Is a dually needed?

[newbury]

one thing for sure, it's hard to find a nice fairly priced used dually around here. Very scarce, and with my luck, I'd get the wrong Powerstroke, wasn't one of them a serious problem?

Welcome to my world. Buying used is always like shooting fish in a barrel. The fish are 2 small minnows, the water is muddy, your shooting a BB pistol and the barrel is a stock water tank.
I searched for months for my '02.
All the Powerstrokes are wrong - the 7.3's were subject to cavitation, the 6's to headbolt problems and I'm sure the newer ones also will have something.

But ordering one new is sixty grand...I just can not justify that for my retired use, even if I am about to buy a larger property.
I'd rather buy a bigger tractor...

And with a good older used you'll have the $$ for more tractor.

So realistically I am looking used, and I plugged in forty grand in autotrader.com and surprisingly little came up. and plug in thirty grand and one goes back more than ten years...these DRW trucks must sure hold their value well. Is there a trick for searching for duallys without using dually as a key word? I bet I'm missing trucks...
so I guess I'll have to go through all the diesel trucks to find them.

Set up a search on e-bay to get a good idea of prices. When I bought my 350 dually prices were a couple of thousand less if I went to Pennsylvania, Georgia or South Carolina but very little near me. However I found mine on one of the Ford forums. It was local and the guy had a great reputation for maintaining vehicles. He had just bought a 450 to haul a bigger horse trailer.

Pertinent things -
Local - I was able to "quickly" go see it. Check out the owner, both at his house and on the net.
Reason for selling - needed a bigger truck. It didn't look like anything was wrong, passed state safety inspection fine.
Owner's reputation - on the net (he is an ebay seller of used military vehicles) and local - great.

No matter what, I'm not doing this until the Fall. But i start researching early...and I was going to get a new p/u when I got back from my rv trip anyway.

Be sure to look ahead on your trip, there are deals everywhere.

<snip>
Chevy, Ford or Dodge, nothing new here, they all are good, the Chevy likely a little more powerful, but I'm told the Fords really tow well.
bet there would be a few opinions voiced on that...

It's been discussed here a lot. I think the general consensus at least for the older trucks was a Ford 7.3 in a Dodge body w/ an Allison transmission.

 

[daugen]

Fordman, the one you posted was a regular cab, which is why no one has bought it. Most of this old left over stuff is left over for a reason.
And which is why I usually order new trucks, but at this cost, I'm a bit hesitant. I would want a mid line truck, cloth is fine. And I certainly meant you no offense, appreciate your input.

btw, I spent time on Chevrolet's site, no way to pull eight tons without a diesel dually. 4wd only cost two hundred pounds capacity.

 

[BHD]

as far as safely towing I think you could do it with either a single or a dully, truck.

but legally, one may have some problems on tires, there is a load rating on the tires, and it is my understanding you are legal only if you weight on the axle is less than the rated load on the tires,
(I was told do not know for a fact, but after the ford roll over problems) the tire companies change there load ratings on the tires to lighter max weights,

so say your tires are 3000 pound max load at 45 pounds, (they will carry a lot more), but if the DOT say only 6000 on that axel even if the truck is rated for 7000 say, better go across a scale with more than 6000 on it, now the duels are basically a safety measure, IMO, in theory one could carry up to 12000 on that axle, but would still be limited by the 7000 axel rating, but your tires are not going to limit you,

also if one does blow, you will have much better control of the situation as the remaining tire will keep you up on that wheel,

In the good Old days you stopped loading a truck when it was about max out by double the GWV rating,

I have had over 10,000 pounds of cargo on my one tone, so the truck was close to 16,000 pounds, I figured that was a little much, so from then on I dropped it back some when hauling grain, but it would haul 7200 pounds fairly easily, and did for may years, when I used it for grain,

in the old days the about the only requirement was the axel could not have over 20,000 pounds on it, ( it did not seem to mater the truck was only rated for 10,000)

now days I would only be able to carry about 4000 or a little less pounds on it with out problems from the DOT,

 

[aczlan]

It's been discussed here a lot. I think the general consensus at least for the older trucks was a Ford 7.3 in a Dodge body w/ an Allison transmission.

