Dually or no dually???

We are getting very close to making a Landmark Charleston fifthwheel purchase. Is it absolutely necessary to get a dually truck? We would be buying a 2017-18 Chevy Silverado 3500 Duramax.

Hello DanandKathy and welcome to this great forum.
Well, the Charleston has a GVWR of 18,000 pounds and that makes it quite heavy.
Could a SRW handle it? Probably, but you will not regret owning a DRW which would be a much wiser choice.
I've been on both sides of that fence and the dually is a must for me.

PeaceDave

At the bottom of this thread is a list of "similar threads" that contain previous discussions and may be helpful.

I strongly recommend that you read up on safe towing information, rather than asking for public opinion.

Www.fifthwheelst.com

There is also a great app to help you learn what any truck can safely tow. Well worth the price. Www.rvtowcheck.com

I don't get any compensation for this, just hope that you'll educate yourself and be safe towing.


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TravelTiger said:

I strongly recommend that you read up on safe towing information, rather than asking for public opinion.

Www.fifthwheelst.com

There is also a great app to help you learn what any truck can safely tow. Well worth the price. Www.rvtowcheck.com

I don't get any compensation for this, just hope that you'll educate yourself and be safe towing.


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I really appreciate your input and we have been reading as much information on towing as we can find. You receive conflicting advice from various sites, though, and I just wanted to see what most people choose. Sounds like a dually is the way to go!

The Web site given will not give you bad information. In-fact it is the go-to for correct info. Gathering info on what most people do or use sometimes can lead to bad purchases. I see a very high number of 3/4 ton trucks pulling triple axle RVs. I will just leave it at that.

Hips are hip.. I have had a DRW as my daily driver since 97.. wether I needed it or not.. to me it was a piece of mind to have 4 tires instead of 2..

Short Story.. We were honestly lucky for a few years.. bought a plant nursery in 1994.. came with a 85 Chevy 350 SRW 3/4 ton pulling a home built Gooseneck tandam axel around 28' one time we came across the scales around 28,000lbs.. couldn't stop in time for red light went right through it, had to put it in 4low to pull up a slight incline from a stop sign, came up a small hill elevation 700' at 6mph. Went down the other side faster than we wanted to.

Moral of the Story
Got back to the nursery and I told my husband.. new truck DRW and a new trailer.. LOL.. never looked back... And I'm and old farmers daughter.. I'm use to this crap.. but safety is number 1 these days.. bought a 95 f350 DRW then a 03 F550.

Had a 2003 F550 pulling our 2017 4018 Cyclone and neither of us were happy old technology and ordered a..
17 DRW F-450.. received it on Monday Nov. 6th.. look forward to Mid December when we get to head to warmer & drier weather then the Oregon Coast


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DanandKathy said:

I really appreciate your input and we have been reading as much information on towing as we can find. You receive conflicting advice from various sites, though, and I just wanted to see what most people choose. Sounds like a dually is the way to go!

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There is exact math to determine what weight trailer is within the specs of the truck. You need to learn this. No one is responsible for your towing safety but yourself.

Do not trust public opinion, rv salesmen or truck salesmen.

www.rvtowcheck.com can walk you through the math easily and help you make sure you are towing safely.

This website and app were developed by a fellow Heartland Owner.




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Depends on how much you trailer I think. A new model SRW will handle the coach and if you spend most of your time not pulling I would go that route. If your pulling most of the time the dually would be my choice.
As far as once your in a dually you won’t go back.. I did, I just sold my 2012 f350 king ranch dually two months ago. Way too much room needed to maneuver compared to the single I have now.
But if I were to go back to a dually I would do the 450/550 or 4500/5500 as they are just as maneuverable as a single wheel short bed with that wide track axle. My extra long bed F550 would do a u turn on a three lane road easy. Other than the POS powerstroke (6.0) it was a great truck.

DanandKathy said:

We are getting very close to making a Landmark Charleston fifthwheel purchase. Is it absolutely necessary to get a dually truck? We would be buying a 2017-18 Chevy Silverado 3500 Duramax.

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I've been towing my 2012 Landmark Rushmore fifth wheel with the 05 Silverado lly duramax Allison crew cab long bed. I added a leaf spring and Installed Roadmaster load handling Springs . I've done fine.
The newer Landmarks are heavier so a 3500 dually will have ultimate breaking and load capacity.

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DanandKathy said:

We are getting very close to making a Landmark Charleston fifthwheel purchase. Is it absolutely necessary to get a dually truck? We would be buying a 2017-18 Chevy Silverado 3500 Duramax.

