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F350 Dually or single?

Started by OlJarhead, August 03, 2016, 01:10:57 PM

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OlJarhead

Quote from: Magicman on August 04, 2016, 04:51:40 PM
That sawmill weighs close to 4,000 pounds, so do not expect to get a significant increase in fuel mileage.

With a diesel vs a gasser?  My neighbor towed my tractor on a 30 foot trailer with his F250 7.3 and got about 12mpg towing that (about 8000lbs)....I was thinking the sawmill would be light enough the big diesels would pull it at 12+ mpg.  Am I wrong?

Of course, with a camper and the mill I wouldn't expect much but at least I'd be able to pull the mill and haul the camper ;) 

My F150 with big Toyo's gets about 15.5-16.5mpg depending on how I drive and where but not towing.  It's 10 then no matter what.

On a side note, I was getting 17.5-19mpg with the F150 on stock tires....was surprised by the loss of 2mpg just due to tires but don't expect much anyway,.
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

chevytaHOE5674

For towing a 4klbs sawmill and a camper I'm not really seeing where there is a need for a dually truck. I routinely tow (over 1k miles in the last 8 days) 16-18k lbs on a gooseneck trailer with a SRW truck and have had no issues. I don't have any trouble with sway or braking (trailer has good brakes on all axles), heck even got the wife hauling 16k lbs loads of hay this past week. Over these last 1k miles of towing I've averaged 11.5mpg.   

My experience with DRW's is they are worse than a SRW in mud and snow because the rear tires are always trying to make new tracks as they don't fit and follow in the tracks from the front tires.

rasman57

If you are considering a hard sided slide in truck camper of any real size you will want the DRW as they are hefty when set up with water and gear.  Some of the pop up types and lite models would be fine with SRW.   

I have a 1 ton 3500 GMC SRW regular cab long bed and still is not enough to haul a decent sized slide in truck camper loaded without extra help.   

Those DRW are the way to go if the truck camper is your objective simply from a carrying the weight perspective.   It's not about the power and handling so much as the safety of the capacity.


BUGGUTZ

Ive got one of each. The single rear is nice because it handles drive thru's with ease (bank especially) it rides nicer than the dually because of the lessened unsprung weight. 4 tires are way cheaper to replace than 6.

HOWEVER, I never think twice about ANY load going on the dually. Even with a trailer in tow it hauls whatever I need it to! Fuel mileage sucks, it rides like poo but thats not why I bought it.

Good luck!
Everyone has to be somewhere.

ScottAR

Either will likely do what you want depending on the weight of the camper.

The dually will feel more stable loaded  / The single is nicer to drive in town. 
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

thecfarm

I am not doing the buying,BUT,hard to see what 2-3 years down the road what you will be using it for. Buy the dully and maybe in 2 years you will say,man,I'm glad I did that. Never know what you will be hauling 2 years from now.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

barbender

Yes, the main dually drawbacks, how they get around is a non-issue to me. I honestly don't see any difference, and my truck is in the woods in mud and snow every day. The real drawbacks- 1.Just wait until it is time to buy 6 E load range tires $$ 2. The previously mentioned drive thru tellers, as well as the Golden Arches etc. 3. Add to that drive thru car washes 4. Parking ramps. Myself I like the challenge of putting the big truck in the places where people don't think it will fit. Except for the car wash, don't try that one ;D
Too many irons in the fire

OlJarhead

Hmmm....guess the question is "what is the weight of the truck camper you are thinking of buying" or something like that.

