Funny, the only blow out flats I've had on tires where it was the tire in the last 30 years were on fairly easy paved road and the tires were E rated with less than 100 miles on them. On my old Toyota Chinook pop up. E rating is no magic, they can be blown same as any other tire. Though I avoid the 2 ply sidewalls I see little difference in tire safety between good LTs with better than 2 ply sidewalls and full E rated. The key is load capacity and how you drive with them.
I've driven a 4x4 ranger all over the US outback, but I don't go out deliberately doing 4x4 as sport unto itself. It's transportation. including nasty tire eating roads on which I use care. Only tire I lost out on a foray the alloy rim broke, not the tire. (120 degree heat in Arizona to change it)
I'd say if you have a set of good LT tires with better than 2 ply sidewalls that have a bunch of tread on them go ahead and use them, but don't abuse them. By the time you wear them out you will know if you need better. Do pay attention to the weight carrying capacity of the tires and don't exceed that, preferably don't even get close to that. And remember to adjust tire pressure accordingly.
My 2000 Ranger needed it's springs replaced so I put on a new set of progressive springs and replaced my bilstein shocks with a new set of those. Those upped my rear load rating from 1250 lbs to 1750 lbs, way calmed any sway. Being progressive springs they are designed to be comfortable through a wide range of loads. Rear bed height only varies about a inch between camper load and empty. The truck is exactly level with the camper on, high empty. I will say it's slightly more comfortable with the camper than empty, but not by a wide margin. No other modification Other than new wiring to support the Eagle's electrical system. I would have put on springs and new shocks even if my original springs had of been good. Springs are the correct way to go for something like this, which is weight capacity more than load leveling. And it's much better to go with a spring set specific to the job than the partial match of add a leaf setups.
I went with a Waeco 65 fridge in my Eagle. It's power usage is quite minimal, average 45watts at 12 volts according to Waeco, maximum 5.7 amps when running on 12 volts, but of course even at pretty high temps it only runs part of the time. (a 3 way will be running all the time, and it's electric usage is not comparable to the 2 way compressor, electric on 3 way just uses a electric heater rather than a propane flame) I, too have used the 3 way in other campers, too much is made of using propane on that. Propane is not free, and eats plenty of the space in the camper for the tanks. I'm using two 10 lb tanks, the standard size with FWC. That is 50 lbs added to the camper weight when the tanks are full. Any way I calculate it that's more than enough for more than a week for heating, hot water, stove, all I'll use propane for. I've even considered taking down tank size to 5lb at least some of the time, won't change storage space, but would change weight. If using a 3 way even more propane would be needed. Note also that a 3 way is heating the camper, especially so in hot weather, a 2 way compressor installed properly will heat the camper less. The 2 way will also give you a real freezer if you choose the right model. The Waeco 65 has a separate freezer compartment, some 2 way only have a coil compartment in the top of the fridge. That was one of my reasons to choose that particular model. With a real freezer you add a lot of options to your outdoor menu.
I'd be supporting at least one battery in the house bank even without the fridge. There's forced air heat, outside shower (to please my wife, which means pumped water) lights and so on, and in short usage periods a microwave. As it is I have two 100 amp hour batteries in the bank, modern Northstar NSB100FTs. If I wanted to go longer in the same space (about that of a single 31 series battery) I could have two 210 amp hour batteries from the same company. These are AGM batteries so it would take extreme conditions to have these vent gases, but even then they are fitted with vent tube connections, so no special storage conditions needed, just run the vent tubes outside. for many batteries you have to have them in a separate vented compartment that will have acid fumes in it at times. And they can leak acid. Not a good choice in a FWC.
My batteries will be charged when running using a vsr relay system tuned to the appropriate charge profile for the battery bank. I am expecting I'll eventually put in solar, the decision rests on the mix of running and camping we do and if the solar is really needed. when I do it will be controlled with a morningstar controller that will charge not just the house batteries but the starting battery too. I already have the controller ($145) and no way the total for solar will cost anything like the prices being quoted here. My Eagle has the Yakima rails so mounting solar is a minor issue, even two 120 watt panels would fit easily. The morningstar controller has enough rating to handle more then 3 of such panels. For a entire solar setup I'm sure I can stay well under $500 by watching sales, and I'll probably go with flexible panels which cost more (but I'll worry less about the weight or breakage). Note in the very rare times my Eagle will be near a plugin It will also have 30 amps of charging available from AC. One could count the assist struts on my Eagle as part of the solar to handle the weight, but this old guy needs those with or without solar.
You can wear hair shirts, take cold showers at dawn, get flogged every day or whatever you want. I've camped in the dead of winter in the high cascades with nothing but a sheet of poly for a tent and a 4 lb cheap sleeping bag. Also done that in the NorthWet, and dry weather directly on rock with just a sleeping bag, or even a few cases just a blanket. I do remember it as enjoyable too. My mountaineering days. I've also camped in a variety of campers all the way up to mini motorhomes like a LeSharo. All kinds of tents and other structures. But I do not approach using a FWC like it's a mountaineering tent. Whatever I use I will use what makes things better for that level of equipment. That means propane stove, compressor fridge, propane heater, tankless hot water heat for showers (with supporting water tank and pump), Microwave oven with it's supporting batteries and inverter (I've used a microwave before with even less house battery). I've camped a lot clear across the country with only a canopy shell on the back of the ranger, but I did not pretend that was tent camping and I won't pretend that a FWC is tent camping regardless of how far into the outback I go with it. It's it's own unique experience.
