So educate me! I’ve always had diesel 3500 4x4 dually to pull my 6 horse head to head. I’ve downsized to a 2+1 so I don’t have to have such a big truck.
Can I safely pull this fully loaded in a 2500 gas? Would still get 4x4 and possibly the dually question may influence bed size as I REALLY want to downsize.
I haul frequently but mostly under two hours. About 4 times per year I haul 12 to 13 hours, mostly along the east coast corridor.
I see so many people pulling goosenecks and 5th wheel with single axels… I’m jealous; or should I be…??
FWIW, I tow a 4Star 2+1 with a one ton (3500) single rear wheel with 4:10 gears with no trouble whatsoever. It is a diesel, but with the expense of the engine upgrade and the cost of diesel fuel, when this one is ready to be replaced I will seriously consider the same setup but with a gas engine. I will miss my exhaust brake for sure, so a lot to think about. You will like not having that extra width to deal with when you are not towing. Good luck!
The dually gives you a stability advantage with a gooseneck trailer. Particularly if you haul on a windy day you’ll note it. If you have a single blowout or flat with a dually you can slow down and get to a convenient place to stop.
But there are downsides. The truck has big “hips” and that’s a parking issue. If you ever get mired down in mud then you and your pressure washer will get a workout cleaning the mud out of the back end (ask me how I know! ). Not so hot in snow, either, but I don’t have that much experience, either.
Diesel vs. gas is likely a wash for most users. If you pull a lot then diesel is much easier on the driver and on trip planning. Big gassers don’t ever like to pass a gas station. You’ll swap 10-12 mi./gal on diesel for 7-8 mi./gal. on gas. On a 35 gal. tank that makes a BIG difference in overall trip time. Not every gas station is set up to handle truck-trailer combos. But gassers are a couple of cents cheaper a gal. to operate so maybe the inconvenience is balanced out.
I’m a fan of the long bed even though it can have some parking issues. If you have your own place with your horses it is vastly more convenient that a short bed in doing routine chores.
Since I don’t use my hauler as a daily driver I bias my decisions towards hauling and farm chores. If you have to use the truck as a commuter vehicle you might make other choices. Of course you’ll bring the wrath of the Greens upon you if you admit to commuting in a 250/2500 series vehicle of any type!!!
No simple, school answer here, I guess!!!
G.
P.S. I didn’t mention it but the “macho” advantage is clearly with the diesel dually long bed. If that means anything to you!!! :lol:
I wouldn’t ever go back to a bumper pull, having pulled goosenecks. I pull a 4 horse slant with dressing room with a 1 ton, srw, 4x4. If i went with a 2 wd i could save a bit a gas mileage, but i like knowing if the trailer sinks after being parked, or the roads get sqirrelly I’ve got it.
A friend of mine pulls a 2 horse straight load with a 3/4 ton truck and likes her set up pretty good.
If it were me, I’d ask to drive someone else’s rig first. I’ve been told the stability of a dually is too easy to get used to.
I had a 2500 diesel that I pulled a 3H GN w/ large dressing room all over the country for 10 years. It did great and I had zero issues with it. When that truck “retired” from my personal truck to being a work truck, I got a dually for hauling. I ended up going with the dually for a couple reasons- at a previous job, I hauled horses a lot and had a had blow out going down an interstate and was really impressed with the stability of the dually. I also regularly haul to competitions that are several hours away in remote areas and I am often by myself, so the ability to limp along if needs be makes me feel much more secure. There is the whole parking thing but honestly if you are used to driving it, I don’t find it a big deal at all. I have not found driving in the snow to be an issue- in fact, my newer dually is quite the beast in snow/ice. But I had heard that some of the older ones had problems with it.
So my totally unhelpful answer to your question OP is it depends lol!
You can pull that trailer with a single wheel. I have a 3500 Dually and it’s usually overkill for that trailer. But I live where we get random gale force winds and have very congested highway traffic. Being in the middle of nowhere on the highway with a sudden wind storm with some big dirt devil twisters popping up, I was so thankful for my equipment. Even coming to a near stop, it was scary. I have not once regretted having too much truck, but I also don’t use it as a daily driver.
