Moving from 3/4 Ton to Dually - any regrets

[Glenn and Lorraine]

quote:Originally posted by Bear Hunter

...........After having 6 single RW 3/4 ton trucks we finally got a DW and have found it tows much better. You can have a semi blow by and not feel the rig getting pushed around. This is also true when we were out west. I seems the wind was always quartering and still no sway problems. ....

Sorry Bear Hunter but the above just doesn't wash with me. I don't know what you were towing with those 6 single RW 3/4 tons but I feel absolutely NOTHING when those semi's blow by me and positively NO sway at all from the wind while dragging my Monty with my current or previous single RW 3/4 ton trucks. I will admit that if I get into a real heavy cross wind I will feel some pushing but than so do the 18 wheelers feel that same motion.
I driven both SRW and DRW and noticed absolutely NO difference in the handling or the ride.

DarMar, You said, "I have yet to find anyone that regrets buying a dually!" and you probably never will. It's like asking which brand is best Ford, Chevy, GMC or Dodge and the answers are always the same. Whatever brand, or in this case axle configuration, an individual is driving is 99% of the time going to be the best. It's a little thing called EGO that will not allow anyone to admit that they are unhappy with their choice. It's just human nature.

Also keep in mind that there are many MOCers using a 2500HD, F250 or 2500 to drag their 3400.

After we have all had our say as to what we feel is the best it all comes down to two people. It's now up to Darwin and Maureen to figure out just what TV is going to best serve them.

[Montana Sky]

Glenn,
Do you have the cover that Pullrite offers for your Superglide? I am having to have shoulder surgery on both of my shoulders in the upcoming months and would like to leave the hitch in the bed as I wont be able to carry it most of this summer. The problem I had found last year is the grease on the way tubes collected alot of dirt and debris from the road and trees while just sitting back there in the bed of the truck. I am wondering if the cover will help keep the grease cleaner?

I also agree with Glenn about the handling of the 2500HD, mine has been a great rig for towing my 3400RL.

[HamRad]

DarMar,
We started with a F250SD PSD, long bed, crew cab, SRW. It pulled just fine and did not get blown around too much on the road. I was very pleased with the towing qualities. It would move a little bit when passed by an 18 wheeler if the wind was blowing really hard. But in just regular wind and driving conditions there was no problem.

My problem came when I would have to come to a quick stop. The trailer would give me a little bit of the "Tail wagging the dog" syndrome. I did not like that. And while I was not over the weight limit I was within a few pounds of being over ..... especially on the rear axle. The 3295RK is one of the heavier pin weight models.

So we either needed a lighter trailer (wife said that wasn't going to happen) or we needed more truck. I wanted a Volvo like FireTrucker has (wife said that wasn't going to happen) So we started looking at slightly larger trucks. Found a F450SD PSD 7.3 (same as 250). The 450 gives me much more of a weight margin with the Monty. At the time it only came in dual wheel version. I was not wild about that but since it appeared that was all we could get we made the change.

It is slightly more stable than a SRW but hardly noticeable. The major difference I noted between the 250 and the 450 was the ride. The 450 rides like a truck. The 250 rides like a car.

Sure you can't park in some spots because the battleship is just too large. And you can't go thru regular car washes.... there are some exceptions. But these types of things you make adjustments for. Having to buy two extra tires is a bit more of an inconvenience.

But get what you think you need. And try to get it the first time. That will usually save you some money. :-) I drive more at ease with the extra stopping power I have. The 250 has 12" brakes and the 450 has 15" brakes. The extra stiffness and weight of the 450 has pretty much done away with the tail wagging the dog problem.

Would I go back to SRW? Yes. If I had a truck that would do the things I thought important. So we keep looking. However... you know which direction I want to go! Look out Volov!

Good luck,
HamRad

[smc]

We have a dodge dually, and love it. We did have a 2500 short box, but find the dually is much more stable. The 2980RL has a heavy pin weight compared to some of the other models. Some provinces are very sticky about weights so we are now legal anywhere. Parking was a challenge at first, but now wheel it in most places. May have to walk a little further, but its worth it. I like the truck being a little bigger in traffic, get a bit of respect, or maybe the sight of a woman driving a dually scares them into backing away!

[Glenn and Lorraine]

quote:Originally posted by Montana Sky

Glenn,
Do you have the cover that Pullrite offers for your Superglide? I am having to have shoulder surgery on both of my shoulders in the upcoming months and would like to leave the hitch in the bed as I wont be able to carry it most of this summer. The problem I had found last year is the grease on the way tubes collected alot of dirt and debris from the road and trees while just sitting back there in the bed of the truck. I am wondering if the cover will help keep the grease cleaner?

I also agree with Glenn about the handling of the 2500HD, mine has been a great rig for towing my 3400RL.

No I do not. I have a tonneau cover for when the trailer is not hooked up.

[Montana Sky]

Well that throws that theory out the window now doesn't it Glenn. Thanks for the reply.

[rickfox]

Hello DarMar,

I have a friend who regrets buying a dually! So much so that he finally sold it. The local police department did however help him along in his decision.

After he had received 3 parking tickets, gone to court, and lost 2 apeals, he finally realized that he was not going to be able to change the parking ordinances that would not allow the parking of any vehicle with more than 4 wheels on the residential streets of his city.

Boy, that was some expensive learning!

[richfaa]

What city is that..need to route around that crazy place.That would mean you could not stop your camper in the city as even with a 4 wheel Tv you would have 8 wheels on the ground.

