3500/2500 srw or drw

You have already gotten some good advice. My 2cents coming from driving an SRW with a heavy camper is know your limits and drive safe and outfit your truck with the best tires and upgrades for carrying the weight. For me I only drive up to an hour away from my house on flat roads and I do a lot of 4x4 driving with the camper on so a DRW did not make sense for me.

I keep a very strict eye on my transmission temps, that or a blown tire is my worst fears. Brakes have stopped me good so far, however I have not had to slam on them yet as I drive slow and watch traffic like a hawk.

TxGearhead wrote:
"That is why heavier diesel will have lower cargo rating as nobody wants to pay registration for what the truck can actually handle."

I always assumed it has less payload because the diesel is so much heavier.
GVW-actual weight=payload
Not every state has expensive registration costs.

Don't ask me what is the deal, but seem no manufacturer wants to list a pickup over 15,000 lb GVW.
Even when added axles capacity will shoot at 22,000lb.
The engine weight goes on front axle and diesels have it stronger, while cargo goes on the rear.

Some good advice here. I'm of similar opinion of burningman and Vinsil.
Have put plenty of miles on my shortbed 3/4 ton truck with the AF camper that is by all accounts over 4klbs loaded.
Of course a dually would be more stable and ideal for a heavy camper, but with some select mods I'm comfortable driving it nearly anywhere I'd drive empty, save for steep slopes off road.

Part of it boils down to, one either understands how a vehicle reacts under various conditions and can handle it and is comfortable with those conditions, or isn't.
Given the choice I'd go 3500 because who doesn't like more springs for the same price....

If I'm ever able to plop a camper on the truck for extended periods of time and that is the truck's primary use it'll be a dually if it's a big camper.

I've had my same TC, a Double Slide Host 9 1/2 for just over 11 years. For 8 1/2 years, I had a '06 F350 SRW Super Cab. After about 6 months I added 19.5s to have room for error for the tires. It was my daily driver and a DRW just wouldn't have fit.

Funny enough, even the F350 SRW Super Cab was too long when I changed jobs. So, it wasn't my daily driver anymore, and I traded for a F450 DRW.

No question that the SRW was much easier to park and actually would go about anywhere I wanted. The F450 turns much tighter, but it's longer and wider.

Of course, the F450 is a better TC hauler and I no longer worry how much extra stuff I carry. Because it is a F450, it also turns much better and the brakes are awesome. It also has 19.5s. The ride is smoother, but maybe that is the Bilstein 4600 vs the Rancho 9000s I had on the SRW.

I wouldn't hesitate to have another SRW if situations required that I change again.

Kayteg1 wrote:
Why the hesitation to get dually? The fuel usage on them is just slightly higher than SRW , good tires last 100,000 miles, they park on normal parking spots (unless you get Crew Cab) and this way you save time by not posting endless questions on the forum.

Nothing like a snarky comment....:R

I'd have a dually but.. I use the drive through at the bank once in a while and my wife uses the truck once in a while and it won't fit in my garage with the camper in the garage too. Guess I an't getting one....lol

HioSSilver wrote:
Thanks for all the comments guys. Still unsure.....I'm kinda in the same boat as vinsil. Not really interested in driving a dually all the time. But i would like a 9xx truck camper with a slide and a dry bath. I don't get to go alot. If i were full timing in it i would do a dually for sure. But i don't want it to be unsafe or put myself in a bad situation.

I'm buying a artic fox 992.

Just address your tires, add suspension help and enjoy. I carried my Wolf Creek on a short bed 2500 Megacab. Made it work with stableloads, bags and 19.5's.


I'll most likely do similar mods to make my new Ford carry the bigger camper, but this truck is MUCH more capable than my last which was a 2007. They have come a long ways. Then again I'm not the weight police and feel everyone without a 5 series truck is gonna die. Be smart about it, you'll be fine.

Thanks for all the comments guys. Still unsure.....I'm kinda in the same boat as vinsil. Not really interested in driving a dually all the time. But i would like a 9xx truck camper with a slide and a dry bath. I don't get to go alot. If i were full timing in it i would do a dually for sure. But i don't want it to be unsafe or put myself in a bad situation.

we just switched from a 2016 Gmc crewcab, long bed ,drw to a 2017 Chev double cab ,long bed,drw the 10 inch shorter frame makes a large improvement in around town maneuverability (turning radius) and the truck handles the BF 3000 (aprox 5000 LBS loaded) like a dream !!!

woops, missed the word 'not' which completely changed my comment. I do wish I would have considered the 450 for the wide track. I actually wish it was still an option on the 350.

Sometimes it seems I go out of my way to word things awkwardly.

hedge wrote:
I just moved from a SRW to a dually. Not sure how but when loaded my SRW was almost at tire capacity and almost 1000lbs over GVW. This was with a 9' camper. I camp a lot in BC and they can scale you, they go by GVW... but I believe it is a very rare occurrance.

I like not even having to think about it with the Dually. I really had no adjustment period getting used to the width but the length is a different story. I am actually sort of regretting going to a 450 with the wide track axle and much tighter turning radius.

Why so? It sure seems everyone loves the wide track and tighter turning radius. Just curious.

As a side note, my new Ford turns tighter than the 07' Ram it replaced so I'm not sad about my turning radius.