F350 Dual or Single Rear End?

[D9 Mechanic]

I am interested in buying an F350 Super Duty 4x4 Diesel. I plan on getting a 25-30 foot 5th wheel in the near future and would like to know what others think about the two compared to each other. I would occasionaly like to take the truck hunting in Colorado so it would be expected to do some minor offroading on some muddy roads.
Is there a disadvantage to the Dual wheel set up. I am just now hearing that there is an alingment issue with the dual wheel configuration. There is a bunch of cowboys that I know of that all swear by the dual wheels
and rave about how stable it is while towing. Does it justify the extra wheels in back?
Is there a problem with taking the Dual wheels off road on say,.. a Jeep Trail?
Appreciate any input,
Thanks

[ModMech]

Wether or not to get duals depends mostly on what the hitch loading will be.

I know LOTS of folks with 5th wheels that use SRW, and lots that have DRWs, the only reason to get DRW is IF you NEED (or want) the additional "toungue" loading capacity.

[D9 Mechanic]

Thanks for the timely reply! I have it in mind that the extra wheels will cost alot up front and that there may be a problem with alingment and cupping that I have disovered in my research on line. I had not originaly thought of going to DRW but was convinced by several individuals that own horse trailers that the stability and ride warrant the extra cost. Any other problems taking these guys off road or just driving around town?
Thanks again for the reply

[Lumberjak]

Them cowboys swear by em for good reason. They work! If there is a down side to dual wheels, it's cost. More money up front and six tires instead of four. I would base it on percentage of use. A couple of weeks a year pulling a trailer or hunting is a questionable amount of usage to justify the cost. The dually is also wider and a little bit harder to navigate on tight trails. If you are going to pull a trailer a lot, the dually is the only way to go. A large travel trailer is gonna catch a lot of side winds and you will appreciate the stable feel the dually offers. Mine pulls heavy loads and goes off-road much of the time. They track better, ride better and move through rough country better when heavy loads are involved.

Alignment problems, you tell me, just put on my 4th set of tires @ 181000 miles.

Maintenence costs = minimal. Brakes of course, a trans cooler line broke, short is glow plug circuit, new batteries and a couple of headlight elements. Mileage = about 13 to 14 but hey, this truck works....not a grocery getter driveway ornament.

[D9 Mechanic]

Lumberjack,
What a very eloquent way of putting it! I appreciate the reply and value your opinion, even more so since you speak from experience. I have a 19 foot deep hull boat that I was towing with my Expedition. Though the boat is heavy for a 19 footer, I was under the impression the Expedition would tow it with no problems, and it did untill the tranny went out at 62K miles. I had no warning or anything. I am confident the F350 will tow the boat with no problem but I am retiring early and hope to aquire a 25-30 foot 5th wheel. Having never owned such a rig I am not even sure what they weigh. Do you think that is considered a heavy load. Does it justify a dual rear end? Unfortunately this vehicle will be a grocery go getter for me as well, since it will replace my Expedition. Is the dual wheel setup that hard to park and maneuver in the City?
Appreciate your thoughts on the matter.
Am I to understand that there does exsist a problem with alingment on these dual wheel rigs?
Thanks again for your time.

[Lumberjak]

I would have thought your Expedition could handle the boat as well. I figure they run the same transmission as the F150. Did you opt for the towing package? Heat kills transmissions and the tow pack usually includes an auxilliary trans cooler.

I have not heard of or experienced any alignment problems. I assume you are speaking of problems other than just normal front end alignment. You mentioned tire cupping? Like problems caused by worn shocks?

Look at it like this, a dually is just a heavy duty truck with a wider foot print. It will be better sprung because of the higher load capacity. Add up stronger and wider and you get more stability. Understand that a dually is my preference. Not everyone will agree with me but a dually is simply a better choice for what I use it for.

Maneuverability: You'll find an extra back-up needed in tight spots or learn to park more out of the way. Might clip a curb once in a while till you get used to the width. Mine has carried groceries, not proud of it but the wife made me.

All else being equal, If I had to get down to just one truck, it would be a dually. One thing I should mention, even with a big stout F350 DRW, a heavy trailer requires you lock that auto tranny out of overdrive. Even with a light trailer, I lock mine in direct ( 3 ) if the road is curvy of hilly. It works them too hard trying to maintain speed in overdrive.

Good luck to ya, hope I have helped.

[precislawn]

Another recommendation for the Dually here. I use my 92 F350 everyday to pull a six thousand pound lawn service trailer around city streets. Yes it will cost you a fortune for new tires since you will need six rather than four, but the stability of the load is well worth the added expense. With Duals the brakes are larger and stopping a heavy load will be a bit better than single rear wheel.

I must say I have the alignment adjusted once a year on this truck, so what you have found on the internet may be true, not sure about the newer trucks out there though.

The only cons to the Dual rear wheels is when loading and unloading from the bed, the wide fenders are in the way and can easily be damaged.

Second is parking this beast. Not sure what model of cab you have in mind but the crew cabs are super long, 21ft from bumper to bumper. I have the crew cab model with a 76" wheel base, trying to park in a straight in parking stall is next to impossible. Both rear wheels will be on the lines in smaller stalls, so not much room for other cars next to you. To prevent door dings and ease backing, I use two stalls. Straight in stalls are the worst get in is ok but getting out is another story. If you decide on the Dually some thought before parking will be needed. Get used to parking in the back of the parking lot and take up two stalls, its worth the extra walk.

[ModMech]

I agree completely with the "how much" you actaully tow idea. If only a few times, for shorter trips, it is definately NOT worth the hassle or added expense, unless you NEED the additional capacity.

Your Expy can tow, when PROPERLY equipped, 8500#. That means Class V Towing package, which I'm fairly sure you don't have. If you tow more than 1500#, you NEED a vehicle with the appropriate towing package based on weight.

I've pulled 6,000# 5th wheel camper with our '99 F-150, and a 7,500# car trailer. ALL 5th wheels pull better than the ball-hitch types. If the truck is properly equipped to tow the load, it really does not make a huge difference wether you have DRW or not.

All F-350s wether they are SRW or DRW have EXACTLY the same brakes, I know I work for a fleet of them. Lots of SRW E-350s, a few DRW E-350s, and lots of F-350/F-550 DRWs.

The single fastest way to ruin a Ford AT is to overheat it, the second is to not change the ATF every 30,000 miles (normal driving), or YEARLY is you tow a lot. My Dad's '99 Expy w/Class V trailertow has about 98,000 on it, no troubles at all.