Dodge body? Have you seen how much Dodges rust? Here are the cab corners of a 2003 1500 4x4 with just over 100k miles that was last in PA (its for sale with a expired 2013 PA inspection sticker in the window):


Aaron Z

 

[Fordman1981]

Fordman, the one you posted was a regular cab, which is why no one has bought it. Most of this old left over stuff is left over for a reason.
And which is why I usually order new trucks, but at this cost, I'm a bit hesitant. I would want a mid line truck, cloth is fine. And I certainly meant you no offense, appreciate your input.

btw, I spent time on Chevrolet's site, no way to pull eight tons without a diesel dually. 4wd only cost two hundred pounds capacity.

You know I didn't even notice it was a reg cab just looked quick and they only had one pic plus I specified in the search quad cab. Anyway they are out there. I'm telling you don't write of an ST/tradesman level till you sit in one. And there have been many people that find the new truck they want a long ways away they dealer pays for them to fly out then they get to enjoy the trip back in their new truck.

 

[Fordman1981]

Dodge body? Have you seen how much Dodges rust? Here are the cab corners of a 2003 1500 4x4 with just over 100k miles that was last in PA (its for sale with a expired 2013 PA inspection sticker in the window):
View attachment 357841 View attachment 357842 View attachment 357843 View attachment 357844

Aaron Z

I can go snap pics of any make you want that's not as old as your 03 that have as bad or worse rust if you want me to. Not only Dodges rust. If you take care of them they last. I have a friend that has a 97 Dodge without one spec of rust on it.

 

[aczlan]

I can go snap pics of any make you want that's not as old as your 03 that have as bad or worse rust if you want me to. Not only Dodges rust. If you take care of them they last. I have a friend that has a 97 Dodge without one spec of rust on it.

You are also in NC, not hard to find rust free vehicles down there (its on my list of places to look for a newer truck in)...
We are looking at trucks because our '97 1500 (Reg Cab 8' bed) has lost three of the four wheel wells and the bottoms of the doors to rust. My wife's '02 Caravan has holes the size of softballs down both rocker panels.
By comparison, my '97 Volvo V90 (RWD wagon) doesn't have ANY rust on it despite living in NY or CT all of its life and the '93 940 wagon that it replaced had very little rust (less at 16 years old and 177k miles than the Caravan at 7 years old and 90k miles).

Aaron Z

 

[dodge man]

Yeah, I live in the rust belt and I haven't seen any make of truck, including the Japanese trucks that don't rust. Its just a fact of life if they salt the roads.

 

[downslope]

[/I]
Confused by this? Does it look like a plumber's truck because it's white? or because it's and ST? My 2012 is and ST level with the chrome appearance group and maybe the convince group. Don't remember right now but I have factory nav, cruise control, power door locks, power windows, very comfortable cloth seats. I had a 2008 for F350 Lariat before my 2012 ram and I have to say I think it ride much better than the 08 ford. I have made several 1000 mile trips with the truck empty and fully loaded it doesn't wear you out driving it.

Just looked a little more there are still some 2012 Dually's left if you want one without the DEF fluid. They are only showing sticker price on them but you know that you can get a heck of a deal on a 2 model year old new truck.

I agree with this 100%. The chrome package does a lot to dress up the plain XL's, Tradesmans, Work Trucks, etc. Also there are convenience packages that you will also find on in-stock units; this is the way to keep the price down and still have a decent looking truck. Furthermore, if you want to buy new off the lot you cannot write off white trucks. The majority of what dealers order for stock will be white and if you want to save some money you can't skip over the white ones. I don't mind white, it's cooler in the summer.

A SRW truck, super cab, quad cab or whatever, you are looking at in round numbers a 4K load capacity, maximum. The pin weight on the 5th wheel will be well over 3K by itself. To pull that 5er cross country I would really want a dually. The 5th wheels and goosenecks put a lot more percentage weight on the hitch and truck axle than a bumper pull. Diamond might be pulling those heavy weights OK, but maybe it's not a gooseneck or 5th wheel; ie. there could be more weight on the trailer axles and less on the truck.
I wouldn't have any qualms about running to Home Depot or the feed store and loading 2+ ton in the SRW truck bed for a short ride home but no way would I hit the Interstate and start driving from NY to TX with that kind of load on the truck and a high trailer behind.

 

[newbury]

And it's pleasing to get the admiration from other guys when you pick up a load that weighs over 2 tons and just say "fork it in the back".
I've picked up several loads (pallet rack mostly) that the seller had admonished me it would take two loads only say "Never mind" when I tell them I've a F350 dually.