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I have been pulling trailers for over 25 years as a rancher if it's a goose neck or what y'all call fifhwheel you have to have a DRW its just safer all around that's just my 2 cents.

you have to have a DRW its just safer all around that's just my 2 cents

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It is safer especially if you have a trailer full of cattle where weight shifts a lot. However, depending upon the weight of the trailer and it's use a DRW is not always necessary. Some people do not have a location to store a big truck, or the desire to drive the thing everyday and try to find parking places, get it through drive-throughs etc. Using the information on the Web site provided in this thread will determine whether you do or do not.

If you get don't get a dully and get hit by heavy side winds, you will wish you did. That extra stability is what a dully gives you.

I agree totally with other posts to do good due diligence in selecting your tow vehicle vs your RV. Nevertheless, here's my experience.

Just purchased a 2017 Cyclone 3611 JS, Toy Hauler. 17,000# gross load, 5th wheel, dual axle.

I shopped all truck brands (I'm a Ford fan and had a Super Duty F250 some time ago) driving all of them. Since I am using my tow vehicle as one of my daily drivers, I didn't want a dual wheel truck. I'd select a smaller 5th wheel.........but, with all the discussions from the dealer's truck specialists (whatever that means) the towing weight specs provided by the mfg's are for stopping the vehicle. The engine and drive trains are basically the same for a 3/4 ton to a 1 ton. The 1 tons have upgraded rear ends and breaking making the very suitable for all trailers, but they ride like steel wheeled skates...to me. And are more difficult to park in typical parking lots.

After speaking to the truck specialists (my Cyclone trailer) could be safely pulled by a 3/4 ton truck but a problem exists in the rear suspension. The trailer overloads the rated numbers for the 5th wheel. However, they said if I upgraded the rear suspension to carry the extra load, no problem. Chevy and Ford were ridiculously expensive to do this and had to send out of dealer to accomplish. However, the 2016 Dodge Ram Longhorn Edition (i purchased) has an air bag suspension...which i think comes on the Longhorn Edition stock.

Well, this is tow vehicle i purchased along with the CY 3611 JS trailer. It pulls fantastic with no issues relative to side wind, hills, braking, fully loaded or not. I've pulled to Orlando Florida and back, to S. Padre Island twice, with my last trip to Central City Colorado then to Moab Utah (through the mountains) to the Grand Canyon, to Las Vegas, to San Diego CA, and all the way home (with golf car in the garage). I had no issues whatsoever. The air bags level out the load as if you didn't have the trailer hooked up.

Dodge tow vehicle (which is my first Dodge and now the finest truck I've ever had, including 3-F150 Platinum, a Lincoln Navigator EL, and my current other vehicle an Expedition EL Platinum.

However, the Dodge 3/4 ton suits my trailer well............it may not suit yours, which may require a dual wheel truck.

Good luck and thanks for allowing my rant.

mlpeloquin said:

If you get don't get a dully and get hit by heavy side winds, you will wish you did. That extra stability is what a dully gives you.

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I second this. Had this happen to us a number of years ago. We were lucky we did not go over. We bought a dually a month later and have never had that issue since.

Thanks everyone for the AWESOME input!! We were really leaning dually, but have seen so many singles towing big rigs. I'd rather be safe than sorry, though, I think! Won't fit in our garage, but a small price to pay.

DanandKathy said:

Thanks everyone for the AWESOME input!! We were really leaning dually, but have seen so many singles towing big rigs. I'd rather be safe than sorry, though, I think! Won't fit in our garage, but a small price to pay.

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Do you mean it won't fit length wise? Width wise if the mirrors will go thru the door the hips will go and if the mirrors of a dually won't go thru the garage door the same truck with single rear wheels mirrors won't either. (I guess you can always fold the mirrors in)

Mine is too long for the garage, but I regularly drive it through the ATM line at the credit union without a problem.


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Sniper said:

Do you mean it won't fit length wise? Width wise if the mirrors will go threw the door the hips will go and if the mirrors of a dually won't go threw the garage door the same truck with single rear wheels mirrors won't either. (I guess you can always fold the mirrors in)

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Power fold mirrors are the most awesome thing ever 👍 the ford even has power telescopic which makes me jealous. I know Chevy power folds but not sure about telescopic.
Ram just power folds but flips for the towing and the mirrors always have to be adjusted.

I know Chevy power folds but not sure about telescopic

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I checked and you can't have both, or couldn't when I checked on it. My 04 had folding and it was great getting in and out of the garage but the 14 does not so I am just more careful and angle once in.