A year with few trips but lots of changes

[Buzzcut1]

I kind of miss doing trip reports. Between my side business with the TC almost doubling is days worked, Ruth competing again, Family issues We really havent gotten out on the road despite me using the TC almost every weekend

Full circle: in 2003 we started riding horses and needed a truck. I wanted a Dually, wife overrulled saying it was overkill. In 2010 we bought the Lance 1055 and happy in our ignorance added airbags and upper stable loads and merrily went on our way year and a half ago boom when the back tire and we almost rolled so up to 19.5s we went. A few moths ago Ruth was driving the TC with horses in tow in really heavy winds and getting tossed around. She said we need a Dually

2 weeks later we had one. I spent the last 10 days outfitting it.

This weekend I took it on a working trip of 110 miles on ****py bay area freeways with Pot holles, concrete expansion joints, cross winds, big dipps in the road the kind that launch you into the air at 65mph, and heavy traffic. All I have added to the stock camper package suspension set up on the 2011 F350 is upper stable loads. Dang this truck makes for a relaxing drive enve through all that ****. Yes you can never have too much truck.

Fall becons. Nov and December will be our traveling time. November will be the Sierras and December will be Death Valley I can't wait

[Bedlam]

Interestingly, my modified F250 handled almost as well as my stock 5500 when loaded. The 5500 has so much more capacity available for a larger TC, but the upgrades to my F250 proved worthy of the ride provided. The F250 unloaded ride was better, but the 5500 is better overall at almost everything else.

[run100]

Nice looking truck . . . and a happy wife to go with it!

[F350mule]

We bought a dually 4 years ago and I never regretted it. Did my srw F-350 handle ok? Yes, we made a few long trips with it. But the drw F-350 is much more stable and handles better. You made the right choice.

[Buzzcut1]

Today was another one of those yin yang days that keep popping up and getting in my road tripping ways. I was all packed for a weekend of fishing and camping doing a shake down cruise when a buisness rivals client called, the other company was unable to fulfill supplying an onsite EMT for an event Friday and Saturday (second time this year). No on premises medical, no event. I covered it. Now I hold the contract for all of their 2016 shows. Good: I make more money, bad: even less time to travel..

[JoeChiOhki]

deltabravo wrote:

Buzzcut1 wrote:
Fall becons. Nov and December will be our traveling time. November will be the Sierras and December will be Death Valley I can't wait

Death Valley is calling my name again. I did a quick visit in 2011, but didn't see or do much.

Today I was driving my dually around empty, running errands... trying to fall in love with it again after the dealer damaged it.
Dually will go around sweeping corners way faster than an SRW truck because it's stiffer and wider.... Yes, it will "rally" pretty good.

For those in the Tacoma/Puyallup WA area, the long sweeper off/on ramp from southbound 167 to westbound 512 is a perfect place to compare the handling of an SRW to a DRW.

I know those ramps well, my Amerigo is coming from that area.

[deltabravo]

Buzzcut1 wrote:
Fall becons. Nov and December will be our traveling time. November will be the Sierras and December will be Death Valley I can't wait

Death Valley is calling my name again. I did a quick visit in 2011, but didn't see or do much.

Today I was driving my dually around empty, running errands... trying to fall in love with it again after the dealer damaged it.
Dually will go around sweeping corners way faster than an SRW truck because it's stiffer and wider.... Yes, it will "rally" pretty good.

For those in the Tacoma/Puyallup WA area, the long sweeper off/on ramp from southbound 167 to westbound 512 is a perfect place to compare the handling of an SRW to a DRW.

[deltabravo]

Glad I read this thread - it's set me on the straight path to keep my dually, even though I'm irate that the local dealer damaged it, then their body shop that was fixing the damage, did even MORE damage, and hid it from me.

[ggadwa]

Buzzcutt,
Very nice looking combination you have there. Do you have just the stock flimsy anti sway bar in the back? The Hellwig Big Wig anti sway bar is well worth the investment. Of course, I don't have the Dually like you have, but my Eagle Cap 950 rides real smooth and stable with the Big Wig and the Timbren Suspension system.....I'll never go back to air bags. Had Air bags on the past two trucks and campers.

Enjoy the new rig and we'll maybe see you in the Sierras or Death Valley....

GARY and Laurii

[jimh406]

I'm glad you are enjoying the new addition!

[kerry4951]

Yours is a typical response from anyone who moves up to a dually after using a SRW truck and a decent size TC. When we knew we were getting a TC, my wife told me to buy a heavy enough truck to handle the load, so I wouldnt be sorry, so thats what I did. Never regretted getting a dually right up front. Also allowed me to get the TC that I wanted.
Looks like you got a great set up now.

[NVR2L82AV8]

Buzzcut, ....knew you would enjoy it! Rig looks great! Definitely a challenge to get out with busy working schedules, family issues etc. Happy Camping!!