Forum Discussion

snowcrustracer's avatar
snowcrustracer
Explorer
Jul 07, 2016

DRW vs SRW Trucks

Hi folks,

My DH and I are thinking about buying a new truck and are having some trouble deciding between a dual rear wheel truck and a single wheel truck.
Right now we have limited time off from the rat race and usually just stay in campgrounds so I'm not sure those habits will change when we retire.

The campers we seem to have chosen are the bigger models such as the Host triple slide and the Northern Lite 10.2EXRR. These campers probably would be more comfortable driving with a DRW.

Can we never travel fire roads and trails out in Utah or Colorado with the DRW? Will we be stuck only in campgrounds.

Any thoughts folks could add to the plus or minus list would be very helpful.

Thanks,

Snow
Truck Campers
  • snowcrustracer's avatar
    snowcrustracer
    Explorer
    Jul 07, 2016
    Thanks you all have been very helpful. I really feel we will be happier with the DRW truck but have been stressing about maybe being to big to explore those out of the way places.
  • jimh406's avatar
    jimh406
    Explorer III
    Jul 07, 2016
    snowcrustracer wrote:
    What about rocks between the back tires...where do you draw the line when exploring the trails?


    I haven't had an issue yet, but I've only had my DRW 2 years. I do have 19.5s which are very tough. My line is will the camper clear. That being said, I'm not searching for mud to go through! I did buy very aggressive Hankook DH01s.
  • Vinsil's avatar
    Vinsil
    Explorer
    Jul 07, 2016
    Huge camper...DRW. You can still get off the pavement with them. You draw the line at your knowledge and comfort level with how "offroad" you get. Me...if it is getting soft and deep, time to head back.

    My next truck will be a DRW. You can see the mods I needed for my srw and I have a "small" non slide TC.
  • snowcrustracer's avatar
    snowcrustracer
    Explorer
    Jul 07, 2016
    jimh425 wrote:
    You can easily drive fire roads with a DRW. Other than narrow roads that might be too narrow for the extra tires, a DRW should be fine. Keep in mind that fire roads are generally made for bigger trucks and of course, logging trucks are even larger!

    The biggest limiting factor is probably height and weight of camper which will be the same whether you have the SRW or DRW.



    That's a very good point about logging trucks and fire truck paving the way on these roads.

    What about rocks between the back tires...where do you draw the line when exploring the trails?
  • BB_TX's avatar
    BB_TX
    Nomad
    Jul 07, 2016
    Regardless of the specific trailer you like, you must consider the loaded pin weight of that trailer. Then you must look at the payload capacity of the truck(s) that interest you. That will determine whether you "need" a DRW or not. Need is different than want. If the numbers dictate it, then buy a DRW. If the numbers don't require a DWR, then it becomes a personal choice. There are those who feel much better driving a DRW no matter the trailer weight in spite of some minor every day driving inconveniences. Then there are those who prefer an SRW and will stick with that, weight permitting. If the weight numbers match up, stability is not a problem with an SRW. Only you can decide.
  • mr70ss's avatar
    mr70ss
    Explorer
    Jul 07, 2016
    Just my $.02.. I had a SRW 2500 and it worked fine (w/ and 8'6" w/slide) camper was around 2800 dry. I just purchased a new 9' 10" and it's around 3500 dry. I looked into using my SRW, but i would have had to swap out the wheels and tires for 19.5" + other mods... all in all i upgraded to a DRW. If you are looking at large multi slide campers you will need a DRW.
  • jimh406's avatar
    jimh406
    Explorer III
    Jul 07, 2016
    You can easily drive fire roads with a DRW. Other than narrow roads that might be too narrow for the extra tires, a DRW should be fine. Keep in mind that fire roads are generally made for bigger trucks and of course, logging trucks are even larger!

    The biggest limiting factor is probably height and weight of camper which will be the same whether you have the SRW or DRW.

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