Dual rear wheel or single rear wheel?

fhedrickjr wrote:
Hello all!! Brand new here to the forum. I have just purchased and brought home our new 5th wheel(with a buddies truck)and I am getting mixed reviews on which setup to get. Our 5th wheel is a Palomino Columbus 42" 7" 2,600 tongue weight,13,300 "dry", 16,600 +- laden. I have my eye on a '17 RAM 3500 4x4 with the 6' 4" box, SRW, with the Cummins 6.7. I have had several people tell me I NEED a Dually, it will ride better and be more stable, which makes sense but, is it really "necessary"? I am not ready for a DRW due to reasons of my own, however, if I am kidding myself, I would like to hear it from others who tow 5th wheels. Thanks!

I can not seem to match the Palomino Columbus numbers you posted to a model on their web site.

How much travel do you plan for this new trailer. Are you planning to seeing America or shorter local trips.

RAM rates the 2017 SB 4x4 3500 CC to a 17,050 5th wheel and a combined weight of 25,300 with the Aisin Tranny option. Should be good to 3500 lbs of pin weight. I picked a trailer that had a dry pin weight of 2435.

All the SRW trucks come with the tall 3.42 diff gears. These work well with the Aisin's lower 1st and 2nd gear to get a load moving. The RAM 68RFE is not a good combo for heavy towing with those 3.42 gears.

These tall gears make the SRW a great freeway cruisers when not towing. 80 MPH is a low 1750 RPM.

If you open the hood and the tranny dipstick is on the driver's side it is an Aisin keeper. If the tranny dipstick is on the passenger's it is a 68RFE and take a pass.