Why International Overlanders DON'T USE HUGE TIRES 

After 35 years of off road driving, I can tell you he is telling you the way it is. 33 by 10.5 is all you will ever need.

Availability of tires alone is a good enough reason to not get too excessive.

Everything you say is so true , what cured my tyre fetish was seeing what a standard 1950s series one land rover could achieve on little standard rims and tyres . The vast majority do it for the cool factor .

Spend the money on lockers instead, that will make way more difference to off road capability

Everything has its place. 33s are the sweet spot for long distance self-supported trips. Great video as usual!

Over landing the real world vs on IG.

This is the first video I've seen of yours. There was lots of wisdom here. I will watch more of your content and possibly subscribe.

The last point is 100% accurate. Even in Mexico, where they tend to have most conveniences we have north of the border, finding big tires isn’t easy. My cousins would have to drive a couple states over to get the right tires because they just weren’t available any where in the state they lived in.

255/80r17 “Pizza Cutter’s” Unite!!!

Hey 40" tires works really well on mall-crawlers!

Keeping things simple and practical is always the best advice. The more whistles and bells you have the more chance something is going to break.

I run 31 KO2s on my Jeep cj5. Diesel and locked rear. 1.5" suspension lift and warn winch. It handles fantastic, gets great fuel economy and is light enough to go nearly everywhere. Great video, thanks!

This video is spot on in every aspect. I've been overlanding for over 15years and never ran bigger than 33s with a good winch I'll get every where I need to and not be stopping for fuel every 300ks. 👍🏻👍🏻

31" tyres + winch can go anywhere in Aus with experience

Thanks for watching! I should have added my experience and this advice is for SUV/4x4 vehicles like Land Cruisers, Land Rovers, Jeeps, Pajeros, Hiluxes, etc. etc. Massive trucks like MAN or Unimogs are obviously a different story - and I know nothing about that so I won't try to make up advice. Next video is about overall wheel and tire choice for international overlanding. Hit the subscribe button so you don't miss it!

The Stock Jeep Rubicon Tires are honestly really good. They air down well, great tread and return good MPG.

Skinny 32" tires for life! :) All the advice was sound. But keeping the tires inside the guards really resonates with me. I see these guys go through one puddle at 10MPH and then they cant see out of their side windows or mirrors or touch their truck for the rest of the day and it completely baffles me why that is OK in their eyes. LOL

Great video. I had always run 35's, max. Never had a issue where I could not eventually get out. So now I have gone with 33's max. I love them, less weight in the tire, less cost, easier to man handle should I have a blow out and easier to use the smaller tire as a anchor as its smaller to dig into the ground. I did regear to 4.88, however i was fortunate to be able to do it myself. Made all the difference on my little 4 cylinder Jeep.

ADAC in Germany (the equivalent to AAA) recently made a test on different size winter tires. They used a VW Golf with 5 different sized Dunlop Winter Sport 5, a brand and model regarded as not the best but a relatively OK winter tire here in Norway (in the Nordic countries we sometimes use winter tires 1/2 the year and are 110% reliable on optimal performance, hence every year we have thorough tests for make and model). The tires tested by ADAC ranged from 195/65 R15 to 225/40 R18 and showed that the narrowest tires had the overall best performance on snow and ice. One factor was cornering, maybe something you don’t think much about going straight forward, but in those cases you have to maneuver in tight places your may be glad you didn’t go with oversized tires. However, the better performance with narrow tires on snow, ice and slush was because of hydroplaning. ADAC did the test with 7 mm water/slush and the 195 tires lost their grip at 80 km/h while the 225 lost at 70 km/h. Remember that when you go down the highway with your overloaded, top heavy 4x4 rig in a tropical storm and consider if you should (or need to bcs your chased by some hijackers) keep 55 or 60 or 65 m/h. So why mention all this on a 4x4 channel? I don’t have much experience with extensive overlanding, but for a total of 3 years I used my 1967 Willys CJ-3B daily to get to and from my job in the Amazon. The road (or track) conditions were extreme to sever (w/o a winch off-roading was obviously high risk and you might end up sleeping with the snakes when stuck). My struggles really made me convinced that snow and mud conditions is comparable. And from Norway common knowledge told me to stick with narrow tires. So when I had to replace all my tires I stuck with the original 6.00x16 (152 wide NDT military style tires). I was evident for me that the narrow tires needed less power through the mud (less friction/resistance) and absolutely the best choice for the old worn-out engine and overloaded vehicle. Just saying .....

