Advantages of a dually
 

What is the advantage of having a dually over a srw truck. I have a 29 Fountain (9,500 - 10,000lbs best real world guest with gas, trailer, etc) and a 3500 srw diesel would be more then enough to tow it realistically, but what are the real world advantages of the DRW?

For that boat, no advantage.

For something bigger the DRW will just keep the road sway down and puts more rubber on the ground in the event of a braking/handling issue.

Had a 31 Formula and a 3/4 ton truck......did OK but not great. Bought a 38 Formula. Towing down the highway anytime anything passed by the truck would sway all over the place. I'd get to the ramp and already be sweating from the drive. Bought a dually.....75 on cruise control and don't worry about tractor trailers passing me or me passing them now. Pulling power basically the same, sway GREATLY improved, "OH CHIT" stopping ability also greatly improved.

As stated, having the training wheels is all about stability.

I'll hook up to just about anything, towed our 5th wheel at about 12,500 12 feet tall, absolutely no issues.

The boat is probably weighing in around 14K on the trailer totally full, pulls like a dream.

If I had to use it as a daily driver it would get old in a hurry though, parking in regular lots can be a pain, mainly because I like to stay clear of all the idiots.

day and nights with big loads as stated, you sure don't need this big of a truck, unless...

thinking bigger soon?:evilb:

I just bought this boat in March and am not as much of a pimp as some people on here, so I think I will stay with my boat for a little while longer.

SRW will be fine. Congrats on the new boat!

My 2006 Dodge dually quad cab is my daily driver and it drives and turns really well. The only issues I have are the 6speed manual which is a pain in town, and the long wheelbase which can hit curbs on turns if I'm not careful. I make right turns into the left lane whenever possible.

For parking lots around malls I park way away from everyone and take two spaces, hell four if I can. I don't mine the walk, good for me. For the small lots I just try to make the best of it with one spot if I absolutely HAVE to.

I drove a long bed crew cab dually for years as a daily driver and you honestly get used to it quick, there isn't a spot you can't get into as long as you back in. Just get your mirrors set up right and get used to using them instead of craning your neck around and it is easy money.

Besides more rubber on the ground you usually get a bigger rear end, brakes, springs. I'll never own a srw truck again. I've had duallies since 2000. They really don't cost much more. Buy a big truck now, you won't have to upgrade later.

The ONLY downside to the dually that I can see is that to do any maintenance on the parking brake you have to pull the entire hub assembly in the rear.

Luckily when my parking brake quit working my buddy owns a brake shop and tore the whole thing down and replaced it and charged me only one hour of labor - book called for 2.5 on each side I believe.

Other than that - you get so used to driving it (drive thru's, parking lots) that you don't even notice it.

Noth'n but DRW
 

We were just having this discussion on the Scarab forum.
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...02#post2676402

As a 21 year veteran as an over the road driver you could say I have some experience pulling long trailers and heavy weight. I've had duallies since 1989 and I would never go back to Single rear wheels. A 3/4 ton with the right power will pull it providing the tranny can handle it in the long run if it's not set up with a towing package. That's where the similarities end. A 3/4 ton is still only rated for 7500 lbs verses a 1 ton at 10,000 lbs. Weight will take it's toll in the long run. Then there's the difference between channel and tubular frames and extra leafs to handle the weight and stabilize the ride. If you have to use load levelers on your hitch, you're just compensating for what the truck lacks in the first place. A 1 ton has heavier axles to handle the torque and larger brakes and bearings to disperse the heat generated from the torque and braking involved with heavier loads. Dual wheels distribute the weight on a wider stance, which eliminates most if not all side to side sway you get with some SRW set ups and keeps the tires run'n cooler.
Then there's the license factor. Some wanna be hard azz DOT cop recognizes an F250 or 2500 for what it is, pulling a boat of considerable size and bingo. He gets ya for not having the truck licensed for the weight :( ...sorry...that was the old truck driver in me coming out.

Yep.

Yep. I believe in buying more truck than you need for what you tow. Last year I worked for a company that used only one-car trailers. With my dually I never had a sway problem and never had to use trailer sway bars.

It will help keep the OSO towing Nazi's from crawling up your azz. :party-smiley-004:

They will cost more in the beginnig, but being a specialty truck they hold their value a lot longer in the end. I've never lost my azz on a DRW like a SRW.

Funny!:ernaehrung004:

REMBER it is always better TO HAVE AND not NEED, then to NEED and NOt have !!! i have a F 350 Dually i thinks its the best, pulling our Top Gun !!

Stability will be better with the dually. Fuel mileage will be slightly better with the srw being lighter. Make sure you can see your trailer tires with the dually mirrors.

I have a 2006 quad cab Dodge dually. I love towing with it.

I second that:ernaehrung004:

One of the other issues I have been thinking about is how much of a ***** it will be to use as a daily driver, which I was planning on with a SRW.

Naah...don't let the wide fenders intimidate ya. The first few days you'll think you're gonna hit everything in site, but you'll get over it. The only place you can't go is the car wash. I prefer to wash by hand so it never bothered me.

used to drive a dually utility body for work, with alot of weight, and no sway. For play i wanted a bad azz lookin new dually 4x4 but instead went srw f350 4x4. srw 4x4 wheels better, and makes it easiker towing a 17k lb 5th wheel through the sand. I bagged my truck and the sway is not a issue while towing. Jaime

Srw Vs Drw
 

FOR WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW SRW WILL BE PERFECT HOWEVER IF YOU EVER GO BIGGER IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE DRW FOR SAFETY:ernaehrung004:

Only regret I have with my dually, double rear wheels = double tolls!.

Tolls
 

Thought Jersey was axle based

I used to tow with a '92 GMC 1 ton crew cab dually. The things I didn't like was that it took a city block to turn around with (the new ones have a much tighter turning radius) and it was hard to see past the big ol' elephant ear rear fenders when backing up.

My dually will fit in the car wash my wife goes to. It will also go through my bank drive thru. The only thing I have to really watch is making a right turn into a right-hand lane. Other than that it handles like a SRW. And if I had the right brakes on it, 20,000lbs would not be too much for it to handle.