We are newbies and will most likely get a 5th wheel in the next year or two. My husband has found a duel wheel 1 ton (I think) pickup with a gooseneck hitch currently in it. I know tire replacement will be more costly. Have any of you pulled with this type of truck and do you think it is good or not so good? I'm afraid I don't know much about the truck brand at this time. It's diesel and has 102k miles, a 2008, I believe. I just curious about the duelly part. ???
Opinion on Truck with Duel Rear Tires
- Thread starter OKBecky
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Happy Prospector
Well-known member
I found driving and towing with dual rear tires the truck is much more stable and truck does not wander as much when being passed by a large semi truck. You probably don't want to look for a parking spot up front at Safeway, but I leave those for the feeble people.
The information is out there, all you have to do is let it in.
The information is out there, all you have to do is let it in.
William52
Well-known member
No comment some feeble mindless person soured the page.
A "duelly" as they are known is the preferred truck for towing a large 5th wheel trailer. You should research towing capacity vs cargo carrying capacity because both weights apply to how much trailer you can tow. Towing capacity is the maximum weight of the trailer but cargo carrying is how much weight that trailer can press down on the rear axle of the truck. Just because you can pull it does not mean you can carry it. Make sure you understand all the weights before you buy or you may have to buy another truck or trailer.
That being said, generally a modern diesel duelly will haul most trailers on the market.
That being said, generally a modern diesel duelly will haul most trailers on the market.
Back2PA
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2015
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keymastr said:
ahem, I believe they're actually known as "dually". You know, dual wheels, vs. duel (pistols).
steveblonde
Well-known member
Sorry some people have to be so rude but i guess they have no class, i used to have a dually new in 2008 and they really are designed for the heaviest of 5 th wheels and will give you most stability of all trucks, yes they can be a little more challenging to park but they are not that bad i currently dont have one as i only tow 25% or less of my time, however, when i retire and go full time i will buy another one.
Before buying a used dually please do yourself a favor and settle on your RV first. While you think today you want a fifth wheel, next month you might change your mind and end up wanting a motor home. A 3500 SRW (single rear wheel) might also work out as a perfectly acceptable match to the RV you end up with. Im not saying buy, but settle on the exact model RV you want.
ironrat
Well-known member
When would one ever really be wrong when choosing the best and safest truck out there , is DRW over kill? in some situations maybe but it will always be more stabile.
SargeW
Site Team
I had an overkill situation once. I had my 1st RV, a 26' TT. My gasser PU wasn't cutting it so I went shopping for my first diesel. I couldn't afford a new one, so I wound up with a 1 ton regular cab Ram dually long bed. It pulled the TT great, but the suspension was so stiff I didn't even need my weight distributing hitch. I used to tow with full water in the tank just trying to get some weight on the back end.
lone_star_dsl
Well-known member
I have owned dually trucks for the last 12 years. I have also used them as my commuter vehicle for the same amount of time. Once you get used to the dimensions of the vehicle, they really aren't any more difficult to drive or park than a single rear wheel truck. I can get my truck into and out of all but the very tightest parking spaces anywhere I go.
As far as tire costs, you will probably find that the expense will be roughly the same as a SRW truck depending on the brand of tire you choose. Dually truck tires tend to be shorter and narrower than their single tire counterparts leading to less material needed for each tire.
If you are looking at fifth wheel trailers with a GVWR of 12,000 lbs or greater, I absolutely recommend a dually truck. If you're looking at a very large trailer of 15-16,000 lbs or more, a dually truck starts to become a necessity.
My family and I just did a 1,500 mile round trip with a very loaded trailer. The weight of the trailer was roughly 16,000 lbs and the dually handled it easily and, as always, was very stable even in very heavy cross winds.
As far as tire costs, you will probably find that the expense will be roughly the same as a SRW truck depending on the brand of tire you choose. Dually truck tires tend to be shorter and narrower than their single tire counterparts leading to less material needed for each tire.
If you are looking at fifth wheel trailers with a GVWR of 12,000 lbs or greater, I absolutely recommend a dually truck. If you're looking at a very large trailer of 15-16,000 lbs or more, a dually truck starts to become a necessity.
My family and I just did a 1,500 mile round trip with a very loaded trailer. The weight of the trailer was roughly 16,000 lbs and the dually handled it easily and, as always, was very stable even in very heavy cross winds.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
A few observations:
1. Being a "dually" doesn't guarantee it can tow any 5W you might like, so buying the truck first automatically places some limit on your ultimate choice of trailer. You need to look carefully at the truck's tow rating and Payload (cargo carrying) capacity and compare that to typical weights for the size & style 5W you like. Both trailer gross weight (GVWR) and pin weight (the weight that falls directly on the truck).
2. A dually can generally handle more pin weight because the dual tire axle is rated higher than a single (called an SRW - Single Rear Wheels). The overall towing capacity (tow rating), however, will be about the same as an SRW. Since a 5W puts a lot of weight on its hitch pin, this can be a very important consideration. However, you mus check the actual numbers (see #1).
