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Old 06-08-2012, 08:18 AM   #1
bigracenut
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1 ton TV question

Ok..... 1 ton it is..... do I go with a dually or single rear wheels. The single rear wheel short bed will fit into my garage which is a big plus! I am looking at a Dodge 3500 short bed. Coach will more than like be a Montana 3665RE or 3625RL.

I see a lot of you pulling with single wheel trucks.

Advice and opinions??
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Old 06-08-2012, 08:53 AM   #2
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We all have opinions! LOL!
If I were buying new I would go dually long bed. More payload with dual rear tires, plus the safety factor of the extra tire if one blows! With both long bed and dual rears it should be super stable.
Dually just cost 50% more when it comes to tires!
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Old 06-08-2012, 09:23 AM   #3
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No argument here ... duals are safer and more stable. BUT if you are using it as a daily driver be prepared to hunt for parking spots that you can fit into. If you are absolutely positive you will never go beyond the limits of single rear wheel, I would stay with that. If a few years down the road you see yourself in a bigger trailer GO DUALLY now !!! I drive a 2500 long bed quad cab and I know what it is like to not fit in parking spots ..... many times I have to fold in mirrors and that is single rear wheels. JM2¢, Hank
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Old 06-08-2012, 09:31 AM   #4
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bigracenut,

Towing capacity aside -- Does the truck you're considering also have enough available payload capacity
(after passengers/fuel, etc) for the 'loaded' pin weight, plus the 200 lbs (+/-) 5th wheel hitch?
Use 20% of a 5th wheel's GVWR to estimate the loaded pin weight. I'm guessing you'll need the dually
for the trailers you've chosen.


Montana 3665RE was discontinued for 2013... only 2012's "current dealer stock" will be available.
http://www.keystone-montana.com/inde...65RE&year=2012

2012 3665RE Specs
Shipping Weight 12558
Carrying Capacity 3192
Hitch 2220
Length 37' 6
GVWR 15,750


Montana 3625 'RE' Specs (2012 & 2013 the same)
Shipping Weight 12751
Carrying Capacity 3019
Hitch 2270
Length 38' 6
GVWR 15,770

http://www.keystone-montana.com/inde...25RE&year=2013



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Old 06-08-2012, 09:46 AM   #5
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have to agree that parking will be an issue but i still prefer my daully for safety and load and stability over the single. on my doge the rule othumb is if the mirrors fit the wheels will fit too. like you it don't fit in the garage. i got cought with having a 2500 td when the dw said i really like this camper and 20 mins later she walked out to it and said we can take our time moving the stuff over that's what happens when you bring her to the dealership. just wait you'll see
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Old 06-08-2012, 06:32 PM   #6
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Word of caution about Keystone Pin weight specs, they typically are grossly on the lite side. Our Montana had a spec'd pin weight of 19 something, but loaded for travel it was 2600. Ask anyone who has actually weighed there rig and you will generally find the pin weigh much more than the brochure specs. So with that being said, more than likely the real world pin weights of either unit will be pushing 3K which will most likey push the limits of any SRW TV, so save the headache when that next rig is even bigger and get the dually now.
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Old 06-08-2012, 07:28 PM   #7
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Yep would agree that pin spec is low we look to be at about 2,300# with our about 11K to 12k 5er!
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Old 06-10-2012, 06:04 AM   #8
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Drw

Regarding tow vehicle, when I researched it all, the only vehicle that would safely tow the weight range of the Montana I was getting (15.5k) is a one ton dual rear wheel. Even with the DRW one ton, I am just comfortably within weight specs - the limiting factor being the payload. Doesn't matter that the brochure states it will tow 21,500 if the payload (pin weight) is too high you're not within the tow ratings.

I got the camper certification for the F-350 DRW and the maximum allowable payload weight is 3,727 pounds and the maximum vehicle weight is 13,300. Truck is about 9,000 pounds. This is the highest payload version, even more than the F-450 (due to it's added weight). The brochure states a payload of 5,990 for the Crew Cab 4X4 Long Bed diesel DRW, so you have to be very careful not to always follow the brochure numbers as the difference in my case is huge between brochure of 5,990 and actual payload of 3,727 pounds.

After gear, fuel, and hitch, and depending on what percentage you estimate for pin weight, even with a DRW diesel I am right near the maximum for towing a 15,500 pound Montana. Twenty percent of 15,500 would be 3,100 pounds for pin weight, so it's within capacity but not by much. This only leaves 627 pounds for gear, hitch, etc. This is why I feel if a DRW is that close on being within weight specifications, that anything less than a one ton DRW is not within specs of towing a trailer with a gross weight of 15,500. As some on here will tell you, I didn't necessarily WANT a DRW, but when we picked out the trailer we wanted and saw that it was 15,500 gross, that told us we needed a DRW to tow it properly.
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Old 06-10-2012, 09:18 AM   #9
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Drw

For us, the DRW was exactly what we wanted, once n' a lifetime purchase, extremely happy so far. While I have no intention of changing our trailer (this was 'onetime' as well..) if we were to entertain others, the DRW truck opens options without worrying about changing the TV as well.
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Old 06-10-2012, 05:43 PM   #10
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I am on my 5th dually. Currently own 2, one 2000 7.3 and now a '12 6.7 and in between the '00 and '12 were two 6.0s the trucks were great it's the engines that killed me. Well I will now get away from that subject and get back on topic. The '00 is setup with a large lift, 22 inch rims and made to haul it's load in the bed. It regularly hauls water in a 625 gallon tank. The '12 is setup for towing but I am not a 5th wheel guy, maybe one day being a member of this site, but I tow everything from a two place sled trailer at less then 2k to a big 28 foot fiberglass boat on a triple axle(about 22k gcw last time on scale) and everything in between and I would never ever consider going back to a single rear wheel. I needed to be rescued while stuck on the road with a 6 oh issue and my buddy has a single wheel F350. Glad he came to help but was not a comfortable feeling on the trip home. As a matter of fact he has now upgraded after borrowing my DRW to move some of his stuff around.