Great video and discussion about the hindrances of big tires for long-distance remote travel! There are a few points to add to this discussion, purely about tire/vehicle performance: Big tire advantages: - The larger diameter helps them climb and roll over obstacles more easily (the obstacle is smaller relative to a bigger tire) - The sidewall is taller which gives it more ability to compress and absorb bumps rather than transmitting harsh impacts to the suspension Big tire disadvantages: - the additional width is a hindrance in deep mud or snow where you are not experiencing floatation over the material but are sunk in; a wider tire needs to push more material out of its way to make it through - Raising the vehicle by two inches raises the center of gravity by two inches which decreases available traction on uneven ground and increases the chance of a rollover

Another important point is that it will be VERY hard to find a replacement for your 37 inch tyre when you are in some country far away. On our 4x4 van (Toyota Hiace) I don't have big tyres, they are only 225/75R16. But they can be found on any tyre shop on the last trip through the Northern half of Asia (Russia/Central Asia/Mongolia) for less than $50. On our Landcruiser we had 235/85R16 which is also a common size. It also becomes hard to fit a same size spare wheel on a lot of vehicles. The rest that you are describing is the typical 4x4 virus. You make one mod that is causing you to need another mod, and then you are down the rabbit hole of spending lots of money. And any standard 4x4 will go to most places in the world. Just spend money on a small lift and go driving.

One thing that some people don't consider even when they are just driving around town is that the wider tires are more likely to pick up a nail / screw and get a flat than the narrower tires. A 275 width tire is going to have a 12.245% greater chance of getting a flat from a nail or screw than a 245 width tire. More tread on the ground equals a proportional greater chance of running over something that is going to give you a flat. Of course, *my* experience is that nails and screws seems to be particularly attracted to brand new tires, not tires that you already have 30-40K miles on... :(

perfectly explained. It has been mentioned in off road racing as well, if you want to run a 40" tire, the entire suspension and drive line must be upgraded to handle the 'un-sprung weight' of the hardware. I use 33" with a 4:10 gear. I could go 35", but that is re-gearing off the diff and the potential to break components with the added resistance. thank you

I have 31” tires. I do overlanding not rock crawling Weight is not your friend...

While I don't travel long international distances as you, these are all the same points I used when selecting my own Jeep tires. Ya sure, sometimes when I'm with the Jeep crowd and see all these Big Jeeps mine looks a little boring next to them. But then I remember I don't hate driving it on road and it will still go 99% of they places they take theirs.

This is actually a similar scenario I went through when I upgraded my tires to 33s. My job requires me to drive forest roads on private land, and many times I may be going down a road nobody has been down in months or years. I will admit, there has been a couple times where the extra tire size has saved me from getting stuck. However, the hit on gas mileage has had me contemplating if even upgrading from 31s was worth it, let alone the 35s I was considering. I get paid per mile, so the bigger tires means less money in my pocket

I've gone diff locks over anything bigger than 33" on my 80 series, just have a look at where Graham Cahill puts that Dmax. Although saying that, I've got a set of cheapie muddies in 35" for local trips, it drives like a cow on LSD on-road but.

Very educational video series. Well edited, major points covered and points to think about. Thanks for putting it together and sharing your experiences!

Some great advice Dan! I personally really liked the tubed mining/military tires like the 7.50R16 Dunlop SPs etc. I know they're not so readily available in North America but they're ubiquitous in many parts of the world for a good reason.

we have stuck with the stock size on our 4Runner and chose our tires based on weight, material, and tread design. This keeps our budget funds available for other necessities such as fuel. Love this video. Cheers!

Here in merica alot of people that have jeeps with 35-40s are either mall crawlers or rock crawlers and everyone else with skinny’s is trail go getters or overlanders because of price like you said.

I totally agree Dan. Huge tires get attention at a show. Ideally if you’re going somewhere remote you want a size that gives you a chance of having it replaced wherever you are going. Huge tires decrease fuel economy (which means range) and increase wear and tear. Staying near stock size on my Tacoma off road.

Informed common sense, the foundation of all good decisions. Well done.

YES, I M THINKING LIKE YOU. Now I have 265//75r16 on my Tacoma Offroad (2019) and this summer I change for 255/85r16... narrow, but a little bit higher.. and not heavier

Great points and content. I've talked to Baja racers that said anything beyond 33 or 35 is not needed in most situations. Keep in mind... in the States... the most popular vehicle is the truck. Only about 1% are used as intended. The other 99% are used to get plants and pine straw from Home Depot in the Spring. Thus, people are setting up their vehicles for Looks....