3. You probably can't have "too much truck" when actually towing, but you surely can at the shopping mall or grocery store (whether you are "feeble" or not). Any truck that can tow a substantial 5W is going to be large, and making it a dually makes it even larger (in width)
4. Traditional wisdom is that a dually is more stable on the road, i.e. the extra two tires give more grip on the pavement. I'm not very impressed with that argument and nobody has any real data comparing two trucks that are identical except for SRW vs dually axle. People move up to a dually from a half ton and think Wow!, this is really great, but much of the difference is that they simply have a bigger, more capable truck. A truck that is sized adequately for the trailer will be plenty stable and won't get pushed around willy-nilly by semi's or crosswinds, regardless of the number of tires. Plus, there are situations where dual tires actually have less grip, e.g. they may spin more easily in mud or sand. I'm not arguing against the dually, but I am down-playing this supposed advantage.
1. Being a "dually" doesn't guarantee it can tow any 5W you might like, so buying the truck first automatically places some limit on your ultimate choice of trailer. You need to look carefully at the truck's tow rating and Payload (cargo carrying) capacity and compare that to typical weights for the size & style 5W you like. Both trailer gross weight (GVWR) and pin weight (the weight that falls directly on the truck).
2. A dually can generally handle more pin weight because the dual tire axle is rated higher than a single (called an SRW - Single Rear Wheels). The overall towing capacity (tow rating), however, will be about the same as an SRW. Since a 5W puts a lot of weight on its hitch pin, this can be a very important consideration. However, you mus check the actual numbers (see #1).
3. You probably can't have "too much truck" when actually towing, but you surely can at the shopping mall or grocery store (whether you are "feeble" or not). Any truck that can tow a substantial 5W is going to be large, and making it a dually makes it even larger (in width)
4. Traditional wisdom is that a dually is more stable on the road, i.e. the extra two tires give more grip on the pavement. I'm not very impressed with that argument and nobody has any real data comparing two trucks that are identical except for SRW vs dually axle. People move up to a dually from a half ton and think Wow!, this is really great, but much of the difference is that they simply have a bigger, more capable truck. A truck that is sized adequately for the trailer will be plenty stable and won't get pushed around willy-nilly by semi's or crosswinds, regardless of the number of tires. Plus, there are situations where dual tires actually have less grip, e.g. they may spin more easily in mud or sand. I'm not arguing against the dually, but I am down-playing this supposed advantage.
lone_star_dsl
Well-known member
Gary RV Roamer said:
Whether you're impressed with the argument that a dually is more stable or not is not valid. If they didn't have their purpose, they wouldn't exist. Now, I cannot provide you with data on a spreadsheet, but as someone that has owned dually trucks and their SRW counterparts for the last 18 years, I can tell you that a dually is more stable than a SRW truck.
There may not be much difference between the two varieties when lightly loaded, but when you push a SRW truck to it's load limits, you will absolutely feel the difference.
The dually's payload is greater so much better for larger fifth wheels but there are trade offs. The empty ride is stiffer, fender extensions take a beating in mall parking lots if the driver is careless, and they are hopeless without chains in snow. The weight is spread over too wide an area for decent traction. Most dually pick ups don't have adequate clearance around the rear tires for chains so be aware if you need to drive in those conditions.
lone_star_dsl
Well-known member
RoyM said:
Hopeless in the snow??
I guess nobody told my truck it was hopeless in the snow. But then again, I only see snow about 7 months out of the year (9 if you count dustings and 10 if you count the occasional June snowfall.) I've never owned a set of tire chains in my life and have managed just fine.
grashley
Well-known member
After all this...
The biggest difference other than "fat hips" and stability is what it can tow. Most 1 ton SRW trucks can handle a FW up to about 15,000#, then run out of both Payload and GCWR. A 1 ton DRW can generally extend this to 18,000# - 20,000#, depending on manufacturer.
A very true, often seen comment that nobody complains about too much truck is very true!
The biggest difference other than "fat hips" and stability is what it can tow. Most 1 ton SRW trucks can handle a FW up to about 15,000#, then run out of both Payload and GCWR. A 1 ton DRW can generally extend this to 18,000# - 20,000#, depending on manufacturer.
A very true, often seen comment that nobody complains about too much truck is very true!
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
LOL. It's an opinion, so mine is as valid as any other. And you agree there is no data, so opinions is what we have.
They do have a purpose - they carry extra weight.
lone_star_dsl
Well-known member
grashley said:
In their optimum towing configurations, the Big 3 have fifth wheel/gooseneck tow ratings of; 23,200 lbs for the Chevy DRW, 26,500 lbs for the Ford DRW, 31,210 lbs for the Ram DRW. Like you said, having too much truck is NEVER a bad thing!
Well, except in parking garages...mine doesn't like parking garages.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Having far more than "enough" is a long way from optimal. For example, it's good to have a few extra potatoes on hand when making dinner, but having an extra bushel of them probably doesn't yield much advantage and creates problems of its own self, e.g. room for storage, spoilage, up front cost, etc.
If you can't have too much truck, why aren't all you guys scrapping your F350's in favor of a Freightliner FL60, or better yet, a Peterbuilt? ???
If you can't have too much truck, why aren't all you guys scrapping your F350's in favor of a Freightliner FL60, or better yet, a Peterbuilt? ???
