two wheels or four

[lizzyhermit]

on the back end, of course. We (the wife and I) are toying with upgrading from a 30' TT to a comparable 5'er. I have included a new truck (2003 HO 6 spd) in the dealings and would appreciate the "experts" opinions on dually vs. single.

 

[DRR-24V]

Good and Bad

Good and bad in both directions. I tow only a 29' fifth wheel and have a 2500. It gets in some pretty tight places and I am happy with it. With a bigger rig I would pick the 3500. If I were to blow a rear tire on the truck I would wish I had the Dually though.

 

[RustyJC]

One of the key factors to keep in mind when moving from a TT to a 5ver is that much more of the 5ver's weight is going to be carried by the truck as pin weight. (A TT should carry at least 10% of its weight on the hitch, but 5vers often carry 20% of their weight on the pin. )



Therefore, a 2500 will often run out of GVWR long before it approaches its GCVWR when towing a 5ver. As an example, our 36' 5ver (see signature) has a GVWR of 13,500 lbs, and rigged up for the road with full fuel tanks, passengers, cargo, 5th wheel hitch, installed options on 5ver, etc. we're running the following actual truck weights:



GVW - 10,380 lbs versus 10,500 lb GVWR



GCVW - 21,180 lbs versus 21,500 lb GCVWR



Even our previous 30' single slide 5ver that had a 11,500 lb GVWR carried about 2300 lbs. on the pin. Subtracting this from a 2500's 8800 lb GVWR, the loaded truck with hitch, passengers, fuel, cargo, etc. couldn't weigh over 6500 lbs without exceeding its GVWR - I don't know of many CTD-equipped 2500's that are that light!



Rusty

 

[FParisi]

There are a lot of factors involved with that kind of decision.

My truck is a daily driver so I wanted the 2500. It tows my trailer fine - truck 6620 + pin 2340= 8960. Trailer total wt =12,180.

A 32' 5er with 2 slides is way more than a 30' TT so you need to figure out what 5er you're going with.

I do agree more margin is better!

Frank

 

[Jack in Alaska]

I towed the same 5th whl with a 3/4 ton 4x4 CTD (about 60k miles) and with a 1 ton 4x4 CTD ( about 60k miles).

There is no doubt in my mind that the 1 ton is FAR superior to the 3/4ton in handling and just the general feel of towing a 13k + rig.

With the 3/4 ton I always felt like I was just seconds away from a total disaster but with the 1 ton it was total control and no uneasy feeling.

Just my opinion. Hope it helps you.

The only negative for a 1 ton is it will not fit in an automatic car wash.

 

[lizzyhermit]

Thanks for the comments so far, but with the 3500 being a single rear wheel offering in 2003 my thoughts were on the benefits of duals or singles in the rear.

 

[BigMike]

If I had it to do over again and knew I was going to go big on a 5er, I'd have gotten a 3500. I started out with a 26' travel trailer, then got hooked on RVing and the rest is history. I've done a lot of things to my truck, but bottom line is I'm over my GVWR and pushing my GCVWR. Lots of opinions on that can of worms. My 2500 does ok, but I'd be better off weight wise with a 3500. 20x20 hindsight. Now I have so much into my 2500 I can't afford to trade up. Get the 3500 if you're towing a 5er!!!

 

[jbone]

Like some of the others guys--first truck was 2500--only time I felt uncomfortable was coming down hill on interstate with sweeping turn at bottom..... but having said that my 3500 just feels much more solid..... don't think I would get 3500 single tire--your giving up the extra carrying ability for a little bit narrower rear-end... ... . drive my dually to and from work every day--just like everything else I ever owned--feels real comfortable. My 2 cents... ... ... . R, J. B.

 

[jlccc]

Originally posted by lizzyhermit

on the back end, of course. We (the wife and I) are toying with upgrading from a 30' TT to a comparable 5'er. I have included a new truck (2003 HO 6 spd) in the dealings and would appreciate the "experts" opinions on dually vs. single.

When I was a kid, my father had a 1974 Ford F-350 with the single rear wheel. The truck wore 9. 50X16. 5 tires on the front and 12. 00X16. 5 tires on the rear. The rear tires in a low-profile hiway design looked almost like an aircraft tire--they could carry some serious weight (we carried a huge custom-designed camper). At the time, the GM one-ton offerings had duallies, instead of the single rear wheel.



Anyway, while the truck was easily capable of handling the weight, the high center of gravity (c. g. ) (when the camper was on the truck) often let the truck tilt sideways when turning corners, etc. This was kind of fun when you were one of the kids riding in the over-cab bunk, but not so fun if you were the driver.



If you plan on carrying loads with a high c. g. in the bed then I'd go with the dually option. If you are pulling a travel trailer or fifth wheel, then I'd go with the single rear wheel option on your 2003 3500. Tires are easier to rotate, flats are easier to change, tires are a bit cheaper.

 

[mberry]

IMHO

If it were me, I would go with the single rear wheel 3500. Duallies are great for stability with a slide in camper, but impractical if you use the truck without the camper. Also, If I could afford to do it over again, I would get the 6 speed transmission.



We have had both SRW and DRW in our family. The single rear wheel is much more versatile.

 

[dan_gilson]

I do not have a lot of towing experience to impart but here is another way of looking at things. When I moved from my '96 2500 to my '98 3500 I did so primary for 1 reason. I put both the 2500 and the 3500 into a spread sheet. A 2500 with heavy duty everything is only $180 less than a 3500 that has all the stuff standard. $180 would not even cover a wheel and tire.



Some other thoughts: The 2500 is a lot easier to drive. Both trucks were/are my daily driver. The 3500 you have to always consider the extra width you have back there. It is a pain to park. Traction wise a 3500 is a LOT better. I try to start off as easy as possible. On wet streets the 2500 would still occasionally break traction. This wore a set of rear tires out faster than I wanted one winter. The 3500 has bigger rear brakes. You get a little less milage with a 3500 because of the extra friction (traction) and greater rotational mass of the extra wheels and tires.



If you get a 3500 make sure that you get the wider mirror to see around the buldges. There is another advantage to ordering the wider mirrors. If you clip one you need to stop fast so that you do not rip a bulge (rear fender) off. I do a bit of mountain driving and things can get pretty narrow.

 

[shoveljunk]

My 2001 H. O. 2500 has the camper group. The 5er feels very stable (even in high winds) and off road travel is still possible. I'm sure that a dually would feel better, but we love off roading.

 

[dan_gilson]

I still go off roading with the dually. It is harder because of the extra width but the length of the extended cab also makes it more difficult. If is not a jeep or a crawler. So, I pick places that are appropiate for it. I took it up a pretty good dirt road up to the tree line outside of Tahoe a couple of years ago. My daughter fell asleep in the back see so no bouncing. It was awesome looking at mountains that were lower than you and the valleys were really pretty too.