to dually or not to dually

[Ford Idaho]

During the winter one could just fill the bed with snow, pack it down and water a crust over the top.

Another option is to single it out.

[Cliff21]

I wouldn't take anything for my Dodge Ram 3500; with the Cummins diesel, the mileage is not bad just around town. This is my wife's daily driver, she just has to be mindful of the "hips".

[mike.t]

Cliff. Those metal poles a gas stations??

[wbdavey]

I've had a F350 SRW and a Ram 3500 DRW. If towing large, I would always go with the DRW. Towing stability is much better and both trucks were daily drivers. I had more trouble with the length of the Ram 8' box than with the width. If the mirrors fit, the fenders will. No longer towing large, so the dually is gone.

[fishingokie]

I have a 2015 Silverado 3500HD SRW and pull a 43' toy hauler at approx. 18,500. With the Duramax, it's no problem with plenty of power. I went that way because of it also being a daily driver. I went with the highest payload option which made it a dream.
Just my thoughts

[B and B]

Originally Posted by jkdairy

I'll be the oddball and say SRW 2500. I have a 2007 Chevy Classic Duramax crew cab 2500. Just bought a 2015 Chevy Duramax crew cab 2500. Both pull our Sandpiper 365SAQ quite well.

When I was looking at pickups, I am almost positive that the 2500 and 3500 SRW short bed crew cab trucks both had the same 5th wheel trailer capacity of 17,500 lbs. I think the only difference was the 3500 has overload springs.

There is a huge difference between the 2007 and 2015 on how they handle the trailer. Both have airbags, but the exhaust brake on the 2015 helps here in the west with mountain passes. I have to sometimes accelerate down hills!

I use both of my trucks as daily drivers and really didn't want the 8' bed. I also am a farmer and a DRW is worthless in mud and snow. These are my work trucks, so for 15% of my total miles, I get along just fine with SRW. They also pull much heavier gooseneck trailers and I have not found myself wanting a DRW yet

Same goes for the F 250 and F 350. The Engine and Tranny are the same and rear axle is. When I checked GMC they were identical too. With my F 250 I have the heavy springs and overloads in what is called a camper package.

[libertyteeth]

Buy right or buy twice. I bought twice.

A F-350 SRW CC 4x4 Lariat Diesel with a 250lb driver, 150lb wife and two 200lb back seaters along with a 2200lb fifth wheel pin weight and the 200lb hitch will put you at your max GVWR of 11,500.

Your GCWR is 23,500.
23,500-11,500=12,000 left for camper. That is limiting.


That is why I am reluctantly trading up to a F-350 DRW 4x4 tomorrow. But I want to stay legal and not have to worry about these damn weights anymore. Currently I have a F-250 configured the same as my example. I am 1000lbs over the GVWR with that using those numbers above. I love that truck but its gone tomorrow. I will miss that taller vehicle hopefully this dually will grow on me. I park far away as possible anyway to prevent door dings so using it to haul beer and dog food around won't be a problem. I'll just jump a few curbs for awhile with the longer wheelbase.

Do yourself a favor and buy right or buy twice. I just bought that F-250 two months ago. Costly mistake.

In aviation you ask 3 questions, is it safe, is it legal and is it smart? When your on the dieways they will look closely at these weight if you have a very bad day and if/when the DOT starts cracking down on RV's for more revenue you'll be smiling if you got enough truck. I just swapped my fifth wheel for a Heartland Elkridge 39MBHS. Wife demanded a bunkhouse after camping with two teenagers and I did not want to give up rear living space so this floorplan works. Blueridge has one also since this is a Forest River forum.

[spock123]

I don't think DOT will ever crack down on rv's. Where would all the trucks park at, DOT would not have time for trucks. But I would dodge all the scales, besides with your TV tore up how can you weigh it. That's one thing I don't worry about


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[spock123]

Originally Posted by spock123

I don't think DOT will ever crack down on rv's. Where would all the trucks park at, DOT would not have time for trucks. But I would dodge all the scales, besides with your TV tore up how can you weigh it. That's one thing I don't worry about


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Should say rv tore up, iPhone and all


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[aceinspp]

Smart shoppers do there home work. If your into camping you are most likely going to move up so buy a vehicle that maybe more than you need. Does not hurt even if you don't go bigger. I've been camping for 40 years and have had SRW and DRW trucks, with the last six truck DRW. My new truck is now a 3/4 ton due to less weight being towed and ease of parking when on trips and site seeing. so much easier to park than a dully. This was part of my retirement plan as I no longer plan to go bigger maybe smaller.

If I was bagged 123 I would consider a SRW1 ton. Later RJD

[ferguson65]

I bought the truck first. Knowing I had in interest in buying a 5th wheel later and an old trailer (now sold) led me to the dually. I already had a Ram dually but really went back and forth before I ordered my Ford. It was really nice trailer shopping not having to worry about GVWR or pin weight at all. For trailers in the 15-17k range you're pushing every brands SRW to its max.

