What type of Truck is Needed for 2019 Cyclone 4200

So I recently purchased a 2019 cyclone 4200. With that being said I am currently looking at tow rigs. I am going to explain my situation so someone could make a better guess if they were in my shoes other than spouting I need a dually, because legally I do not. I have ran the numbers multiple times and am still under my weights by a hair. GVWR 20,000 #s, Dry Pin Weight 3525#s, Dry Camper Weight 15725 #s.
-I will not be towing this rig all the time, I estimate to maybe 10 or 11 times a year MAX. For my line of work it was more cost efficient to have a trailer when I am on site at my job. I chose a massive rig so my family can visit me when I am gone. They will not be coming with me so I do not have to worry about their increased weight or cargo to my payload. I live in downtown Houston (and will be for a while) and it would be a major pain in my butt to have a dually for only pulling it upwards of 10 times a year. I was wondering if anyone thinks it is feasible to have a 2018 SRW Ford F350 6.7 Platinum FX4 SB (6.75 ft)? If I was towing it all the time I would get the dually in a heartbeat, but in my situation it may complicate things to the max. I am open to both sides because I am not 100% sold on an SRW. If i did go the SRW route I would also install Ride Rite air bags and have a transfer fuel case (that does fit w/ my hitch) in the truck. This is my daily driver and 95% I will not be towing anything; Just a few times a year. Just wanted some input before I possibly have buyer's remorse.

One other note is that I do not have the TH loaded to the max. I don't carry with water tank full or have a generator because I do not dry camp (until later in life when I get the chance!). So feedback whether it be critical or approving is much appreciated. Thanks.

Good evening

you are asking for my opinion so here it is. It’s foolish to tow that trailer with a SRW. I know a dually can be difficult to drive around sometimes, but I drive a fire tuck for a living from urban congested downtown city to rural single track roads and I say suck it up and buy the right truck for such a heavy trailer.


Sorry if this is to blunt I am not trying to offend.

eric

I have a 2017 Ford F-350 SRW diesel. For that Cyclone I would get a dually.

When picking our fifth wheel, we wanted the largest unit that we could tow with a SRW. After studying all the truck specs we went with a Bighorn 3570RS with a GVWR of 16,000.

The limiting specs were Payload and rear axle GAWR. At 16,000 lbs we fit within those specs.

Reed,

i won’t comment on your numbers because you have to be comfortable with them. But for 20 years I used 4 SRW trucks for anything from a 43 footer to my current 36 footer. We used our 5 rigs for business travel and probably towed abou 6 - 8000 per year and used the truck by itself another 25,000 running around seeing customers while parked.....while at home it was our daily driver most times.

I did damage one truck rear end because I did not pay attention to a new rigs pin weight. At that point moved from a 2500 to 3500.

By my calculations we were always close to the limit and like you never dry camped.

I always felt safe, had enough power and good drivability. I always put good tires on and changed them after 2 years of use. Of course some of the duelly crowd always blew past me at 70+ mph while I always went 5mph below the speed limit.....but that’s ok with me.

if you are comfortable with your numbers and knowing your limited travel....I’d go with the SRW.

Reed,
My only concern would be capacity of the rear tires on a SRW. We had a SRW, all the numbers were well within specs (similar to what you have done) and the rig towed beautifully, even did a 3-month trip cross country from east to west and back. Then at the National Rally in Urbanna, VA, we did the RVSEF weighing...eye opener, only had 12 lbs spare capacity on the rear tires when the camper was connected. Something to think about.

reed_lewis said:

So I recently purchased a 2019 cyclone 4200. With that being said I am currently looking at tow rigs. I am going to explain my situation so someone could make a better guess if they were in my shoes other than spouting I need a dually, because legally I do not. I have ran the numbers multiple times and am still under my weights by a hair. GVWR 20,000 #s, Dry Pin Weight 3525#s, Dry Camper Weight 15725 #s.
-I will not be towing this rig all the time, I estimate to maybe 10 or 11 times a year MAX. For my line of work it was more cost efficient to have a trailer when I am on site at my job. I chose a massive rig so my family can visit me when I am gone. They will not be coming with me so I do not have to worry about their increased weight or cargo to my payload. I live in downtown Houston (and will be for a while) and it would be a major pain in my butt to have a dually for only pulling it upwards of 10 times a year. I was wondering if anyone thinks it is feasible to have a 2018 SRW Ford F350 6.7 Platinum FX4 SB (6.75 ft)? If I was towing it all the time I would get the dually in a heartbeat, but in my situation it may complicate things to the max. I am open to both sides because I am not 100% sold on an SRW. If i did go the SRW route I would also install Ride Rite air bags and have a transfer fuel case (that does fit w/ my hitch) in the truck. This is my daily driver and 95% I will not be towing anything; Just a few times a year. Just wanted some input before I possibly have buyer's remorse.

