Dually or SRW??

[Silverado333]

Hello to all!!

First time poster here!! I currently have a 2012 Ford F-150 V6 Echo-boost. We have decided on getting a Heartland Landmark 365, most likely the Madison or the Heartland. So a larger truck is in order.

My GF and I have been to a couple RV shows recently and have narrowed our choices to those two. Our dilemma is we both like the forward Living area, but we also like the idea of a bath and a half - so we have some more discussions ahead.

My question is I'm shopping for a new truck, strong enough to comfortably two the 5th wheel. Is a dually REALLY necessary? To be perfectly honest, I'm just not really keen on the way they look, not to mention trying to park the beast. I'm also not very fond of the long bed and prefer the shorter bed. I understand the necessity of the sliding hitch and am fine with that.

Are there folks out there that pull either of these RV's, with a diesel F-350 or GMC 3500HD SRW? If so how does it handle? Is it powerful enough in the mountains? Opinions please!

We currently live in the Seattle area, but our families are in Florida - we look forward to out future travels!! But I still have a few more years till retirement, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

Oh, I'd also like to add that this is a great website - we're learning a lot from all of you more experienced RV'ers!! Hope to meet some of you in the not too distant future!!

Thanks!
Silverado

 

[danemayer]

Hi Silverado333,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. There's lots of useful information here along with a great bunch of friendly and helpful people.

IMO you will absolutely want the dually. Landmark 365 has a GVWR of 18,000 lbs. You'll find that as you load up for travel, add some water, etc., you'll be closer to the GVWR than to the empty weight.

For planning purposes, you can assume about 20% of that weight will be on the hitch, or 3,600 lbs.

You need a truck that will not only have a 5th wheel towing capacity of at least 18,000 lbs, but also a payload that will accommodate the pin weight of 3,600 lbs. In additional to the pin weight, your payload has to handle the weight of the hitch, bed liner, bed cover, tools, firewood, extra fuel, pets, passengers and anything else you put in the truck. That can easily add another 1,000 lbs. So it would be pretty easy to end up needing a payload of 4,600 lbs.

The towing capacity and payload capacity you'll need put you into a 1 Ton Dually.

Could you manage with a single rear wheel shortbed? Sure. Will you be stable in a crosswind? Maybe. Will you be able to maintain control during an emergency lane change? Maybe. Will an out of balance truck be safe when roads are wet? Maybe. Will the tail (trailer) wag the dog (truck)? Almost certainly.

One other thing. When you shop trucks, ignore the brochure claims and posters. Look at the actual specification for the exact truck you're going to buy.

 

[Geodude]

You're definitely beyond the capacities of a SRW truck with that trailer. Our diesel F-350 SRW is maxed out on the pin weight of our Bighorn, at 3100 pounds and a 15,000 pound trailer. We're thinking dually for our next truck, but like you we're not sure. Most of my dually friends say it's great towing and parking lots etc., are big non-issue. One says they're a pain for the 350 days he isn't towing. We're likely to sort of split the difference and get a long bed SRW. I think. Maybe.

 

["Hi-Viz" Bill]

Hey there Silverado333 !!!

We purchased a 2016 Landmark 365 'Newport' last summer. The day after signing the dotted line, I ordered a 2016 GMC 3500 Denali DRW. We live in SW Michigan and traveled to the Phoenix area for the winter. I have not regretted the DRW for even a second. With the 5, 6, & 7% grades we encountered in the mountains, and the strong winds out in West Texas, the increased stability of the Dually was very reassuring. I have a 50 gal auxiliary fuel tank, as well as a 4' wide tool box in the bed and not having to worry about being overloaded also led the a high degree of 'peace of mind'. IMHO, a dually is a must with a rig of the size you are contemplating!!

 

[Nabo]

We fault getting a dually for years but now that we have one, what a difference it makes. Our suggestion is go ahead and spend the extra $$ now for the dually. In the long run it will save ya from having to spend more $$ to upgrade again. Good luck

 

[meagle]

I have a 2014 Landmark and towed it with a SRW for about a year. There were times when I was "white knuckled" on steep mountain roads or in heavy wind. Last June I purchased a 3500 GMC dually with the Denali package. What a difference! It is much more stable in all conditions and makes towing a much easier and relaxing experience and of course a safer one. After towing with my dually I will not go back to a SRW truck. Good luck.

 

[BigGuy82]

Hello to all!!

First time poster here!! I currently have a 2012 Ford F-150 V6 Echo-boost. We have decided on getting a Heartland Landmark 365, most likely the Madison or the Heartland. So a larger truck is in order.

My GF and I have been to a couple RV shows recently and have narrowed our choices to those two. Our dilemma is we both like the forward Living area, but we also like the idea of a bath and a half - so we have some more discussions ahead.

My question is I'm shopping for a new truck, strong enough to comfortably two the 5th wheel. Is a dually REALLY necessary? To be perfectly honest, I'm just not really keen on the way they look, not to mention trying to park the beast. I'm also not very fond of the long bed and prefer the shorter bed. I understand the necessity of the sliding hitch and am fine with that.

Are there folks out there that pull either of these RV's, with a diesel F-350 or GMC 3500HD SRW? If so how does it handle? Is it powerful enough in the mountains? Opinions please!

We currently live in the Seattle area, but our families are in Florida - we look forward to out future travels!! But I still have a few more years till retirement, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

Oh, I'd also like to add that this is a great website - we're learning a lot from all of you more experienced RV'ers!! Hope to meet some of you in the not too distant future!!

