Single Wheel or Dual Wheel??

[boyscout]

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.

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!

The Fords, by the numbers, have a significantly larger turning radius than their competition, but the 450 is dramatically better than the other two Super Duty trucks and is (IIRC) in the ballpark of its competition. The 450 has a wider front end than the other two, which permits turning the wheels more sharply.

[The Bone]

As for the 250 350 and the 450 there are no difference between the first two there is a big difference in registration cost here in Ca. Not sure about your state but last my 15 F250 was about $800 I can only imagine how much it would be for a F450. As for turning radius I was impressed at how sharp my 4x4 turns. I have never had any problems backing my 5th wheel into any spot and I have done that more than i care to do.
I once got caught on a 2 lane road with a low bridge that I couldn't go under and had to back up in this guys driveway with 2 brick columns one on each side. I made it the first try. I hope never to do that again.

[Overtaxed]

As for the 250 350 and the 450 there are no difference between the first two there is a big difference in registration cost here in Ca. Not sure about your state but last my 15 F250 was about $800 I can only imagine how much it would be for a F450. As for turning radius I was impressed at how sharp my 4x4 turns. I have never had any problems backing my 5th wheel into any spot and I have done that more than i care to do.
I once got caught on a 2 lane road with a low bridge that I couldn't go under and had to back up in this guys driveway with 2 brick columns one on each side. I made it the first try. I hope never to do that again.

Yes, absolutely. The 450 is almost 2X on taxes for me in SC vs the 250. The 250 is, plain and simple, a "registration beater". Let's you have a big truck and not pay the "big truck" taxes that come with it. Which is great, and, if you don't care about the sticker ratings, perfect for that application. Once you get to the 350 vs 450, at least in SC, it's the same, they are both 14K vehicles and both "commercial" and therefore subject to the higher tax. The 250 is still a "passenger vehicle". Note, this is going to be different in every state, some are going to have a gap from 350 to 450, some 250 to 350 and some, like Florida (IIRC) it doesn't matter much at all.

It is kind of criminal, IMHO, that they setup taxes this way. It's straight up punishing to people who are trying to "do it right" and be safe. I'm 100% sure I could have towed the 351M for years with my 250 and never run into the "weight police" and never had an issue (as far as fines are concerned). But I'm equally sure, I'm going to pay 1000's more a year in property tax for the "right" to own a 450 and actually be within the numbers. That's somewhere between silly and "encouraging bad/unsafe behavior".

Well, encourage away, because at some point, I, like many others before me, am just going to setup a Montana LLC and be done with it. Legal? That's really open for interpretation. But come on, 3-4K a year for taxes on a 450? That's madness people. Personal property tax is one of the few things about my new state that I really hate and grate me the wrong way. Yes, we pay almost no sales tax on cars/RV's. But they get you, BIG TIME, if you own that truck/RV for more than a year or two. I'd rather pay once (sales tax) and be done.

[The Bone]

Oh we got sales tax here also 10% So my truck cost me 6 grand in taxes LOL
Oh and to top it off my truck is considered commercial. I currently have 4 cars and the truck. (all Fords) Ya I drink Ford blue Kool Aid. Rofl
I just hate California.

[Overtaxed]

Oh we got sales tax here also 10% So my truck cost me 6 grand in taxes LOL
Oh and to top it off my truck is considered commercial. I currently have 4 cars and the truck. (all Fords) Ya I drink Ford blue Kool Aid. Rofl
I just hate California.

I think SC might just have CA beat on this one. Taxes on my 450 year one are going to be close to 4K. And that's PER YEAR. Now, granted, it does fall with the value of the vehicle, so next year it might be 3K, then 2.5K, then 2.25K, etc, etc. But, you keep the vehicle for awhile, it's VERY significant. And the 450 is almost double the 250 for taxes because it's a "commercial vehicle". A HUGE disincentive to buy a "big truck" or the "right truck" to tow these things. It almost certainly would have been cheaper to do a DRW conversion on my 250 (and that's not including the price of the new truck) just because of the crazy tax laws. But no matter what I did, nothing would have changed the "sticker" and it never would have been "legal" towing the 351. Getting "legal" is/was REAL expensive though with our crazy tax system.

