3500 long box, Dually or single.

[OVERKILL 19]

Has anyone any pics or experience with running a long box with a deck, with 2 long tracks on it. Pulling a V-nose enclosed trailer. Our trailer is a 6.5 foot wide V-nose. Can you extend the receiver enough to make it work?

Also what does everyone think the best way to go in the winter pulling/hauling the above load....Dually or single? 3500 of course.

 

[shawnmcgr]

I pack a couple of long tracks on a chev long box while pulling a travel trailer. I had to push the sleds as far forward I could get them. No hitch extension. All the hitch extensions I've seen half your hitch capacity (10k lbs down to 5k for me). Your sled trailer might be less than 5k so you'd be go to go. I think there is also a hitch class rated to 13k as well.

I'm not a dually fan but I don't tow over 7k lbs either. I think they are terrible in snow or icy conditions.

 

[Stompin Tom]

For hauling and towing the load, go dually

For winter traction go single.

You have to choose which is more important to you, if it were me, I would go single, it is a better mix of the two needs when safety is factored in.

 

[teeroy]

2500HD long box, with triton v-nose.

 

[OVERKILL 19]

2500HD long box, with triton v-nose.

2 sleds, fuel,gear "tools for the cat guys" 4 guys and hitch weight I thought a 2500 might be alittle lite. I figured that I want to goto a long box I'll go 3500 as I think they probably ride the same.

 

[teeroy]

2 sleds, fuel,gear "tools for the cat guys" 4 guys and hitch weight I thought a 2500 might be alittle lite. I figured that I want to goto a long box I'll go 3500 as I think they probably ride the same.

yep, good call. figured my chit would work with the 2500HD, never took into account the weight of the extra guys in the cab. with 2 mtn sleds fueled up on the deck, cab full of of riders, trailer full of sleds and gear, I'm over legal weight limit by about 300 kg (660 lbs, about 3 guys...lol) on the truck. aluminum deck will get me a bit closer. the truck is plenty for the weight tho, but in hindsight I should have ordered a 3500.

I should add, that in the last 15 years of sledding in BC, I've never been stopped or checked out yet. but ya never know....

 

[Cyle]

I would get 3500 for sure, and if you plan to do it a lot look for a dually. Depending on what brand you get though. My dodge is HEAVY. With my STF deck, slip tank (empty only like 30lbs), me 3/4 tank of diesel my truck is 8500lbs, it's lifted and stuff with bigger tires so it's a bit heavier then stock though. You add in 2 sleds, 3 more guys, gear, trailer pin weight. Your pushing it, i'd say around 11,000lbs. My 3500 SRW is good for 11350lbs. That is the max load for the axles, so you really cannot go over that or your asking for trouble.

Last year with my metal deck, 2 sleds, me and my gear 1/2 tank of diesel, I was 10100lbs. With this setup I couldn't pull a trailer with 4 guys in the cab.

So it depends what sleds your carrying, what kind of deck, etc. If you can swing it weight wise I think a SRW is probably a better option.

I wouldn't risk being overweight. DOT's are cracking down bad, and can be real pricks if they want to be.

 

[OVERKILL 19]

I plan on a 8 foot alum deck, with a M7 and a Poo on the deck. Our trailer is very hitch heavy but I have not weighed it.

I was leaning towards the 3500 single for the winter driving. But I used to have a company truck which was a dually but I only ran it up and down the hiway, never in the hi snow areas. But it never gave me any trouble in the winter as it always have 500 - 1000 lbs in it.

I want a long box for the pulling in the winter safer as well.

 

[Wildreaper]

I have a GM dually and pull a 19ft enclosed trailer, nothing better for pulling for stability, but on icy snow covered roads up the mountain it is a must to have tire chains as the increased surface area on ice is a draw back. If you are looking at pulling anything stay with a 3500 as the 2500 is not rated heavy enough. Good shopping
Just my 2c.

 

[RMK Junky]

I'll tell ya this Overkill, if ya don't buy a dually.....ya will regret it later :d I run a 3500 Ram 4x4 LB QC dually and there is no way I'd go back to a single wheel. I have the truck to do the job. Yes there are issuses with traction when you compare a single against a dually but there are other factors that contribute like the type of tire, tire pressue, a little weight in the box, and esspecially ones driving hadits.

