dualie or not

[rosyriz]

Do we need a duely for a TV? Some people are telling us that we will need that for our 38ft Monty. What do you think? Rosyriz

[Delaine and Lindy]

I would say yes, I would think your Pin weight will be the factor. Also the it will depend on your total weight. I'm sure someone who has the same 5er can give you a better answer. GBY...

[bncinwv]

To, me it was two factors, stability in the mountains and turns of West Virginia where all of our trips will start, and the safety aspect of a rear blowout. (Still have three back there if one blows). By the way, congrats on the new 5er.
ingo

[Fordzilla]

I'd have to agree with hopefulowner with the safety factor and the extra stability when towing in the wind. At least that is what I considered when purchasing ours.

[mobrownies]

Have the dealer weigh it for you and then you will have a place to start. Do not go by what the literature says, because they can be way off. Then make an allowance for what will be in the truck (hitch, people, fuel & stuff). Then add on what will be in the trailer (gas, water & more stuff). You might find that a single rear wheel one-ton will work, but I would guess that it will need a dually.

Good luck finding a used duramax. I ended up with a new one as it was cheaper than some of the used ones we looked at. My father-in-law found the same thing. Not many low mileage ones out there. The few we found, the owner was upside down with his loan and wanted too much for it.

[Wrenchtraveller]

IMHO.............YES. My 2955RL is the biggest I can go with my 05 F350 SRW with an 11200 GVWR.
I just keep within the specs with this truck and there is nothing I would want to leave behind.
Many on this site choose to tow the larger Montanas with a SRW and some of them do this by pretending that the specs they can meet are the all important specs. " Quote.. I am over my GVWR by 1500 pounds but I am within my combined rating so that is fine."

These people have to give their head a shake and realize the people that build the TVs and set the specs have a little more knowledge than they do. Flame suit on because if there is anything that upsets this crowd, it is the truth. Take care.

[beancounter]

When I purchased my truck I figured I might as well go ahead and get the DRW setup. Why? I feel that even if the dually is potentially "overkill", that is better than the alternative. The only downside I have experienced so far is parking the behemoth at the grocery store. They just don't make the spaces wide enough - or long enough - for a LWB/DRW.

Good luck with whichever set-up you choose.

[Broome101]

Well I hate to throw doubt into this but I think it would be personal preference. I have F350 SRW that has more capacity than DRW. My pin weight on my 3685FL like Fordzilla is one of the heaviest that Montana has. We have never had problem at all. As sated in my owners manual I have GCVWR of 23K with 6.0 PSD, truck weighs about 8K, leaving me 15k trailer weight that I can carry. Never be that heavy as we just camp on weekends and for vacation not full timing. So it's really up to what you want. Several full timers tow with SRW and have no issues at all and are well waiting the specs of the truck. Weight police are concerned with your overall weight.

[steves]

This had been discussed in the past and if you do a search you'll find a lot of opinions on this. Same as what is the best TV, diesel vs gas, etc. In summary there is no right or wrong answer: Do you need a DRW to pull a Montana....NO. Is there advantages to a DRW...YES. Is there disadvantages to a DRW....YES. It comes down to what you are comfortable with and how you use the TV when not towing. Many that have will say "yes" and those that don't have will say "no" - Evaluate your own needs. Good Luck!

[tcorbitt]

Everyone will have an opionion,

Max 5th Trailer weight for an SRW F250/350 Crew, Auto, 4X4 Powerstroke, 15,500 (more than enough for any Montana out there)
Max 5th Trailer weight for an DRW F350 Crew, Auto, 4X4, Powerstroke, 4.10 gears 18,100 (an extra 3,400 lbs)

So, the real choice is more personal. Do you want the extra measure of stability (wider track), added comfort of having weight distributed over 4 tires vs. two in the rear? Or, our your priorities, a smaller vehicle for driving without the trailer, easier for parking, and less expensive to maintain (fewer tires to replace, likely better fuel economy).

I think a lot depends what the truck does when not pulling. If it is not a daily driver and used almost exclusively for towing, the DRWs will likely give you that extra sense of security. Although we use of TV exclusively for towing, I have opted for SRWs and short bed Crew. I like the smaller footprint when we are traveling around at our destination with the Montana left behind at the campground.

Good luck with your choice. The good news is, SRW or DRW, Ford, GM, or Dodge, gas or diesel, there are a lot of great choices in HD pickups today, it is hard to not find the right one for your own personal preferences.

Tim

[Garin1]

I'm not trying to throw fuel on the fire but I have the same truck as broom101 and on the Ford official site it lists the same numbers:gvwr 23000lb, payload 4010lb, and fifth wheel towing of 15900lb. I pull a 3650rk and fully loaded it has a pin of 2350lb. I picked the srw mostly because it is my daily driver. The one you pick has to be a personal choice. Just check the numbers for yourself.

[tcorbitt]

Good point, should have included the reference to the tow guide with the official numbers for 5th wheel towing

http://www.fordvehicles.com/assets/p...series9-18.pdf

TC

[Bob Pasternak]

YOUR RAM 2500 LARAMIE

Towing Capacity As Configured: 15650 lbs.

