Ram 3500 vs 3500 dully four wheel.

Cummins12V98 wrote:

vb2papa wrote:
jblake240
I bought a 2014 Ram 3500 4x4 SRW Limited with the new Cummins engine which I now have 13500 miles on. On June 18th we picked up a new Mobile Suites 38RSSA which weighs about 16000 lbs. We have pulled it over 7000 miles from Knoxville, TN to Yellowstone NP then to Glacier NP and back across the northern part of the country. The truck has been a dream, it pulls this 5th wheel with ease. On interstates that are somewhat flat I use the cruse control set at the speed limit (usually 70) with few downshifts. We have pulled on every kind of mountain road and highway you can imagine with several 7% grades up and down. In the 7000 miles (knock on wood) we have never overheated. Our toughest grade was 2 back to back 7% grades on the road north of Deadwood, SD the first was 2 miles followed by 2.5 miles. At the top of the second we were going 15mph in 1st gear but not overheating. I was going to install rear air bags but the dealer mixed up the order at the last minute so we left without them. To my surprise it doesn't really need them. If you have any questions I'll be happy to talk privately with you.

I would highly recommend weighing ALL your axles. If you think your 38' MS weighs 16K you are dreaming. My 36' MS weighs close to 19K and has a pin weight of 4,500# with a rear axle weight on my TV of 8,780#.

I am sure you have 3:42 gears as I do but I need 4:10's and will admit it.

Who is the @%&^@* that told you that you were safe to tow that monster???????

Be nice,:) He's from my neck of the woods, but I have to agree that he's towing a 5er heavier than what he may think.

5er in my sig. has a GVW of 16,950#, loaded to 16,200#...I have to agree that he HAS to be far more heavier than the 16,000# he states the MS weighs.

There are CAT scale's all around the Asheville area, I would recommend that vb2papa do a "before and after" weight checks....

My truck came with the Aisin and 4:10, but is a dually, I wouldn't hesitate to tow your MS, but I'd want to check my weights with the 3500 SRW truck with the rig you're towing.

vb2papa wrote:
jblake240
I bought a 2014 Ram 3500 4x4 SRW Limited with the new Cummins engine which I now have 13500 miles on. On June 18th we picked up a new Mobile Suites 38RSSA which weighs about 16000 lbs. We have pulled it over 7000 miles from Knoxville, TN to Yellowstone NP then to Glacier NP and back across the northern part of the country. The truck has been a dream, it pulls this 5th wheel with ease. On interstates that are somewhat flat I use the cruse control set at the speed limit (usually 70) with few downshifts. We have pulled on every kind of mountain road and highway you can imagine with several 7% grades up and down. In the 7000 miles (knock on wood) we have never overheated. Our toughest grade was 2 back to back 7% grades on the road north of Deadwood, SD the first was 2 miles followed by 2.5 miles. At the top of the second we were going 15mph in 1st gear but not overheating. I was going to install rear air bags but the dealer mixed up the order at the last minute so we left without them. To my surprise it doesn't really need them. If you have any questions I'll be happy to talk privately with you.

I would highly recommend weighing ALL your axles. If you think your 38' MS weighs 16K you are dreaming. My 36' MS weighs close to 19K and has a pin weight of 4,500# with a rear axle weight on my TV of 8,780#.

I am sure you have 3:42 gears as I do but I need 4:10's and will admit it.

Who is the @%&^@* that told you that you were safe to tow that monster???????

To vb2papa:

I think you are overweight for a SRW truck. And 70 MPH with it pulling that fiver is too fast; just wait til you have a blowout!

Mike

jblake240
I bought a 2014 Ram 3500 4x4 SRW Limited with the new Cummins engine which I now have 13500 miles on. On June 18th we picked up a new Mobile Suites 38RSSA which weighs about 16000 lbs. We have pulled it over 7000 miles from Knoxville, TN to Yellowstone NP then to Glacier NP and back across the northern part of the country. The truck has been a dream, it pulls this 5th wheel with ease. On interstates that are somewhat flat I use the cruse control set at the speed limit (usually 70) with few downshifts. We have pulled on every kind of mountain road and highway you can imagine with several 7% grades up and down. In the 7000 miles (knock on wood) we have never overheated. Our toughest grade was 2 back to back 7% grades on the road north of Deadwood, SD the first was 2 miles followed by 2.5 miles. At the top of the second we were going 15mph in 1st gear but not overheating. I was going to install rear air bags but the dealer mixed up the order at the last minute so we left without them. To my surprise it doesn't really need them. If you have any questions I'll be happy to talk privately with you.

CGXterra wrote:
A vote for the 2014 Ram 3500 Dually.
I pulled a 16k 5th wheel 3000 miles in April and it towed like a dream.
Now I'm using it as my daily driver in SoCal.
Sometimes I have to park in the back of the parking lot and I'll have to buy 6 tires on tire changing day.
I do have a Hyundai for those places that only have curb parking like my favorite sushi place.

I like to park mine in the LOW emissions stalls!

We drive everywhere with our Dually.

A vote for the 2014 Ram 3500 Dually.
I pulled a 16k 5th wheel 3000 miles in April and it towed like a dream.
Now I'm using it as my daily driver in SoCal.
Sometimes I have to park in the back of the parking lot and I'll have to buy 6 tires on tire changing day.
I do have a Hyundai for those places that only have curb parking like my favorite sushi place.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
What RV will you be pulling? Answer that and you will get a better answer.

I have been driving a 3500 Dually for almost 3 years. It's a great towing rig would not go back to a SRW.

Ditto on the need for more info.

I have been driving (and towing with) a 2005 1T Dodge Quad Cab CTD SRW short-bed (since 2005).
It's a great towing rig and *I* would *not* go to a dually.

BTW - I had a Ferd 1T SRW (diesel), crew cab long bed previously, and would not go back to a long bed either..:W

The 5th I tow is a Jayco 31RKS.

A good friend tows a much heavier Alpenlite (it ain't "light") with the same TV - he's been to Alaska twice, and has covered lots of other territory (states) with no problems.

The load you tow -and/or- your personal preference- may be the deciding factor between SRW or dually...;)

The *only* dually I will ever have - would be an singled HDT.

YMMV.

~

MTPockets1 wrote:
Haven't looked at Ram specs, but Ford SRW sits higher at tailgate than the DRW.

You were a lucky Man!

I towed with a 4X4 SRW and never felt uncomfortable with my load....which was 19K pounds. No sway, no fenders to knock off, no special parking spaces, fewer tires to buy, no getting stuck on wet grass as DRW trucks are known to do. I don't recommend doing what I did, clearly I was over the specs for an '05 truck, but as a new RV'er, I thought my choice of truck could do anything.... I changed to a larger truck for more stopping power.

Regards
Gemstone

Haven't looked at Ram specs, but Ford SRW sits higher at tailgate than the DRW.