Community Forums

crich · 02-07-2021, 12:58 PM

I am in the process of buying a new 2021 F350 to pull a North Point 310 RLTS with a GVWR of 15000lbs and pin weight of 2,560lbs. I know the dually would more than handle the trailer and the SRW would close to borderline. My question is, has anyone ever bought a dually wishing they had stayed with the SRW? I'm concerned about after arriving at our destination, using the dually for sight seeing. How much rougher does it ride than the SRW and will I still be able to get around in the national parks. Any thoughts will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance
Crich

nicky8668 · 02-07-2021, 01:10 PM

If you live around urban area and have another vehicle as a daily driver, why not?
If you live rural and middle of nowhere, dually won’t be a bad idea as a daily driver.
You just don’t want to daily drive a dually to work around urban or suburb.

Freqz · 02-07-2021, 01:17 PM

I love my dually. So much that I just bought a second one. I only rarely encounter a place I won’t fit or can’t go. Parking really isn’t a problem with practice.

The only real downside is when I’m off pavement it’s *rough*...just spent far too many dollars on a full Kelderman install on my F450. A modest stock and spring kit with some airbags on a SRW would have been *much* cheaper. Not too bad on pavement but on gravel/mud/caliche lease roads? Kidney failure.

Nwcid · 02-07-2021, 01:18 PM

I have never had second thoughts and I have had one for over a decade now.

Yes, in major urban area a dually may be more of a challenge, but it is also about the length of the vehicle. A 350, dually or not will have the same length and turning radius.

The only downside to a dually is traction in the winter time, I see CO in your sig line. Until I got my first dually I had not owned tire chains in decades. With the dually, even 4x4, I will not be without a set of 3 rail chains. They only get used 1, maybe 2 times a year and typically at my house or out in the woods, but I they are always in the truck.

I got caught in a storm last year and the last 3 miles to my house got real bad while pulling the toy hauler. 4x4 was not going to make it. I chained up and in 2 wheel I made it the rest of the way to my house with no problems.

petrel · 02-07-2021, 01:19 PM

I went from an F350 SRW to an F450 DRW with no regrets. It is my daily driver. The ride is very stiff, but I have grown accustomed to it.

We joke that Dad's new truck has "hips" and each family member has learned to watch the truck's hips when in close quarters like bank drive throughs or parallel parking.

I know the 450 isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the added front wheel cut really enhances maneuverability.

tuffr2 · 02-07-2021, 01:29 PM

I had a 2012 Ford Dually that I bought new. I would tow a 15,500 pound 5th wheel from Columbus Ohio to Crystal River Florida when I was a snow bird. That is about 975 miles. The dually truck made the trip a non-event. One time the dually truck saved me I think. I took a sneaky sharp exit ramp kinda fast, maybe a SRW truck would have been pushed off the ramp, but the dually 4 tires on the back acted like it was on rails and made that sketchy ramp exit a non-event.

Since 2012 all the dually trucks have been improved with new stiffer frames and more powerful engines. I would expect a new dually truck would give you a slightly better experience than I had. Engines now provide about 20% more power.

I used my dually truck when I got to Crystal River to carry kayaks and grocery shop just like a lot of other people.

If I wanted to tow a 15,000lb 5th wheel I would buy another dually truck.

drdarrin · 02-07-2021, 02:17 PM

The only time I regret buying a dually is when it’s time to buy tires. The rest of the time, I’m perfectly happy with it. I’m glad I bought enough truck to handle anything I’ve a mind to hook to it.

laj · 02-07-2021, 03:15 PM

way more than seconds. Had a srw, thought i wanted/needed a dually so i bought one. Hate it. Luckily didn’t get rid of my srw. Now i got 3srw, and 2 duallys. Still hate em. Lots of reasons why, list is still growing. If you are questioning getting one, and you can get by with a srw, you got your answer. Doesn’t matter what anyone else would do. Its your p/u, you’ll be the one driving it.

Dave Pelletier · 02-07-2021, 04:14 PM

A SRW just doesn't compare to a dually when loaded heavy. I've been using a dually as a daily driver for 18 years now and wouldn't buy anything else for a heavy truck camper or large 5th wheel; the difference is massive. ....and I also have two 2500's and two 3500srw trucks.

Fushux · 02-07-2021, 04:18 PM

I've owned both. Like the SRW better. I live in Southern Cali and parking can sometimes be a pita. I always tend to try and park far and walk (god knows I could the exercise) but in So Cal, everything may be jam packed. But for towing heavy, the dually provides that extra piece of mind that if I lose a rear tire, I still have another one to hopefully get me to the side of the road.

4thgenceli · 02-07-2021, 05:32 PM

Upgraded to a 1ton DRW - never looked back. Love the towing/payload capacity and not having to second guess myself and load stuff to the chance car.

Pain to take out on date night? Yeah, but just park off to the back.

chaps2018 · 02-07-2021, 06:31 PM

My sense is if your rig requires DRW to support the pin weight there is no real question. That said..

I am on my 2nd DRW. 4x4 is a dream in the snow...even with an empty bed.

Along with the other posters, we park further out and walk to avoid problems, avoid tight lanes with curbs on both sides (think bank drive-thru lanes)

Over the 11 yrs traveling around the country the most difficult time I have had with the DRW was having to parallel park while sight- seeing in downtown Hotsprings, AR There just wasn’t enough width to make me comfortable hiding the big hips. It wasn’t an issue in the end.

In general I have found folks are more patient with bigger vehicles when parking/turning which helps.

Bottom line: DRW+8’ bed for towing—no turning back.

tuffr2 · 02-07-2021, 06:34 PM

One advantage of a dually is no door digs. At least not on the dually I had. The running boards and wide hips keep car doors away.

TXiceman · 02-07-2021, 06:37 PM

All 3 of the F350s I have owned, have been DRW. No regrets at all. My wife drives the truck solo as well with the trailer in tow. A DRW will be more comfortable to tow with.

Next, with a 15,000# 5er, fully loaded, the pin weight will typically be closer to 3000# or 20% of the trailer GVWR. WE are close to 22% on ours.

Ken