Model
2007 RAM 2500 LARAMIE QUAD CAB 4X2 LWB H Pkg. $36,995

Color $0

Main Paints: Bright White Clear Coat Included
Secondary Paints: No Secondary Paint Included
Trims: Khaki Included

Power $6,555

Engines: 6.7-Liter Cummins® Turbo Diesel Engine $6,100
Axles - Rear: 10.50 Rear Axle Included
Axles - Gear Ratios: 4.10 Axle Ratio $50
Transmissions: 6-Speed Automatic 68RFE Transmission $405

Options $2,295

Tires: LT265/70R17E BSW All Season Tires Included
Wheels: 17" x 8.0" Chrome Clad Aluminum Wheels Included
Speaker Systems: 7 Infinity(TM) Speakers Included
Sound Systems: DVD-based GPS Navigation System with 6-CD/MP3 Chngr $1,595
Sound System Components: SIRIUS® Satellite Digital Radio Included
Seats: Leather Trim 40/20/40 Bench Seat Included
Convenience/Security Options: Heated Front Seats Included
Climate Control Options: Air Conditioning with Dual Zone Temp Control Included
Mirrors: Fold-Away Power Trailer Tow Mirrors $100
Mirrors: Automatically-Dimming Rearview Mirror Included
Additional Equipment Groups: Trailer Tow Group $275
Additional Options: Anti-Spin Differential Rear Axle $325
Additional Options: Floor Covering Carpet Included
Additional Options: Speed Control Included
Additional Options: Tow Hooks Included
Additional Options: Power Adjustable Pedals Included
Additional Options: Rear Power Sliding Window Included
Additional Options: Security Alarm Included
Additional Options: Fog Lamps Included
Additional Options: Folding Flat Load Floor Included
Additional Options: Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel Included

Destination $900
Adjustments $0
Discounts $995

Base MSRP*: $47,740
- Total Discount+: $0
Net Price: $47,740

--------------------------------------------------------------
Rosyriz: If I were ordering a new truck today, this is how it would be configured. This is off the Dodge site. They give it a towing capacity of 15650, big enough. The auto tranny is double overdrive, so a 4.10 rear would give it about the same final ratio as mine does with the single OD and a 3.73. It's not likely that I'll get one soon since mine is only 1 1/2 years old and 20,000 miles.

[Garin1]

Good link tcorbett. I always have trouble doing that.

[Bill Frisbee]

I agree with Wrenchtraveler. My Dodge 3500 SRW is over the GVWR when our Montana is hooked up. The overweight condition is not drastic and I am well within the GAWR of the rear axle. Nonetheless, I am overweight. We purchased the truck we did for several reasons. First, we live where it snows and the SRW 4X4 is simply better in snow than a dually. Second, we bought the short bed because the truck is my daily driver and I need to park in urban parking lots. Almost impossible in our town with the long-bed dually. Third, we do not do extensive travel with our Montana. This summer, we will be hauling it from where it is currently stored to the dealer for de-winterizing and systems checks (a distance of 15 kms) and from there to our summer site on Lake Ontario (a distance of another 15 kms). That is it. When we do retire and start traveling greater distances, you can bet there will be at least a 3500/F350 dually doing the hauling... and perhaps even a 4500/F450.

Bill

[W7PSK]

You didn't say which model but I'm assuming that the pin weight is in the 2500 + range. For that I would go 1ton dually.

[BirdingRVer]

Remember "no one ever complained about having too much truck when towing".

I never intended for my dually to be my daily driver but, I enjoy driving it so much that we take it everywhere! As this is my first dually I was concerned about finding parking. We just park further out and take two spaces if needed. The dually is hard to park because it is a long bed not because it is a dually but, you would have that problem with any long bed. The dually is an absolute dream when towing!

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by hopefulowner

To, me it was two factors, stability in the mountains and turns of West Virginia where all of our trips will start, and the safety aspect of a rear blowout. (Still have three back there if one blows). By the way, congrats on the new 5er.
ingo

My thoughts are that if dual wheels are so important for the rear in case of a blowout, then why not have them on the front also? I don't believe a single rear wheel blowout would be as bad as a front wheel blowout. We prefer the single rear wheels, as will many others tell you the same. As for being more stable with duals, that is not necessarily true. It may seem so, but we notice no difference in handling between single and dual rear wheels. Have had both.

Orv

[richfaa]

Over the 6 1/2 years that we have been driving busses, mostly school busses, we have had some blowouts, flats, etc, Unless we lost some rubber we never knew we had a problem. We once were behind a class "C" who had a flat on his outside dual tire. By the time we got him stopped his inside tire was smoking..but he got stopped safely. Personally we do note a difference in stability.. dually over SWD..However..We have the CC,LB Dually.. IMO.. It is a pain in the butt in parking and driving in traffic and as a daily driver as we are using it now wintering in Az. I did not want the dually. My ideal truck would be the F-350 SB, Regular cab(maybe super cab), SWD..it did not work out that way. We purchased what best served our "towing" needs. Our truck has the 12,600lb GVWR and the 4:30 Diff..It can handle any Montana( and more) and be withing ALL spec's..no fudging..It is of course a personal choice..but everything is a compromise when Rv'ing.We just decided, with help from this forum and other sources to stay within all spec's ..like it or not. We are considering a new truck and I told Helen that I am not sure I want another dually..she replied..go over why we got one in the first place..It will be a dually...

[bncinwv]

Mis-posted response under new thread (Personal Opinion). New at this and I apologize for the confusion. Her is the context:

Personal preference should always be the deciding factor. I was merely giving my reasons for my choosing the dually over the single rear wheel configuration. The information can be taken with a grain of salt , but I still stand by what I said as I investigated all options, then made what I felt was the best decision for my family. Particularly when I considered my daughters would be in the back seat of the tow vehicle. The front tires are irrelevent since there is no alternative available. Since Rosyriz will be investing somewhere around $30-50,000, I strongly believe they should gather all relevant information and decide accordingly.