One other note is that I do not have the TH loaded to the max. I don't carry with water tank full or have a generator because I do not dry camp (until later in life when I get the chance!). So feedback whether it be critical or approving is much appreciated. Thanks.

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Reed_lewis
I'm a recent convert!
Since 07 until last week I ran a Silverado 2500 HD Crew cab long bed srw. I added suspension and upgraded the tires.
The light came on while at the Sarasota FL rally. What you need to do is look at the MFG sticker on the the driver's door.
That is why I am now driving a dually.
Ok the srw truck will do the job but in my case I was " Legally " overweight because I as well as many others in this conversation exceeded the MFG tow/Trailer ratings.
I spoke with FL DOT and they put it to me like this..... If I were in an accident and determined to be overweight I could be charged and sued . Worst was " if someone was injured or good forbid died and I'm found to be overweight I could loose everything to include my freedom.
I just couldn't wrap myself around the risk. It's not worth it.
Buy a dually, travel safe, travel legally!


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I have ran the numbers multiple times and am still under my weights by a hair. GVWR 20,000 #s, Dry Pin Weight 3525#s, Dry Camper Weight 15725 #s.

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An SRW will pull the trailer. But you won't have any safety margin if you're right at the spec limit. Towing on a smooth, dry, low traffic, straight road that's in good condition, you'll be ok. But think about wet roads that are in poor state of repair, emergency lane changes to avoid stuff in the road, strong crosswinds, panic stops. How the truck handles with 18-20,000 lbs behind it will make a big difference. To me, having a safety margin is about the adverse conditions and emergency situations.

Another thing to consider is that with duallies, the hips don't stick out any further than the mirrors. So if you're considering width of the truck as the main reason to stick with an SRW, it may be an illusion. I pulled our DRW into a Sonic yesterday. It was a very tight fit, but it was the front of the truck and the mirrors that made it tight. It would have been the same with an SRW.

Yes, when parking you may have to park further out to get a more comfortable parking space. When I weigh that inconvenience against other considerations, I don't mind walking an extra minute.

Just to add to the confusion, I used to tow with a SWR and knew I was overweight but like many others I felt pretty comfortable doing that.
But I always had that lingering thought about the weight and stability. I had, have a 60 gal. aux tank and that when full adds about 400 pounds.
So when a DRW came along I bought it and can say I will never go back the a SRW. It is so much more stable.
I had all of the reservations that many have about driving a DRW but quickly found out that it is not a problem to drive. Even my wife drives it.
And, I don't recall anyone saying that they regretted buying a dually.

Peace
Dave

Been towing with a dually (Ram) since 2005. To me I like it better than the SRW trucks. The stability, the weight distribution, is so much better. Like others have said if it your daily driver you will get used to it. I drove my back/forth to work about 80 miles a day. Parking lots I do park further out sometimes, but then you come back and you have others next to you, so I got used to parking in spots. The dually hips do not extend beyond the width of the RV or the mirrors either so when towing the trailer will be the same width as the DRW.
The weight numbers are probably close to a SRW & DRW in towing, bed payload, etc.., but to me the stability with the dually is the bomb.

All this being said, with the big RV on a SRW you have a rear tire blow out you are in trouble, with the dually you have a better chance getting off the road, maybe safely.

Those that design and manufacture things spec things out for good reason. It is always a good idea to stay within the manufacturers specifications. If you need a DRW I would go with the F450 over the F350 because it was designed to be a DRW rather than an add-on. The new F350 SRW is the most capable truck of the big three and is limited to 18K towing a 5th wheel trailer. Yes it will pull a 20K unit but Ford only offers an 18k factory hitch. Therefore the 20K is out of Ford's spec marginally. Also if you drive a lot in the snow a DRW is not a good as the SRW in slippery conditions.