Thanks!
Silverado

Mine's only a 3010 RE Bighorn and I have a diesel dually. There is no such thing as having too much truck but there is such a thing as too little truck. Want stability? Want guts to get up steep grades? Want engine braking to get down steep grades? Want higher load capacity? The choice is obvious, and I've had both.

Also suggest, if the truck doesn't come with them, get Air Lifts or Firestone air bags.


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[fastcarsspeed]

I have a 2011 F350 6.7 SRW 8' Bed 4X4. I can tell you yes you can tow it but if you are not used to towing those weights and have the option to go to DRW it would be a good recommendation. I have a 2014 Cyclone 4100 and I am at the limit if I really load it up. I tow fine and my truck does not squat much at all but again for the added stability a DRW would be best.

 

[Silverado333]

Thanks to all for the replies - very helpful info!!

Another question, as I mentioned previously we have gone to a couple RV shows in the local area. A salesman, a little pushy for my taste - stated it's wiser to but the RV first, before I have the suitable tow vehicle. This didn't and still doesn't seem to make sense to me.

Based on a couple of comments I see, some of you did just that - purchased RV prior to your tow vehicle. Are there benefits to this?

Thanks again for all the friendly advice - much appreciated!!

Silverado333

 

[TravelTiger]

Visit www.fifthwheelst.com and learn about safe towing.

Dual wheels are not just there for stability but the Dually has payload capacity that a single wheel does not. The truck's payload capacity holds your pin weight, along with passengers, pets, tools, aux fuel tanks, etc. etc. you add to the truck. With a possible loaded pin weight of up to 4500lbs, it's a no brainer, get the Dually.


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[Piperflyer]

I wouldn't want to be towing my RV with anything but a DRW. I have been on every road imaginable; 11% grades, switch backs, you name it and the truck performs. I'm pulling around 16000 lb. ~ with the truck and you don't even realize the 5th wheel is behind you, until you look in the mirrors. The only real draw back is when you aren't towing and you have to find a parking spot for that big thing your driving. Thats the only time I regret having a DRW.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Hey...welcome to the site and glad to see another person from the PNW..

I had a SRW for the 1st year of owning our Bighorn and it was WHITE KNUCKLES around sharp corners and strong side winds.

Moved to the DRW 2 years ago and can NOT believe the difference.

Are they big...Yep

Are you going to have to park a bit further back in a parking lot...yep (but that is where all the cool guys park at Home Depot and Lowes anyway )

 

[danemayer]

A salesman, a little pushy for my taste - stated it's wiser to but the RV first, before I have the suitable tow vehicle. This didn't and still doesn't seem to make sense to me.

I can't think of any reason it would be wiser to buy the RV first, before you have the suitable tow vehicle, unless perhaps it's about a sales commission.

In fact, when you get the truck, you'll find out that the User Manual may say you don't need a break-in period. But when you read the towing section, you'll find out they probably want you to drive it 1,000 miles before towing. That would argue buy the truck first, then the trailer.

 

[dlw930]

I can't think of any reason it would be wiser to buy the RV first, before you have the suitable tow vehicle, unless perhaps it's about a sales commission.

In fact, when you get the truck, you'll find out that the User Manual may say you don't need a break-in period. But when you read the towing section, you'll find out they probably want you to drive it 1,000 miles before towing. That would argue buy the truck first, then the trailer.

Of course, that argument doesn't hold if you're buying a pre-owned truck that's already broken in.


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[TravelTiger]

It is smart to get trailer then truck, or at least be pretty sure the truck you're buying far exceeds the specs of what you're looking at now, and the one you may be looking at next! There seems to be a trend to upgrade...upsize...and be upside down if you have to trade trucks too soon!


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[avvidclif]

I can think of a very good reason to buy the 5er first. Then you know how much TV you need, no guessing, no changing mind on RV, or anything. There is a limit to what SRW can handle as far as RV's. A modern dually has limits also but with the current RVs it would be hard to overload one.

 

[RonTimmer]

From personal experience I wish I had bought the trailer first. My wife and I decided exactly how much trailer we wanted and then bought a truck that would easily pull that weight. After having the truck for a year we decided it was time to actually upgrade from our TT to a 5th wheel and Murphy's law kicked in. The style and size of 5th wheel we decided we wanted put us at the top end of what out truck can pull so with in the next year or so, definitely before we make any long trips, we will be upgrading trucks. Like many others have said if you have the trailer you know exactly what requirements you need in your truck, pay more attention to payload and not towing capacity because that is what bit me in the end.

Take care,
Ron

 

[Alan_B]

I agree with most of the other posters here, a DRW is needed for the Landmark 365.

When choosing our fifth wheel, we set our limits to a unit that could be safely towed with a SRW.

 

[JohnD]

From personal experience I wish I had bought the trailer first. My wife and I decided exactly how much trailer we wanted and then bought a truck that would easily pull that weight. After having the truck for a year we decided it was time to actually upgrade from our TT to a 5th wheel and Murphy's law kicked in.

We did the same thing . . . upgraded truck from a 1500 to 2500HD, which was intended to be overkill for our TT.

When the time came to switch to a 5'ver, we decided to get one that was within to towing range our our new truck and didn't even look at anything above that.



I do miss my topper, though . . .

 

[JohnDar]

We had a few months between purchasing the trailer and deciding on which truck to pull it with. Decided a dually was the way to go, based on the capability of trucks at that time. Haven't regretted it. And maneuvering a GMC 3500HD crew cab, extended bed dually around is no big deal, especially if you've driven much bigger trucks (like a P-2 crash truck).