Thinking about a DRW vs SRW

[Dieselnerd]

I'm planning on ordering a 2014 as soon as they are taking orders. I currently have a 3500 SRW that has enough capacity to tow my fifth wheel without overloading anything. I always weigh everything carefully when I tow or carry my small slide in camper. While I am within my limits, it's close.



I see that the new SRW has a larger load capacity so I don't see a problem with my trailer or camper if I get another SRW 3500.



The new trucks are longer than my current one so I will have to keep it outside because my garage is about 5 inches too short. That being the case, I'm thinking DRW since it won't crowd out my wife's SUV which a DRW would do if it was short enough to fit in the garage.



I do have a couple of concerns, mileage and driving in snow. I always get 4x4's. Does a DRW get much lower mileage than a SRW or is it more related to driving style? Do they do OK in the snow with 4WD?



I've often thought about a DRW just for the extra capacity and not having to carefully consider placement of stuff in my fifth wheel to keep the hitch weight within limits. This is my opportunity. I think I know what I want but I'm looking for opinions from members who have owned both.



Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[BILLUA]

Once you tow with a dually, you will not go back to a SRW. Plus, I just like the fact of having 4 tires back there for redundancy. I cannot speak to driving one in snow

 

[EGroeneveld]

I love my dually. It does just fine in the snow and ice. I went to Goodyear Duratracs which are a great snow/ice tire. A lot of people will say a dually sucks offroad and in the snow and ice but a lot of people are comparing a lifted SRW with mud tires or snow tires to a dually with stock street tires. The right tires make all the differce. With my heavy truck camper and towing I'll never go to a SRW. Now I am not rock crawling my dually but it does just fine on the mucky rocky forest service roads and mountain passes where I take my quads and RZR to play. The dually is the toy hauler the toys are the real offroad machines.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Once you tow with a dually, you will not go back to a SRW. Plus, I just like the fact of having 4 tires back there for redundancy. I cannot speak to driving one in snow

Yep, I agree. You will not believe the difference in how much better it handles hauling your Lance camper. I've been towing and hauling with duallies since 1992 and have never regretted it.



Bill

 

[Grizzly]

With the size 5th wheel you have, you would be far better off with a DRW. The stability is so much better with a dually that you will never go back to a single wheel.

I don't believe there's any, or very little difference in mileage. There is some difference in driving in ice and snow, even with 4 wheel drive.

george

 

[HBarlow]

Try it and you'll like it. I've never owned a 4 x 4 and don't want one. I pulled trailers out of IN as a transporter several years back with a dually without rear wheel drive only. I pulled countless snow and ice covered mountain passes during three winters out west without chains, even when the chain up lights were flashing, and never had any problem. Driving skill and paying attention matters more than four wheel drive unless you're offroading on the backroads without a load on the rear.

Fuel mileage drop will be minimal if anything. The added stability, increased carrying capacity, and safety, make it a no-brainer with a heavy slide-in camper or a heavy fifthwheel like you carry or tow.

 

[NIsaacs]

I don't know about the '14 but the '13 appears to only have one rear axle ratio for the SRW, while the dually has three options. With a 3. 42 geared SRW and the two overdrives in the auto, 6th gear will be worthless towing heavy.



Nick

 

[CRath]

I agree with the other post on here... I love my DRW and can't imagine ever going back to a SRW truck. I have owned 4 different slide in campers over the years starting with a 1500lb pop-up to the last one a 12' Caribou w/slide that scaled at 5000lbs (what a beast that was). Although I could easily tow my 5th wheel (13,000lbs) with a SRW, one just can't beat the stability of a DRW. As far as snow is concerned the dually not as good in deep snow like you and I see in ND and MN (they tend to "plow" through the snow). I have towed through upper MI in the winter where they get deep snows and I have put about 1000lbs of sandbags in the back and it did very well. Like any truck good tires make all the difference in the world.

Both duallys I have owned have had mild all terrain tires on them so I avoid mud for obvious reasons but have taken them hunting in rough country with good success, just avoid deep brush if you like to keep your paint.



If you still use a slide in camper you will need swingout brackets for your front jacks to clear the fenders.



Mileage... I agree with HBarlow...common sense would tell me that having 2 extra tires on the ground and big rear fenders would have to cause some extra drag and therefore affect mileage a little.



Some guys I know run SRW trucks just because they can't fit a DRW in their garage or they do a lot of off-roading... we all go by what works best for each of us.



One this to remember for a would be DRW owner... when it comes time for replacing tires... 2 more tires add to the expense... Oh yeah and don't forget... no more drive thrus or drive up windows... some are just way to narrow for my comfort zone.



Overall... unless I just have no need to tow in the future I will always run a DRW from now on. I like to use the 75% rule... buy a truck that best fits your needs 75% of the time and you should be happy with whatever you purchase.



Good shopping



crath

 

[RonD]

I will chime in on this one also, had a 3500 SRW 2005, tow a 35" 5th wheel, carry a lot of stuff, it did fine, now have a 2012 DRW, I will never go back to a SWR truck as long as I am towing a trailer, they just have way better manners. Mine is a 2WD, my old one was a 4X4, I have driven the new one in light snow, maybe 3 inches, been on wet roads, mud, wet grass and never had a wheel spin, I thought I would miss the 4 WD but really have not had any reason to have it,

 

[mfurrh55]

I wouldn't be without the DRW ,especially for towing, and even though i live in Tx. , 4 wheel drive is a must, i travel up north alot, Christmas before last, i was in Colo. and had to cut across country through the back roads and snow drifts were plentiful, i would not have made it without 4X4, My . 02, Monte

 

[RustyJC]

Different strokes for different folks. I've towed with 2WD Dodge duallies since 1996 and have yet to regret it. That includes the time we lived in central Ohio and had to deal with more than our share of snow and ice - some weight in the bed works wonders, and that 1996 truck was a peg-leg (no limited slip differential)!! For towing 5th wheels, I wouldn't even consider a SRW truck, but that's because I've been spoiled by my duallies.



