Dual rear wheel or single rear wheel?

[fhedrickjr]

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!

[john_bet]

donn0128 wrote:
You need a dually!
The advertised "dry" pin weight which you posted is a myth. Pin weight will be approx 20% of its loaded ready to travel weight. Lacking a loaded ready to travel weight use the trailers GVWR. You already said it has a 16,600 GVWR, so 20% of that is well over 3300 pounds. It could top out at 4000 pounds easily. With a SRW truck you will likely exceed tire load rating, rear axle load rating, and a whole bunch more.
Long bed, short bed? That debate will go on for ever. Personally I have no use for a shprt bed. The loss of two feet of bed space is just too much for me to give up.

My 3500 SRW has a payload of 4300+#.It's a loaded 2wd CC LB.

[Cummins12V98]

I knew I should have kept my 98 12V 2500 4x4 and slapped sum bags and 19.5's on it!

[blofgren]

As usual in these threads all I have to say is :S

[Me_Again]

Wild Card wrote:
Other than weight...that may just be inside a SRW specs. Lets add a 40ft x 13'6" sail at 17000#. If your only pulling it 200 miles a few times a year on near flat ground dont worry. Pull it 10, 15000 mileds a year in the mountains you might re concider

We have pulled our 16k 39'4" x 13' 3" full high profile to Arizona and back twice. The 2000 mile trip down this year included a swing thru NM for the Balloon Fiesta and the 2000 mile trip home included a swing thru San Diego with 40-50 mph winds in I-8 in South California. Also climbed from Sealevel near the Arizona/Calf state line to over 4000 feet in a very short distance. The year before with went over into Idaho and down 93 in Nevada with 40 MPH cross winds. Lots of passes to climb and come back down.

Both of these round trips included strong winds and mountain passes. Never thought I needed a dually for extra stability.

I would not do this with a pre 2013 RAM, Pre 2017 Ford or pre 2016 GM SRW. Those are the model years that each greatly improve their frames.

[Wild_Card]

Other than weight...that may just be inside a SRW specs. Lets add a 40ft x 13'6" sail at 17000#. If your only pulling it 200 miles a few times a year on near flat ground dont worry. Pull it 10, 15000 mileds a year in the mountains you might re concider

[Me_Again]

Once you go dually you can not go back, don't you know that?



Have four shoes on the ground out back.

[Hammerboy]

Funny reading these posts and arguments. If a SRW will do the job safely and within limits why would you want to drive a dually? I sure wouldn't want to, my truck is big enough as it is (luv driving my wife's little Nissan Rogue) Those that argue stability, why not drive a Freightliner? After all they got to be more stable than a dually.

Dan

[TXiceman]

ford truck guy wrote:

Me Again wrote:

blofgren wrote:

Anyone else notice that pretty much everyone who is recommending a SRW are ones that really should have a DRW themselves??

Which posters would that be? Chris

^^ you.... me.... ... Just a guess ??:h

Like sheep they feel there is safety in numbers.

Ken

[ford_truck_guy]

Me Again wrote:

blofgren wrote:

Anyone else notice that pretty much everyone who is recommending a SRW are ones that really should have a DRW themselves??

Which posters would that be? Chris

^^ you.... me.... ... Just a guess ??:h

[Me_Again]

blofgren wrote:

Anyone else notice that pretty much everyone who is recommending a SRW are ones that really should have a DRW themselves??

Which posters would that be? Chris

[blofgren]

larry barnhart wrote:

Campinghoss@51 wrote:

Wild Card wrote:

nayther wrote:
Those that live "in the country" or don't use their truck for a daily driver always sit back and harp on DW long bed trucks. They are virtually undriveable in a big city. We live in suburban L.A. and I would NEVER attempt to drive a dually long bed in downtown

I drive my long bed dually in the city all the time. Really not a big deal.

You should attempt it

Agree. I drive mine in Chesapeake and Norfolk traffic whenever I want too.

As far as the newer models having higher towing capacity I agree. However the towing capacity has nothing to do with the stability of a drw vs a srw regardless of towing capacity.

I feel this way as you do. Nothing better than a fat rear end.
chevman

Me too. Anyone else notice that pretty much everyone who is recommending a SRW are ones that really should have a DRW themselves??

OP, I am on my second dually and as long as I'm towing a large fifth wheel I won't have anything else. I towed the same trailer with both a SRW and DRW and the difference is like night and day.

On another note I just went to a work conference with my work 2012 F-150 and both my wife and I commented on how our Ram DRW handles the same road MUCH better even with our fiver in tow.

[Veebyes]

nayther wrote:
Those that live "in the country" or don't use their truck for a daily driver always sit back and harp on DW long bed trucks. They are virtually undriveable in a big city. We live in suburban L.A. and I would NEVER attempt to drive a dually long bed in downtown

So, do tell us how in the world do all those businesses downtown get all of the goods onto their shelves & services they need that involve a truck. Do they all rely on people driving BMWs, Mercs & various SUVs to get over the speed bumps in parking lots?

Driving a dually downtown is no big deal. Some of the older eastern towns have some narrow streets but never had a problem with a post car era established town.

[Veebyes]

With that kind of weight this really should be a no brainer. Fluffing up a SRW with air bags & such is not the answer. Start with a DRW made for the job in stock condition.

[CampingN_C_]

I agree these newer generation trucks are way more capable than just several years ago. I tow a 42ft TH every weekend just fine. Matter of fact my wife drove the other day for the first time ever with any camper we've had. My pin is 3k lbs putting me just under my 6500lb RAWR, (yes it's a 2500). I installed airbags PRIOR to buying the trailer thinking I'd need then but I don't. I keep 5-10lbs in them and would remove and sell them if someone wanted them. I honestly cannot imagine the towing experience being any better with a dually, minus the gearing changes.

My next truck will be a dually only because I can see a heavier TH in our future.

[larry_barnhart]

Campinghoss@51 wrote:

Wild Card wrote:

nayther wrote:
Those that live "in the country" or don't use their truck for a daily driver always sit back and harp on DW long bed trucks. They are virtually undriveable in a big city. We live in suburban L.A. and I would NEVER attempt to drive a dually long bed in downtown

I drive my long bed dually in the city all the time. Really not a big deal.

You should attempt it

Agree. I drive mine in Chesapeake and Norfolk traffic whenever I want too.

As far as the newer models having higher towing capacity I agree. However the towing capacity has nothing to do with the stability of a drw vs a srw regardless of towing capacity.

I feel this way as you do. Nothing better than a fat rear end.
chevman