DRW vs SRW Trucks

I tow a Fuzion 302 that scales at about 14k with a single rear wheel. Would not want any more without duals. Handles well on good roads, no wind, etc. In anything but ideal conditions a dually is much more stable. Friend who tows similar trailer has always had DRW. He went to a SRW for less that a year, then back to DRW.

I towed my 08 fifth wheel at 15,500# with my SRW for 8 years.. I now tow my 16k 5er with my "15" SRW and am just barely under all my capacities.. I would not go any larger. I am happy with the way it tows AND stops , but would get a DRW if I was ever to go heavier . .

So you want someone to admit on a public forum that they are towing 3,000 pounds over the capacity of their tow vehicle? :h

Well..not really. I'm trying to see what is the biggest anyone has towed with a SRW truck and how it handled.

I know I'm going to need a DRW for a 40' TH, but if I can get the wife to scale down to a 35' TH, then I may be able to getaway with a SRW. So how does a 17,000 TH handle on SRW.

If you already have a DRW, why would you want to scale down to a SRW? Tired of commuting with the DRW or something?

I guess I just don't get why you'd want to get the bare minimum truck for what you want to haul, why not get something that can more than handle what you're pulling and then some, without having to worry? We got our truck because we want to get something bigger in the future, and don't want to be limited.

Signed,
The people who pull a 32' travel trailer with a dually LOL

All my RV'ing has been with SRW. Most of my work trucks are DRW. Given the choice again, back in 2006, I would have gone DRW for the RV hauler. I used to think I wanted the SRW for when I am on forest service roads, and or going skiing, but the reality has been if I start hitting the mirrors on the brush, I just back out. Over the last 67,000 miles, the few RV related white knuckle moments might have been mitigated by DRW.

The problem with an SRW is not so much the tow rating as is the payload rating. The pin weight of any given 36' 5er may be hundreds of pounds heavier, or lighter, than the pin weight of a 36' 5er with a different floor plan and/or manufacturer. One 36 footer may be within a given SRW rating where the other 36 footer may not.

Although I am confident you could get a SRW to safely tow that weight with modifications, I don't feel in OEM trim it can be done safely. If you already owned the SRW or plan to make one or two tows a year, it may make sense to go this route with a used SRW.

On the the other hand, I would not go purchase a new truck and exceed its rating during the warranty period or "under buy" for my intended purpose. There is too much money spent on a new vehicle to possibly negate warranty coverage.

My F250 commonly carried 7000-8000 lbs on its rear axle after I switched from a toy hauler to a truck camper. It did this well for 10K miles each year but was finally sold when I decided I wanted an additional ton of payload to the 4000-5000 lbs I was already carrying. Knowing my intend use, I purchased a truck with 9000 lbs of payload capacity to handle my projected 7000 lb load this Spring.

We have a Grand Design Momentum 385TH (19,500 lbs with 21,000 lbs frame, axles, and pin box). You already know you need a DRW.

I went from a srw to drw and wont go back and my truck is my daily driver now that winter is coming. to me the advantage of drw out weighs the little inconvenience of drw in traffic.