As far as parking....consider it good for your health and I about bet you will see alot less door dings, even parked in a regular spot. If I find someone not parked correctly and I can get in, I back in....... safer for me to pull out.
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Old 06-10-2012, 05:57 PM   #11
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Can't wait to tow with the DRW

My main towing experience has been a 27' travel trailer (lite) towed with an Expedition. It was within towing specs but way underpowered for the trailer. Also would get some sway even with the sway control bar. Talk about one extreme to the other. I will have a huge buffer on maximum trailer weight with the F350, and expect a lot of lateral stability with that extra set of tires on the ground. Have enjoyed breaking-in the truck, but can't wait to tow with it! Should be picking up the trailer next week if all goes well...
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Old 06-12-2012, 07:10 PM   #12
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If you do not overinflate the rears on DRW and wear out the centers, you will find that a DRW with somewhat regular tire rotations will out wear the tires on a SRW at least to the break even point of 4 versus 6.

Depending on weight and how heavy your right foot is, the difference can be much more than you would expect.
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:29 AM   #13
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I'd go bigger the better, I have a F-250 SRW and when I'm pulling my trailer sometimes I wish I had DRW, I'm right at thet max. for my truck with camper and gear loaded down. The other guys are right, I back into parking spots because it's easier when you leave, and parking spot's are sometimes a pain in the rearend, so with a DRW magnify that by 10.
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:40 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hansel View Post
I'd go bigger the better, I have a F-250 SRW and when I'm pulling my trailer sometimes I wish I had DRW, I'm right at thet max. for my truck with camper and gear loaded down. The other guys are right, I back into parking spots because it's easier when you leave, and parking spot's are sometimes a pain in the rearend, so with a DRW magnify that by 10.
What's funny, is it seems so much wider but the DRW is actually only 16" wider than the SRW. And, the mirrors unextended are 9" wider than the DRW rearend anyway, and 14" wider than the rearend when extended. I definitely do the backing in too to keep the "hips" out of the way. I also park in the outskirts so no one thinks I'm hogging up two (or four in some cases LOL) spaces and just look at it as a little walking exercise.
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Old 06-13-2012, 05:05 AM   #15
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The heads-up backup camera in the tail gate is an absolute must! I can barely back up my DW's Volkswagen CC because there's no camera!

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Old 06-13-2012, 06:25 AM   #16
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The heads-up backup camera in the tail gate is an absolute must! I can barely back up my DW's Volkswagen CC because there's no camera!

Ron
Good point, my brother had a funny store with a guy that worked at the base with him, was at the mall backing into a spot (GMC 3500 CC DRW 4X4) and backed onto a Honda Accord and never even knew it until he got out of the truck.
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Old 06-13-2012, 11:16 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by geo View Post
The heads-up backup camera in the tail gate is an absolute must! I can barely back up my DW's Volkswagen CC because there's no camera!

Ron
That is a sad statement, may be a nice feature, but if you can't backup without it is sad.
I remember my youngest daughter aceing her driving test in our F250, backing around a corner and parallel parking! It didn't even have power mirrors!
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Old 06-14-2012, 01:22 PM   #18
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If you do not overinflate the rears on DRW and wear out the centers, you will find that a DRW with somewhat regular tire rotations will out wear the tires on a SRW at least to the break even point of 4 versus 6.

Depending on weight and how heavy your right foot is, the difference can be much more than you would expect.
Joe is right on about inflation. I actually take mine down to about 50 PSI when not hauling. BTW I never rotate my tires unless I see funny wear on front, then I roatate them on the rim. I usually get right about 45 to 50k on the a set.
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Old 06-15-2012, 05:31 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by rhagfo View Post
That is a sad statement, may be a nice feature, but if you can't backup without it is sad.
I remember my youngest daughter aceing her driving test in our F250, backing around a corner and parallel parking! It didn't even have power mirrors!
I don't really think it is a sad statement. I think it is a great safety feature. Be glad your daughter did well on her driving test. It's always a source of pride when our children accomplish those modern day "right of passage" tasks. However, it's a tragedy when a simple safety feature could allow that future pride. Like one of our analysts, whose husband backed over their child. The child had ran around the house, down the passenger side of the SUV, and around the rear of it just as he backed out. They think the child was wanting to say good-bye.

Back up cameras in large vehicles are an absolute must. Why, even here on the Forum, there have been posts about putting backup cameras on towed RVs.

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Old 06-15-2012, 09:42 AM   #20
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Geo not saying not a great safety feature, the context was not being able to backup without it.
Now days people rely on technology too much, and not enough common sense!
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