I have been told some makers have short bed dually options now. I’ve never driven one. Of course any short bed will impact your turning with the GN, but that may or may not matter much to you since you are moving to a shorter trailer than you are used to.
I’ve been towing a 2+1 for about 18 months now - with my 2500HD silverado 4x4 gas non-dually. It’s been great. I moved up from a 2H BP and the increase in stability with the GN is amazing on the highway! I haul about once a week locally ( <1 hour) and once or twice a year for up to 12 hours. This set up has gone from MD over/through the Appalachians to Tryon, NC and Lexington, KY so far.
You likely don’t NEED one, but unless you are in a rather rare business you likely don’t need a horse, either! So it’s what you want and what will make you feel good.
Or, put another way, if it feels good, do it!!!*
G.
*Conversely, if it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it!!!
I hauled on the east coast for years with a SRW and other than the potential blowout issue (thankfully only had a trailer tire go not a truck tire), if I were you, I’d probably miss the diesel before missing the dually where you live and for shorter trips.
Look at the tow ratings. Most 3/4 ton gas single axle trucks will be ~ 12K.
What’s the trailer weight + horses + gear? If you’re comfortably below the limit then it’s personal preference/budget.
I bought a new truck/trailer a year ago and went with an F-250, gas, non-dually. I’m towing a two horse gooseneck and barely feel it behind the truck.
I had a lot of people recommend diesel when I was looking and finally decided it was more upfront money and more towing power than I really needed. I didn’t seriously consider a dually, but certainly did some drooling over them
Can you drive or ride in friends trucks to see what they feel like towing?
The primary benefit of the dually is handling cargo weight on the rear axle. If you don’t need the extra capacity that it provides you can buy the “regular” truck and be done with it. Check the capacities of the truck you are looking at vs the tongue/GN weight of the trailer you intend to pull.
Just noting that in August I bought a brand new but still on the lot 2017 Ram 3500 Diesel dually 4 door chassis body that I put a new aluminum flat bed w/ GN and BP hitch on. I paid just under 50K total after I added the bed. So I’d say look around a bit if you want the dually- they are definitely out there way under the 80K price.
Yabbut, you forgot to add in the cost of the tires for that Fat-Bottomed Girl.
A set of 4 good-quality truck tires will set you back about $1200. Do you really want to buy two more?
OP, I’d do my best to avoid owning a dually. I think for your purposes (the 2+1) and very few long trips, you’d be find with a 1-ton. I would make sure I had a long wheelbase, however.
There is some good advice but some misleading concepts here.
My F-250 SWR is BADGED as a 3/4 ton. However, with added heavy duty springs it is actually closer to a 1-ton. I tow a 3-horse with a 20’ floor. Never had a stability issue. With the newer tire technologies I am not nearly as worried about blowouts (I have had a few on the truck and trailer over the years). I dumped my old dually for a new SWR.
I just brought home a 33’ floor 6 horse head to head with a Dodge 3500 SWR. Not an issue anywhere. I drove from Denver to Roanoke VA and back in the most recent heavy storms. Stability was not an issue even in heavy wind.
Tow ratings don’t mean squat. The GCVWR is the key.
I have a single tire rear axle. I pull a steel 3 horse with a dressing room that’s an bumper pull trailer. I also put a 14,000 bumper pull dump trailer. I added 2 - 750 lb leaves to each of the spring packs on the rear axle. The only issue you will have to deal with is roll of the sidewalls of the tires. If you use good quality 10 plytires you’ll minimize that. Since my truck is 2WD I run big lug mud/snow tires on it so I get some side roll from that as well. But if you’re running all season radials you won’t have that issue. I’ve had this set up for over 302,000 miles on this truck workout any issues. Keep the air pressure in the rear tires up high when towing heavy for stability and drop it down when running empty to avoid wearing out the center of the tires.
). Not so hot in snow, either, but I don’t have that much experience, either.
