Community Forums

JIMNLIN · 02-23-2013, 07:41 PM

I have both and no my 3500 DRW sure won't go many places around town or some camp areas. Its simply too wide. I drive one of my other trucks or the car when I go to the city.

However you either need a DRW for load carrying capacity or you don't.

rugersdad · 02-24-2013, 06:28 PM

The mirrors are about as wide as the rear fenders on my 2011 DRW GM. It is more of a challenge to find a parking spot where some joker won't door your truck than it is driving around town. The dually was a must have for me after I got a larger fiver so getting used to it was a must do. It's all good now.

wingman8 · 03-24-2013, 04:05 PM

I have towed toyhaulers and a couple heavy 38' 5th wheels with Ford powerstroke and Dodge Cummins both 3/4 ton. I now pull a 38' Jayco Eagle that is also very heavy as we spend about 4 months a year traveling in it. Nothing seems to bother us like high winds or trucks passing now. I will never go back to the SRW to pull a trailer that is over 12,000 lbs. Using a Chevy Duramax DRW now. Be safe, Don

RustyJC · 03-25-2013, 03:51 AM

We've been towing 5th wheels with DRW trucks since 1996. You get used to them. My wife will take the truck anywhere she wants to go after we've unhitched and set up. If you need the dually to handle the pin weight of a heavy 5th wheel, then either get it or get a smaller 5th wheel.

Rusty

Scottybdivin · 03-26-2013, 09:42 PM

I've been driving big pickups (long bed diesels) for over 30 years. My 1st diesel was a '82 F250 w 6.9L. I never ever wanted a DRW and didn't need one. My thoughts were "the only reason to own a DRW is because you have to". Well, I had to. Now I drive a DRW for every day driving for business. The limitations are as mentioned previously, drive-throughs, car washes, tight parking lots. Other than those, I don't find many other limitations. I drive off road almost every day and I don't see any significant difference. In a straight line, any place the mirrors will clear, the fenders will clear. Going around corners requires a little extra attention, but so does hauling a 43' 5th wheel.

r___r · 03-28-2013, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogerl

My question is for those of you with a dually how does it compare to SRW when wanting to to take a side trip or shopping trip when parking may be more limited. Does it present difficulties? Are there places you can't go because of the dually? Thanks.

I have a F350 Crewcab Longbed SRW. It's not a dually, but it still fills up the parking space and some of the spot directly in front of it. If I don't use some of the parking space in front of the spot I park in, the truck will impede the driving aisle. For this reason, I choose to find distant parking spaces from stores, etc., so not to crowd other cars in the parking lot. I just drop my wife off at the front of the store, park the truck, then, I take the hike to the store(no big deal).

The reason I have become accustomed to this practice is because I drive a commercial 10 yard dump truck with a trailer that has a backhoe tractor on it(can't quite park in the front

).

Besides, for a 13 year old truck, it's still free from door dings and scratches.

Rich

Soling2003 · 07-04-2013, 03:55 AM

I started out with a 2010 F250 4 door long bed. Towed the 40' fiver fore 6 months, the realized I needed more pin weight capacity, GCVW and rear axle too. Had to park a bit from cars in most lots, ages drive thrus were impossible, and almost all downtown parking garages. But it towed the trailer just fine. Plenty of power and felt fine going from Seattle to LA, Vegas, Reno and eastern wash.
But then actually weighed it ready to camp. Now we have a dually. Same set up. The only difference driving around town is a few corners, need to watch the rear tires in the mirror. Two more tires are expensive but wont change my lifestyle. Other than that all the Same restrictions are there without any new ones. They are big trucks!
My wife will drive it if she has to. And she prefers we take the truck instead of her Volvo if we drive any distance at all running around. She likes the ride, the space and the seats.
But it is a small truck compared to the trucks I drove at work for 25 years. 40' straight frame fire truck weighing in at 68,000lbs!

booger · 07-04-2013, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rugersdad

The mirrors are about as wide as the rear fenders on my 2011 DRW GM. It is more of a challenge to find a parking spot where some joker won't door your truck than it is driving around town. The dually was a must have for me after I got a larger fiver so getting used to it was a must do. It's all good now.

^X2. Other drivers and the way they park causes me the biggest headache.

Roam America · 07-04-2013, 08:40 AM

i also agree that parking space size is the biggest challenge with a dually; especially trying to get into one of those handicap spaces. i've found that backing into the space (or pull thru to a open spot) so that you can pull stright out makes life easier in parking lots.

and like RustyJC says, my wife also drives our truck anywhere she needs/wants to.

LTZ470 · 07-05-2013, 02:42 PM

I park our Sportchassis even in parking spaces at Starbucks, the rear does hang over into the fire lane slightly but it works...

Only thing I didn't like about the SRW was the load rating of the rear tires, mine was very close to limit with the FW attached, the DRW was immediately more stable for sure and I felt better with the 4 tires on the rear rated for carrying the load..

oldbeek · 07-05-2013, 11:08 PM

In our town if you park in 2 spaces they will give you a ticket. For those that park in the back of the lot, wait till you have a handicap. Those blue lines will get you a ticket if your fat dually has a tire on it. Modern super singles are as stable as duals. I also own a DRW 3500 with 300,000 on it. Speaking from experience with both.

Rob_Fla · 07-06-2013, 12:31 AM

Going from a SRW to a DRW last year has been great when towing, rides much better, more stable on those windy days when traveling with the 5er.

I drive it though drive thru's like Walgreens to pick up prescription's and such all the time with no problems.

Agree the Rear Fenders are no wider than the Camper Mirrors same as the SRW.

sc3283 · 07-06-2013, 12:49 AM

DRW for me...I will only have a SRW when I do not pull any sort of trailer and not until.

The benefits by far outweigh the negatives...I dont drive mine for everyday wheels but would have no objections what so ever.

caissiel · 07-06-2013, 08:01 PM

From past experience I do prefer SRWs due to the larger tires that helps in front braking and rear cushion to take the bumps. As long as the tires can take the pin load. I never tow with less then 75psi front and back.
I have heard of so many scary things like only 35 psi in the rear tires of a F450 because the owner found it drove way to rough with more. Most DRWs have front tire issues and rotating tires gets complicated. I prefer a loaded rear tire for comfort.
I went from 265/70/17 to 275/70/18 last winter and with 75 psi unloaded pressure realy improved the ride loaded or unloaded. I always aired the unloaded previous tires to 75psi and when loaded they were at 80psi. 18s cost $20 more per tires compared to 50% more for 6 on duals. And due to 6 years life on my set of 17s the wear is not a concern. The larger tires gives an additional 800 lbs capacity per axles. I always make sure the truck hits the pothole rather then the trailer with only 235 tires. And I have hit some pretty bad ones in the past with no truck tire issues.

As far as super duals I experience direct improvements in tire performance in bad terain that blew the one tire from the dual and thus ruined the remaining tire on our trailers. Some duals lasted one week.