[Sunshine]

We just went from an F250 extended cab to an F350 Super Duty Crew Cab; not dually, however. This pickup is our TV, but also the "family car" so we can have passengers. Have always had large trucks and I (female) have no problems with them. Some parking lots are a little tight, but there's usually a suitable place nearby. Final choice has to be what you feel comfortable with.

[cs413]

My only regret is I didn't buy one years ago. I wouldn't pull this much weight with anything else. The truck rides like a car and the wife loves it and drives it with no problems.

[rickfox]

Rich,

The city is Richardson, TX. There seems to be an increasing number of cities in Texas that are heading this way.

The law is that you can not park a vehicle that has more than 4 wheels on the ground on residential streets. It is also against the law to park a trailer or RV of any kind on the streets, except to load and unload.

These laws are being passed supposedly based on safety reasons. Since these types to things are generally wider than cars, they can impede safety vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances from moving through the streets.

Yet another thing to deal with.

[CountryGuy]

I know this is not possible for many many many RV owners, but years ago, before our removal from the "city", we always said, and meant it, that if the city ordinances would change and we could not keep our RV in our side yard, that we would sell out and move. I am afraid I would have to either put in some kind of off street parking for our big GMC, or move. Sound drastic, probably, just one of those choices in life. Like I said, not a choice that is available or workable for all.

[richfaa]

quote:Originally posted by CountryGuy

I know this is not possible for many many many RV owners, but years ago, before our removal from the "city", we always said, and meant it, that if the city ordinances would change and we could not keep our RV in our side yard, that we would sell out and move. I am afraid I would have to either put in some kind of off street parking for our big GMC, or move. Sound drastic, probably, just one of those choices in life. Like I said, not a choice that is available or workable for all.

We are in the city but in a rural area. We can put Rv's , Boats, etc alongside the house as long as they are even with the front edge of the home.They can sit in the driveway for 72 hours to load and unload.There is no parking allowed on the street from sundown sunrise.The streets are very wide and everyone has a long/ wide driveway and a two car garage. We have never seen any of these ordnances enforced. Our camper has sat out in the driveway for days. We bought here because we could have our camper at home. Like you if all of a sudden these laws were to be enforced we would move

[skypilot]

Something I haven't seen anyone mention in the prior postings but one of the benefits of a dually is 'floatation' -- more rubber on the road, less weight per square inch on the road. (Reason semi's have duals - at least one of them). This added rubber increases your ability to stop (more contact area) and more stability. (More rubber also reason someone earlier commented about dually's being less appropriate for snow/ice -- become a snowboard real quick ). However, now we are seeing 'wide' tires taking the place of dually's -- hence the increased sales of SRW 1 tons, and even heavy trucks (concrete haulers, over the road semi's, etc.). With the wider single tires, they get the benefits of the duals without the added costs and other problems. (Sorry for long post). As many have mentioned, get what best fits your needs and driving patterns -- I have a Dodge 3500 DRW and can not park it where I work -- too large for the congested parking places.

[mobilrvn]

We love our dually and our last truck was a dually too, but our next one won't be one. We travel in Mexico every winter and there are extra fees for toll roads and bridges if you have duallys even though we are saving their roads. Also some cities ban you just like they are doing in TX. Just food for thought if you are going south.

[Bob Pasternak]

Talking about tread surface on the road, the makers of the "super singles" as the large, wide tires are called, claim there is more tread surface on the road with them than with a, say, 11/24.5 dual set up. 11/24.5 is the same as the old 10.00x22.

[Dave e Victoria]

Just remember, tread surface DOES NOT improve stopping power. The physical equation for friction force is appled force times coefficient of friction. There is nothing in this equation about surface area. That said, if the larger surface dissipates heat to preven the tires from melting, that might help.

What surface area does is allow you to support more weight with less tire pressure. Conversly, if you need flotation over a soft (like sand) surface You can let the pressure don on any tire. A tire at 35 psi will support twice as much weight as the same tire at 70 PSI. Just don't drive it too far.
Dave

[Bob Pasternak]

What you are telling me, Dave, that if I COULD put 2800 pounds on one of those 1" wide racing bike tires and run it down a concrete road at 60 MPH, it would stop as quickly as the LT265R17E on my truck at the same load and speed??? There's something wrong with that thought.

[Wrenchtraveller]

I think the most important issue is staying within your legal capacities and with a Fiver that means staying within your GVWR and your GCWR and so far Ford is the only truck that has raised the GVWR in a SRW. Ford just bumped this up in 05. My GVWR is 11200 LBS and I had this same model in my 04 F350 PSD lemon and it had the 9900 GVWR that Chev and Dodge still have in there SRW one ton pickups. My 06 2955RL, the baby in the Montana line would be over the 9900 pound GVWR of my 04 F350 because of the weight of these trucks and the eqipement I choose to take with me.
How anyone can stay legal with any 3/4 ton truck is beyond me and times have changed. In most places , if you are in an accident and you are over your GVWR, your insurance is void.
All the after market gizmos in the world can not and will not change your LEGAL GVWR.
If you want a large Montana, you want a dually just for that extra payload.
I chose a small Montana and an 2005 F350 SRW so I can stay legal.

If you don't like the message , don't shoot the messenger and any insurance company or lawyer will tell you what I have just said is the absolute truth, Take care, Don.

[Dave e Victoria]

Bob,
Only if the tire itself remained intact. If for some reason it did and the rubber composition and tread were the same, then yes indeed, that is exactly the case. As some sage said, "Things are not always as they seem."