Tires - LT / E vs. P (for a light van!)

[rockbender]

Hi guys,
I'm getting ready for new shoes as we embark on the journey into 'light is right'. Now if this were on a 4x4 Ford the answer would be clear: load range E all the way. The new base vehicle changes things a little bit though being a 1/2 ton AWD Express. I haven't ran it across the scales yet, but on paper it should be about 5000# empty and has a max GVWR of 7200 pounds which is probably a fair estimate of where we will be when it is completed and packed up for a trip.

So... for comparisons sake in the same tire we have:
P245/70R17, 2210# max load @ 44 PSI, tire weight = 35 pounds
LT245/70R17, 3000# max load @ 80 PSI, tire weight = 42 pounds

Clearly either tire will take care of the load without an issue. Gut tells me to just do the LR E and forget about it. I am certain that I will want the stiffer sidewall with the rig being 'loaded' more or less all the time. I'm guessing that the rolling weight while looking significant at 7# per tire is going to be negligible in the real world.

Does anyone have experience with similar 1/2 ton type rigs that they've gone to or from an E-rated tire and have feedback? I do remember Accrete mentioning that the change to LR E tires on their Express was a good thing. Thanks!