Hi from South Africa. My wife and I really enjoy your video clips and helpful information. Thank you very much. Blessings Andre & Daphne

I'm not an overlander (yet) but I've been saying for years if the manufacturer specified particular size tyres, it's for a reason. The most common question on any 4x4 group of forum: "What is the biggest tyres I can fit?" It makes me headbutt the desk. Going up a size or two from stock, while keeping to a commonly available size, usually no problem. I have never understood the obsession with huge expensive tyres.

I've got 35"x12.5" tires on my FJ80, they're still good but definitely considering "downgrading" to 33ish"x10.5" wide. Never considered how the contact patch changes shape for skinny vs narrow until I saw a video about it. Also getting bucked around on the highway because your tires have such a long lever arm every time you partially hit a bump or pothole isn't great for enjoyment or steering components. Good stuff, thanks for the tips.

Nothing but common sense. Bravo! 👏🙂

I am driving with 285/70/R17 on my 2015 JKU. I do lots off off-road travel with the guys who have 37's on their jeeps and Toyota's. I can go anywhere and everywhere that they can go for WAY less money. Cheaper tire, less gas, break wear, gear wear, and the list continues to go on. Thanks for affirming my thoughts. Keep the videos coming!

A lot of people use larger tires here in the US because they go offroading/rock crawling with their rig and need the larger tire size. The largest you'd ever really need for overlanding is 35s and that's considering you're going to be doing some crazy rock crawling at some point in your journey hehe. All your points are so true and that's why I don't want to go bigger - I do just fine with my 33s it's the perfect size for what I use them for

A very intelligent approach to tire size. Thank you for filming this video.

He speaking facts, on the other hand the only time I use bigger tires with bigger suspension, is only when I do extreme off-road within my state’s nearest trails and not long distance. But definitely, for the long range roads 33” are ideal.

I suggest that you use the spare wheel as well before it goes stale, seeming it is still brand new. When you rotate your tyres, include your spare wheel as well and rotate all 5 at the same time. I usually rotate mine in a anti-clockwise direction about every 7500kms

Had a truck once with 7.5 - 16 tires on it....about 32 inches tall...worked nicely.

Back in 1968 I and 2 others came overland from the UK to Australia via South Africa in a standard 1962 LWB diesel Land Rover. We had standard 750x16 wheels and tyres, plus a few spares. At no time did we need anything else. Our vehicle had a PTO capstan winch and an ex British Army Tirfor winch. In 1978 while in Wyndham, WA, I was reunited that same Land Rover, still going strong....

This was a very insightful video! Much of what is discussed in this video is also stuff we are contemplating when in comes to tire size choices. Thanks for making this video!

I agree with everything you said. I didn't put much lift on my jeep - about 2.5 inches and I went to a 33 inch KO2. I don't do serious offroading, I tow a small camping trailer to remote locations to have a nice time. Sure, you have a few water crossings or mudholes, but none of that requires large tires or a massive amount of ground clearance. I think in the US it's really a combination of factors: trucks need to be jacked up, it's a visual thing (or dare I say it has to do with size of genitals). Then there's people in this country who buy a 50k Jeep, invest another 50k to upgrade everything and then go out on weekends to break as many drivetrain and suspension parts as they possibly can - oh, wait, they call it rock-crawling. While that may be a fun sport, you really have to have the cash to do it. I never had the desire to drive up a 3 foot rock. There's also the belief that you need a massive truck to go places or tow things. If Americans saw how people from the UK or Netherlands tow camping trailers with their small honda or subaru they wouldn't believe it. Over here you need some kind of monster truck for a 2000lbs trailer - apparently... As others have said, if you spend a lot of time in rough terrain going remote places, lockers, a winch and traction boards of any kind will give you more bang for the buck. If you just head out on forest roads and the occasional desert or mountain trail you don't need that much - a Jeep or other 4x4 is already capable enough. All you really need is a tire with good traction and a small compressor to air back up for the road.

33” falken wildpeak a/t on my 12 Xterra pro4x I go through the same places as those with the napoleon complex.

33 10.50s are all I run on my yj and xj. I had 33 12.50s on my cj7 and it would hydroplane like crazy. Tire width should be based on vehicle weight. The wider the tire, the less vehicle psi it puts to the ground.