 

[OVERKILL 19]

I think I want a diesel, but here is a nice 8.1 with 57000kms for $33600usd
what do ya think

 

[shawnmcgr]

A gas job will save you some weight so increase your load capacity. It's surprising how much heavier a diesel truck is...like 700lbs (chev 454 to Dmax)! That goes straight to payload. I went from a '98 Chev 2500 w/454 to a '07 Chev Dmax 2500 "Heavy Duty" and went down in payload!

My '98 chev 454 got 15mpg empty and 10mpg pulling a 6500lb trailer and while hauling sleds on a deck (running 120kph). Pulling the same loads I get 12mpg with my 2500 dmax (US gallons). I would think a 8.1 will be a little less than that but not a lot (I've heard it's a stroked 454).

It seems a little over priced. The 8.1 is rare and some guys like them (me included) but you should be able to get a Dmax out of the states for that price. My DMAX is plain jane inside (I don't like leather in a truck) and had <30,000 kms but I picked it up for less than that in Canada.

If you're going to have a lot of weight in the box in the winter then I'd go dually - I don't have the room in my driveway. My buddy pulls a 4place with a 3500 dually with our sled gear in the box and it can be a PITA. I'm not saying it can't be done, you can just do it faster with a SRW! Decks rule! If your going to pull with a dually with a deck and sleds on the box then that should be plenty of weight and no problems!

There's nuthin funner than buying a new truck!

 

[pipes]

It's purely a matter of choice. Yes you can haul more with a dually but not that much more. I don't have the numbers in front of me. but I do know that it isn't that much more. Yes the traction can be an issue on snowy or icy road. The other thing than no one mentioned is that requires a wider garage door to get a dually in, I don't know about you by I'm limited in the garage door department. Another disadvantage to a dually is if you go off road you may have clearance issues on narrow trails.Tires cost money to replace. It's bad enough shelling out $300.00 a tire for four tires not to mention what the cost would be for six.

Now that being said. If you are constantly pulling or hauling heavy loads the a dually is you answer.

Short box or long. depends on what you're hauling. try get a quad into the box of a short box and close the tailgate. Plywood come in 4 X 8 sheets.

So that I don't get beet up for my post. I'm not knocking of promoting one over the other. All I am saying is that you have to do you're home work and do what is right for you.

 

[shawnmcgr]

"The other thing than no one mentioned is that requires a wider garage door to get a dually in, I don't know about you by I'm limited in the garage door department."

That's what I meant by " I don't have the room in my driveway." You said it better!

Pipes, you park your truck in your garage? Must be nice, I've only got a two place garage so it's full of sleds.

I'm from BC and I never seen so many duallys till I came to Alberta. They are great for big payload and heavy pin weight 5th wheel trailers. But if you don't haul a big 5th wheel or a 2000lb camper then thier's no point IMHO.

 

[pipes]

"The other thing than no one mentioned is that requires a wider garage door to get a dually in, I don't know about you by I'm limited in the garage door department."

That's what I meant by " I don't have the room in my driveway." You said it better!

Pipes, you park your truck in your garage? Must be nice, I've only got a two place garage so it's full of sleds.

I'm from BC and I never seen so many duallys till I came to Alberta. They are great for big payload and heavy pin weight 5th wheel trailers. But if you don't haul a big 5th wheel or a 2000lb camper then thier's no point IMHO.

26' X 36' with two 10' X 9' doors. 10' ceiling. but still too small. But yes I park my truck in the garage. Why not?

 

[shawnmcgr]

26' X 36' with two 10' X 9' doors. 10' ceiling. but still too small. But yes I park my truck in the garage. Why not?

Nice! I would too with a garage like that!

 

[papajake]

28x30 with 9 foot ceiling truck ford 3/4 supercab with 8 ft box fits but doesn't leave much room with car, tools, bench,and 2 sleds easy to work in with truck outside have big back yard so parking not a problem my lot is 120x100