newb with a DRW/SRW question

[2RR2NV]

Hi ya all.

My wife and I will be purchasing our first 5th wheel in the 2016. Yeah yeah, you're probably like... WTH are you asking NOW when it's so far away. Well, we want to get a truck that will fit our needs without having to upgrade every 2, 3, or 4 years because we wanted to get a "bigger/better" 5th wheel down the road. we are looking at a Ram3500 4x4 CC auto CTD. But can't decide on whether to get an SRW or DRW. I "think" we should have a DRW to pull a 38' Montana since it weighs so much. Am I wrong and that an SRW will pull it too just fine? another issue we have is that if we want to go hunting up on the Plains, there are plenty of spots where a dually is gonna have problems compared to an SRW. soooo what should we do? DRW or SRW.


if possible, please give thoughts on why or why not, one or the other, will work or not, please.

on a sidenote, we intend to get the truck late 2015 and then go buy the 5er spring of 2016.
also, more time will give me more time to do more research before the purchase.

thank you ahead of time.

Scot "Z" a.k.a. TOTAL newb! 🙂

[waltbennett]

I pulled a 27' 10k gross TT with a SRW Chevy 2500 for over five years. Although the truck easily pulled it, the ride was akin to being in a washing machine. With our 37 1/2' Monty, I wouldn't be without a DRW 1 ton truck. No pushing and no wandering, and the ride is just about as smooth as without the trailer. Going diesel gives 3 - 4 mpg better than the old gasser with a smaller trailer as well. DRW can be a pain getting about and finding parking places, but it's well worth it and I'd never want a SRW replacement.

[valhalla360]

mettech wrote:
http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/14_superdutypu_sep11.pdf

Standard Trailer Sway Control
– Single-rear-wheel (SRW) models –
Trailer Sway Control works with
AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability
Control™) using a yaw motion sensor
to monitor the motions of the truck
to detect trailer sway. When sway is
detected, the system works to apply
selected brakes and/or reduce engine
power to help the driver regain control(7)

– Dual-rear-wheel (DRW) models
are not equipped with AdvanceTrac®,
but operate with a similar yaw motion
sensor to detect and control trailer sway
and apply brake pressure selectively to
the front brakes or reduce engine power
to help the driver maintain control."

There must be a reason that the DRW does not need the AdvanceTrac system..?

If you read, they have a "similar yaw motion sensor", so the dually does need sway control. It's probably just a cost issue. Since probably 90% of the 250/350 trucks are SRW, they could justify the cost of developing a better system for those trucks. The duals may not work right with the name branded system, so they applied a simpler system to the more rare dually trucks. Result is you probably are more suseptable to sway in the dually (not that either is likely to have an issue on a properly set up truck).

Also, sway control is typically related to a bumper pull. Having driven both a 5th wheel and bumper pull plenty, sway is not even comparable. Also the extra width will do nothing for sway.

The extra width impacts roll overs in the context of this discussion with the real reason for using duals being the extra payload capacity of 4 vs 2 tires.

[mettech]

http://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/14_superdutypu_sep11.pdf

Standard Trailer Sway Control
– Single-rear-wheel (SRW) models –
Trailer Sway Control works with
AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability
Control™) using a yaw motion sensor
to monitor the motions of the truck
to detect trailer sway. When sway is
detected, the system works to apply
selected brakes and/or reduce engine
power to help the driver regain control(7)

– Dual-rear-wheel (DRW) models
are not equipped with AdvanceTrac®,
but operate with a similar yaw motion
sensor to detect and control trailer sway
and apply brake pressure selectively to
the front brakes or reduce engine power
to help the driver maintain control."

There must be a reason that the DRW does not need the AdvanceTrac system..?

[valhalla360]

If you really need it for the payload, go dually.

Yes, it is technically more stabil but not by a large amount (think standing with your feet 3' apart vs 3'2" apart).

A SRW is plenty stabil and comes with some convienence around town. I've heard several people claim they are just as easy to park but I see lots of dually fenders that clearly didn't make it into the parking spot.

