Single Wheel or Dual Wheel??

**Dick Noble** · 12-31-2019, 05:28 PM

Will never have a srw for towing again. Stability, safety and carrying ability all make it so. I have noticed that the Ford Trucks do seem to steer a bit differently -- that is, I have to stay on the wheel harder compared to a Chevy. I can't compare to a Dodge because I've never owned one. I can't brag about the mileage towing or not. I can brag about the power.

**reeldirtydawg** · 01-07-2020, 08:36 AM

I honestly think the DRW turns sharper than the SRW, maybe just that I'm enjoying driving a the new truck

Question-Tire rotations, been 20+ years since I owned a DRW, what's the best method for rotating tires with regards to front to back? I assume they have to un-mount and remount all of the tires?

**WhittleBurner** · 01-07-2020, 08:45 AM

Have had Ford and GMC SRW trucks and the GMC turns a lot sharper than the Ford. Took a GMC DRW for a test ride thinking about it but the rough ride and the very wide turning radius turned us off. If I was to ever get a DRW it would be the F450.

**Overtaxed** · 01-07-2020, 09:00 AM

Having just gone from a 250 to a 450, I can say, I'm pretty sure it turns faster (the 450). It's almost like an amusement park ride when you crank it all the way over, it's insane how fast it turns. It's like driving a forklift. Now, of course, a big part of that is the sheer size of the thing, no, it's not THAT fast, but, for it's size, it turns ridiculously quickly!

**Txfivver** · 01-07-2020, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by Overtaxed

Having just gone from a 250 to a 450, I can say, I'm pretty sure it turns faster (the 450). It's almost like an amusement park ride when you crank it all the way over, it's insane how fast it turns. It's like driving a forklift. Now, of course, a big part of that is the sheer size of the thing, no, it's not THAT fast, but, for it's size, it turns ridiculously quickly!

Haha that makes me even more anxious to get mine, should be much easier to maneuver a 41 ft trailer in tight RV parks which is most of them!

**geotex1** · 01-07-2020, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by reeldirtydawg

Question-Tire rotations, been 20+ years since I owned a DRW, what's the best method for rotating tires with regards to front to back? I assume they have to un-mount and remount all of the tires?

In this day and age, those using our DRWs to tow heavy really don't rotate, especially with the heavy diesels up front and with no-one running plain Jane wheels anymore. You just end up with vibration problems for the trouble.

If you still want to rotate, and are ok with the expense of breaking off the tires to do so and then road force balance, side-circle is still the best rule. That is, for each side, move steer tire to outside rear position, outside rear to inside rear position, inside rear to steer.

**Steven@147** · 01-08-2020, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by geotex1

In this day and age, those using our DRWs to tow heavy really don't rotate, especially with the heavy diesels up front and with no-one running plain Jane wheels anymore. You just end up with vibration problems for the trouble.

If you still want to rotate, and are ok with the expense of breaking off the tires to do so and then road force balance, side-circle is still the best rule. That is, for each side, move steer tire to outside rear position, outside rear to inside rear position, inside rear to steer.

That is one thing I don't like about our 2018 Ram, the crappy TPMS system. Its a monitoring system only on the 3500, not a warning system so it wont inform the driver of low tire air pressure. You have to select the TPMS screen on the driver display and look at the tire pressures yourself.
For rotating, we have the factory alcoa rims on the outside and the rear inner duals are steel rims. Rotation - Rear inner steel rims side to side inner swap only. Alcoa rims front to back and outside rear only. To do otherwise screws up the TPMS system.

**phonemannn** · 01-08-2020, 09:48 AM

I have a '17 F350, I wish I would have purchased the F450, for the turning radius...Same price almost...

**Overtaxed** · 01-11-2020, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by phonemannn

I have a '17 F350, I wish I would have purchased the F450, for the turning radius...Same price almost...

Yeah, it's very marginal difference. In fact, I'm going to make a bit of a bold statement here, because there's so little difference in price between the HD pickups.. There are certain trucks that simply should not exist. An F250 makes no sense, just get rid of it and go straight to a 350. And, while I'm at it, the F350 DRW shouldn't exist either, just get rid of that and go to a F450. No, there's nothing wrong with either truck, but, in almost all cases, an F350 is better than a 250 and the uplift in price is almost nothing. And, similarly, in almost all cases, a F450 is better than a F350 DRW. I drove them both pretty extensively, a F450 was, to me, indistinguishable in the cab from a F350 DRW. Except when you turn, then it's significantly better. And I drove an F350 when shopping for my 250, it was identical in driving experience, the only reason I buy it is because they didn't have the options I wanted. The F250 exists only to skirt regulations, IMHO, about the GVWR of the vehicle. So, if you want, offer a F350 with a <10K derate on it. But having a 250 and 350 SRW really doesn't make much sense. And having a 350 DRW and 450 also, IMHO, doesn't make much sense.

**boyscout** · 01-15-2020, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by phonemannn

I have a '17 F350, I wish I would have purchased the F450, for the turning radius...Same price almost...

Ditto with me. I went to buy one in 2017 and the salesman talked me out of it despite that he had one in stock. He extolled the 350 short box for ease of parking in day-to-day use, lower fuel cost due to the higher gear ratio and lower weight, and something else (I forget).

In our first year pulling a Reflection I thought I'd made the right choice in listening to him. We towed on (as it turned out) well-maintained highways to and around in flat-land Florida, where we stayed almost exclusively in expensive well-maintained resorts on big pull-through sites, and it felt like we had more than enough truck for the job that was also not bad for traveling around without the trailer.

Second year we had a Solitude, traveled more and became more adventurous in our travels. The Solitude is the same length and only a little heavier but it's quite a bit more-noticeable back there, nudging more in curves and bucking more over bad roads, truck works pretty hard and drinks a lot of fuel up and down hilly roads (like the Ozarks), and since I'm maneuvering it into more tight sites than before I'm more aware (as have been some of the experienced campground people directing me) of its turning limitations.

Our little Solitude also brings us close to the 350's limits on what it should be towing. While the 450's *legal* limits aren't a whole lot higher (because rating it higher would change its commercial rating in many places) it is built much stronger.

I was online last night, the 2020 F-450 has arrived at local dealers, 10-speed transmission with extra controls for towing plus all the other things we've really liked about our 350. I needed a handkerchief. Still not a lot more money than the new 350, but it's a lot more money for someone who has already paid for the depreciation on a new 2017 350.

Hope this helps someone make the best and most future-proof choice for themselves.