After all, something in the 2000lbs range ought to be fine on a SRW right?  vs a 4000lbs camper
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

rasman57


After all, something in the 2000lbs range ought to be fine on a SRW right?  vs a 4000lbs camper
[/quote]

Yes.  The SRW will have no problems with the lighter slide in type.  But you know how you decided to UPGRADE your mill........   sometimes it seems to happen with our other gear too.  🚍

barbender

BTW, I had a 3/4 I was happy with, but I was at an auction where no one was bidding on this Dodge dually. I didn't even want a dually but it was too cheap too pass up. Now I've got the old girl about wore out, and I'm looking for another dually  ;)
Too many irons in the fire

ScottAR

2,000 lbs. just levels off my f350 srw.  Rides good that way too.   ;D

Do check the door sticker for weight ratings.  My truck is rated to weigh 9,900lbs.  Empty with part of a tank of fuel it's about 6,400.  Reg cab 4x2 so mine's light as far as F350s go.   Many (all I have ever seen) F250s have the "9900 payload package"   which is just the f350 spring packs and sway bars etc. 
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

DDW_OR

my two cents......
slide in camper - keep it small and light, all it is going to be used for is sleeping and cooking, bathroom is a bonus

Truck - Dually = wide back end, better stability, harder to find parking spaces.
Single = two less tires to buy

gas vs diesel. is your mill gas?
Diesel, stick with the non-DEF engines = older trucks
the 5.9 and the 7.3 are both good engines.

I would recommend a Dodge 3500, with flatbed.
a Dually could handle a 8x8 flatbed

I have a 2007 dodge Dually crewcab with a standard 8 foot box. been thinking of changing the box to a flatbed with hydraulic lift to make the flatbed into a dump bed.
I had a 2001 F250 ex cab that had the dump flatbed, man i miss it.
"let the machines do the work"

WIwoodworker

I have a 2500HD 4WD Diesel single. Great mileage even when pulling a loaded 18' trailer of logs/lumber. I've never owned a dually so I can't comment on any difference in that respect but I can say I'd never own a gasser again and I'd never be without 4WD.
Peterson 9" WPF

Kbeitz

I put many many miles pulling this trailer of 8500lbs load of antique pumps
to engine shows with a slide in camper on 1500 Chevy trucks with no problems.



 

Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Chop Shop

Quote from: Kbeitz on August 05, 2016, 02:26:47 AM
I put many many miles pulling this trailer of 8500lbs load of antique pumps
to engine shows with a slide in camper on 1500 Chevy trucks with no problems.


I would not be comfortable doing that.

I also would be comfortable paying the DOT after being stopped with that combo here in WA.


I vote dually.   Slide in campers HATE pickup trucks.  Ever swerve a single wheel with a camper on back?  SRW trucks with campers scare me.   I avoid them on the highway. 

Put a bigger diff cover on and fill it with royal purple too.  Tow that camper a hundred miles and roll under there and feel the pinion snout and it will scare you.

Im a 12V cummins guy.   And I love my flatbed.   Todays tires suck.  6 of them is better odds than 4.

red

This is something I feel very strong about . First is One Ton pickups are a must . No 3/4 heavy duty sorry that's not a one ton . Because of bigger steering,brakes,frames and just GVW numbers . It's safety things for you and anyone else on the road . But the extra dually tires give you the bigger footprint on the road . Most tires do not have much more contact with the road than the size of a dollar Bill. Think of motorcycles and how much contact their tires have with the road . Under hard braking you need as much contact with the road under perfect conditions .  Braking distances are very important and need to be respected. Sure you can tailgate someone in your family car and most likely you will stop in time . But not with a load on going down hill in the rain . But the dually also give stability let's say if your load shifts and your top heavy to begin with . Think of a liquid load moving around or if you have a tire going down on air. I want that extra tire to hold the weight. There are just to many people taking big risks and don't realize it . I see small suv pulling campers and boats that are way to big .  If you are hauling and you have commercial type license plates you need to be as safe as possible . Now I also think you should have a standard transmission but that's my Opinion . have a great day . , RED
Honor the Fallen Thank the Living

scully

Good points there Red . But get this .... I ordered my new Ram 3500 and insisted on a standard trans . My dealer and friend strongly advised the automatic . Long story short I went reluctantly with the automatic . Heres what I learned after the fact . Ram 3500 standard 6.7 Cummins 350 H.P. , w/dodge auto trans. 375H.P. withe the available AISIN trans. 385 H.P.  I do have the selectashift so I can shift gears like a standard if I want ,but what I found out is with the Cummins driver the standards cant take the torque . Not to say they won't last but I would rather have  the hoarse power . I have owned 4 standard shift trucks 2 Ford 150's and 2 3/4 ton Dodge's always loved them but I aint lookin back now .
I bleed orange  .

