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!

[transamz9]

Veebyes wrote:

kennethwooster wrote:
After about 10 years of pulling with SRW we bought aF350 DRW. Makes a huge difference.

A common observation. You don't know what you have been missing till you have it.

That's why you need to go get you a NEW SRW and compare it to your old 2006 DRW. You don't know what you are missing.

[Veebyes]

kennethwooster wrote:
After about 10 years of pulling with SRW we bought aF350 DRW. Makes a huge difference.

A common observation. You don't know what you have been missing till you have it.

[kennethwooster]

After about 10 years of pulling with SRW we bought aF350 DRW. Makes a huge difference.

[mr__ed]

jerem0621 wrote:
Get the Dually and a diesel.

X2. Diesel is only way to go when towing heavy. I used a Ram 3500 diesel with single rear wheels to successfully tow my 29' Hitchhiker.With the weights you're considering I agree a dually is best.

[ppine]

Unless you haul a heavy camper, tow for a living, haul a giant trailer or haul horses, I would suggest single wheel axles.

[Cummins12V98]

Me Again wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:


Bout had my AZZ handed to me coming down from Twenty Nine Palms into Desert Hot Springs, cA with my SRW. Had a strong gust hit me sideways and knocked me into oncoming traffic going down 6%. Thankfully no one was coming up.

I have been in far worse weather with current and last DRW and never felt unsafe as I certainly was with the SRW that was within it's capacity.

However, do not forget that you have towed heavy with your son's newest gen SRW and spoke highly of its capability. There is no comparison between the towing ability of the 2nd gen RAM's and the later new frame 4th gen RAM's.

Just saying!

Chris

His is a 3500 and I was comparing his with an AISIN with 3.42's how well it took off on grade with it's lower starting gears.

I do know the newer trucks are more capable but there is simply no comparison to having more mass on the ground when towing a long, wide and high profile trailer. I'm not talking simply pulling as they all can do that, i'm talking handling the load when CHIT happens.

[cummins2014]

Me Again wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:


Bout had my AZZ handed to me coming down from Twenty Nine Palms into Desert Hot Springs, cA with my SRW. Had a strong gust hit me sideways and knocked me into oncoming traffic going down 6%. Thankfully no one was coming up.

I have been in far worse weather with current and last DRW and never felt unsafe as I certainly was with the SRW that was within it's capacity.

However, do not forget that you have towed heavy with your son's newest gen SRW and spoke highly of its capability. There is no comparison between the towing ability of the 2nd gen RAM's and the later new frame 4th gen RAM's.

Just saying!

Chris

Don't forget also , in the same breath, you should of mentioned your heavy towing with a SRW, we do have to justify both ways here.

There was not any difference I could tell with my present truck 2014 Ram 3500, and my old 99 Superduty 350. Power sure, but other then that have never thought either was much different , both pretty much the same as far as stability.

Maybe towing the same fifth wheel , right around 13,500, was not enough weight to see the difference in stability. Don't know I will never tow a fifth wheel any heavier with a SRW, and I will NEVER own a DRW.

[cummins2014]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
"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.

My two SRW must have some magic, Interstate 10 into Indio as I said was never a thought, maybe lucky I guess , no wind. ???

I towed my Montana fifth wheel when it was new, ordered ,and picked it up in Indiana. Drove Interstate 80 back to Utah, If you want see how stable or not a SRW is drive from Cheyenne Wyo. to Rawlins Wyo. The day before is was shut down because of high winds , blowing over semis . It wasn't much better that day, and not a problem. Could I feel the wind, sure I could ,it was blowing hard, its was a quartering head wind,and it would rock the fifth wheel pretty good, and the truck was very stable considering.

That trip was with my 99 Superduty 350 7.3 short bed. Pretty stable old truck, never had a concern in the wind. DRW I am sure are more solid, I don't have an argument, just that what experience I have had in the wind with a SRW, and its been plenty.

[Me_Again]

Cummins12V98 wrote:


Bout had my AZZ handed to me coming down from Twenty Nine Palms into Desert Hot Springs, cA with my SRW. Had a strong gust hit me sideways and knocked me into oncoming traffic going down 6%. Thankfully no one was coming up.

I have been in far worse weather with current and last DRW and never felt unsafe as I certainly was with the SRW that was within it's capacity.

However, do not forget that you have towed heavy with your son's newest gen SRW and spoke highly of its capability. There is no comparison between the towing ability of the 2nd gen RAM's and the later new frame 4th gen RAM's.

Just saying!

Chris

[Cummins12V98]

Veebyes wrote:
Funny how the SRW people try to justify their being overweight or being just under spec. The day may come when you find yourself driving across the windy plains or across a windy Rocky Mountain pass & you will be wishing you had thatextra stability of a DRW. Lots of people go from SRW to DRW. Very few go the other way. Why?

Bout had my AZZ handed to me coming down from Twenty Nine Palms into Desert Hot Springs, cA with my SRW. Had a strong gust hit me sideways and knocked me into oncoming traffic going down 6%. Thankfully no one was coming up.

I have been in far worse weather with current and last DRW and never felt unsafe as I certainly was with the SRW that was within it's capacity.

[Cummins12V98]

transamz9 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
"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.

Funny how you forget to put valuable facts in your post like the SRW you are comparing to the DRW was 13-15 years older. How much heavier the fifth wheel s you are towing with the DRW's compared to the one you towed with the SRW.

98 2500 4x4 SRW towing a combined 20,500# compared to current 2015 DRW towing a combined 33-35K.

BETTER???

[transamz9]

Veebyes wrote:
Funny how the SRW people try to justify their being overweight or being just under spec. The day may come when you find yourself driving across the windy plains or across a windy Rocky Mountain pass & you will be wishing you had thatextra stability of a DRW. Lots of people go from SRW to DRW. Very few go the other way. Why?

Most SRW people are not justifying anything. The DRW guys are the ones constantly trying to justify why they have more wheels. Some need them but few don't. If "a lot" of people were switching then you would probably see it at the dealership. I know location are different but around here 95% of the HD trucks on the lots are SRW and 99% of those are 2500s. Actually 15 years ago they carried more DRW truck in stock then now so I see the opposite around here.

I also don't know why mountains are always used as worst case scenarios. If you've ever tried to navigate to some of the lakes and such around here you'll realize that mountains are not that bad. I have literally seen the tail lights on my boat looking out my drivers side window going down switchbacks getting to campgrounds.

As far as wind goes , I get blown around in my DRW truck just as much as I do in my SRW. Yes I have both (2005 Ram 2500, 2016 Ram 3500 SRW and 2017 Ram 5500). Drive them both daily. I've even when as far as having two trucks to tow with (2005 Ram 2500 SRW QC SB and 2010 Ram 3500 CC QC ) and I preferred to tow my rig with the 2500 SRW SB and traded the DRW truck off for a Corvette. When I bought my newest truck I got every option that was available except DRW because I don't need or want it. So I guess I'm one of the few and I've never regretted going with my SRW .

[Veebyes]

Funny how the SRW people try to justify their being overweight or being just under spec. The day may come when you find yourself driving across the windy plains or across a windy Rocky Mountain pass & you will be wishing you had thatextra stability of a DRW. Lots of people go from SRW to DRW. Very few go the other way. Why?

[transamz9]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
"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.

Funny how you forget to put valuable facts in your post like the SRW you are comparing to the DRW was 13-15 years older. How much heavier the fifth wheel s you are towing with the DRW's compared to the one you towed with the SRW.

[GHop]

Nice, nice setup