If you do, let me know. I might buy your stock fenders as I am seriously considering a DRW conversion on mine.

 

I love my dually. It is my first. I used to pull a 14K 5er with a 3/4 ton short box Chevy with D/A. It was a perfect hook. When I went to the 18K 5er, it was way too much so I went with the F-350 DRW. Night and day difference in handling. No more tail waggin the dog. Yahoo!! As long as I tow over 14K, I will always have a DRW.

I get 18-19 highway @ 75 empty,
13-14 city empty,
and 8-10 highway @ 75 loaded to the hilt draggin my 18K 5er.

 

Before my F450, I've always had 1-ton SRW rigs. I prefer them for manauvering on the job site, parking in the city and the looks. My wife is also not a fan of the dually, though with the widetrack front end I don't mind it as it's quite well proportioned.

I got this dually as I tow a backhoe so twice week so I'm right at 30,000 GCWR. Going to use our 379 dump now it's rebuild is complete so I'll be looking for a new 35 series SRW pickup.

Towing the camper which is 15 ready to tow is fine with an F350 SRW, as is anything that keeps the truck to 11,500GVWR. Above that, a dually is the answer but I do prefer a one ton srw.

 

IMO I think it comes down to what your primary use will be. Around town, occasinal camper pull, quad trailer etc...SRW. If your talking slide out, 5er or a lot of trailering miles, I would do DRW. My personal truck is a SRW. The most I pull is 3k. My work trucks are both DRW. The 350 hauls 5k in a dump box regularly and the 450 pulls a 10k trailer. Not that the 350 couldnt pull that trailer, but the 450 has an easier time due to the 4:10 gearing.

 

I agree with the folks above as far as needing DRW for heavy towing and hauling. But I use my truck off the road every weekend and in the winter I often have to drive through deep snow. DRW can act like chock-blocks in the snow and get stuck easier. I don't think they work well off the road in the summer either. I do not tow heavy trailers nor do I need to exceed the payload of the SRW 350. So for off road and deep snow, SRW is the only way to go.

 

Very good points.

 

Been towing my 5er for many many miles with my srw. I too do a fair amount of running thru the brush and stuff so a dually would not work.

I get along just fine.

 

It probably won't be till September at the earliest (I'm ordering up a 2012 truck, 350 DRW) and then I still have to come up with the $$$. But I'll definitely be willing to let the old ones go once its done. Of course I'm making the assumption that it will actually be doable.

Marchare011, thanks for posting your average speed with your mpg. I know there can be a big difference between 60 and 75mph, so its nice to know what I can realistically expect from a 350 with my driving habbits. I'm getting 16 if I'm lucky out of my 450.

 

Why? The look?

I was going to chip in earlier in this thread but got busy and forgot about it. When I was looking to replace my '08 I was looking for an SRW F350 only; I would not consider a DRW.

DRW trucks are more expensive to operate, require more care when driving and parking, and will only see a material benefit when towing heavy. Instead of wearing out 4 tires they wear out 6. DRWs have much less weight per tire when running empty which can make for some scary handling on snow and ice. And finally they have a significant fuel economy penalty; many SRW owners report 19-22 highway MPGs while most DRW guys have stated 15-17 highway.

Are you unsatisfied with the way yours handles your towing needs?

 

Doesnt the SRW ride better with the 20 inch wheels vs the DRW trucks?

I used to have a 45 foot gooseneck trailer pulling race cars and tool boxes. I have since sold it and bought a 28 alum trailer for the race cars. I pull that trailer and an open trailer with two atv's so I am probably going to go to a SRW. I dont have much need and its less tires. I do love the look of the DRW though. Also the SRW will get better mileage. Maybe someone can comment on this but I think the SRW rides better.

 

I like a SRW because I live where it snows and use my truck year-round. The front tire makes a track for the rear to follow. Not so well with DRW. I don't need the extra weight or the extra weight-carrying capability. Not to mention paying for two more tires every 50,000 miles.

 

I drove a 1/2 ton chevy for many years. During part of that time, a year or so, I drove long haul dealer trading cars in a diesel 2005 F-350 DRW with a 2 car goose neck. Fully loaded I was about 24-25,000lbs.

My chevy wasn't the greatest tow rig. Although, being a 1/2 ton truck that is to be expected. The rear end would sag and running miles on the highway was like driving a bowl of jello. Driving the work rig is what turned me on to the Super Duties. I got better mileage in the work rig than I did with my chevy at less than half the weight - and it was tons more stable.

I don't have a need to roll 25,000lbs down the road at the moment, but the Super Duties are stout trucks all around. My F-250 was a dream to pull with over my chevy. I am replacing the F-250 with an F-350, though the difference between the two (short box F-250, long box F-350 SRW) isn't really a whole lot. The rear springs are the same - just a taller block in the F-350. I suppose the long bed would make more of a difference than anything, but still nothing to write home about.

I would say if you are buying a truck pretty much only for pulling then go with a DRW as it really doesn't cost much more than an SRW. With dealer discounts and rebates it may very well be a wash with the deal you get.

If you are buying a truck for daily driving and pulling every now and then, get a SRW.

 

there are pro's and con's to every aspect on how a truck is setup.
why NOT a DRW,you ask.

1.higher purchase price than SRW.
2.two more tires to buy/rotate/mount and balance costs etc.
3.less fuel economy due to more weight to turn,and increased rolling resistance.
4.less traction.due to the higher surface area,the duals will float much more.
5.increased ride firmness.
6.wider,makes it harder to fit in some places.more caution is required.

these con's have all been mentioned above by others,but thought id just post and say i can confirm them all.
fear not though,because if you haul or tow heavy often,then the con's of a dually are far superseded by their pro's.
i wouldn't suggest buying one simply for style.it's a waste of a lot of $ over the ownership duration imho.
if you have a need (not just a serious want lol) for a DRW,then the SRW wont hold a candle,and you'll never go back after having a dually.

 

I agree completely.... A dually is made for pulling and if you tow heavy, it's the right tool for the job

 

I had a Dodge Cummins DRW that I bought new. It was a great truck but all the cons that people point out here were true. My SRW F350 will pull my 5er just fine.