Single rear wheel or Dual?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

KVP

Active member
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
Posts
35
Hello all,
I'm torn between the choice. I guess the question comes down to this.
Is the ride of a dually better than a single rear wheel.
I don't need the extra payload of a dually but if the ride is significantly better it may be worth the extra cost, that is tires at replacement time, as adding dual over single on the build of a truck is only about $1495 additional.
At this time I'm carrying a Outfitter Apex 9.5 pop top.

Thanks, Kevin
 
Personally you have the advantage of reduced height for your truck camper. But with the four tires you do have a wider platform for turns. Your reduced height also helps a bit in cross winds. Whether this will make a difference with your normal driving habits I don''t know. And of course normally the more tires on the road this can reduce your mileage, whether you are carrying your camper or driving without it over the road. The added cost is only one thing to consider when not carrying your camper, but using it for everyday use. Parking is always a problem for their wide body platforms.
 
If you don't need the payload of dual tires there's no reason to get them. Especially with a small pop top camper.

Lightly loaded dual tires have worse traction in wet or icy conditions than single tires because with their wider tread area they tend to float on top of the water or snow instead of crunching through it. And with the unsprung weight much higher than an axle with single tires there's no way a dually will ride smoother than a single rear wheel truck.

The only advantage to duallies (other than their weight carrying capacity) is having a wider track to add stability to a tall 5th wheel.
 
Dually all the way. Today you dont need it but tomorrow may be a different story. A dually is easy to drive, you get used to it no problem and resale is easier because they are sought-after. The extra payload is worth its weight in gold
 
  • Like
Reactions: SMR
Dually will in most situations be more stable. The hips do seem wide until you realize the widest part of the truck is still the mirrors. Parking can be a hassle, BUT we all need to walk more so park a few spots further from the door and take a walk.
 
You have another post about slides on slide in campers? Or an i reading it wrong? If thats the route you want to take i wouldnt even consider a srw truck some of those slide in campers get pretty large and while not overly heavy they do make the truck really top heavy and a bear to drive in windy conditions. A dually will give you a lot more stability.
 
My main consideration is the difference in weights and towing capacity. A second axle has to give you a weight penalty somewhere, doesn't it?

It would seem duallys would increase bed capacity but maybe lower towing capacity because the empty truck is heavier.

But they may do other magic with the dually option.
 
Having a CCLB SRW, youd be just fine if you put that in my truck. Being a pop top, lower COG.

But if you ever upgrade to the big TC, dually would be nice to have.

Ive test driven duallies but never owned. I did drive through parking lots and such to get a feel for the extra width. For me, parking would be more of a concern than driving it. Ya its wider but not so much that you cant fit places.

Even with my SRW parking requires prior planning. I wouldnt change it, though.
 
You have another post about slides on slide in campers? Or an i reading it wrong? If thats the route you want to take i wouldnt even consider a srw truck some of those slide in campers get pretty large and while not overly heavy they do make the truck really top heavy and a bear to drive in windy conditions. A dually will give you a lot more stability.
I don't currently have a slide. Just wondering if I should consider in the future. If so then a dually for sure.
 
Kind of depends on what your intended use is.

Dually is great for highway towing. Not so great if you plan to go off road.

Rocks get stuck between those tires. They come flying back out once you hit the highway. They will cut the sidewalls and cause flats.

They also don't have the traction a single wheel 4x4 will in offroad conditions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KVP
I would have to say dually all the way. We have purchased a used truck camper to "play with" up in the mountains, etc., in places where I don't want to try to get our big "fiver" into, and already had the dually for the fiver anyway. After using the truck camper a few times I am glad we had the dually. Sure makes it stable compared to some of the setups I have seen.
 
As I said it depends on the intended use of the rig.

For highway towing dually all the way. But for offroad use you won't see any overlander like the earthromers with dual rear wheels..
 
not buying till end of year or early next year so no update. Still on the fence, just like what rear end ratio to pick. Decisions, decisions.....
 
My main consideration is the difference in weights and towing capacity. A second axle has to give you a weight penalty somewhere, doesn't it?

It would seem duallys would increase bed capacity but maybe lower towing capacity because the empty truck is heavier.

But they may do other magic with the dually option.
Everything added reduces towing capacity. Duallies, four wheel drive, extra cab, crew cab, everything. The best you can do is choose your trailer and match the truck to it.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
131,749
Posts
1,384,212
Members
137,520
Latest member
jeep3501
Back
Top Bottom