Rusty

 

[Dieselnerd]

I appreciate all the replies. I guess I'm not too surprised that no one so far has come out in favor of SRW. A good friend of mine always used a SRW to tow a fifth wheel and also carry a big camper. The last camper he got was so big that even with air bags it was a scary ride.



He bought a DRW mainly because his latest slide in camper was not very stable, so much sway that his wife didn't want to come along. Keep in mind, this was a guy who said he would never get a DRW. New story now, he says he will never go back to a SRW. So, his advice and everyone so far on the TDR Forum says get a DRW.



I believe my mind is made up too. I'll be shopping for a DRW as soon as they take orders for the 2014.



Thanks guys!!

 

[HBarlow]

A good decision. You won't regret it. Actually, duallies will pass through drive-in window lanes. The extended rear fenders are not as wide as the towing mirrors when extended so with care, they'll fit bank or fast food drive through lanes. They will not pass through a car wash though. That's the only real drawback to me.

On the three duallies I've owned I folded the mirrors out when I walked out of the dealer's offices with the keys in my hand and never fold them back in.

 

[EGroeneveld]

A good decision. You won't regret it. Actually, duallies will pass through drive-in window lanes. The extended rear fenders are not as wide as the towing mirrors when extended so with care, they'll fit bank or fast food drive through lanes. They will not pass through a car wash though. That's the only real drawback to me.



On the three duallies I've owned I folded the mirrors out when I walked out of the dealer's offices with the keys in my hand and never fold them back in.

Agree I can do quite a few of the drive through lanes. If the folder outward tow mirrors fit, I'm good. The one's I cannot are because they have the drive through cornering around the building corners to much, my rear tires would be over the curb smacking the corner of the building. Most of the drive throughs are just fine. Its just a couple of them that must have been designed by a Prius driver... .



I too fold my towing mirrors out in the ''tow'' setting and have left them that way forever. Did the same on my 2005.

 

[Gonzo 1066]

I went from SRW to DRW in 2001 NEVER REGRETTED FOR ONE DAY OR MILE. My wife is the one that prompted me to get rid of the SRW after she took a ride in a friends dually. I tow heavy (27. 000) or more.

 

[CRath]

You guys are much braver than I... the last thing I want is to get into a drive-thru with cars behind me and find out I might not fit or a curve is too tight. I value my mirrors, fenders, and expensive aluminum rims way too much when I can just use the parking lot.

 

[EGroeneveld]

You guys are much braver than I... the last thing I want is to get into a drive-thru with cars behind me and find out I might not fit or a curve is too tight. I value my mirrors, fenders, and expensive aluminum rims way too much when I can just use the parking lot.

When in doubt I walk in. But for local drive throughs I've tried them all with other vehicles over the years or I can clearly see that the dually will fit no problem. And SOME of the newer McDonalds and fast food places seem to be making there drive throughs pretty wide. Wide enough for Ram 4500/5500 work trucks with plenty of room... .



I've takin my Dually through the local Dutch Bros (coffee stand) for years every morning. Tight fit for me but I've done just fine. Then my wife in her Camry got blue paint on her front bumper corner. Still not sure how she did that one. Likely cell phone or yelling at the back seat... . ha ha.

 

[Bill Stockard]

... I can just use the parking lot.

Yep, I'm not afraid of walking.

One thing not mentioned previously is safety with a dually. On my '00 3500 dually when hauling a 11'6" heavy slide in camper at highway speed on the interstate, I had a sudden loss of air in the passenger side inside dual tire. An OEM rubber valve stem failed causing sudden loss of air in the tire. I heard the sound, but didn't know what it was and contiued on the highway. When I stopped for fuel about 80 miles later, I discovered the flat when doing my usual tire check. When the tire let go, I felt nothing... no sudden swerving, no sudden drop to the passenger side, absolutely nothing. It would have been a different story had I been driving a heavily loaded single rear wheel truck.

Bill

 

[Grizzly]

You guys are much braver than I... the last thing I want is to get into a drive-thru with cars behind me and find out I might not fit or a curve is too tight. I value my mirrors, fenders, and expensive aluminum rims way too much when I can just use the parking lot.

I totally agree with you and Bill Stockard. A little walk is good for you anyway.

Bill, I had the exactly the same experience while going through Gilroy, California with my 95 Dodge 3500 and my 11' 3" Lance truck camper in 1999. All of a sudden my wife and I heard a hiss coming from the back. I found a safe place to pull off the road and found that the right rear inside dually was flat. I drive to a gas station to get it fixed. Found out that the 6" or so valve extension broke off at the valve stem. The tire was okay. I just put air in it and went around to the left wheels and pulled the extension on that inside dually. I've never used extensions again.

george

 

[rrl989]

I've been trying to justify returning to a SRW after 15+ with my current DRW. A 13' Ram 3500 CC 4x4 SRW can have a 4600 lb payload.
But hauling a heavy truck camper, even if only for 10% of the miles, forces me back to reality, I see another new Ram 3500 DRW in the near future.
As for the 4X4, every truck I owned has had it, I find it invaluable in snow, ice, or even wet grass.