Hey guys im going crazy I can't decide whether I want a Dually or non dually 08 Superduty everyone tells me I will hate a dually for parking and convienice of getting around as a daily driver what are your thoughts? Towing will not be an issue.....

 

I love my 350 dually. True, parking is a chore, so I know that when I go shopping that I'll need to park in the north 40 and take up four spaces for the length (I have a Long box crew cab) and width.

Also, I get to work early enough to have spaces on both sides of me when I back in. The duals sit right on the parking stripe, but at least they are next to the curb so others can park next to me (I can get out easy enough, but I'm not good enough yet at backing her up). Parking is at a premium at my work (people bitch about others who take up two spaces all the time) and the CEO sees me park my rig most mornings.

FYI, I tow a 10,000 lb fiver.

 

fenders on the dually are only as wide as the tow mirrors when they are retracted are they not? so just make sure your mirrors can actually clear and not just travel above the obstacles and you'll be fine that way if you get the dually

 

If you don't have a need to haul or tow a very heavy load, you don't need a dually. But if you're like me, I also enjoy the looks of my 450 dually when it's not towing or hauling a load.

 

I had a SRW F-350 Ford, then purchased a Dulie. My current truck is a SRW 350 and I'm so glad I got rid of the dulie. Why. I constantly worried about someone taking out my rear fenders in a parking lot. But most of all, it fit's my garage much easier. Sure I could get the dulie in but the SRW is much easier. I tow a 10K trailer and I can not tell the difference between the dulie and SRW. When you need tires, the SRW is nice. Once, I had a flat and had a hell of a time getting the dulie wheels apart. That may just be me, we have a lot of salt on the roads here in MN. I love the look of a dulie but as long as a SRW will get the weight I carry down the road, I'll be driving a SRW.
Paul

 

Thanks for all your thoughts guys Its helping me decide... But I still dont know Im going to the dealer tomorrow but I think the SRW might be more practical but I llove the dually look sooo aggressive.

What to do what to do !!!!

 

Get the DRW parking isn't that bad once you get used to it DD is no problem either

 

Tires are the biggest problem with a dwr. You are almost limited to the OEM tire size due to rim width and the spacing needed between the rear set of tires. Also, if you have the nice alloy rims, the tires need to be broken down and remounted front to back if you want to rotate properly. Sometimes that is a PITA if there is an inexperianced tire technician messing with your expensive rims and more expensive truck. Other than a little caution when parking and driving on narrow lanes (roads under construction) the dually is great pulling a 5er on wet roads, or pulling all that weight up steep unpaved inclines. Also, if you have one of those LANCE slide in campers, the dually seems to handle better than with single rears. I tow quite a bit in my business and for recreation and I have had just about every combination of pick up made, all that to say that the dually suits my needs best.

 

Ford makes non-dually SD's??? What for???

(I'm just kidding about that.)

Like anything else you get used to the size of the truck pretty quick. There are some inconveniences. I don't fit through my bank and some fast food drive throughs. There are no full-service car washes that my truck will fit in, other than the one's for semi's, and they do a poor job. And some places have small parking lots that make it a little rough. You're not really limited in tire size, you just have to put a little more work and $ into it than the SRW folks to get what you want and keep it safe. I think I'm pretty much hooked-on dually's and I'm not so sure I could go back to a SRW. For me there was a huge difference in towing between the SRW and the dually. With the SRW my wife wouldn't drive while we were towing because she said it felt "squirrelly", but with the dually she feels perfectly comfortable (I only noticed a difference in heavy crosswinds, as would be expected). And not having to drive is worth any of the other little issues I may have run across.

 

I'm on my third dually and take it everywhere. It's got 53K in less than two years. As far as parking goes I put my vehicles far away to avoid dents, so doing a little walking was no big deal. For me it was looks and towing stability because of a long TT.

 

Towing a lot, imo, is the only good reason to get a dually.

The DRW models do not 4WD offroad nearly as well as a SRW. Then there is the size issue for parking and what not. I have dualies, they aren't that bad to put up with, you do get used to them. However I wouldn't choose one unless I felt I needed it. To me that need equates to towing heavy and often.

 

Dually's add considerable unsprung weight so the ride is going to be bouncer. They really don't perform well for road use. Dually's also double the rotation mass. Because tires have rotational mass they not only need to spin up to speed but they also need to gain forward momentum. The extra weight is actually doubled when it comes to calculating, "acceleration losses" and "reduced braking" issues. Don't forget the greater coefficient of drag of the wider profile is also going to effect your gas mileage. Also they won't fit in those touch-less automated car washes and they can be tricky in the drive thru. They are also placed in the lightest end of the pickup and the double patch area greatly increase your change of hydroplaning.

If you don't NEED them to pull a "very heavy" load then why bother?

 

I would not trade my dually for anything! This is my first and I love it. I work in Cambridge Ma and have no problem getting around, my truck is my daily driver. I tow a heavy fifthwheel so I do need it but I love driving it! I have no problems parking it or backing it up. Just love my dually!! Great stability towing and not towing.

Take care,

 

Had a 2003 dually crew cab long bed back when I was still in the horse business.
My new found love (a long time and near famous horse trainer) decided she would take it off my hands. About a year later I drove it to a dealer (a covert operation) and traded it off on a King Ranch SRW. I was in the barn for about 2 months until she got used to the Ranch. She drove duallies all her life. It is just what you get used to.

 

My self I like a Dually. I think they hold the road better. Handle a load better. Only draw back I see se buying 2 extra tires.