How important is 4WD on a duallie?

[bdog]

As for CDL, as long as the truck is under CDL (26k) and not a primary use as tow vehicle (set up like a tractor with no bed), you shouldn't have to worry about a CDL. That said, ask 10 different DOT/Transport Police people and you'll likely get 11 different answers...

While I definitely agree there are a lot of gray areas in the DOT rules and you can get lots of different answers one thing that is very clear in the books and with every officer I have ever encountered (I have a DOT number and 5 trucks) is that they add the GVWR of the truck and the GVWR of the trailer to determine your status. If the two of them together add up to over 26k you need a CDL and everything that goes with it like logs books, commercial inspections, medical cards, DOT number, etc.

A lot of trailers have a GVWR of 14k so you want to make sure your truck is 12k GVWR or less if you are going to pull these trailers or else you can get into a big mess. I have the tickets to prove it.

In order to determine if you need a CDL license, you need, you need to understand how the Gross Vehichle Weight Rating (GVWR) is determined. First, the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) for each vehicle is established by the truck and trailer manufacturers for their equipment. For licensing purposes, your combined GVWR is determined by adding the Manufacturer's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of your Truck plus the Manufacturer's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of your trailer.

When do I need a CDL?

A Class A CDL License is required when the combination of the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) totals 26,001 or more provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
A Class B CDL License is required for any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds GVWR.
A Class C CDL License is required for any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials.

One of the most misunderstood parts of the above requirements has to do with trailers with a GVWR in excess of 10,000 pounds when the combined GVWR does not exceed 26,000 pounds. In this case a CDL is NOT required provided you are not placarded for hazardous materials. However individual states may impose a requirement that drivers in their states must have a CDL in this situation so you need to check the requirements in your state. It is also important to note that individual state CDL licensing requirements CAN NOT be applied to drivers from other states.

 

[johnk]

4WD in a vehicle is about as important as 4WD on a tractor. If you will never get into a slippery or sticky situation which will be about NEVER .....4WD rules...........

 

[Verticaltrx]

It didn't used to be that 4wd was as important, but for a fairly modern truck like you are looking at I would go with 4wd.

I have an old '69 F-350 2wd dually with a 11' flat bed on it and take it all over the place off-road. Around the farm, back in the mountains to cut wood, in the snow and mud, etc. With deep gears, a set of real aggressive tires and some 'spirited' driving I can take it a lot of places.

Now if I were looking at 'new' trucks like the PSD's you are considering I would definitely get 4wd. The newer trucks are much lower to the ground, heavier on the front end, geared higher and most people aren't willing to run rough tires on them anymore. If you are planning on staying on the pavement 95% of the time then 2wd might suffice.

 

[slowzuki]

A modern 2wd with a heavy 11' flatbed will go a lot of places too, but who wants to drag a 2000 lb flatbed around. I tend to use 4wd a lot with an empty trailer, trying to put it where its needed or just to move on wet grass. I've got a heavy power tailgate but the truck is still useless on wet grass in 2wd.

 

[timswi]

Skip the dually and get a SRW F-350. Mine is rated to tow just over 16,000#

As for 4x4 or not my 97 GMC 454 Dually was 4x4 but if left in 2 wheel drive it could not get up a gravel drive with a grade. It would get stuck everywhere. Places a Honda Civic could go with ease the truck would get stuck. Only truck I had that was worse was my 2001 Ford F-150 Lightning with about 400HP to the ground.

Get a 4x4 but if it were me I would skip the dually at all cost. I have had them and they do not track good in snow and mud even if in 4x4. The rear wheels can never figure out which set should follow the front wheels.

By the way my 06 F-350 SRW has a 11,500 GVWR and weighs 7,600# with me in it and 3/4 tank of fuel. That leaves 3,900# for the bed, hitch, ect.

Chris

Maybe the GMC had more torque than your Lightning, or the Civic..This has nothing to do with brand, my GMC will smoke 'em on a concrete driveway going up hill if I'm not careful, just sayin

 

[ljohnson778]

Maybe the GMC had more torque than your Lightning, or the Civic..This has nothing to do with brand, my GMC will smoke 'em on a concrete driveway going up hill if I'm not careful, just sayin

Does everything on here turn into a pi$$ing contest?

 

[nwngunner]

I have a 2000 dodge dully and i would never have a truck with out the drw again. I pull a 8 place hay huller, and a 4 horse trailer often. I have pulled the horse trailer full of calves on an 88 ford f350 srw 2x4 with air bag suspension and my dodge. The dodge pulls the trailer much much better. Also while the drw gets tricky some times in the snow and the mud, i have never once gotten my truck stuck. I came close, but never stuck. Like said above get your self a front hitch and a winch on it. Used the winch many times to tow the semi in to the drive in the winter, also use it for pulling the tractor out of two feet in the mud in my barn yard.

 

[Soundguy]

Does everything on here turn into a pi$$ing contest?

some of the guys that know chris doesn't like some GM products tend to immediatly turn any comment that's negative about gm into crusades..

I'm not overly fond of GM's based upon a couple bad experiences, one in the past, and one long term, ongoing. since those 2 experiences are the only gm's I've owned.. it's a bad / unlucky ratio... I've owned 2 and both were POS... you'd think with the law of averages, one of them would have been fine... Conversely, I've owned 2 chrusler products, and both were fine with only the normal associated problems, owned plenty of fords and again.. of all of them I havad a range of -0- problems to normal, with 1 exhibiting a couple quirks but nothing 'life threatoning'. Tried my hand at a kia.. car itself was ok, but the first time someone tapped my wifes bumper it totaled a BRAND NEW car. and I do mean totaled, and I do mean brand new, and I do mean 'tapped'. .. won't be owning one of those again...

vehicles are weird.. they are like people or dogs.. never know what you will get till you get to know them. even 'members' of the same family can be polar opposites.. weird...

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

I have a 2000 dodge dully and i would never have a truck with out the drw again. .

i'm leaning that way myself. I had a dodge halfton for years.. got rid of it for my current ford drw.. I like the rubber on the road.. I pull trailers often and am in less than perfect traction areas.

the extra minute to find parking and navigating thru a drive thru isn't a big deal.. nor is the slight increase in tire cost.

soundguy

 

[toppop52]

I've been driving since 1968 (legally), I've owned well north 150 vehicles including daily drivers, classics and work vehicles. I've owned around 10 Dodge trucks and several Jeeps with Chrysler V8's. I've owned a handful of Fords. Mostly I was raised on Fords, my dad worked for Ford. Early on I owned some Mopar performance cars, then really got into GM. The main reason was style and performance at the time, but when I got into business I soon discovered that brand loyalty made no financial sense, so I tried them all. I ended up using exclusively GM trucks for my deliveries, especially like the vans after the restyle in the mid nineties with wide opening rear doors, long load floor and low step in.
But I would never limit myself to 1-2 brands when I shop based on some sense of loyalty or 1-2 past experiences that may not even apply to models just a couple of years newer.
When I buy a new truck for personal use, I drive Ford, Dodge and GM, I read reviews by owners, pay very little attention to fickle magazine writers that change with the winds or like whatever brand advertises more that month.