Single VS Dually rear tires….again, real world experiences

[jslamerman]

I’m at the point where I’ve got to decide whether to convert to singles on my 2004 f350 4x4 ambulance build, and pretty quickly. I either need to get 6 255/85r16 or 285/75r16 with spacers and effectively go 33 diameter for a really large vehicle, or convert to say a 295/65r20 and do singles (remove the bolt on factory front dually spacer, and get steel 2 or 2.5 rear wheel spacers and end up with a 35. Research says the singles are going to have just over 4000 lb load rating each, for a max load of just about 8100 on the rear axle. What say you guys??

 

[Schitzangiggles]

I've had far more issues off road with duals than I ever had with singles. Don't get me started with dualies in the snow and ice

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[Peter_n_Margaret]

Good off road performance, especially in sand, needs a high profile tyre to make the best of a low pressure footprint. I would consider 295/65r20 to be a poor choice.
I run 305/70R19.5 on my 6.5T OKA and I think 70% profile is the minimum acceptable. More is better.
Look for a smaller diameter rim and larger diameter tyres.
I am currently building another OKA and will use 37R12.5/17s. For more weight capability consider 37R13.5/17s.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[Victorian]

It really comes down to your destinations and travel style. If you are planing of spending the winter in Baja at the beach or winters at the Skihill you are probably better off on super singles. Although most super singles do not have M+S/ snowflake ratings and perform poorly in ice and snow.
If you travel 95% paved roads and the 5% logging/forest roads then you are totally fine with the factory set up. With dualies you have more safety in case a tires goes flat. The other factor to consider is the availability and cost of super singles especially if you are away from home and need replacement. To be honest, I like the peace of mind knowing that I can get replacements/repairs at any commercial tire shop with our current set up.
I decided to keep my dualies for now and see how things are going for a while.

 

[yamaha225]

Everyone says duals are worse off-road. I don’t have any personal experience as my 1 ton has singles. However Trail Mater (the off road tow truck) on YouTube has duals and seems to do really well with them off-road.