You are spot on. I have a Jeep Rubicon, many Jeepers in Colorado upgrade to huge 35-37" tires. I did a 1.75" lift upgrade and run 255/80/17 BFG KM2s. (these measure 33.3") These work great with my 4.10 gearing towing an Aliner trailer. I leave off top roof racks and keep my Jeep light as if it were a backpack. Keeping these tires inside the guards is important to me too, I was tired of cleaning my Jeep off everytime I drove on a wet dirt road.

Lots of really good points Dan. My Jeep has 35's and I got a flat in Atlanta, GA. Do you think any dealers had a replacement? Absolutely not, special order everywhere in a huge city like Atlanta! Also, changing a big, heavy tire is a real pain!!!

31" KO2s with a locker is all I've needed. I pull my little trailer (also on 31s) through everything. If the rut it too deep I pull winch line. The cost to go to bigger tires including suspension paid for my warn winch and I dont destroy the driveline getting places.

Well said - I've taken bog standard vehicles to numerous countries including into the Arctic and across Siberia several times, both summer and winter, and there's always a way forward using skill - vehicle skills and people skills: Like the man says - keep the cash to get out on an adventure - and meet more wonderful people of the world. Even better if you can save weight to take gear/people along to help local people who need a boost in fantastically remote areas.

Funny thing. I had a Suzuki Samurai that was bone stock. It never stopped me from keeping up with the Jeeps and Bronco's with the large tires and lifts. In fact, my Sammy could get into MORE places BECAUSE it was smaller. (and fewer paint scratches too)

Part of the fun is getting stuck , winching and thinking your way through. Always good to get advice from experience thanks.

I am setting two vehicles up for overlanding though my time off from work tends to keep the trip shorter. Main thing is keep on a very limited budget. One is just adding things to a 2014 Jeep Cherokee to make it do a week long overlanding with nothing more than a 100 miles away from the journey. There is not much room for tier upgrade from the stock 245/65/17 (29 1/2") and found the cost not worth the limited lift. The other is a little more for longer trips, a 1986 Ford Bronco, I was finding the original 15" wheels were hard to find good tire options so I changed to 17" rims 265/75/17 (31.6") so far so good.

What you are saying is common sense That doesn't apply to off road magazines who pushing certain image. There are ton of vehicles with custom Shocks ,suspension,wheels ,winches. That never leave pavement. Its all about looks! All the best!

Judging by the comments, we must be one of the only full-time overlanders running 37"s M/Ts. I agree with all your points, and going down in size would be great for mileage and wear in tear. On the other side of things though, this Jeep also does serious trails that most overlanders wouldn't consider. The vehicle has also been modified to deal with the much larger tyres and nothing has broken. Interesting topic

Lol I have 37” tires but I’m a weekend warrior in the Pacific Northwest but I still get 19mpg in my 86 4runner geared and update engine 2rz but with what you’ve said definitely seems like it really would not make any sense for any kind of expedition also the center of gravity is way higher and you have to climb up the dirty vehicles to access anything on top👍👍

Excellent tips and points of view....I think the main difference is that you go overlanding (great distances) more than offroading (most people do it, making routes with physical obstacles)....

Our offroad shops in San Diego California are saying 35s are popular, but I got 33.8/34s because of gearing, gas mileage, and I don't climb rocks with my jeep.

I agree with you. i have a 2 door jeep wrangler and run 33s

damn, this guy is smarter than tens of those 35's overland bloggers. Subscribe!

Good video. I would also add that log distance expeditions require a lot of time on road and therefore you need a vehicle that is capable of long distance road travel as well as having off road capability. Large tyres are not designed for long distance road use, and vehicles modified to fit large tyres usually lose some on road handling in favour of off road capability. It’s always a compromise but I agree with most of what you said.

Thanks again for really valuable information from an unpretentious perspective. I know of another well respected African 4x overlander that advocates smaller, skinnier tires. It really is refreshing to get practical advice over appearance and the need to fit in or show off. Keep it up! I'm sure you already have a million video ideas in your head, including what I am about so suggest, but a similar one about the need for a dual battery and/or solar setup would be valuable.

Nice to finally hear someone say wider tires have better traction, especially in the sand. So many people are misinformed about narrow tires being better in the sand lately and are spreading this hogwash though their videos. I've driven in sand more than a lot of people have driven total . Personally, I have been places I have had trouble getting through in the sand with a 7" wide tire in 4WD where with a 12" wide tire I can go easily in 2WD, many times.

