Tires and weight capacity

Hi,

The more I've read about this in other postings the less I understand… so any input you have would be helpful

I'd like to make sure I'm safe with my new Tacoma. I'll be carrying a slide in camper (let's say it's a 600ish pound shell model), and I don't want to pop tires or or cause a fiery death for anybody including myself.

So, how much would it help to get LT or D/E rated tires? Does this make a substantial difference, or is the Tacoma's carrying capacity the main issue (like, am I just putting on stiff hiking boots to try and carry an elephant on my back)? At this point, getting a different truck is not on the table.

Here's what causes my concern: I know the Tacoma capacity is around 1300 lbs. Then the sticker on my truck says occupants and cargo should not exceed 1150. But that's also saying I'll use P-rated tires. So I'm wondering if D/E rated tires (or a higher load index) will substantially improve things, or if that's wishful thinking.

Currently I have what came on the truck: BFG Rugged Trail T/A P265/70R16 111T.

I figure the camper's 600 lbs, I'm 180, the girlfriend might be with me, so that only leaves a few hundred pounds of cushion for gear/junk/etc. Remove the tailgate and subtract a few pounds...

I'm doing very little off-roading, and when I am on rugged terrain I'll drive VERY slowly, but I'm wondering (again…) if I just have to get tougher tires. Or maybe as long as I'm near the load limit I'm ok?

Thank you for reading.

 

OK, a shorter version of the question:

Do I get a substantial improvement in safety (and flats) if I go to D/E rated, or is that overkill for my needs?

Main concern is that I'll be at the weight limit on the Tacoma's sticker due to a slide-in camper etc.

Or, can I just drive really slow when on rugged terrain, and everything will be fine?

Thank you!

 

The load limit on p-rated tires is higher than the curb weight of a fully-loaded and towing tacoma.

 

hes right, my c-range nittos are really more than id need as far as weight rating

 

Nice. Im getting the P rated tires next time. I dont do anything needing more