To Dually or not to Dually... That is the question...

[DrewBlue]

So my wife and I currently are full time RV’s and don’t travel much (stay mostly in local federal parks) but we will be getting a new TT and TV this year and I really want to get the Voltage 3990 which weighs in spec at 16000# dry.

The big debate in my mind is F350 Single or dual wheel. Currently having a ½ ton pulling a 32 ft TT, I know how a weak (but capable) TV behaves but I’m really concerned with having a dually as my daily driver.

I know the Ford tow guide puts this combo in the red but I want to hear some practical experiences please.

For the next few years I don’t plan on any marathon travels with the entire setup but I want a solid reliable F350 that can handle it.

[Moto4play]

We have a 3950 and even though the newer trucks will pull these heavier units, I would not try it. There is more stability towing with a Dually opposed to a single rear wheel. You do get use to the Dually as a daily driver. Just back in to most parking spots and line your rear tires up on the parking lines. After towing with both I would never go back to a single wheel, at least for these heavy beast. You need to count on the 3990 being between 18k and 20k, manufacture specs are a little light.

[Fanboy]

This is the the same decision we went thru. Before we had our half ton and staying within specs of that was frustrating. Then come the choice, dually or not. At the scale while hooked up, we are 5260 steer axle and 8100 drive axle. 5 people with a 45 gal aux tank/tool box and a small cooler of water in the back. Glad I chose dually. Good luck in your decision.

[Camper2b]

Dually for the rig your considering... JMHO..

[DesertRat]

I bought a V3605 because that was the biggest my single wheel F350 would pull. I'ml not be over loaded and I'm safe. If you are going to buy a 3 axle Voltage you need a Dually. Will a SRW F-350 tow it sure. Will it be over loaded yes.

[wino]

I'd definitely go with a dually as well. I use mine as a daily driver as well as a TV, and it can be a pain in the a*& looking for and pulling into and out of parking spots, but, many like many things in life, you'll get used to it. If you get a newer one with parking sensors and a back up camera, they're not bad around town.

[DrewBlue]

Originally Posted by wino

I'd definitely go with a dully as well. I use mine as a daily driver as well as a TV, and it can be a pain in the a*& looking for and pulling into and out of parking spots, but, many like many things in life, you'll get used to it. If you get a newer one with parking sensors and a back up camera, they're not bad around town.

So I use to have a F250 and know how a SRW will handle, please share with me some of the situations a dully has really made difficult for daily life (difficult and just can't do).

[donzinger]

DrewBlue - I towed with both - big difference

[calewjohnson]

I have had three combos...a TH bumper pull with 1/2 ton (it sucked), a 36ft TT with 3/4 ton diesel (loved it), and when we went to the current setup, there was no discussion. Wife wanted the trailer and I wanted the truck. I can tell you, as we travel with actual weight tickets:
Fully loaded, 29,960
Trailer, 19660 (pin weight 3800)
Truck, 10300 (with full fuel and all people on board)

Now, I will caveat the above info, I have a 100 gallon Transfer Flow tank, which fully loaded is 895 lbs. You can take that off my truck weight and still see that you may still be over the CCC of a dually. My GVWR is 14K, I am over 100 lbs. My weights were with the whole family and dog in the truck, plus 140 gallons of fuel and 200 lbs of fire wood.

I believe the Ford tow guide for 2015 doesn't even list trailer weights in this realm for SRW trucks. 2015 Ford Super Duty | View Towing Specifications | Ford.com

Cale

[ATCguy]

In my opinion, you're gonna want a dually pulling that weight.

You mentioned that you're looking at an F-350, and concerned about daily driving. What you may not know is that the F-450, even with it's full crew cab & 8' bed, is far more easy to maneuver than an F-250 or F-350. That's because the F-450 has wider front-end geometry than the other trucks... giving it a wider track and making it far easier to handle. My long F-450 can turn in a smaller 180-degree radius than an F-250 or F-350 short bed.

The trade-off is that the F-450 only comes in one configuration: crew cab, long bed, 4x4, dually, and a 4:30 rear end. That rear means you can pull just about any size rig you want... but it also means less gas mileage than an F-350.