scully

Oh and I do agree that a 1 ton is the only way to fly !
I bleed orange  .

routestep

Every so often my brother would carry an extra heavy load. He decided to put on an extra leaf spring on his truck. That might help you with your camper weight, but not with braking, etc.

Magicman

I have air bags on my F250 which does  not increase the load capacity, but they do level it up nicely.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

chevytaHOE5674

Quote from: red on August 05, 2016, 06:51:22 AM
Because of bigger steering,brakes,frames and just GVW numbers .

Depending on the manufacture the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks usually share all the same front brakes, suspension, steering, axles etc also the frames are usually the same size and thickness. The only real difference is the rear leaf springs.

For instance go to rock auto and lookup a 2016 F-250 and an F-350 and compare parts. All of the front brakes, steering and suspension are the same. The rear rotors and calipers are different part numbers (different offset with the DRW axle) but the rotors are the same diameter and thickness. In fact ford lists the specs for brakes the same on all F250/350/450....

Basically the dually is difference springs and an extra set of tires.

Board Cutter

As another Washingtonian I'll put in my .02 cents.  I hauled a 10' camper for about 3 years on a SRW 1 ton and corners, or not being on the level (moving into a mill site) will be very exciting at times.  I switched to a DRW when I bought a new truck and could believe how stable it felt.  No more white knuckles or cheeks sucking up the seat.  If you are just towing I would say either, but if you are going to have a camper, bite the bullet and get DRW.
I would also go a diesel with all the hauling you will be doing.
This is going to be hard for me to type as I have always been a Ford man, 35+ years, but I have buddies with Chevy Duramax and if I was buying today, I would really have to think hard whether I would stay with Ford.

Good luck in your search, I've really enjoyed reading your posts with you being a local, well at least in Washington but on the dry side :D
TimberKing 2000, John Deere 970, Hitachi Excavator,

tnaz

Quote from: Magicman on August 05, 2016, 08:58:12 PM
I have air bags on my F250 which does  not increase the load capacity, but they do level it up nicely.
X2 love the air bags. 8)

OlJarhead

I've been doing a lot of reading lately and it seems that those who do a lot of off-road driving with campers (including some truck camping magazine sites) recommend the SRW over the DRW and a lighter/smaller camper.

I'm wondering if this isn't the best option:  F350 extended cab, long box, 4x4 SRW with 7 to 7.5' wide camper no longer than 8 1/2 feet long and weighing in around 2500-2700lbs wet.  This would put the camper fully loaded around 3500lbs, keep it narrow for those narrow roads (trails) I most often find myself and light enough for an SRW.  Probably want air bags and maybe better shocks with a very good set of wheels and tires under it.

My driveway to the cabin is as narrow as 9 feet and 3 miles long of pretty rough road and I find myself constantly towing the mill into places like this.  I'll drive 1o0 miles down the interstate then turn off onto some 2 lane road for a while and then off onto a dirt track or narrow road to get to the mill site.  I also use the truck to drive up that 3 mile driveway in the winter all the time (once or twice a week or more) with chains on. 
2016 LT40HD26 and Mahindra 5010 W/FEL WM Hundred Thousand BF Club Member

WV Sawmiller

   One word of caution with the duallys - they do pick up rocks and such between the tires. If you choose this option be sure to have good heavy duty mud flaps behind to deflect the rocks that get wedged then thrown out at highway speeds.

   In Afghanistan we got real careful about following too closely behind vehicles with duallys. You never knew what was going to fly out. Compounding the problem was the military use of the big ankle buster rocks for dust abatement rather than the smaller gravel sizes.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

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