Lantley wrote:
NC Hauler wrote:
Dennis M M wrote:
Definitely look into a HDT! Go over to the HDT Forum on Escapees and spend some time reading posts.
For the price, capability and all around safety and comfort the HDT is hard to beat.
As far as day to day travel goes, we carry our smart car on the back of the Volvo. Volvo & smart together cost about half of what you would pay for new diesel dually.
Give it some serious consideration.
Are you absolutely sure on your cost "guesstimate"? Do you know what someone actually paid for their 1 ton crew cab dually? So I'd need a Smart Car, a way to get it on the back of the HDT, then run around in 1/2 a car that, if rear ended could cause major damage and possibly some pretty bad injuries.......??
When a 1 ton crew cab/long bed 4 wheel drive will do all I need and I can park it in my car port and drive it everywhere I need to and it'll tow a quite heavy 5er....believe I'll stay with the pick up, and still have full warranty on the brand new truck...All have their pro's and con's, but climbing up into the cab of a HDT isn't something the wife and I have to do to tow a heavier 5er...
I like how so many know what an individual paid for their truck...if going by MSRP, NOBODY pays that...It may cost a little more brand new but I have a full warranty..,
Do they throw in a Smart car for free, or does one only pay a couple hundred dollars for one of those...Everyone I've ever seen has been a bit over priced in my way of looking at it, but guess we don't figure that in the cost?
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I think you both have valid points. HDT"s are a viable option. HDT's are not as expensive as many think. I priced HDT conversion in the 25K-35K range. You cannot get a new fully equipped dually pick up for that. If you can I'll take 2.
The new dually pick ups are way more capable than prior years. AS NC Hauler point out. His truck has a 37500 GCWR which is huge.
2015 GM Duramax dually has a impressive 7K payload rating.
HDT are way more capable in terms of stability, power and braking than a dually. HDT are not for everyone. While some guys use them,HDT's are a bit large to use as a daily driver.
To the OP. You will need at a minimum a very late model diesel dually pick up to tow a large DRV fiver and remain within all of your towing parameters.
I've got about 18K more in my, at the time, brand new truck than your upper end of $35,000, and have full warranty for 7 yrs, 100,000 miles, whichever comes first with zero deductible..How much will the Smart car cost me? Going to lower that spread....As stated also, my rear axle weight rating, with the right tires has an AAM rating of 11,800#, which would add another 2,000# in payload, but I won't go that route...don't need to... I have a pin weight near 3500# and am well under my trucks GVWR..not near my trucks RAWR...
Other than stating the obvious that a HDT is more stable, has more power and better braking....IF the 1 ton crew cab, long bed dually's of today didn't have the ratings they do, I could understand needing one...In fact for 5er's over the 23,000# mark, it may be more viable...but even a 23,000# loaded 5er with possibly a pin weight of 4600# or more would still have me under my trucks RAWR and still about 5,000# under my trucks GCWR.
Agree though with most of your post.....Also agree that OP, IF getting 5er they are talking about, could tow it with one of today's 1 ton dually's.
Bottom line guess it depends on how often you're going to tow and how convenient or inconvenient it will be to run around in the HDH if camping somewhere for a week or two and wanting to do some sightseeing.