All in all though, I'm glad I went with the F-450. I can pull into just about any parking place at the grocery store I want pretty easily... and backing the rig into a non-pull-thru site is a breeze.

[Thom]

Ford just released a heavier duty tow package for the 350's. It has the same turning radius as the 450 but it only comes with the 4:30 rear end just like the 450.

[wino]

Originally Posted by DrewBlue

So I use to have a F250 and know how a SRW will handle, please share with me some of the situations a dully has really made difficult for daily life (difficult and just can't do).

Parallel parking can be a bear on narrow streets. You also have to careful in drive thru's, you'll wear the sidewalls off of your training wheels..Don't ask how I know. Duallys also wear the rear tires fairly quickly, as your always dragging one when going around corners, but no worse than diesel pick up unloaded. I know when I leave the parking lot at Salt Lake City airport, it's kind of a nail biter, i.e., like 3 inches clearance on each side. Also, the drive thru at my bank, forget about rolling the window down and doing anything, I have to hop out to make a transaction. I do a lot of off roading, but here in Nevada, we don't have to many roads/trails which are that tight, and I'd imagine Texas is about the same. A joke around here is Nevada pinstripping, which is when you scratch up your new pick up off road. After all that, I still won't anything but dually, especially for towing these 3 axle land yachts.

[Moto4play]

Originally Posted by ATCguy

That rear means you can pull just about any size rig you want... but it also means less gas mileage than an F-350.

Tom- What fuel milage are you getting when towing? I would think as long as you kept the top end speed down, you would do better than others with the lower end torque. I see about 8 mpg

I have a Chevy 3500 with Crew cab, long bed and I have a better turning radius with 3950 attached than a buddy of mine that owns a chevy 2500 short bed and a 32' 5th wheel. I will turn mine around with one turn in places he would not even try.

[macman83]

I had an F350 SRW that I pulled a 16,200lb Voltage 3905. It had airbags, heavy tires, and a chipped 7.3 diesel. The truck pulled the trailer just fine, but the trailer pushed the truck around in the Oklahoma wind. A 3 hour trip to Brandon would wear me out. Now, the new F450 makes a 7 hour trip a walk in the park.

[calewjohnson]

Originally Posted by Thom

Ford just released a heavier duty tow package for the 350's. It has the same turning radius as the 450 but it only comes with the 4:30 rear end just like the 450.

That is the F350 I have. The heavy duty stuff pushes the front wheels out for a wider stance and I have a 14k GVWR sticker. If I am cruising around 55, I can see 10-11 mpg. 65 nets me closer to 9 mpg. I do love this truck.

Cale

[ATCguy]

Originally Posted by Moto4play

Tom- What fuel milage are you getting when towing? I would think as long as you kept the top end speed down, you would do better than others with the lower end torque. I see about 8 mpg

Westbound on I-10 & I-20... I get around 7.5 to 8.0 mpg doing about 70 mph. If I slow to 65, I can gain about a ½ mile per gallon.

Eastbound I do better by almost a mile per gallon. I can only guess it is because while going westbound, I am usually towing into the wind & upward in elevation... and of course, the reverse holds true eastbound.

[Infinityrver]

I'm about getting around while not towing. Going thru a drive thru. Parking in parking garages.
My tongue weight is less than your TH's. My GAWR on my rear axle is 7000 lbs. The last time I went thru a CAT scale my rear axle with trailer attached was 7400 lbs. In order to bring my tongue weight down.............I told my DW that she doesn't need as many cloths in the closet. She told me that I didn't need the auxiliary diesel tank in the bed of my truck.
Neither of us has reduced the tongue weight. Guess we'll stay 400 lbs. over. LOL.

[WallyWorld951]

we have the 3990 and the f350 dually (4:30 tow boss) and it works just fine. No chip and no bags. Average MPG is 9... very stable.

[Nana & Poppy]

And I thought 9 - 10 mpg was terrible....guess I should be happy!


Kathy

[Jbee]

I get about 9 towing mine as well. Wind direction and speed can change that 1-3mpg in either direction.

Biggest thing I noticed is how the truck feels in side wind situations compared to my 250. Not even close how much more stable it is. That being said, the 450 would be the perfect truck IMHO if it had 3.73 gears.


Also, as others have said, the turning radius can be invaluable!