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!

[Cummins12V98]

irishtom29 wrote:

Sargehut234 wrote:
Here is something else to consider. If your involved in an accident and you over GVWR, you liable.

Prove it.

I have heard this so many times since I tow way over my GVWR but never have seen a case to back up this claim.

[irishtom29]

Sargehut234 wrote:
Here is something else to consider. If your involved in an accident and you over GVWR, you liable.

Prove it.

[Cummins12V98]

^^^^^ YUP, if I went by my GVWR I would be overloaded. I am under my FAWR and at my RAWR. That puts me WAYYY over my GVWR.

[JIMNLIN]

My point being just because numbers say one thing, your likely have your wife and/or kids in the truck when your towing so why would you ever want to take a chance?

More points to ponder.

As long as the truck is carrying weight under the trucks certified RAWR it is completely legal but more importantly he and his wife and kids and everyone on the highway is completely "SAFE". RAWR = the lessor of a vehicles tire/rear spring pack/wheels/brakes/axle rating

This subject get beaten to death quite often especially Fords F350 SRW with 13 different GVWR numbers for the same truck in many cases.

One example from several on Fords fleet specs sheets is a F350srw crew cab 6.7 diesel 4wd 176" wheelbase same options and packages same front and rear axle ratings and can have a 11500 gvwr or a 10000 gvwr. GVWR based payload stickers say;

10000 gvwr has a 2240 payload

11500 gvwr has a 3740 payload.

Both trucks are specked the same.....just a different gvwr sticker.

Main point is how silly the gvwr based yellow tire placard payload stickers are.
Just stay under axle/tire rating and we all will be safe.

[Cummins12V98]

"Go down interstate 10 into Indio California with a SRW and then a DRW and tell me which you feel safer in."

It is VERY windy along that route. I have seen many TT's and 5er's laying on their side. I have towed that route with my 98 2500 RAM and two DRW's since. I honestly have to look at the roadside foliage to see if the wind is blowing unless it's REALLY strong with the DRW's. With the SRW you could feel most any wind.

[cummins2014]

ecampbell wrote:

Hammerboy wrote:
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

A new loaded DRW Ram about 75K, a new loaded M2 Freightliner 200K so don't make such an uninformed comment.

Go down interstate 10 into Indio California with a SRW and then a DRW and tell me which you feel safer in. DRW on a new truck is a 2K option.

I did like the exhaust brake ,coming down the hill with my 2014 Ram 3500 SRW, but my old ford Superduty 7.3 SRW 350 short bed did okay also. Felt totally safe in both trucks .Not sure what your point is on that part of interstate 10.

I have traveled that part of interstate 10, no less then about six times, with the two different trucks. I have traveled a lot worse highways then that towing a big fifth wheel .

[ecampbell]

blofgren wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
^^^^^ I am at or under my axle ratings. I am under all of my tire ratings. I amabout 1,700# over the Class 3 imposed 14k GVWR. I am licensed to carry the weight. Am I going to be liable???

Guess you'll find out if something happens.....:B

The advertised top speed on my Mercedes is 190mph...tell me how you think it would do in a crash. My point being just because numbers say one thing, your likely have your wife and/or kids in the truck when your towing so why would you ever want to take a chance?

[ecampbell]

Hammerboy wrote:
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

A new loaded DRW Ram about 75K, a new loaded M2 Freightliner 200K so don't make such an uninformed comment.

Go down interstate 10 into Indio California with a SRW and then a DRW and tell me which you feel safer in. DRW on a new truck is a 2K option.

[Cummins12V98]

blofgren wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
^^^^^ I am at or under my axle ratings. I am under all of my tire ratings. I amabout 1,700# over the Class 3 imposed 14k GVWR. I am licensed to carry the weight. Am I going to be liable???

Guess you'll find out if something happens.....:B

YUP and I will post on here if anything happens. I do have a LARGE Umbrella.

Oh by the way it's impossible for me to be at my RAWR of 9,750# with ZERO weight added to my front axle and NOT be overweight, figure that one out!

[blofgren]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
^^^^^ I am at or under my axle ratings. I am under all of my tire ratings. I amabout 1,700# over the Class 3 imposed 14k GVWR. I am licensed to carry the weight. Am I going to be liable???

Guess you'll find out if something happens.....:B

[Me_Again]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
^^^^^ I am at or under my axle ratings. I am under all of my tire ratings. I amabout 1,700# over the Class 3 imposed 14k GVWR. I am licensed to carry the weight. Am I going to be liable???

Only on RV.net! What these RV.net weight police worry about would sideline just about all hotshot haulers. Guess what, they are out of the road every day hauling legal loads that the weight police here would sideline in a Microsoft minute.

Chris

[Cummins12V98]

^^^^^ I am at or under my axle ratings. I am under all of my tire ratings. I amabout 1,700# over the Class 3 imposed 14k GVWR. I am licensed to carry the weight. Am I going to be liable???

[Sargehut234]

Here is something else to consider. If your involved in an accident and you over GVWR, you liable.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

fhedrickjr wrote:
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!

Get a 'real' dually - a singled HDT.

Less $$ than a new or used SRW or DRW pickup, all the whistles and bells (inc'l automatic tranny) - and tow *anything* you want. In most states, can be registered as a MH, no special DL required.

Visit the Escapees HDT forum. Learn.

Good luck with your choice.

:C

[07Wolfie]

Maybe too late to help the OP, but I thought I’d chime in- from your signature picture, that looks like the front bath model Columbus? If so, it’s a great floor plan but that pin gets heavy... the 2600lb dry weight goes right out the window. Ours pushes 3600, and I used to have to keep all the heavy stuff in a box on the rear folding rack to get my F250 rear axle weight under 7000. I’m my case I traded up to a F350 DRW to handle the pin weight.