He says I need a dually??

[PharmGeek]

Was taking a moment to talk to one of my patients (a war veteran, I work at the VA hospital)...he drives a work truck in his job, ford f350....says he once saw a truck pulling a trailer and blow out a rare truck tire and nearly have an extremely bad wreck....and as such he was recommending a duly...

It seems in my reading, almost no one recommends such....I figure something is a bit off about this advice...and I wanted to hear from folks about this because my inexperienced self somehow found his point compelling....

I figure this will be an easy one for you all, but I feel the need to ask, if not for any other reason to understand the fallacy in this point?

Now, if you could somehow make me figure out if I want 3/4 ton or 1/2 ton...the more I read the more confused I get...mainly I am uncertain about how much payload I will eventually need. sorry, that may be better for another thread..

[AWCHIEF]

I would seek other more qualified advice. Personaly I don't think he has a clue.

[dkrug]

You will get all kinds of advice. We tow equipment trailers, stock trailers and we are on our 3rd AS. My husband has had long line of F250 superduty diesel trucks. We have never had a dually. A 1/2 ton would be fine depending on what trailer you finally decide on.

[Janet H]

+1

It's important to remember that too stiff a tow can actually pound your trailer - hard. Having towed a tiny lightweight Argosy with a 3/4 ton empty truck was a real eye opener for me a few years ago. Everything in the Argosy was shaken, stuff fell out of cabinets, etc. Loading a bunch of gear in the bed of the truck smoothed the ride out a lot and frankly, that trailer is much happier being towed behind my VW.

In a perfect world I would get the tow vehicle specifically to pair with the trailer rather then the more standard "I have this truck, what can I tow with it" scenario.

[reinergirl]

IMHO you'd be better off spending the money on a tire pressure monitoring system and a Propride or Hensley. Dually's are very common in the horse world ( super heavy 6+ horse trailers and valuable cargo) so I'm well accustomed to how they drive. They are more stable no question, however they really aren't great at getting themselves out of the mud/ adverse conditions and can be squirrelly without weight in the bed. In Ma you also need to register them as a commercial vehicle , not sure about other states.

Overkill for an Airstream for sure....

[PharmGeek]

I thought so too of course, but the whole blowout scenario is scary...but I suspect such concerns are universal...what if you blow out in the front?

I am still undecided on 28 vs. 30 sofa vs. 30 bunkhouse...we lean toward 30 as I think it will do the job for 10K less and can accept the 2-3 feet loss...but seeing them in person will help us determine...then we will know what TV we want...

Although, I hear folks pull the 30' with tundra 5.7L V8....payload is the question though im still wondering....

[andreasduess]

There are some of us who tow 30' and 34' trailers with a SUV or even a minivan. Get yourself properly set up with a good weight distribution system and you'll find that these can make very capable tow vehicles.

While a setup like that might not be to your liking, and there are many on here who'd counsel against it*, I think even those who strongly prefer trucks as TVs would agree that a dually is complete overkill.


* and by that I mean, "think it's completely crazy to even contemplate such thoughts".

[PharmGeek]

this was exactly my suspicion

[graysailor]

Way over kill!

[Fly at Night]

reiner is right. Unless you plan on carrying a horse in your Airstream, you do not need a dually.

When people start talking about trucks, they go weird. Have you noticed that?

Truck Talk - YouTube

[TouringDan]

Bigger is not always better. You do not need a dually.

The really big question is 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton. My 08 Tundra works well for me and I love that truck. However, I am towing a 4,800 lb Tradewind fully loaded. When I load up my Tundra with people, pets, gas, stuff in the bed, bed cap and water in the trailer, I am within 40 lbs of the GVWR of the Tundra (6,900 lbs)

If I were contemplating buying a new Airstream, in the 27-30 ft range, I would probably go to a 3/4 ton truck. I would look at all the big 3 and buy the one I liked the best.

Dan

[PharmGeek]

@Fly at Night - hahahahaah

@Dan - as of tonight, this is pretty much my newest consensus for my own thoughts...I may want to bring a dirt bike on a trip...and then that would just tip the scale now wouldnt it

Amazingly, looking at used on carmax, the darn tundras are near equal in cost to some of the diesels.....guess people willing to pay for those yotas....

Ive got my eye on a few diesels in carmax with around 70K miles that suit my budget (would have carmax warranty 6 year bumper to bumper as well).

