Anyone regret buying a dually?

[DHayden]

never regretted it for an instant

 

[HBarlow]

I know of lots of guys who regret buying a SRW and then getting the bug for a fiver or a bigger one but I've never heard of anyone who regretted buying a dually first.



I'll confess, I had driven a Ford F250 for years when I started looking at a new one in 2001. I visited a local dealer and asked to test drive a new '01 HO 6 speed 2500. The salesman said he didn't have a 2500 and asked if I'd drive a dually with that drivetrain. I drove one and realized how light the Dodge platform handled and how comfortable it was and was hooked. I'm no my 3rd one now. I'm convinced. I love the duallys.

 

[McCRam]

one thing everyone complains about here is that they suck driving in deep snow. Anyone have any experience in that area? My next truck will be a 3500, just not sure if I want the dually. Driving in snow a foot or two deep is a regular occurance for me, (in the winter) and is a major factor in my decision.

 

[DonTX]

You may have hit the only valid negative of a dually. I have seen some bad effects of the snow on a dually when empty for sure. Other than doing what I did (move to an area with no snow) one option would be to take off a dual during winter in the snowbelt.

one thing everyone complains about here is that they suck driving in deep snow. Anyone have any experience in that area? My next truck will be a 3500, just not sure if I want the dually. Driving in snow a foot or two deep is a regular occurance for me, (in the winter) and is a major factor in my decision.

 

[HBarlow]

I don't live in snow country like many of you do so I readily admit that I have less experience than many of you.



However, as I have often mentioned I recently spent almost three years and 400,000 miles as an RV transporter with a dually including winters. I found that a 2wd dually with regular highway tread tires had fantastic ability to get through snow . . . as long as it was loaded. I had to travel through Amarillo, TX after a significant snow storm a year and a few months ago. Apparently the city of Amarillo doesn't own plows. I pulled a 35' travel trailer through 8" snow in unplowed parking lots with no problem but again, I did have a good load on the drive axle between a 75 gallon fuel tank, fifth wheel hitch, fifth wheel notched top tool box full of tools, jacks, tow chains, etc. and the hitch weight of the trailer on the ball.



I haven't tried it but suspect a 2wd dually would be nearly useless in snow with no load on the drive axle.

 

[JZellers]

I only regret dually's when it comes to replacing tires I don't tow as heavy as some (a 12K boat with 900lbs of tounge weight) but I sure like the the stability. Like so many others have found, driving on even light (2+ inches) snow cover while empty can turn into a white-knuckle experience, even in 4wd. I add sand (6-8 70lb bags) and mine handles really well after that.

 

[Dobeman]

I live in kansas and I have to say that my 07. 5 drives great on the snow and ice and I drive over 100 miles a night 6 days a week. I even had kept my 04 nissan Titan because I expected this thing to be all in the ditches but it is just as good if not better. May be the 6 speed auto and electronic 4x4?

 

[SHobbs]

I have a 40 ft 5er that weighs around 13k and I am glad to have a dually to tow it.

Every year I go to South Fork CO for skiing, so far the last three years I have had no issues on snow. We hit near white out conditions 3 three years ago going through Dalhart and made it with zero problems. One thing I have noticed whether its rain or snow if your tires are not up to par then a dually gets tricky. Keep a good set of rubber on it and its great, I will always have one.



I do agree on the new tire thing, last time I bought new ones it cost me just under $900 at Discount.

 

[WalterRyan]

I did not want a dually either. I was buying a used truck and had to have a long bed and a manual transmission. One dealer had a 2001 but it was a dually so I decided to test drive it since I was already there. It was not so bad so when I found all one 3500's where long beds and a lot more where ordered wit the stick than in the 2500's I decided to give up some offroad capability for the dually. I am not sorry, it is stable as a rock.

Like others have said they are large for malls etc.

This is the wost thing. I can usually fit most spaces but I take the entire space so if someone else takes too much room I have to find another space. I don't mind so much at the mall but it really ticks me off when I go someplace like Home Depot or Lowes and I do not fit in the spaces. Most of the vehicles in the lot are trucks so the spaces should be bigger.



Buying tires is painful. I put Michelin XPS tractions on a couple years ago to the tune of $1300. They do good in the winter.



