra-4x4-rcsb-build.130810/

 

I am down, love mine I will check out your thread, you have done some nice builds over the years.