Single Rear Wheel Towing

[ramsaymc]

Hi All;

Well, I am in to the final throws of purchasing the 379FL and have one last question I'm looking for some input on.

I understand that a DRW offers a more stable pull of these larger/longer 5th wheels however as this is my first towing experience I have nothing to relate to as how a SRW pulls something of this length.
I have a 2015, F350 Platinum, SRW, 6.7 diesel and will be adding a set of air bags to the truck before the purchase of the 379FL as well.

I would appreciate any comments on your SRW, the length of your 5th wheel and your towing experiences with the combination.

Thanks in Advance
Mark

[Second Chance]

Mark,

My SRW is only a 3/4 ton and my Reflection 337RLS isn't as heavy as your 379FL will be (especially on the pin). That said, the combo pulls great - and I've pulled in winds exceeding 40 MPH (I didn't have a choice). My only regret in not having a 1 ton DRW is the rear axle capacity on the truck. I'm at the limit for the truck's rear axle at this point (though still plenty of safety margin on the tires). I've never heard of anyone complaining about having too much truck, though...

Rob

[brnrdp]

Mark,

I tow a Solitude 369RL with a 2015 Silverado 3500hd, Duramax, 4X4, long bed, SRW. This past July we took a 3,000 mi trip from Houston to Durango. No problems towing even with 104 deg F in west Texas. I added air bags and it helped reduce the chucking. The only issue is the Solitude is 101 inches wide and the Chevy mirrors are great for 96 wide rigs but could not see down the sides of my rig. I had to use extender mirrors to help with the side vision.

Bought the truck while we still had a TT and wasn't considering a 5W at that time. Got the Solitude 6 weeks later.

Bernard

[Barbara & Dave]

Pulling won't be a problem, but loading might. I suspect you're going to be right at the margin of rear axle capacity / tire capacity with a SRW.

Somewhere on the driver's door of your F350 will be a payload and tire capacity sticker. On my Silverado 3500, it says 3754 lbs payload; yours will probably be in the same neighborhood (3500-4000 lbs, as a guess). GD shows the dry (unloaded) pin weight for the 379FL as 3000 lbs. Add to that the hitch weight, cargo in the truck, fuel, occupants, and some portion of whatever you load in the trailer, and you're likely to be at or over the payload limit.

Dave

[dloase]

I towed my last rig with a 2500HD SRW. It didn't have the pin weight that my 369 does. I also got to pull it with my 3500HD DRW a couple of times. I will say the confidence of the DRW over the SRW is amazing.

[ramsaymc]

Thank you for the responses fellows;

Rob: Definitely agree with you on the "no complaints on too much truck" When I got the F350 I had no intention of camping but was quickly told by my kids that "you gotta pull something with that" so that started me looking.
This has been quite the learning experience on towing and weights comparing what the truck will handle vs what the trailer weight is. Lots of differing opinions for sure even on the calculations and what goes into them.

Bernard; I have heard from a number of folks that the air bags will help with the chucking so I will be adding those as well. Thanks for the tip on the mirrors. I checked the F350 spec sheet and I am at 110" with the mirrors extended so I
should be ok.

Dave: I got a number differing opinions regarding capacity of the truck and wanted to be sure the truck could handle (or not) the 379. So, I called to the British Columbia Department of Transportation (they have the strictest regulations in
Canada) and gave them all the numbers for my truck and 379. They filled in a couple more (passengers, fuel and "stuff" estimates) and said said based on the numbers that I would be legal in BC which means I would be good with
the rest of Canada.

David: When you say confidence of the DRW over the SRW is it simply an overall feel? I see a lot of SRW towing some pretty large 5th wheels (40' plus) around here.

Mark

[dloase]

Mark
Yes I just mean overall feel. My last unit was as long as my 369 but only had a pin weight of 2302 as compared to the 369 listed 2600. Pulling the previous unit with both the SRW and DRW certainly felt better, more stable and such. I'm sure there are other variables in that equation.


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[arhayes]

Mark - download the towing guide from the Ford website. It'll give you the weight capacities that you can use to evaluate if your truck is enough. The DRW may or may not add stability, but the main thing is the weight capacity increase. I have an F350 DRW but it is what I needed for our Momentum which is probably heavier than he Solitude. My pin weight is 4200 lbs with total of 19,500 lbs, so o needed that capacity. You may not.


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[Namlehse]

Canada has completely different towing numbers than the US I believe. That may add to some confusion if you aren't careful.

I've honestly never towed a camper, so my point is strictly on weight. The confidence David speaks of really doesn't make since until you try it. I went from a 2012 2500 to a 2015 3500. Not hugely different, however they are different. 16,000 behind the 2500 takes a LOT out of you, you really don't know how much it takes out of you. After five to eight hours of towing, I wanted to be done for the day.

With my 3500, I've towed 24,000 for near 12 hours honestly with a shocking amount of ease. My wife talked me into a DRW, I was set on a SRW 3500. Less than an hour of driving the DRW, the size was second nature. I don't feel like I need to death grip the wheel to counter sway in corners, I know I can stop if I have to as well. I also have three spare tires (You only need four to stay mobile). I just all around feel safer. I'm at the ripe old age of 30 too, so I'm the generation of "I don't need a DRW!" lol.

My biggest pet peeve with towing comes in with the speed people drive while towing things that weigh two to three times their TV. Trailer tires are rated for 65Mph generally. It never fails that you'll see a loaded Toy Hauler flying down the turnpike at 80-85. (Sorry, soapbox rant rofl)

The main thing is to not blow over your RAWR (Rear axle weight rating). Your tires and your rims will also have a rating. So long as those numbers are in the green, you should be fine. DRW will always be better, however it's not worth taking a hit on a brand new truck so long as you're comfortable with it..

[Dave and Monica]

I got a number differing opinions regarding capacity of the truck and wanted to be sure the truck could handle (or not) the 379. So, I called to the British Columbia Department of Transportation (they have the strictest regulations in
Canada) and gave them all the numbers for my truck and 379. They filled in a couple more (passengers, fuel and "stuff" estimates) and said said based on the numbers that I would be legal in BC which means I would be good with
the rest of Canada.

BC is the most strictest in Canada in regards to towing basically enforcing that the GVWR of your tow vehicle cannot be exceeded. When you talked to the DOT did you give them a loaded pin weight estimate (which will be closer to 3800#) or the spec dry pin weight of 3000#. The carry capacity on the sticker of your truck will be the GVWR less the truck weight as built with full fuel and a 150# driver...no dealer added stuff like step bars, tonneau cover, hitch, passengers or gear. I'd be fairly confident that you'll be over your truck's GVWR loaded ready to camp with the 379...welcome to the club. As mentioned, most would consider the GRAWR and or tire load ratings as the practical towing limits but may not help if towing in BC. I know this was a hot item on forums many years ago...I don't know where they are in regards to enforcement recently.

Dave