Is a dually needed?

[daugen]

At what weight range does one normally need to go to a dually vs a single axle HD p/u?
I was looking at Winnebago's new fifth wheel, I think their first, and wondered for 15,500, say 16,000
I'm clearly looking at a diesel, but for safety, stability, and towing ease, is a dually necessary?
Those double tires make the truck challenging to use when not towing...
So maybe I'll ask this another way, can one safely tow, with a little reserve, an 8 ton fifth wheel with
an F350 or GM equiv with single rear tires?

Winnebago Destination — Winnebago Towables

thanks. I never like to run too close to the limit/line...my insurance background. Safety first.

 

[Piston]

Interested in the replies. I've considered a dually as my next truck due to towing, but I think I'd hate it for normal day to day driving when not towing. How often would you be towing vs. not towing? For me, it's probably only about 15 times per year that I'd be towing a heavy load, max.

Would this also be your primary vehicle? Or mostly only used as a tow vehicle?

 

[dieselcrawler]

I used to own my own electrical service company and drove a dually with 9' utility bed daily, for everything, work and personal use, for about 8 years. Its not that much diffeent than a SRW, as long as you pay attention. You're gonna nail a few more curbs at the drivethru's but its possible.

Towing stabilty is nice. I miss using my dually, it has been sidelined for a few years now. Aside from needing some repairs, I have also closed my company and have just been using my F250. Having hauled 11k on a bumper pull with it,I sure wouldn't haul anything heavier. However, 5'er and gooseneck help distribute the load better and it might be safer.

I would look for a dually if I were you.

 

[daugen]

Would this also be your primary vehicle? Or mostly only used as a tow vehicle?
No, I'll always have a car, but it will be my primary truck and none of us want to drive a Peterbilt
to Home Depot. Well, maybe once...

there are ratings and there is seat of the pants feel. Will I get pushed around more on curves with a single
vs dual rear wheel? The trailer weighs well over twice the truck, so that's a concern to me.
I've only been in one dually, as a passenger, and it rode pretty roughly, but it was older.
My 6.0 Suburban, which would go, gets 11mpg now, so not like a real world change in mpg...
But I have to admit I want some comfort with my truck too, yet not blinged out like a Western ranch either.
I'm looking for comfort, safety and capability. Seems to be a lot of tradeoffs when one goes up in size.
Things like airbags get short thrift.

 

[zionview]

I have an F-250 SRW I pull 2 trailers with. I was pushed around a couple times with heavier loads, including one that was loaded improperly(my fault-cost me 2 trailer tires and rims). I buddy is on his 3rd 3500 Dodge Cummins dually and swears by duallys. He has at 4 trailers, both bumper hitch and gooseneck, and says he likes the stability. Hmmmm, maybe my next truck…….

 

[Bird]

I would look for a dually if I were you.

I agree. A dually was our only vehicle for a couple of years when we were full time RVers.

 

[newbury]

At what weight range does one normally need to go to a dually vs a single axle HD p/u?

2 bags of groceries in the bed Just because duallies LOOK good

I was looking at Winnebago's new fifth wheel, I think their first, and wondered for 15,500, say 16,000
I'm clearly looking at a diesel, but for safety, stability, and towing ease, is a dually necessary?
Those double tires make the truck challenging to use when not towing...
So maybe I'll ask this another way, can one safely tow, with a little reserve, an 8 ton fifth wheel with
an F350 or GM equiv with single rear tires?

Remember "towing" has 2 primary forces - going forward and backward, and then sideways with wind, turns etc.

If your looking at new I'm sure any SRW with the proper tow capacity will WORK when used within guidelines of speed and safety (i.e. don't do 100 around sharp curves).

I've only had (thankfully) one major incident with loss of a wheel (snapped off the axle!) on a U-Haul. It was a car dolly with a Civic. The wheel ended up plowing a 8" deep furrow in the side of the road before I got to a stop. Never once felt a pull on the wheel, just heard a scraping sound. It convinced me that a dually not only looks good to me.

In my case I felt I needed the dually for the payload capacity, on my 2002 F350 a SRW would carry 1,900lbs, a DRW 3,100 lbs.

So for example when I dropped this 1300lb planar in the back


I had capacity left to load the cab and put my trailer on the back. When I go to put logs in the back 1,000lbs means another 10' log.

And yes they are a pain in parking lots that are painted for Honda fits.

/edit - you didn't mention fuel choice - diesel sounds better.

 

[tcartwri]

With such a large sail behind you, I would go dually. There will be considerable side loading on a unit that big. Now if you ever drive this truck in the winter without a load, the duals will become a big negative unless you order a 4x4.

 

[daugen]

Bird and others, what was it like to drive the thing as a regular truck? an only truck...
Does 4x4 hurt the ride? I know it adds weight, but normally one would run with it off.
I will not be trailering in the snow, period...this would be for a snowbirding home and unlikely to move around a lot, except once or twice a year.
so I would drive the p/u home and use it for the rest of the year.

How bumpy are these duallys when unloaded?
Something this big will spend a lot of time sitting in the driveway but I do like to take trips hauling stuff to the mountains, etc.

I have a new Itasca Class A gas motorhome that I am about to go around the US in. Now I'm thinking ahead to next winter. This winter has convinced me
that snowbirding is a great idea. And for under a hundred grand, this is about ten times cheaper than any shore house around here. I'd park it in a nice
rv park along the Gulf Coast. Next winter. Going to do it. My current 27N is perfect for one or two people to travel with, but it doesn't have a dishwasher or washer dryer and I would want those for something I'm living in consistently for months at a time. The cost of going to a new diesel pusher that has the frame to carry the floorplan I want is way more than I can afford. But a nice truck plus a nice fifth wheel seems like a good affordable solution.

 

[Bigkrank]

If the mirrors go thru, the duals do too.