I have a 2012 new off the lot Big Country. I did not have a truck at all, so i think i have a say. First off i did some research and found that the 38 ft. ran at 17000 lbs. So i bought a brand new 2011 trailer kit GMC SIERRA 3500 HD long box 4 wheel drive crew cab and put a 16000k hitch by Reese. No dully just 4 wheels. My wife and I fill it to the 9s. It rides just fine. 4 wheels are a whole lot cheaper than a dully and less repairs. You have to think parking space, can wife drive that big a truck i do not think so, mine would kick me around the block. You do not need a Dully.

I do not know about your wife.But I would be concern about your hitch. I do not know it is strong enough for your load. My 2 cents.

Who are you trying to convince? I see a lot of foolish things that people talk them selves into.

Is that the weight of the truck and trailer combined?....

shepstone wrote:Is that the weight of the truck and trailer combined?....I had a 39' Big Country 3450TS which had a GVWR of 15.5K. 17K sounds really high for that rig but things do change. The BC 3950 FB I believe is the heaviest with a 16K GVWR.

grahampconrad wrote:I have a 2012 new off the lot Big Country. I did not have a truck at all, so i think i have a say. First off i did some research and found that the 38 ft. ran at 17000 lbs. So i bought a brand new 2011 trailer kit GMC SIERRA 3500 HD long box 4 wheel drive crew cab and put a 16000k hitch by Reese. No dully just 4 wheels. My wife and I fill it to the 9s. It rides just fine. 4 wheels are a whole lot cheaper than a dully and less repairs. You have to think parking space, can wife drive that big a truck i do not think so, mine would kick me around the block. You do not need a Dully.:h :SWhat model Big Country do you have? Not aware that any are 17K.Whatever good luck...but be aware of what you chose.

Pulling Power | Good Sam Community

JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Oct 21, 2014
grahampconrad wrote:
I have a 2012 new off the lot Big Country. I did not have a truck at all, so i think i have a say. First off i did some research and found that the 38 ft. ran at 17000 lbs. So i bought a brand new 2011 trailer kit GMC SIERRA 3500 HD long box 4 wheel drive crew cab and put a 16000k hitch by Reese. No dully just 4 wheels. My wife and I fill it to the 9s. It rides just fine. 4 wheels are a whole lot cheaper than a dully and less repairs. You have to think parking space, can wife drive that big a truck i do not think so, mine would kick me around the block. You do not need a Dully.

LOL.... you sure stirred up the forums weight cops.
Many experienced RV folks, and other type of trailers, have also found out they don't need a DRW truck to pull a big trailer.
If it was my combo I would weigh the trucks front and rear axle separately when empty and hooked up just for my own reference. I wouldn't want to carry weight above those rear tires/wheels. Your 17000 lbs is a guess as scale weights come in 20 lb increments.
ford_truck_guy
Nomad
Oct 21, 2014
sooooooooooooooo....... your trailer has a GVW of 17,000#... and your hitch has a capacity of 16,000# :h :S

NOT GOOD
kennethwooster
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
I would be worried about the entire setup. I was pulling a 31' Cameo, and was very overloaded on SRW. Want to buy a a longer Lifestyle, so knew I had to Have a dRW truck. !st place we took the truck was Memphis Tenn. I was shocked at how sharp it would turn, how easy it was to park at the big malls, and restaurants. Totally empresses with the DRW and long bed. Going down the road with Cameo, is so much nicer then it was. Also love the B&W hitch I bought about the same time. I hope you make it with the light hitch as well as light truck!!!
wski
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
Always better if you have a 20 percent margin in your towing specs. We sold our signature fifth wheel because I felt uncomfortable towing it. our next setup will be a smaller fifth wheel or bigger truck.
Sprink-Fitter
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
grahampconrad wrote:
I have a 2012 new off the lot Big Country. I did not have a truck at all, so i think i have a say. First off i did some research and found that the 38 ft. ran at 17000 lbs. So i bought a brand new 2011 trailer kit GMC SIERRA 3500 HD long box 4 wheel drive crew cab and put a 16000k hitch by Reese. No dully just 4 wheels. My wife and I fill it to the 9s. It rides just fine. 4 wheels are a whole lot cheaper than a dully and less repairs. You have to think parking space, can wife drive that big a truck i do not think so, mine would kick me around the block. You do not need a Dully.

But do you need a dually?
Winged_One
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
grahampconrad wrote:
4 wheels are a whole lot cheaper than a dully.

My upgrade cost was $500. That was less than 1% of the entire purchase cost. If you cannot afford a dually, you cannot afford a truck.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Oct 21, 2014
Seems to me that the only way to tell the difference between a dually and a single is to drive them back-to-back. Only people who have driven both are qualified to say which drives better. OTOH it only seems reasonable to think that the wider stance of a dually will be more stable than a single.

Personally I would want the best tool for the job. IMO a tall heavy 5th wheel will be more stable with a wider track vehicle pulling it, i.e. a dually. If a dually does the job better than a SRW, then you buy it. And a hitch rated for the load.

If you say you don't need a dually, and you've never driven a dually pulling a 5th wheel, then IMO you're talking through your hat. If you driven both and can honestly say that you don't need a dually, I would probably concede that you know what you're saying.
N-Trouble
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
Not sure what the OP was all about or why I'm even bothering to respond...

Quote: "4 wheels are a whole lot cheaper than a dully and less repairs."

What repairs are you referring to with a dually???
N-Trouble
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
N-Trouble wrote:
Not sure what the OP was all about or why I'm even bothering to respond... And the title "pulling power" has nothing to do with the post IMO. Are you high???

Quote: "4 wheels are a whole lot cheaper than a dully and less repairs."

What repairs are you referring to with a dually???
Winged_One
Explorer
Oct 21, 2014
fj12ryder wrote:
Only people who have driven both are qualified to say which drives better.

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