I do not get large amounts of snow but it does snow and we get Ice here. I have to climb about 1500 feet on a 17% grade with a lot of sharp turns to get to town and I have never not been able to make it. The only thing that is bad is if you get too close to the piled snow on the side of the road you will get bounced around a lot. I bought a set of dual-triple tire chains that I carry all winter and they have never been on the truck and I have been here 3 winters.



Walt

 

[DHayden]

I lived in Washington and had land in Montana when I bought mine. Snow is not bad with 4WD, put some weight in the bed and its fine. I did get stuck in the parking lot at a ski resort because I had no weight in the bed and did not have the truck in 4WD, someone parked in front of me and I could not back up the incline I was parked on (lesson learned). With a trailer it's fantastic.

 

[RWorth]

Those of you that have gone from the SRW to the DRW, can you give your opinions on the difference in ride quality loaded and empty.

Thanks.

Roger

 

[Jack in Alaska]

I am on my 2nd dually and it is absolutely the best tow vehicle going. It rides fine when empty also. Putting new Bilstein shocks on last month made a great improvement.

The only complaint I have is that it does not fit through a automatic car wash and I can deal with that.

 

[FJfonda]

On my 2nd dually and only have the following regrets:

- PITA to get on a small ferry - considered a "truck" and not passenger vehicle

- Poor snow performance - even in 4wd it feels like the tail is constantly wagging - as a plow truck it is marginal without a sander rig for weight

- Road and bridge tolls - here in NYS there are significant differences in srw vs drw. Example, srw is $1 to cross a bridge, drw is $2. 50

- Tire cost



Beyond that, I wouldn't tow with anything else.

 

[JRMora]

Went from SRW to DRW and wouldn't go back. Both my previous trucks ('97 2500, 00' F350 SRW) did an adequate job of pulling TT's, but we knew we wanted a fiver so when it came time to buy a new truck, we went with a dually.



Now, I have 100k miles on it and aside from buying tires (on my third set), I have been fine. It has been a daily driver up to now (I finally parked it and got a Honda to drive to/from work), but it still gets driven on weekends and whenever we camp.



I'd buy another if I were in the same boat (or fiver!) today.



Juan

 

[gathomas]

I would'nt trade my 04. 5 Dually for nothing. Its takes curves like a sportscar when I'm crusing the PA turnpike. Buying tires. . not so enjoyable. I just sold 33' fiver which I would not tow without a Dually... . looking to upgrade to Mega-Cab Dually next!!

 

[Curious Dave]

I was lloking to buy a new truck and thought about a 1/2 T. Then I decided I would probably need a truck and not a toy. I looked at the 3/4 ton and decided a long bed was the way to go. Looking at a dually looked more like an old pro street setup and looked better. I also decdided that the load capabilities would be better and the truck aspect would be there for me if I ever needed it. I then decided on a Cummins because a gasser would need to be replaced at least once before the diesel neede touched. I optioned for the 6 stick after joining this board in 2000. I have @ 180,000 on this truck and she has been fantastic. No worries, and I am looking forward to at least another 8 years with her.

 

[DonTX]

No squat or sway at all with my dually and big fiver. There are ways to help your single rear wheel truck, but duallys rule!

Towed our new 5 er over the 4th and it's heavier than our last. I'm used to the bucking but not the squat and sway. Will the extra tires make that much difference?

 

[Skydiver]

The only problem I have eveer had with my dually is I can't reach the cooler in the bed because of the fenders.

Having a dually while towing heavy, is like walking on ice compared to walking on concrete. If duallies were worthless they would not build them. Try having a blow out on a rear tire at 65mph towing 12k lbs on a srw.

 

[Fireman]

Like others have said they are large for malls etc.



This is the wost thing. I can usually fit most spaces but I take the entire space so if someone else takes too much room I have to find another space. I don't mind so much at the mall but it really ticks me off when I go someplace like Home Depot or Lowes and I do not fit in the spaces. Most of the vehicles in the lot are trucks so the spaces should be bigger.



Start shopping at Tractor Supply, they know their customers ! Parking spaces are extre long, and extra wide.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Start shopping at Tractor Supply, they know their customers ! Parking spaces are extre long, and extra wide.

Yep, our local Tractor Supply has lanes marked for trucks with trailers too. They do know who their customers are.



BTW, I'm on my fourth dually since 1992. The only way to tow and/or haul.



Bill