There are other perks, at least with the Ford, probably the GM's too, the (4x4) duallies sit lower in the rear and get you a level trailer with more bed rail clearance. I've seen mine close already. The 5" higher SRW would have went crunch. The Rams are still high as hell. 6 17" tires is really a wash compared to 4 20's in price. I'll drive my dually anywhere, though it is not a DD. The 24' length of the truck makes it much harder to maneuver than the duals do. Just back in any and everywhere.

The trailer we decided on has a claimed pin weight of 1400, sure don't need a dually for it. But it is stable as can be regardless of what's going on outside. Does it really suck in snow? Absolutely not. I need to engage 4wd sooner than a SRW truck, but once in 4wd it just goes. A 2wd dually would suck in snow. I did bury it good once this winter in the snow, but there was a sheet of ice on the ground under the snow, can't say SRW would have fared any better.

Bottom line, if I was buying another tow rig, even for this trailer it would be another dually. For towing something in the weights you're looking at, there would be no question, dually. Just my .02.

[mike.t]

acein. Neighbor wants get a TT. Told him get rid of your 04' ram 1500 and get 3/4 ton anything and that should be good for your first two trailers.

[libertyteeth]

Today I traded my 2012 F-250 CC 6.7 4x4 Powerstroke I bought two months ago for a 2015 F-350 Powerstroke 4x4 dually.

I sold my brand new Timbrens I got from ETrailer just yesterday to my buddy. They where gonna be my band-aid for being 1000lbs over the GVWR on the SRW F-250.

A SRW F-350 equivalent wouldn't work as I would not have enough GCVWR left for the entire rig I had to get the dually.

Fortunately when you figure I was getting into new rubber on the F-250 and that my Ford dealer gave me the warranty at his cost cause I am a repeat customer I only took a $2600 hit on the vertical learning curve I'm on being a newbie with this do-over.

Now this weight issue is not a concern, humbled, a little more broke but I am legal and safe. No one forced me into buying too much camper I did this all by myself, do it right or not at all. Once I came to terms with what a nitwit I was and just decided to swap out trucks it was easy. It is not lost on me how you are quite on your own with this expensive hobby of ours.

I am the perfect example of buy right or buy twice.

BTW, I am digging this new locomotive I bought.

[mike.t]

Been bitten in the ass more than once on a dumb decision.

32' Ford Tudor.

[libertyteeth]

Yep, this was a couple pounds of flesh over my usual blunders though...
Its just money..... But having a bunch of lawyers picking my carcass clean after I have worked for what I have for 25 years was literally keeping me up at night. I know, I know I worry too much. But I'm not worried about weights anymore, now I can get back to dreading backing into campsites with a 42' camper...

[mike.t]

liberty. Remember after ya get that 42' footer back in where ya want it you'll say that wasn't to bad

[libertyteeth]

Roger that!

[Night Stone]

I just bought a used 98 Chevy quad cab 3500 dually about a week ago, this is my first dually so can't speak from experience, but the ride is great and I am loving it because I always wanted one

My previous truck was a 06 Silverado quad cab 1/2 ton with a 4.8, that drove nice and towed great on mostly flats but struggles with mountains and climbs.

Now I don't need to worry about not having enough tow power over the mountains or not enough cargo carrying space. I bought the dually to plan for the future, like upgrading the TT to bigger unit or a FW or a TH or add a camper top on etc. The options are now endless for me and my family.

[libertyteeth]

Last camping trip the couple next to us where pulling a 28' TT behind their Chevy dually and apparently they where thinking the same way as you. They shared plenty of their bourbon generously around the campfire with me.

This gorgeous campground was cut into a mountainside with terraced campsites until you got to the "plateau." Another young couple with a small child where pulling too much TT behind their SUV and came close to a bad accident going down the grades when they left. I am sure their RV salesman told them they had enough tow vehicle also or perhaps they traded up before they traded up their SUV. If they'd listened to the owner they would not have left 80' of skid marks down the mountain and had to have their SUV seat cushions surgically removed as I am sure they sucked them up their rears while standing on the brakes.

That same trip, someone who did not want to pull his towed vehicle up those same grades behind this big diesel pusher was in the process of removing it from his dolly and it rolled off the dolly as soon as he took the restraints off down the steep parking lot empty into trees at the bottom.

I was certainly learning from others blunders that weekend. Sometimes stuff just happens, for some reason this fellow had that car in neutral on the dolly instead of park. Again, there are enough threats out there doing this and a momentary memory lapse gets you into big trouble, running perpetually overweight was not for me.

[spock123]

Buy whatever you feel safe with or whatever makes you happy, the only way I will change trucks is tear this one up. I like my 3500 SRW Silverado diesel, so just get what you like, I did


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