[beetle1]

We are now at 5 months on the road with the Ram 3500 4x4 crew DRW pulling a 39 ft. 2013 Montana. We pulled a heavier Mobile Suite for 8 years small distances with a 2500 short box 2500 Chev. Ext. Cab. Now we know that was dangerous even at 65 miles from home!
The difference in your plan with 3500's will mainly be parking those hips in city areas and close lanes when you are un-hooked. We have done Tucson, Dallas, Eugene, Or., Seattle and Portland areas and did OK but some planning is required sometimes. The long box dually means longer walks at the supermarket!! but for the stability and weight of 5er I think we made the best decision.

[nremtp143]

I've had 3 duallies in the past 5 years and still have 2 of them. Can't beat them for towing heavy loads. I've spent nearly 30 years driving everything from dump trucks to tractor trailers to ladder trucks to ambulances. All had dual wheels except a few ambulances along the way. I sincerely prefer duals on the back when towing heavy.

[butchfuzion]

I am always amazed that no one ever mentions the fact that with a DRW you have redundant tires on each rear axle. With a nail (or whatever) in one of the duals you carefully drive on the one that is not going flat until you get somewhere to safely change the flat. With SRW you pull over where ever you are at the time. This can often be interesting at best, and often nasty, and sometimes in an unfriendly ditch. With my 41 ft. TH there is seldom adequate room on the side of the road to safely change a truck tire. At least half the time I am on roads with no place to pull over for miles and miles. I would much rather limp into the next truck stop and deal with it there. I guess if some of the advocates of SRW are right that a single tire is just as stable as a dual- then maybe you wouldn't even notice! I think not!

The other issue is that the duals are definitely clumsy off road. More so than the same truck with SRW one ton but that truck is also clumsy as hell compared to a Jeep or similar vehicle. Long wheel base is great for towing but not for off-roading.

None of the one ton diesel trucks are good in the mud cuz of the too heavy front end. Get the DRW and pull just about anything safely and get the bike for the dirt.

[Rmcgrath53]

I have had both. The DW is the way to go. If I buy another truck I will definitely go with the dually.

[bigdon68]

All I can say is take a look at my signature line. We have been pulling this 40ft 5th wheel all over the US and Canada for the last 7 years and our F350 SRW has done a great job.

Good luck on making your decision. It is ultimately up to you --- not us.

Thanks. Enjoy the road. We do.

[jeppehimer]

I have towed a fifth wheel with a 1 ton with SRW and DRW. The DRW is able to handle more rear load and is more stable when changing lanes, passing trucks and driving in the wind. I would not tow again without a DRW.

When I was towing with my SRW pickup truck someone told me that if I ever towed with a DRW truck I would never go back to a SRW. How right he was.

[2RR2NV]

Thanks ya all for the info. I think the wife and I have settled on the Dually. WOO WOOT!! I won't mind commuting with it (except for gas days ... sigh). I miss driving a truck. Plus, my wife being so cool, she wants to make it up to me since I traded my Ram for a Pacifica as a wedding gift for her. She rocks!!

[packpe89]

I have a 6000# 28' Travel trailer (lurking here just because I'm planning on a fifth wheel at some time). I've towed with the following,

1500 Crew cab, works but grip the wheel very tight and always aware the trailer is back there.

2500 Ext Cab 2500HD short bed Duramax, Much better! no problem with hills and my hands are not tired after a two hour trip from gripping the wheel. But, I still know it's there and big trucks or strong gusts and you do feel it!

3500 MegaCab Cummins, dually. Only problem, you have to remember it's there.

I would get the DRW, I think you will travel more relaxed.

[hmar1]

We have a 2014 ram 3500 4x4 dully with diesel and pull a 2014 Montana 3900 FB It pulls great, you can't even tell you are pulling ,lots of power.

[lee_worsdell]

just towed my trailer with my 2500 duramax,i did notice the difference from my old 3500 for stability . I just like the fact I can run it thru a car wash