BTY the trailer suspension is more of a concern than the truck. I have pulled my trailer over 60K miles with a SRW at its limits for my trailer. The truck has no problems and is stable to where I don't realize I'm pulling a maximum load. However, the trailer suspension has failed twice.

I just want to address the "by the numbers I'm ok". Have you weighed your setup, loaded? Using dry weights for your justification is not realistic. You need to take your rig loaded to a CAT scale and weigh the whole thing, then your truck separately, to determine your actual loaded pin weight.

Then see if you're "legal". I think you'll be surprised.



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Reed...

What ^^Travel Tiger^^ says is also my suggestion. We have a CY also with roughly the same PUBLISHED dry/pin weights you mentioned...

Our pin weight across scales now is 4,950#, and that is with our 1600# Maverick in the garage pulling weight OFF of the pin. When there is no toy in back, the ride is much harsher when pulling.....meaning it has a bunch more pin weight.

Everyone's loaded lifestyle is different....you need to decipher yours as best as possible, which you are doing right now. Every person who meets you and follows you on the road thanks you for asking and making the correct tow-pig choice.

Dually. Be safe in those crosswinds...when 18 wheelers pass you in the fast lanes, their trailers create a huge vortex that sucks. You will grin at those drivers every time when driving your dually.

You and the DW will learn how to manuever a dually in the big city traffic with NOoooo problems.

Just my opinion but don't believe all of the doomsday SRW talk. You can tow with a SRW and be safe. I have had a 2018 4250 Cyclone that we just finished the 2nd season with. We tow about 5000 miles a year so we have about 10,000 miles towing experience with our cyclone towing with a 2017 F350 SRW. I have towed in crosswinds, rain, snow, steep mountain roads both up and down, speeding triple trailer semi trucks and cutthroat Utah drivers. I have never once felt unsafe while towing. Again just my opinion.

jleavitt11 It would be interesting to see what your actual weights are, front axle, rear axle, pin, and trailer. Then GCW for the entire rig vs the mfg ratings for each. The ratings from the sticker on your actual vehicle as it changes for different trim levels and tire sizes.

I know I went from a SRW which was 200 lbs over on rear axle rating and near max on the rest to a dually and there is no comparison in the way it drives and handles.

Do you know what the yellow sticker on your doorpost shows for maximum payload? Or, are you going by the mfg spec sheet? The only reliable number is that yellow sticker; the sticker payload will vary depending on that trucks factory supplied options. Anything else is guesswork and those pulling a 40+ Ft. Fifth wheel with a SRW is overloaded. And, likely, anything 38 Ft. ... Statements from those who say “I’ve pulled with my SRW for years with no issues”, Should be ignored unless actual weights and that yellow sticker are known. The only accurate advice is to know your numbers and decide on what those numbers show.

MTPOCKETS,
Your very correct about ignoring srw driver's. As I was one for way too many years. I made chassis and tire upgrades? But didn't realize that nothing I did could legally change the manufacturers load limits on the Silverado.
But let me tell you I called the FL DOT and ask them about modifications to the srw , they said if they determine I'm illegal they could charge me for the violation. The States attorneys office reinforce my decision to buy the dually buy letting me know they would persue charges and then there was light...!
I now own a dually.
Why risk anything.

MTPockets said:

Do you know what the yellow sticker on your doorpost shows for maximum payload? Or, are you going by the mfg spec sheet? The only reliable number is that yellow sticker; the sticker payload will vary depending on that trucks factory supplied options. Anything else is guesswork and those pulling a 40+ Ft. Fifth wheel with a SRW is overloaded. And, likely, anything 38 Ft. ... Statements from those who say “I’ve pulled with my SRW for years with no issues”, Should be ignored unless actual weights and that yellow sticker are known. The only accurate advice is to know your numbers and decide on what those numbers show.

