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!

[BB_TX]

The ONLY way to know for sure is to impose on your buddy again and tow it to certified scales and weigh it to determine the actual pin weight. Then you can look at the payload rating of trucks you are interested in to see if that truck can handle that weight. Every one has an opinion, but no one here actually knows without knowng the actual weight numbers involved.

[Me_Again]

Here is what we have. High profile 39' 4" 16K GVWR loaded to that weight. Our trailer started with a fairly light 2435 dry pin weight. We have 270 lbs of picture frame and B&W RVK3270 manual slider. Truck is loaded heavy with tools, portable generator etc, we no longer for a brick and stick house. We have towed it from Washington to Arizona and back twice, just finished a 2K trip back to the NW via San Diego and very high winds on I-8 in California.

Wife did not want a dually and a long bed would not fit in the garage when we bought it. We have towed in a lot of wind without an issue.

We weigh in at 24,500 combined.

[Cummins12V98]

I have been driving a RAM DRW full time since 11/11 it's not a big deal!!!

Oh yea my wife drives it also!

[MNRon]

We’ve pulled a 14000lb 5er for 4yrs with a 3500 SRW very comfortably. Based on our experience I expect we could, and would, pull up to a 16000lb unit without exceeding capacities. You appear right at that borderline. If you’re retired and it will only be used for towing, I’d consider a dually (but still concerned about PITA driving around town). If using as a daily driver I’d have to think hard before getting the dually...not sure which way I’d go. Hoping they put 8k axles and tires on SRWs before I need to replace mine 🙂

[time2roll]

If you wanted a SRW 3500 then maybe you would have brought home a different trailer.
Yes I too am waiting for super singles tucked under the standard fenders to give the advantages of both. But then what to do with two spares....

[stickdog]

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!

You will need the max GVW package of 12,200 on the megacab. Dealers don't always order these they'll order with bling and skip the important stuff.
You didn't say if this is a weekend/vacation rig or fulltime. If the former you most likely not load to the max GVW of the trailer, so you should be good on pin wt.
If the latter I would go with the DRW as the pounds will then add up. You are on the cusp now.

[Old-Biscuit]

That 2107 RAM 3500SRW has a 7K RAWR

With a 16,600# GVWR on that 5th wheel the 'wet' pin weight (loaded up) will put you at /over the trucks RAWR

[TxGearhead]

Get the dually for any 5th over say about 12,000GVW.
Texas soccer Moms drive them everyday.

[Dan_Henry]

I have had both single wheel and a duality , the Dually is a little more stable but a PIA for a dally driver. Most of the new single wheel pitch ups have increased the carrying capiticy to carry the pin weight of your 5th wheel. You will gain some wieght on the pin when you are trip ready water LP and just the stuff you want to have with you, the way you pack will help with the pin weight

[WTP-GC]

This is a no-brainer...GET THE DUALLY.
I have towed similar loads with both trucks in my sig below, and I can assure you that a dually is a much better platorm.

[jerem0621]

Get the Dually and a diesel.

[Cummins12V98]

You really want/need one of these. Fact is you can easily have a 25% pin weight, up to 4,150#.

Get the Factory rear air ride, you will thank me!

First pic alt ride height. Second alt ride with 9,750# on the 4 rear tires. Ride height does not change.

[justme]

I pull a 16500 GVW 40 ft trailer with a 2012 F350 SRW. Everything is well in Ford's spec except the combine weight which is 300 lbs over. However the 2017 F350 have a much higher combined weight rating which would make everything well in their specs. Their aluminum body allowed a much stronger frame and increased their specs. However I have pulled my trailer for 70,000 miles coast to coast and have never had any problems or felt unsafe. I consider my trailer is the max the F350 SRW will pull safely and comfortably.

[2oldman]

Advantage/disadvantage dually
dually or no 2011
More dually w/5er 2011
Dually vs single 2014 in fivers

[donn0128]

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.