Every year personal property tax comes due I think to myself "I need to do the Montana LLC" and then eventually I get over the pain. But it's so much money, it's really quite galling. Especially in this case, I bought the 450, primarily, to make sure I and those around me are safe when hauling the RV. I loved my 250, the only reason I bought the 450, literally the ONLY reason is "safety" for myself and others on the road. Nice slap in the face from the taxman for my concern for myself and others on the road near me, right?

[The Bone]

Yup this RVing gets expensive when you want to be safe and get a little more truck than you need. I am looking at a 344GK and I dont well basically cant afford a new truck and a new RV. I have a 250 SRW. I would be right at the limits but I travel light. I never bring more than I need. When I got my truck the dealer told me that the 350 was the same truck and the numbers looked identical so I got the 3/4 ton. I may rethink this new RV and stick with the one that got me here. LOL

[frank4711]

I went SRW ... I drove F250 lariat 7.3 crew/long for 12 years my lawn company ... first drive in my Ram 3500 6.7 crew long was like coming home ... parking angle is fine anything else I park out a little and walk it's good for me and wife .... I stayed with Big Horn and made sure I shopped for 12,300 GVWR that got me the payload I wanted 4394 .... max tow close to 22,000 ... I knew the new 5ver we bought would be max of 36' and GVWR of 15,000 ... new S Class 2930RL fits 34' 4" and GVWR 15,000 .... current set up with 1880# pin weight and trailer that weights 10.600 leaves me 2000 lbs of available payload and 10,000 additional tow room ... plenty of truck ... squat with that trailer is 1 1/2 inch .... when shopping for the new truck the 2500/3500 SRW/3500DRW were the same price and I never even considered the 2500 .... sticker was $62,225 paid $53,500 out the door tax title and tag ... there are bigger 5th wheels that need a DRW for sure .... Much effort is needed to make sure you have the right truck for your camper ... these forums are a big help .... later Frank

[Overtaxed]

I went SRW ... I drove F250 lariat 7.3 crew/long for 12 years my lawn company ... first drive in my Ram 3500 6.7 crew long was like coming home ... parking angle is fine anything else I park out a little and walk it's good for me and wife .... I stayed with Big Horn and made sure I shopped for 12,300 GVWR that got me the payload I wanted 4394 .... max tow close to 22,000 ... I knew the new 5ver we bought would be max of 36' and GVWR of 15,000 ... new S Class 2930RL fits 34' 4" and GVWR 15,000 .... current set up with 1880# pin weight and trailer that weights 10.600 leaves me 2000 lbs of available payload and 10,000 additional tow room ... plenty of truck ... squat with that trailer is 1 1/2 inch .... when shopping for the new truck the 2500/3500 SRW/3500DRW were the same price and I never even considered the 2500 .... sticker was $62,225 paid $53,500 out the door tax title and tag ... there are bigger 5th wheels that need a DRW for sure .... Much effort is needed to make sure you have the right truck for your camper ... these forums are a big help .... later Frank

Holy smokes! You have a SRW diesel with >4K in payload! That's incredible, my SRW diesel was around 2K in payload, yours is almost double that. Big difference there, for sure! What are the tires rated to on your truck? That's often the limiting factor in payload, how much the tires can support, IIRC, mine we 3750/tire. And that one, to me, is a "don't even think about exceeding".

[frank4711]

Sure Tires are Load Range: E
Serv. Desc: 125/122R 3640#'s .... Rear axle load current rig is leaving 2080 lbs extra on 7000 lb rear axle .... expect to add 600-700 more pin weight with new S Class still leaving 1380 lbs available on rear axle .... E rated tires at max cold inflation has way more load than I would ever need 7380#'s actual estimated 5620#'s would run 70-75psi in all 4 wheels thanks ...later Frank

[frank4711]

payload sticker ...