[PharmGeek]

of course, the dirt bike was an odd example, but I can see me with my wife and kids, and later friends etc exceeding payload...if it were just the wife and myself probably would be less worried.

[PharmGeek]

oh and hey, I just wanted to throw out a TV softball for the forum just as a change of pace...otherwise this topic brings near total confusion/disagreement....Duly = overkill...agreement for a change

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

I thought so too of course, but the whole blowout scenario is scary...but I suspect such concerns are universal...what if you blow out in the front?

I am still undecided on 28 vs. 30 sofa vs. 30 bunkhouse...we lean toward 30 as I think it will do the job for 10K less and can accept the 2-3 feet loss...but seeing them in person will help us determine...then we will know what TV we want...

Although, I hear folks pull the 30' with tundra 5.7L V8....payload is the question though im still wondering....

Hi, you beat me to it. "what if you blow out in the front?"

[GinMame]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

Was taking a moment to talk to one of my patients (a war veteran, I work at the VA hospital)...he drives a work truck in his job, ford f350....says he once saw a truck pulling a trailer and blow out a rare truck tire and nearly have an extremely bad wreck....and as such he was recommending a duly...

It seems in my reading, almost no one recommends such....I figure something is a bit off about this advice...and I wanted to hear from folks about this because my inexperienced self somehow found his point compelling....

I figure this will be an easy one for you all, but I feel the need to ask, if not for any other reason to understand the fallacy in this point?

Now, if you could somehow make me figure out if I want 3/4 ton or 1/2 ton...the more I read the more confused I get...mainly I am uncertain about how much payload I will eventually need. sorry, that may be better for another thread..

I second the suggestion of others here that recommend that you first choose the cart then the horse. I fell in love with the F250 SuperDuty diesel, but the wife said, "NO". So I've decided on a new approach. Since the general consensus in these forums is that a 1/2 will work for anything up to 25' and a 3/4 ton above 27', my new plan is to convince her that she really wants the 27', that way I can justify the F250. So far, I've gotten her to agree to move up from the 23' to the 25', only two more feet to go.

A word of warning though, if you are going to go with a 1/2 ton and a 25' AS, make sure that you don't go over the payload capacity of the truck. It will depend on many people will travel with you and how much "stuff" you need to bring along for the ride. You can find good discussions of how to do the calculations here in the forums and the Trailer Life 2013 Towing Guide also has an article on choosing the right tow vehicle. When you are out looking at trucks, check the sticker in the door jam for the payload capacity. Also, Ford, Chevy, and Toyota have payload information on their websites, though it may be a little bit difficult to find (Dodge probably does too, but I've never looked for it). Keep in mind too, that different trim and equipment levels in the same truck line can have wildly different payload capacities. After doing your research confirm things with the dealer before you buy, but don't take their word for it, make them show you something from the manufacturer. For example, the F150 Lariat EcoBoost 4x4 Super Crew with a 157" wheel base can tow 11,100 pounds and has a payload of 1,840 pounds according to the brochure when equipped with the max tow package, but the best I've ever been able to configure online is a payload of 1,560 pounds.

Good luck!

[Andrew T]

Over the years I have blown tires in every position on the tow vehicle and a trailer tires both tandem and single axle. Usually bringing in an old trailer from a campground. In the old days car tires blew much more often.

If your weight distribution system is dialed in properly the challenge is knowing you have blown a tire. You can literally not feel it from a steering input point of view. If the road is smooth you may not notice the ride either.

Make sure you are hooked up right and don't worry.

Andrew T

[dkrug]

GinMame said " I fell in love with the F250 SuperDuty diesel, but the wife said, "NO". So I've decided on a new approach."

I hated my husband's old F250s. They were noisy and smelled like diesel. I love his new one. It is quiet, comfortable and does not smell like a diesel. It is a towing machine.

[Jim Clark]

I have seen a lot of wrecks, I need a tank. A Dually will damage your trailer. A 250 would not be bad but may not be needed.

[urnmor]

Not sure about a dually but I don't think you would need one. As said in an earlier post buying a TV can be challenging especially when determing payload etc. So I went with a new F250 diesel last year anf have not looked back. I don't have to worry about my payload, it pulls the hills great, does not drop speed even on 13% inclines when in cruise and tow mode. Milage isn't bad 19 with no trailer and aroud 13 to 14 with trailer. Diesel fuel right now where I live is less expensive then premium but will go up in winter as the demand is greaterd because it is used for heating.

More then I need, many may so,but the security of having more power and weight carrying capability provides ease of mind.