Towing > 40ft - drw vs srw?

[NCRugRat]

I have a triple axle toy hauler with a top weight of 18k pounds. Four years ago I research the heck out of the type of tow vehicle to get and decided on a drw. I ended up with a 2009 F-450, but unfortunately someone decided to pull out in front of me last week and it totaled my truck. Now I’m in the market again and it’s just hard to find a good drw for a good price. I am still leaning towards a drw, but maybe it’s overkill. I notice a lot of people towing similar or larger campers with srw 350 or 3500s. My question is for those people - do you feel safe or wish you had gone with a drw? How about any sway? I do mostly flat towing with very little mountains. I appreciate any comments and it sucks to have to look for a new truck. My F-450 was solid.

[4x4ord]

NCRugRat wrote:
I have a triple axle toy hauler with a top weight of 18k pounds. Four years ago I research the heck out of the type of tow vehicle to get and decided on a drw. I ended up with a 2009 F-450, but unfortunately someone decided to pull out in front of me last week and it totaled my truck. Now I’m in the market again and it’s just hard to find a good drw for a good price. I am still leaning towards a drw, but maybe it’s overkill. I notice a lot of people towing similar or larger campers with srw 350 or 3500s. My question is for those people - do you feel safe or wish you had gone with a drw? How about any sway? I do mostly flat towing with very little mountains. I appreciate any comments and it sucks to have to look for a new truck. My F-450 was solid.

Do you know what the pin weight is of that XLR? Are you planning on buying a new truck or wanting an older model?

[Bedlam]

memtb wrote:

4x4ord wrote:
I consider an 18000 lb trailer a light trailer even though most rv's are lighter than that. I tow much heavier than 18000 lbs with my SRW. If I didn't feel safe doing it I would use a bigger truck.....I've got lots of trucks. I think the 3500 GMCs are is rated for 17600 lbs. Alot of dually guys haven't hauled with a new style SRW pickup. Pulling my 16000 lb rv with my SRW is a very relaxing experience.

X2!!

I’m sure that a DRW, could/would be slightly more stable/ comfortable when towing, but....for those of us that “do not” have a dedicated tow rig, the SRW is more practical for daily use. Especially....if daily use includes off-road use, and/or snow and ice! JMO

On a new truck, your axle rating will likely be more than adequate. But...you should consider upgrading tires/rims for the pin weight of the unit. We have Rickson Wheels 5000 load rated...each) and 19.5” tires (4800 lb rating...each). As a side note....we’re running Hankook DH07 245/70R/19.5. They are “very” slightly taller than our stock tires, giving us a two(2) mph error at 60 mph!

They work well for highway use, and have good off-road traction (mud and snow). Very quiet when “not” towing, but get a little “whine” under load. The “whine” is minor, and doesn’t give us issue.

Any of the new trucks have plenty of power to tow your trailer, but the pin weight is what will limit you in a SRW. If you already had a reliable SRW, I would point you toward wheel and suspension upgrades but don't really think I would buy a truck knowing it immediately needed upgrades to do the job.

You drove a DRW and know its limitations and its advantages. Are you looking at SRW's strictly due to cost or are there other factors? I expect you would spend $3-5k to upgrade a SRW to handle that FW pin weight.

[larry_barnhart]

neighbor that arrived a few days ago has a 2012 2500 GMC. Very large landmark and a small trailer behind from Canada. Might ask carefully how it tows so much weight. 4 rear tires for me.

chevman

[Cummins12V98]

Huntindog wrote:

4x4ord wrote:
I consider an 18000 lb trailer a light trailer even though most rv's are lighter than that. I tow much heavier than 18000 lbs with my SRW. If I didn't feel safe doing it I would use a bigger truck.....I've got lots of trucks. I think the 3500 GMCs are is rated for 17600 lbs. Alot of dually guys haven't hauled with a new style SRW pickup. Pulling my 16000 lb rv with my SRW is a very relaxing experience.

This post is all over the map.
You say you tow much heavier than 18K. Then say the new GMCs are rated for less than that (17,600).
Then say that towing your even lighter 16K trailer is easy....

Too much Eggnog?


OP, you won't be happy with a SRW. and it would be an expensive experiment to try it, then end up buying a DRW in the end,

HEY, he has a B&W hitch so that right there makes it all right. :B

[fj12ryder]

"I think it is also important to consider that your toy hauler has 3 axles.....with 3 axles there isn't as much weight that needs to be carried on the pin. Additionally 3 axles tend to tow very nice and straight especially when your rv is 40 ft long."

This seems like a reasonable statement, but like the song: "It ain't necessarily so". If you're hauling a full complement of toys the hitch weight will usually fall around 20 percent of trailer weight, but carry less than that, your hitch weight will go up correspondingly.

