DRW or SRW?

[wvpolekat]

I am going to be buying a new-to-me truck in the next week and I am soliciting input on if I want DRW or SRW.

Currently have an 01 F250 with the v10. But it is only extended cab, and I need more space, and I would prefer diesel, and my 2wd truck is helpless in the winter.

Looking at 2004-2005 F-350, crew cab, diesel, 4wd, long bed

Looking closely at 2 of them, one is SRW and one is DRW.

My towing ranges from 2-10,000lb bumper pull and 8-10,000 fifth wheel camper.

So far, my current truck tows everything I need just fine, but more power would be nice. Diesel should take care of that.

My gut is saying to go with DRW for stability and make sure I can upgrade the camper in the future.

I don't drive a ton of miles, about 10,000/yr, so tires are not a huge concern to me. But, this will be my only vehicle, so I have to think of parking at least a little. This thing will be a boat anyhow, so not sure that some wider fenders will matter much.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would go with SRW. I drove a 1997 Dually GMC 4x4 and it sucked in the snow. My SRW F-250 and F-350 diesel 4x4's will go though a lot more. That being said the diesel trucks are not the best in the snow. My 1/2 ton Titan is much better. My F-350 really stunk with the Factory Continental Tires. I put on a set of Toyo and it is now a different truck. Dually are a pain in the rear to park, take it through the bank drive up, and fast food drive ups. Also how are your local roads? Mine are narrow and every dually has beat up fenders.

A properly equipped F-350 SRW will handle 16,000# on the 5th wheel no problems. Just make sure you get one with a high GVWR.

Chris

 

[wvpolekat]

Good info. I am assuming they lower PSI of ground pressure of the DRW is the reason for suckage in the snow.

As for diesel in the snow, it will just have to work. The v-10 is about the best you can get for towing with a gasser, and it really has to work on the hills with the camper. I won't go with another gasser. And, the v-10 is thirsty.

Local roads are about the same as rural Indiana (I grew up by Linton), but nowhere near as straight. Good point on width.

 

[Bird]

Many years ago (1989 in fact), I bought a Chevy dually to pull my fifth-wheel travel trailer. I do prefer the dually for the stability and for the weight they can carry, but as has been said, they aren't the best for travel on slick surfaces. While visiting my in-laws in West Virginia, I pulled a U-Haul for my brother-in-law to move his son from college back home, backed the trailer into their yard to unload, and then found just on a hard surface, but green grass, I did some wheel spinning to get out of there.

Since that was our only vehicle for a couple of years, my wife did finally learn to make right turns without running over the curb.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Good info. I am assuming they lower PSI of ground pressure of the DRW is the reason for suckage in the snow.

As for diesel in the snow, it will just have to work. The v-10 is about the best you can get for towing with a gasser, and it really has to work on the hills with the camper. I won't go with another gasser. And, the v-10 is thirsty.

Local roads are about the same as rural Indiana (I grew up by Linton), but nowhere near as straight. Good point on width.

Yes, the bigger foot print of a dually is the issue in the snow. I know quite a few guys with dually's who push snow and better than 1/2 take off the outers in the winter to allow the rear of the truck to sink and get to the pavement.

As for the diesel engine the issue is weight. It makes the front of the truck heavy so it likes to sink and plow in heavy snow. I have been stuck more in less snow in my diesels than I have in my 1/2 tons. My F-150's were the best trucks in the snow until I got my Titan last year. Its by far the best I have driven.

I know Linton well. I lived in Terre Haute for 5 years or so and used to hit many strip pits down that way. Many good friends live in Sullivan and Bloomfield so I get down that way 3-4 times a year. While they get snow its nothing like we get up in Norther Indiana around Muncie.

I wanted a Dually in 2003 when I got my 2004 F-250. The dealer talked me out of it by insisting I take it on a test drive. He knew me well. He said take it to WalMart, the ATM, through our local Taco Bell (its really tight), ect. I made it to WalMart and Taco Bell for a coke and went back and got the SRW.

Chris

 

[ol'oilburner]

I agree with SRW idea, the only time you would benefit from DRW is when you're pulling your fifth wheel. The bumper pull trailers won't make much of a difference one way or the other and as for the diesel, a good set of tires in the snow makes all the difference in the world. I've got an '04 Dodge with a Cummins in it and I love it in the snow.

 

[turbo36]

Yes, the bigger foot print of a dually is the issue in the snow. I know quite a few guys with dually's who push snow and better than 1/2 take off the outers in the winter to allow the rear of the truck to sink and get to the pavement.

As for the diesel engine the issue is weight. It makes the front of the truck heavy so it likes to sink and plow in heavy snow. I have been stuck more in less snow in my diesels than I have in my 1/2 tons. My F-150's were the best trucks in the snow until I got my Titan last year. Its by far the best I have driven.

I know Linton well. I lived in Terre Haute for 5 years or so and used to hit many strip pits down that way. Many good friends live in Sullivan and Bloomfield so I get down that way 3-4 times a year. While they get snow its nothing like we get up in Norther Indiana around Muncie.

I wanted a Dually in 2003 when I got my 2004 F-250. The dealer talked me out of it by insisting I take it on a test drive. He knew me well. He said take it to WalMart, the ATM, through our local Taco Bell (its really tight), ect. I made it to WalMart and Taco Bell for a coke and went back and got the SRW.

Chris

If you have 4wd, then the diesel isn't a problem. I used to run diesel F250 crew cabs with the long wheelbase back when I raced snowmobiles. Did a lot of driving deep into Canada, 80 mph in 4" of fresh snow wasn't a problem. I always ran the Firestone Steeltex 80 psi tire.

 

[DIRTROAD]

I am in the process of changing one of my trucks over to DRW. My issue is that I have had blowouts while towing and that is not fun if you are SRW. My vote would be to go ahead and get the dually.

 

[MikePA]

Our farrier got a Chevy Duramax 3500 DRW, 4 x 4, crew cab, 8' bed a few years ago. He carries a forge plus all his other farrier equipment in an 8 foot, self contained unit that gets lowered into the truck bed the day he buys the truck and it stays until he trades it in. He also hauls a dual axle equipment trailer with a large Kubota tractor every now and then. I asked him why the DRW. He said the backend of his SRW trucks (his previous truck was a Dodge) wandered all over the place. DRW solved that problem.

 

[Diamondpilot]

If you have 4wd, then the diesel isn't a problem. I used to run diesel F250 crew cabs with the long wheelbase back when I raced snowmobiles. Did a lot of driving deep into Canada, 80 mph in 4" of fresh snow wasn't a problem. I always ran the Firestone Steeltex 80 psi tire.

I am talking about going through 12" of fresh stuff or more. I can run my little Saturn though 4" of snow. Well maybe at 30 mph, not 80. Anyway the heavier front end seemed to be a negative compared to my 3/4 ton gasser I had and the many 1/2 tons.

The end result is I would only personally own a Dually if it was a fair weather vehicle that spent its life on the paved roads pulling a big GN or 5th wheel. You could not give me one for a daily driver.

As for a blow out they have that going for them on 50% of the tires but what about the fronts? Heck, around here all the Semi's are converting over to Singles to beat the tax man.

Chris