Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Driving a dually with 5th wheel camper?

Thanks for all the great advice, gents! I really appreciate it!

The one we are looking at is a 2024 Sierra 3500HD long bed with Denali trim. It has most of the bells and whistles!

I own a dodge 3/4 ton and a ford f350 drw.

I love the dodge for pulling decent sized trailers. But if I have a big trailer or a lot of weight, the drw is my go-to.

No offense to anyone here, but if people are considering a new pickup at today's prices, the only consideration should be getting thebest equipment for the job. No quibbling about extra tire expenses, fuel mileage, taxes, registration etc. If you're buying an $80-$100k pickup, these other expenses are a pittance.

this is the point I have been making.....a note about fuel milage on all the diesels I have owned when towing they all get pretty close to the same milage....shi'tty....but thats the price to pay/play/work...I like the deeper gears....bob

if you are going to pull heavier the diesel is the only way to go.....sorry about the med bills....not on a tight budget yet.....yet being the key word but its coming.....bob

This pretty much sums it up.....

Where a dually really shines with a tall, heavy load is stability. I don't mean whether is squats or not, I mean when you have a 20 mph side wind (which is fairly common out west), you WILL notice the difference the two extra wheels in back make, PERIOD.

As far as just weight most campers don't actually weigh that much, but they wind catching SOB's.

Never take anyone's advice who says buy a 3/4 ton for a 36' trailer. Unfortunately most 3/4 tons today are made for soccer dad grocery getter crowd, a 1 ton now is about the suspension equivalent of what a 3/4 ton was 15 yrs ago. . At the least get a 1 ton, even if its a single wheel. They don't ride much stiffer than a 3/4 ton. I drive a single wheel 1 ton everyday, it's only a tiny bit stiffer than the 3/4 ton it replaced, still very comfortable.

Bill

there is no doubt about it....those extra 2 wheels seal the deal on the road its not even close.....bob

You must not be reading the new trucks specks. A new Silveradao 2500 HD, Duramax is rated for 23000, pounds, GVCR. True enough though my first reply was that duallys help sway. As for a soccer dad comment, I run right at 17,500 pounds , camper horse trailer animals and gear.That is hardly a grocery getter.

I think the OP's 1T GMC is rated a 33,000 IIRC.

I have an 83 Ford super 250 dually. Blew an outside rear dual and took out the fender. $3500 to repair it so I spent $4500 to have a flatbead on it, never blow out a fender well again.

Pulled Rv's for a living for a couple years and not many guy's pulling with duallys, I didn't! Worst problem with a dually is winter driving. Having all that rubber on the road in ice and snow is about like having plywood sheets for tires, pretty slippery! had a 2000 dodge with a Cummins in it then. Have the old Ford Intenational now. Word about exaust brakes. Not so sure how they work on a one ton but had one on a road truck years ago, You could hear it rattle but it didn't slow ya down very well. Don't know how they would work in a one ton. In my 83 I have a four speed and the trans hold it back pretty good by itself. Dodge had an auto and didn't hold much back! If I was going out to get a new one ton or even 3/4T it would have a 4 speed trans in it! For me pulling a load with an auto trans would be a no-no! Must admit I've never driven a truck with a diesel that had an auto in it and would not relish the idea! Been down far to many steep hills in diesel trucks and no retarder, learned about hot breaks the hard way!

My statement about grocery getters wasn't directed at anyone here saddlesore, just a statement from experience having both 3/4 ton and 1 ton pickups over the last 30 yrs and how the suspensions have changed. I always drove 3/4's too until my last one, i ended up having to do add a leaf, sway bar etc. because it was loose as hell with a heavy load.

With a couple of my trailers its nothing for me to gross over 20k, the 1 ton handles it much better. One three horse slant with living quarters weighed 13k before you ever put a horse in it.

I know Chevy does a little better with their 3/4's but look under one of the new standard 3/4 ton Fords. Two (yes 2) full length springs with a little bitty helper, pretty flimsy. Look at the suspension of an F250 of 15 years ago and you'll see my point.

I take manufacturer specs with a very large grain of salt. They rate trucks for things I wouldn't be caught dead pulling with said truck.

As people that tow a lot, you and both know this also, a lot of stuff will "pull" things, but being able to stop that SOB if it gets squirrely is just as important.

Bill

Don’t ever plan on buying a new truck then. None of the big 3 have put a 4 speed in a 3/4 or 1ton since the late 80’s. And I know 2010 was the last year for manuals in Fords for sure GM as well I think, Dodge may have held onto the 6sp until 2012 or so but I know the diesel was derated with the manual by then.

New pickups, more specifically new diesels and automatics are so far ahead of a 6.9 Ford in power and handling it’s like comparing a covered wagon to a space shuttle. If you’ve never driven or pulled anything with a modern diesel and a modern auto trans you’d be completely blown away.

To the OP. With a trailer like you’re talking about I would definitely opt for the dually. As others have said it’s worth it for the wind and sway of what is basically a giant sail you’ll be dragging behind you. If you’ve ever had a trailer get squirrelly and start weaving and pushing the ass end of your rig around you know what I mean, if you haven’t I promise you don’t want to. Be sure and get a full width dually too and not a cab and chassis dually which is narrower, the difference noticeable with a big load in high winds or if it’s a little unbalanced.

Gm did have a manual behind the 496 3/4 and one tons from 01 to 07 but they are a little hard to find.
If the trucks purpose is to pull rv, dually is nice.

With all the bells and whistles on the new trucks you shouldn't have any problems driving. When using the truck around town just park out by yourself and walk a little. 3.73 or better yet 4.10 gears will be perfect for what your trying to do.