I once saw a land cruiser troopy that has completed global circumnavigation in 2013 in Colorado, it's on steel wheel and skinny tires.

There’s so many people I come across that want to lift way too high and put big tires on or add wheel spacers *disgusting*. Then they wonder why they have trouble with hubs, ball joints, and the drivetrain

Extremely useful information. Just what I had been wondering about.

Larger tires also raise the center of gravity of your vehicle, making it more likely to have a rollover accident. The money that tires would end up costing is much better spent on a winch, lockers, an external cage and extraction gear like a shovel and MaxTraxx..

2005 Jeep Liberty with 245/75/16 AT tires and Ironman Coils. I live in Oklahoma miles of unpaved roads to get home. I have never seen a old farmer with big tires and they go everywhere

I'm in the US and with you. 33 is more than enough even with a 2 inch lift.

Funny this video just showed up on my feed. I'm going to be regearing my Jeep soon because we just bought a small camper and I briefly considered regearing for 37's instead of my 35's. I'll be sticking with 35's.

Great video. Subscribed. Form follows function. Huge tires are nothing but 4x4 bling for 98% of those who run them. Imagine running miles and miles of corrugations with huge, heavy 37's. The reason you are seeing large tires at overland shows is because it gives the vendors something to sell. Normally sized tires can be purchased locally...

We bought our troopy with 35 on it. Now we changed it to 255/85r16. They look nice too. Although we consider the 285/75r16 Ann good option to due the weight of the car. 3400kg

I was seriously considering upgrading the stock tyres and wheels on my JLR to 35'', if I'm honest, mainly for the looks. However, I'm far more interested in overlanding so you've convinced me to spend the money elsewhere. Great advice from someone who has been there and done it!

I run 265/75/16 on my truck. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve unstuck or helped out that had 35’s and 37’s. There’s obviously some advantages to those large tires, however in my experience, it hasn’t been enough advantage to beat experience and driving skill.

The weight and space issue is compounded when you start carrying two spares.

Great informative video ! I’ve always run stock size tires on my 08jkuRubi, which I’ve setup for camping/ living. I keep it all as Light as possible. 🙏🌲❤️🇨🇦

I personally go up one profile size, and raise a vehicle max 2"; for example, my Jeep wj and Land Rover D2 came with 245/70x16" tires, and I went to 245/75x16 and a 2" spring lift and better shocks. Just my preference.

I drove from Alaska to Arizona with 33 inch tires on my JK. Over 6000 km in 8 days carrying over 800lbs of additional weight. I am so glad I didn't have 35s or 37s, complete waste of gas. Now that I am here I might regear and get 35s, but that's it.

Now that was a great video. I have a Ford F150 with 275/65R18s. Taking your advice I need almost nothing more. I agree, 99% of the time AT tires and this stock size is more then enough for all I will be doing. Just want to be able to travel down a dirt road and see beautiful things. Never plan to go "wheeling" or rock crawling. Car camping and hiking are for me. Thanks for the insight!!

When I decided to take the truck I had (2014 F-450) and use it for off-road and overlanding duty, I switched the dually rears to "super singles". Duallys do not belong off-road. There are only a few single tires that have the load capacity to handle the GAWR, and all of them are big. Like 40" big. Need a 4" lift to tuck them in. These are military/agriculture tires, so they are available, but they are harder to come by than the 33.5's in this video. Haven't researched if they're available overseas, but I expect I'll use a different truck if I'm going to do international overlanding. As expected, the tires are expensive. The wheels were expensive. The suspension upgrade was expensive. The reduction in mileage will be expensive. Wider fender flares were needed but not that expensive. Brakes and axles are still stock because they're fairly overbuilt. I've chosen to derate the towing capacity from 30,000lbs to 10,000lbs as I don't expect to use the truck for hauling. But now I have an RV that can go almost anywhere (if the trail isn't too narrow) and comfortably sleep my family of five, built on the truck I already had.

All my "big tire" Jeep friends laugh at my 04 Grand Cherokee with it's "pizza cutters". I'm running Geolander M/T G003 in 255/75-17 with a small lift. Goes just about anywhere I point it and still rolls down the highway easily.

I like seeing old model t’s and such driving on muddy roads and they did fine with really skinny tires . That helped me get off the big fat tire addiction.

