Donzi38ZXXX

Thanks all!!!

Looks like it's a "no brainer" - Got to get DRW truck.

Ted

Chris Sunkin

While I would never dissuade someone from a dually, the 5th wheel adds more net towing capacity. Plus, aluminum trailers aren't my favorite for big boats. They're lighter, which eases the towing load, and they're springier, which tows the boat more softly. But, that springiness makes the whole package a bit less stable.

baywatch

My 38' Steel trailer is 3,040lbs. I use a Dodge 3500 SRW to pull mine. I don't know about 20mpg, I have the 4.1 gears and the best I have seen is 18mpg. My next truck will more than likely be DRW. With the Dodge's they are virtually the same exact price.

CCstinger260

Chris,

How does the 5th wheel add more net towing capacity? They're heavier than a receiver-pull trailer from the start. The GCVW would be further used up by the added weight of the trailer. I know the 5th wheel adds a lot on the manueverability side and the feel-good side of towing, because I tow three ways, bumper, 5th wheel, and gooseneck, but I think you're mistaken about the added towing capacity if you're assuming a comparison on the same truck with a class V hitch. The GCVW just isn't there to support the towing weight recommended by the mfr. I know most of us tow outside of mfr recommendations on occasion, but for insurance purposes in case of a mishap like the minivan cutting you off, you're reducing the net weight of the boat you can carry by using the 5ver, assuming you're working within the GCVW.

BTW, for my money on a boat trailer for a heavier boat, I'd go gooseneck over a 5ver any day unless it was one of the air-riders. The gooseneck doesn't give you the slop and shock load transfer (although very minimum) that a 5th wheel does, therefore giving a much smoother ride. Either are a better choice for ride quality and manuevering than bumper (receiver) hitches even with the WD hitch. Just my .02

Chris Sunkin

From a physical perspective, it's how the load distributes into the entire chassis of the vehicle

From an anecdotal perspective, if hitches were better, millions of tractor/trailers would be built that way

From a purely practical perspective, that's how the truck manufacturer rates them.

Look at any of the tow charts- they rate hitch loads separate from 5th wheel. 5th wheel is always rated higher on equivalent vehicles. You do make a point about the trailers being heavier. But, it doesn't offset the amount of capacity you gain.

wannabe

The Tooth fairy left me a Quarter once, I'll ask her!!!!!

Wannabe

CCstinger260

Chris, I know and agree the mfrs tow ratings change by method towed. I was merely stating that regardless of which towing method he ultimately chooses, the GCVW will be the limiting factor for him with the weight of his rig and the choice of vehicle he's stated unless he goes to a dually. I don't think the tow rating differential will come into play basically. Although you may gain as little as 500 or as much as 3000 lbs of towing capability, I think it would be a moot point. Heck, given roughly the same trailer build, the hitch and the extra framework would eat up at least about 500lbs of the extra capacity unless he used a light-weight gooseneck setup and discarded the frame hitch to save a little weight back. Maybe there's a SRW pick-up truck out there that as a standard cab might make the GCVW he's looking for (excluding a custom class 6 rig) that will pass muster, but I don't know of one. Maybe I misunderstood the point you were trying to make with the whole 5th wheel bit.

BTW-I vote for dually or heavier if your rig weighs in at 10k or better. The investment/maintenance is higher, but so is the resale value and the safety factor. MPG difference in some cases is nearly negligible. As a daily driver, neither are more difficult to drive than a SWR truck, unless you count having to walk a little further for a good parking spot.

cuda

I once owned a brand new diesel dually. Never again will I own a DRW, but then again, I don't tow 15,000 pounds, but if I needed a dually to pull a boat with, I flat out wouldn't buy the boat. I use my '05 F 350 as a daily driver and work vehicle. You have to park a dually in a big parking lot like a 747 coming in on a glide scope. Make a few circling passes, map out your route, then get a straight shot at it, not to mention getting stuck in a bank drive through, having to get out, get everyone behind me to back up, so I could get out.

Btw, I get 20 on the highway.

hammer01

One of my friends in town just bought the f350 DRW and it is amazing how it maneuvers compared to old school DRW. Not that they are not more limited with drive-thru's, etc. but they truly turn better than my old SRW crew cab.

HTRDLNCN

96 F250 PSD, standard cab with utility bed.
Empty I get 19-20mpg on hwy if I keep it under 70mph.
17-18 at 70-75 , goes downhill fast after that.
big filter+downpipe otherwise bone stock,269,000miles.