cgarrett

I really like my 04 Chevy 2500HD 4x4 SRW with the 8.1 gas/ Allison Trans.
Its even fun to drive when not towing.
Gas here in Ohio is around $1.80 gal. and Diesel is $2.30
If I wanted gas milage I would by a Honda.

Cordell

stretchnout

I just got a older dually, 1991 chevy 3500 454 4 series rear, I pull my 42 and my buddies 45 tripple Sonic and I can run 65 with the air on and cruise on no sweat. No good for city but the stability on the road with the boat great. NO tire spin on the ramps with the dually even in bad conditions, I have also pulled in the rain and the truck never misehaved.

thunderusone

04 GMC dually Duramax Edge Juice and exhaust. 4X4 pulls awesome towing a 38 weighing 15K with trailer and fuel. Cruise control on hills at 80 with no downshifting. I drive everday downtown through rushhour. Driving a dually since 94 and would not have it any other way.

stecz20

i will never be without one again, gotta big pimp it........ what a lot of guys dont know or dont really care about is with a single wheel if you are carrying anything over a 30 ft boat most times you are over weight or close, with a 35 fter or over you are definitely over. try and get a check from your insurance co after you wreck, or some nice old lady blows a light. first thing they check is your gvr..... bigger brakes, bigger tranny, go with the dually diesel, you'll never look back....
Mr. Wonderful

KCHOTBOAT

I bought a 99 power stroke 4 door F-350 new and went from a short bed 1/2 ton short bed F150 and never looked back. I take it through the bank and all fast food places. My wife who if a hair over 5 ft has no problem driving it. I have a 16 year old that learned to drive with it and she thinks she is the **** now.
The draw back is buying 6 tires and changing the oil. I have a 2 wheel drive and we drove it to Vail over the fourth and got around 20 miles per gallon.
I would never buy a gas powered truck again.

The Menace

Trailer and boat gross is 17,000 lbs. With a 2003 Ford 350 crew cab dually it hauls and ramps like there is nothing there.

I always get a kick out of seeing the guys(and wives) at he ramp trying to load up their 21 footers etc. Some of the best entertainment you can possibly get on a Sunday afternoon. Everybody stops and watches us pull up, splash, or pull out like it is a canoe. We have even had cars follow us to the ramp.

We always get a comment(s).

1. That ain't going to work

2. I bet you don't do that everyday.

3. (trailer only ready to pull it out before they see the boat) Ya got the Queen Mary out here?


4. Ya got a 350 in there?

Shopping right now for a 04 or 05.

bouyhunter

I had a 2000 GMC 3500 4x4 Dually Ex-Cab- absolutely loved the truck!!! I went the 454 route instead of the deisel, I was doing a lot of in town work , and it was easier to find a gas station instead of mapping out where the places that also handled deisel.
Parking is a b*tch, and drive through's - forget 'em.
But it's a great ride. and when your on the highway people get out of your way, I don't get that out of the current Chev 1500 I'm driving.
Tires? depends where you are driving it. I had mine in Ohio and moved to Pittsburgh, after a few months in Pittsburgh I put new tires on it, when I called for a quote, I told them I had 45,000 on the truck and was starting to see "cords", the guy told me at 45,000 I should be seeing AIR!! But, the truck spent most of it's life in Ohio (no hills and winding roads) Pittsburg tore the tires up.
Towing with it was a dream, didn't even know anything was back there.
They do get touchy in the snow - it will ride up over the snow pretty fast unless you're loaded down, I was always loaded up with construction equipment so I had plenty of weight and never really had a problem.
I miss my Dually....

WildWarrior

Besides the fact that a dually is more stable when towing heavy loads, the extra wheel & tire will also save our boats or what ever were pulling in the event of a blow out or flat tire at speed!

blownincome

Like said above Duallys are met to tow!! bad issues..... cost of 2 more tires w/replaceing , tolls on toll roads, bank drive-thrus(you can do it pay attn..)
Up side ...you will never say I wish I had a....... Off ramps (a lot smoother in the turns ) Ride Hight w/ hooked up does not sqat..and very stable on a windy day 1 last fall back garrage space gets a little cramped if it fits in at all... Have both and choose the dually to pull and drive most of the time..

Formula Outlaw

It comes down to what YOU are towing and the weight.

I tow a Formula 311 SR1, which is not a light boat for a 31 ft. boat. Boat, full of fuel, gear, and trailer is probably approaching 11K lbs.

I tow with an 01' Dodge 2500 quad cab, long bed, V-10, 4x4 which is rated for 12,600 lb. towing capacity. The truck doesn't know the boat is back there. Single rear wheel.

As brought up in another post, BE SURE what you are towing does not exceed your tow vehicles rated towing capacity. Otherwise, if you are in an accident, kiss your insurance good bye AND THEY WILL CHECK.

And, like someone else already said, be SURE it's four wheel drive.