[4x4ord]

I think it is interesting to compare how a new truck compared to your 09 f450:
In order to get your rig moving your 450 with a 4.30 rear axle ratio was able to theoretically put almost 8700 lb ft of torque to its rear axle in low gear.(rear axle ratio of 4.3 x low gear ratio of 3.11 x max engine torque of 650)

A new f350 with a 3.55 rear axle can put 13000 lb ft of torque to the rear axle. (3.55 x 3.974 x 925)

I think it is also important to consider that your toy hauler has 3 axles.....with 3 axles there isn't as much weight that needs to be carried on the pin. Additionally 3 axles tend to tow very nice and straight especially when your rv is 40 ft long.

[memtb]

4x4ord wrote:
I consider an 18000 lb trailer a light trailer even though most rv's are lighter than that. I tow much heavier than 18000 lbs with my SRW. If I didn't feel safe doing it I would use a bigger truck.....I've got lots of trucks. I think the 3500 GMCs are is rated for 17600 lbs. Alot of dually guys haven't hauled with a new style SRW pickup. Pulling my 16000 lb rv with my SRW is a very relaxing experience.

X2!!

I’m sure that a DRW, could/would be slightly more stable/ comfortable when towing, but....for those of us that “do not” have a dedicated tow rig, the SRW is more practical for daily use. Especially....if daily use includes off-road use, and/or snow and ice! JMO

On a new truck, your axle rating will likely be more than adequate. But...you should consider upgrading tires/rims for the pin weight of the unit. We have Rickson Wheels 5000 load rated...each) and 19.5” tires (4800 lb rating...each). As a side note....we’re running Hankook DH07 245/70R/19.5. They are “very” slightly taller than our stock tires, giving us a two(2) mph error at 60 mph!

They work well for highway use, and have good off-road traction (mud and snow). Very quiet when “not” towing, but get a little “whine” under load. The “whine” is minor, and doesn’t give us issue.

[Redwoodcamper]

I have towed many different goosneck loads between 15-30k lbs in both single and drw trucks. There really is no comparison. It can be done with a srw truck, but stability and feel is completely different. Under 15k or in a pinch it can be done safely with srw. If you tow regularly over 15k it isn't much of a choice.
Obviously it is silly to talk about total trailer weight when the rawr is what matters, and most fifth wheels over 14k or so overweight the ratings of the rear tires and axle. Losing a rear tire at 60+ with 8k+lbs on the rear of your truck is not fun.

[JIMNLIN]

Good point.
I frequent a couple of haulers forums and have noticed the one ton srw trucks are becoming more popular. When I towed years back it was the one ton drw or a huge road tractor.
LDT makers are finally catching up up with the higher GCWR and tow rating and axle/tire load ratings.

One ton srw trucks have axle and tow rating now equal to what what my older one ton drw trucks were operated at.

One ton srw trucks are very capable for trailers up to 14k-15k if the right truck package is picked.

[4x4ord]

I can see how my post might be confusing. I started using my gooseneck behind my 2011 F350 srw. It handled some big loads.....up to 30,000 lbs. My neighbor borrows my gooseneck and tows similar loads with his new GMC srw. He's happy with the way his truck handles the trailer as well. So although we tow some heavier loads with our SRW trucks and we are happy with the way the trucks perform I realize that a dually would be better for heavier loads like that. For the little RVs the new SRW diesels are more than adequate. I think my 2017 f350 SRW is rated for 20600 lbs. I'd be amazed if someone who is happy towing his 14600 lb rv with his 2008 dually wouldn't be even happier towing an 18000 lb rv with a new SRW.

[Huntindog]

4x4ord wrote:
I consider an 18000 lb trailer a light trailer even though most rv's are lighter than that. I tow much heavier than 18000 lbs with my SRW. If I didn't feel safe doing it I would use a bigger truck.....I've got lots of trucks. I think the 3500 GMCs are is rated for 17600 lbs. Alot of dually guys haven't hauled with a new style SRW pickup. Pulling my 16000 lb rv with my SRW is a very relaxing experience.

This post is all over the map.
You say you tow much heavier than 18K. Then say the new GMCs are rated for less than that (17,600).
Then say that towing your even lighter 16K trailer is easy....

Too much Eggnog?


OP, you won't be happy with a SRW. and it would be an expensive experiment to try it, then end up buying a DRW in the end,

[4x4ord]

I consider an 18000 lb trailer a light trailer even though most rv's are lighter than that. I tow much heavier than 18000 lbs with my SRW. If I didn't feel safe doing it I would use a bigger truck.....I've got lots of trucks. I think the 3500 GMCs are is rated for 17600 lbs. Alot of dually guys haven't hauled with a new style SRW pickup. Pulling my 16000 lb rv with my SRW is a very relaxing experience.

[Lantley]

You are solidly in DRW territory

[romore]

Don't even consider an srw for a trailer that big

[Michelle_S]

DRW all the way