Towing with low profile tires; any advice?

[dwellsouth]

I have a 2011 Dodge Nitro with a towing package. It has low profile tires, which I feel don't ride as well as regular tires (I went from a Yukon XL to this). Now I want to pull a CampLite 11fk, which is in my weight range, but I'm worried about these low profile tires. I was halfway considering getting "normal" tires (and whatever that entails) put on the car anyway.
Do you think I should go ahead and do that before I pull the camper?

[pinstriper]

I have a 2011 Dodge Nitro with a towing package. It has low profile tires, which I feel don't ride as well as regular tires (I went from a Yukon XL to this). Now I want to pull a CampLite 11fk, which is in my weight range, but I'm worried about these low profile tires. I was halfway considering getting "normal" tires (and whatever that entails) put on the car anyway.
Do you think I should go ahead and do that before I pull the camper?

Check the load rating on the lp's. it may affect your effective tow rating. Switching will need more than tires - you'd need different wheels as well. Gets very spendy quick.

Visit your favorite trusted tire store - ie. not Costco and ask about towing and ride with your current setup versus any alternative they can offer.

[daplumbr]

[quote timestamp="1476419913" author="@dwellsouth" source="/post/25349/thread"]I have a 2011 Dodge Nitro with a towing package. It has low profile tires, which I feel don't ride as well as regular tires (I went from a Yukon XL to this). Now I want to pull a CampLite 11fk, which is in my weight range, but I'm worried about these low profile tires. I was halfway considering getting "normal" tires (and whatever that entails) put on the car anyway.
Do you think I should go ahead and do that before I pull the camper?
[/quote]Before you invest in new tires/wheels, try the set-up with the 50 aspect ratio tires on your Nitro and see how it goes. The trend to low profile tires is not kind to ride and comfort (or IMHO looks), but you will only know about towing with your specific set up by testing it out.

If you do switch tires and wheels, sell your old ones. The demand for low profile wheels/tires, though inexplicable to me, would mean they will be worth something. 

Also, there are many calculators online that you can play with to see what wheel diameter and tire sizes will retain the overall diameter and width of your stock tires, which is important. The Tire Rack has wheels and a way to see what they will look like on your car. www.tirerack.com

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.dos

[fasteddieb]

If you need different sized wheels, check with dealers of your vehicle brand.

They'll often have factory "take-offs" from customers upgrading at purchase.

We got a good deal on a set of stock Jeep wheels with off-road tires from a Jeep accessory shop in Jasper, GA. Most winters we throw those on for the season, the downside being they're quite noisy.

[dwellsouth]

Thanks for your responses, guys. I went out of town twice (for days) and am just getting back on the site tonight. I will definitely go to a pro and I like the idea of checking with dealers for "take-offs". I don't like the low profile tires at all. I just agreed to buy my red 11FK today!!! So now there's some urgency! I didn't know it would happen so quickly.