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Legality Legality Legality!!! I'm on board with others who used to tow w/ a SRW until we bought our '18 BC last year. I knew upon buying the BC that I'd be pretty much at max right out of the gate and WAS !!! Yes I did tow all last year year in NY and 1 trip to ME w/o a problem, but on that ME trip is where I weighed things on a CAT scale and found out I was over on truck by 800#, pin of 3700#, over on rear truck axle by 400#, over on tires by 200#. With NO-ONE in cab. Front truck axle ok, RV ok (max weight is 16,000, we weighed 15,980). Gross combo wt was 24,470 again w/o passengers. Truck was a '15 F350 CC,4x4, SRW, SB, 6.7. I really did love this truck and it did a fine job of towing the rig overall.

BUT, at same same, had this nagging feeling of the "what if's" (accident involving another car--like stated above), blowout while scootin' down the road, etc. Adding X,Y & Z to raise the rear end up/keep level does NOTHING to improve the weight capacity of things.

Enter 2018. As we were planning out our vaykays for the year, it was decided on that we'd go to FL in middle of summer. This was only timeframe avail to me to choose from back in Dec '17 for a summer week off. Now that naging feeling turned into a gut feeling and I didn't like it knowing the weights of things. Add in: plain heat on tires generated by going around, higher ambient temps, higher road/blacktop temps, more weight on tires due to extra packing of things. Was always told to trust your gut instinct/feelings. After much discussing of things w/ the wife, we decided to upgrade to a dually. To be honest, really didn't want to, but all the above factors forced our hand to. Plus, we just bought the '15 3 years before. Although we didn't get the exact truck we would have liked to, it's not a bad truck, '17 F350 CC, 4x4, 6.7.

It took some getting used to towing the RV w/ the DRW, but I will tell you, it WAS a smart move. I felt more at ease with given weights, wife was comfy driving/towing, knew we had at least 1 tire in event of a blowout, not worried as much about a "lawsuit" if in a accident and overweight on truck. Do I miss the SRW, YES. Still a work in progress w/ the DRW and driving in snow. If it was in the cards, I'd have a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton SRW to use as a daily rig and to drive in the snow....but that ain't possible! Not saying the DRW is a "B" to use as such, but takes gettin' used to. Bottom line is, the DRW brought us a HUGE piece of mind. Still see plenty of SRW trucks towing IMO way more than they should and probly get away with it, but I'm NOT going to risk my families life to do so like I did in'17. Not worth it. Get a dually.

Like many have said, I don't believe it's a matter of if you can or can not tow it or if you "feel safe" doing it. All these new trucks (even the 2500 short bed SRW's) will pull houses off the foundations all day. It's if you are inside your capacities, all of them, LEGALLY. You could go up and down the roads for years and years with no problem. But god forbid something happen that you can not control and there's an accident. You being over any of your numbers, will open you up to a lawsuit. So you worked hard to by your truck, trailer, atv's, m/c, your house even, to just have it all taken away. Me, ill take the minor inconvenience of parking in the back lot or not fitting in most garages over having to not worry about anything while we are on vacation. As you said, just my opinion of course.

jleavitt11 said:

Just my opinion but don't believe all of the doomsday SRW talk. You can tow with a SRW and be safe. I have had a 2018 4250 Cyclone that we just finished the 2nd season with. We tow about 5000 miles a year so we have about 10,000 miles towing experience with our cyclone towing with a 2017 F350 SRW. I have towed in crosswinds, rain, snow, steep mountain roads both up and down, speeding triple trailer semi trucks and cutthroat Utah drivers. I have never once felt unsafe while towing. Again just my opinion.

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Those words "you can" do not mean a thing. Just because "you can" does not mean you should. That is why the OP is asking the questions he is. Have you weighed your rig to find out how much over you are on the rear axle? Another aspect of it is the legal side of things. One of the easiest things to do in our country is sue someone. One of the first thing insurance companies look to do is find a way to deny a claim. Why would anyone risk what they have worked so hard to obtain, not to mention their life and the lives of those around them? Safe travels.

JMO, when it comes to pulling these 15,000-20,000# trailers, I would speculate that 75% of the men who say "I don't need a dually, I've been towing with a SRW since......" are secretly governed by their DW saying "I WILL NOT DRIVE THAT TRUCK!! NO!!!!!"....the other 25% are themselves intimidated by the rear hip fenders.

You see this same scenario on Facebook and other trailer forums daily. Thank goodness my DW has been driving our duallys for 21 years, and loves to joke to people about her ""fat azz (truck)"...lol