Such a fantastic video, Dan. You covered every detail. Cheers bud!

37 and 40 inch off road tires are the fashion equivalent of 35 and 45 profile street tires. They look cool and are functionally ineffective most of the time. To say nothing about the purchase price and the impact on vehicle dynamics, reliability and performance. Victims of fashion live by the motto "its better to look good than to feel good". Great video. Its nice to hear a little common sense once in a while. Cheers.

Some really good points! Thank you for sharing...

Well said, Mate. The 35" and up tires have become more of a "look" or "fad", if you will. This was very thorough and informative and hopefully people will listen to this before spending big bucks for something as minute as an inch or two of ground clearance. Thank you!

I went with 35" KO2s. It's a great balance of looks and performance without having to upgrade too much of the suspension components. I think on the JL/JLU, its ready for 35". All points made in this video is spot on.

31" to 33" tyres will take you 95% of the places you will ever want to go and $1,000 extra for a winch and a shovel get you the last 5% no problems. Or you can spend an extra $100,000 to make your vehicle more capable and get to 97.5% of places you want to get to and still need the winch and shovel or a buddy to pull you out. At some point the money you spend gets you MUCH less results. A bone stock $5,000 Hilux with 30.5" all terrain tyres, a winch, shovel, chainsaw, 12v fridge, 2 swags and a few full tanks of petrol for that trusty old 3RZ motor got me all around Australia including the famous tele track and creb track and Frasier island. Was messy, but entire trip took 14 months, 11 punctured tyres (4 of which weren't repairable and needed replacing), 62,000km, a VERY near miss with a croc in the Daintree and about AUD$30,000 including buying the vehicle and everything included for 2 people and a dog. I know people who spent more than that on just setting up a vehicle with 12v systems, rooftop tent, custom canopy, and some flash bar work to protect their monster investment and they still don't have a story to tell about an adventure it's been on yet. Get out there in what you got and use the money for fuel. Best money you'll spend!

Read your book, "Work Less to Live Your Dreams", and ONLY watched to the end in case you had an answer to the question other than, as expected, "plain common sense". Anything is justifiable and marketing will convince you need things you NEVER thought you needed or need! And once again you hit the nail on the head with "plain common sense". Thanks once again for sharing.

I've been running the stock size 30x9.5 tires on my TJ for 17 years without it being an issue. I do run an all terrain, but on the stock rims, and with a 1.25" lift just to give them room to move. I can't hit the rock crawling trails, but I an absolutely go wherever I want outside of that, roads or no roads. I'll add- in the US, people seem to think you need mud terrain tires for everything. I've had a much better experience with all terrains without much difference in capability for my needs.

Big wheels and tires add a lot of unsprung weight too, which in turn effects your braking.

Excellent and sound advice eloquently put. Cheers!

All very good points. Horses for courses. For a pure tourer with light to moderate offroad challenges, I'd never install substantially larger tyres for the reasons mentioned. For me personally, I do hard tracks first, touring second, so my Jeep has been built around 37" tyres.

Excellent video. So many people simply don't understand that there is nothing worse than getting stuck due to a breakdown that could've been so easily avoided. Several years ago (before COVID hit), I was overlanding up at Cape York (North of Australia). A bunch of guys rocked up with 40+ -inch tyres, clearing obstacles, making big ruts in the mud and just in general being an arse. The rest of us in 28 - 321 inch tyres were also able to clear the same obstacles, albeit a bit slower. Long story short, one of the douches ate a big bite of humble pie and had to get their car towed on a rollback because their drivetrain completely blew up due to shock loading.

If you want to use big tires like 37s overlanding use a Unimog and be done with it they are designed from the factory to use 37-42 inch tires and larger ones depending on the model

I run 37s on my Rubicon. I have built the heck out of it, but it is not for overlanding. It is a rock crawler. The harder trails we run for that here in Colorado don't require that large of tire, but it sure makes them more possible without a lot of winching. One other advantage of them is that they give a much less harsh ride on a rocky trail, as they swallow larger rocks with ease. I have run 33s, 35s, and 37s here on various vehicles for this activity. I totally agree with your points though, for overlanding, smaller tires are a win for all the reasons you gave. Not to mention how hard 37s are to change on the trail, normally weighing about 100+lbs mounted. And $50 more per tire? Ha! Try $100+ more for 37s. $150 more or even $200 more for 40s. BTW, I'm geared at 5.13:1. Good video, good presentation, subscribed.