Dually or SRW

[LChambeau]

I am looking to purchase a new truck which I will use for pulling a 12,000 lb

pintle hitch trailer. What are the pros and cons for each. I notice only a slightly smaller max towing capacity on SRW but what about braking and stability?

 

[Grizzly]

First of all, what is a pintle hitch? You may not need a DRW, however the dually will give you a considerable amount more stability and payload capacity. Braking should be the same.



Welcome to TDR. You should include your signature.

 

[LChambeau]

First of all, what is a pintle hitch? You may not need a DRW, however the dually will give you a considerable amount more stability and payload capacity. Braking should be the same.



Welcome to TDR. You should include your signature.

A pintle is a bumper hitch with a clamshell type ring that attaches to horizonal ring on the trailer. Most heavy equipment trailers use these types.

 

[DonTX]

Go for the dually. Even though the printed gross vehicle capacity is not much more than a single, the actual stability is worth every penny. I did not know what I was missing until I got my first dually!

 

[Hoefler]

Dual wheels for sure. No more than it cost to have them, the safety and stability especially in the curves.

 

[HBarlow]

If you are unsure, spend some time reviewing old posts in this forum and notice the surprisingly large number of members who buy megacabs, SWB, or SRW trucks then a year later want to buy and pull a huge trailer with their truck and find that their truck is not really well suited for the load they want to pull.



My advice: buy the most truck you can afford and you won't end up regretting your purchase.



The pros of a dually are numerous. The cons are very minor like concerns about fitting in a parking spot right in front of Wal-Mart.



Duallys offer many advantages in weight carrying capacity and safety margin when loaded heavy. If you are going to pull a pintle hook trailer it is probably part of a commercial activity which means the truck and trailer are probably subject to DOT regulation. If so, pulling a heavy trailer with a SRW truck will probably overload the rear axle. For private use owners can often get away with this. If you are DOT regulated it will earn you an "out of service order. "



You might be surprised to learn that duallys corner better on fast curves on mountain roads because of their greater rear wheel traction.

 

[Bobcatpat]

I have been driving my '02 dually for the last 6 years. Thought about going back to srw. Took srw truck out for test drive. No thanks! Even just driving the truck with no load or trailer there seems like such a difference in the feel of stability with the drw truck. I would never go back to srw for towing heavy.



Ordered '08 3500drw quad laramie 4x4 patriot blue couple weeks ago, should have it in couple weeks.

 

[BILLUA]

Dually!

I had SRW trucks before my 2005 Dually...



I love the stability of the dually!





Cheers,



Bill

 

[JGoss]

I have hauled our 1066 Case IH tractor a few times about 100 miles round trip with my truck. I figured I weighed around 26k-28k. The last time I hauled it, I used my dads 01' Dodge Dually which is completly stock, and I was very impressed. I also think they ride better stock, maybe the wheel base on the long beds. Just my thoughts.

 

[DonTX]

Many people consider the duallys as harsh riding oversize white elephants. Mine has the MorRyde rear suspension so it rides better than SRW trucks my friends have.

Since mine will do 23mpg, I also use it as a family car whenever the idea hits me, and on a trip of a few hundred miles, I prefer the dually truck to my Buick luxury barge. Never had a problem at any Wal Mart parking lot I ever went to either.

 

[Sled Dog]

I am looking to purchase a new truck which I will use for pulling a 12,000 lb

pintle hitch trailer. What are the pros and cons for each. I notice only a slightly smaller max towing capacity on SRW but what about braking and stability?

Buy what you like. If you need training wheels, get them. You won't need them. Nobody did until Chevy came out with them in the 70's. I'll go 27-28k combined on SRW, no problem. Its whats your comfortable with.

 

[DonTX]

Come on now, Chevy my butt! My old Diamond T pickup had duals long before the 70's.

Buy what you like. If you need training wheels, get them. You won't need them. Nobody did until Chevy came out with them in the 70's. I'll go 27-28k combined on SRW, no problem. Its whats your comfortable with.

 

[TAbbott]

If what you are looking for is a single purpose, towing rig then I think a dually is probably the right choice. If you are looking for a dual purpose rig where you use it as your daily driver and maybe go offroading a bit or use it in adverse conditions, like heavy snow --- then a modified SRW would better suit your needs. With 19. 5" tires and wheels, you can carry almost as much as a set of duals and they are exceptionally stable laterally. As far as the rear axle being overloaded, AAM, the people who make it, rates their 11. 5" axle as used in the Dodge 3/4 and 1 ton trucks at 10,800 lbs whether it has dually wheel ends or single. A dually is cheaper than putting these MDT tires and wheels on a SRW. Although, if you are putting them on a new truck, you can keep the oem stuff and swap back when you trade and just keep doing that from truck to truck so maybe it could be cost justified that way... . You could also just use the 19. 5's on the rear axle -- if you run the 225's they are the same diameter as the stock 265/70R17's.

 

[DonTX]

You sure have got a lot of great advice here, now it is time to find out for yourself. You don't say where you are located, but you are welcome to hook your pintle hitch trailer to my dually and try it for yourself if you are close by, I am sure someone with a SRW will offer you the same. I must warn you, if you like it, mine is NOT for sale. .

 

[JHardwick]

Buy what you like. If you need training wheels, get them. You won't need them. Nobody did until Chevy came out with them in the 70's. I'll go 27-28k combined on SRW, no problem. Its whats your comfortable with.

70's? Why compare todays technology to the 70'? That's a poor argument, lol

 

[DonTX]

Wow, this is like Hondas and Harleys or Peterbilts and Kenworths!

 

[MHildebrand]

You might be surprised to learn that duallys corner better on fast curves on mountain roads because of their greater rear wheel traction.

Here, here Mr. Barlow. That was one of the best learning experiences in getting used to my new dually.



I agree with everyone on the virtues of the extra two wheels, and this was after yrs of driving a SRW one ton, I was damned if I was going to go DRW. But once I did, my o my. It's the little things that become so much easier, as mentioned in the above posts. One other thing I found interesting, I have a 16' x 8' bumper pull trailer that used was rough as a cobb behind my SRW. Yet one day I was pulling it while loaded with 3 huge white oak logs when I had a tire blow out and I barely felt the trailer move. I'd blown tires with that same trailer while pulling with the SRW and it'd about jar the fillings outta your teeth.



Good luck on your decision and let us know what you decide.

 

[nunya]

Dually all the way for heavy towing, I found how stable they are and just like a 6 wheel race car thru the curves, took me 3 trucks to get it right!