Is Dually a must for Solitude 5th wheel

[Hoopy Frood]

The scales tell the story, regardless of what you want, it's what you need.

[Original AJ]

Agreed. Always stay legal.

[brandtb1919]

Hello,

We are getting a Solitude 378 and we need to order a tow vehicle. We are considering a 2021 F350 Diesel short bed SRW. I was wondering if anyone here could share their experience towing a heavy 15k lbs 5th wheel with and without a dually. I prefer not to go dually if I have to but I have no experience towing heavy 5th wheels.

MC

We tow our 310GK with a SRW F350. In my opinion, that is the biggest Solitude that should be married to that truck. I have a few hundred pounds of payload to spare, not a lot of margin. That being said we have towed about 5K miles with the setup and it does well including in the Rockies. I do wish that I would have gotten the dually for future expansion though, it is really expensive to switch trucks.

Brian

[Sportsdad60]

We tow our 310GK with a SRW F350. In my opinion, that is the biggest Solitude that should be married to that truck. I have a few hundred pounds of payload to spare, not a lot of margin. That being said we have towed about 5K miles with the setup and it does well including in the Rockies. I do wish that I would have gotten the dually for future expansion though, it is really expensive to switch trucks.

Brian

I would tend to strongly agree with you .

When we picked up our new 310GK-R in Rockport Tx Dec 2020, we drove it back to our RV site 15 miles away (and a short ferry ride) to Port Aransas. We had our 2000 F350 SRW 7.3L diesel with very low mileage (110k), airbags, new Bilstein shocks. Based on the scales, we were about 600 lbs over GVWR.

It struggled to get up to 60 mph. With a head wind, pedal mashed, it wouldn't go any faster than 65mph. 6 weeks later we bought a new F350 DRW that was still IN route to Kalispell waiting for us when we got home. We read about the Japanese factory burning that makes truck chips and that's when I got on the phone and wired the dealer cash for the new truck! Thank God we did. Funny, 2 months after delivery of the new DRW the dealer wanted to buy it back plus $5,000. NOPE!

That was a really long and white knuckle trip pulling the new 5th wheel home with the old truck in April this past year. A lot of bad weather too. That older truck has now been retired to "Grocery getter" here in MT, stored in the winter when we return south here in about 9 days.

[ajg617]

We tow our 310GK with a SRW F350. In my opinion, that is the biggest Solitude that should be married to that truck. I have a few hundred pounds of payload to spare, not a lot of margin. That being said we have towed about 5K miles with the setup and it does well including in the Rockies. I do wish that I would have gotten the dually for future expansion though, it is really expensive to switch trucks.

Brian

That's why we went with the 310GK-R after some great input from the knowledgeable folks on this forum - didn't feel comfortable with anything larger and with only 10K on the truck, didn't want to change (not that there are any available anyway - and yup, first oil change and dealer asked if I wanted to sell it to them - nope). First stop will be to the scales to see how close to payload I am. I've already had the truck on the scales full so have an idea of what I have to work with.

[Kevin.lanes]

We have a reflection 311bhs and it’s 14000lbs, I have a 2020 3500 Denali Duramax SRW I had to put airbags on this year the squat was too much for me.

I love my truck, it’s also my daily driver, but I also know my next truck will be a dually.

[AdvRider]

I pull my 2021 Momentum 397TH with a 2020 RAM 3500 CC 4x4 DRW High Output Cummins/Aisin and love it. Packed for full time and with 3 motorcycles I am at 20k GVW on the trailer when traveling and I run across a CAT scale prior to every trip to verify. (I need to get rid of more stuff!) The truck is under max payload (4951), GVW, and axle weights are all under as well. Have been in high winds coming across Wyoming and they just don't push it around much. It is my 2nd dually I've had as a daily driver and you just get used to the wide hips! As someone else mentioned, they are no wider than the mirrors, I've been through some tight drive troughs at the bank, etc. and it squeaks through. I would not have any other truck unless I went to a MD Freightliner Sportchassis but would not want to lose my 4wd. With 4wd, I have not had any issues in the snow here in Idaho. As others have mentioned, the scale numbers do not lie. I was shocked when I 1st weighed and found I was at the Gross weight on the trailer, I thought I'd never hit that!!

[brandtb1919]

I would tend to strongly agree with you .

When we picked up our new 310GK-R in Rockport Tx Dec 2020, we drove it back to our RV site 15 miles away (and a short ferry ride) to Port Aransas. We had our 2000 F350 SRW 7.3L diesel with very low mileage (110k), airbags, new Bilstein shocks. Based on the scales, we were about 600 lbs over GVWR.

It struggled to get up to 60 mph. With a head wind, pedal mashed, it wouldn't go any faster than 65mph. 6 weeks later we bought a new F350 DRW that was still IN route to Kalispell waiting for us when we got home. We read about the Japanese factory burning that makes truck chips and that's when I got on the phone and wired the dealer cash for the new truck! Thank God we did. Funny, 2 months after delivery of the new DRW the dealer wanted to buy it back plus $5,000. NOPE!

That was a really long and white knuckle trip pulling the new 5th wheel home with the old truck in April this past year. A lot of bad weather too. That older truck has now been retired to "Grocery getter" here in MT, stored in the winter when we return south here in about 9 days.

Do you think that the sumo springs softened the ride in your 310? I am strongly considering them next season.

Brian

[Yonder]

Solitude 310 at 12,550 uvw with a F350 long bed SRW. What you need to look at is the pin weight, too. Mine pulls like dream at just under 11mpg.

[Retiree19]

Hello,

We are getting a Solitude 378 and we need to order a tow vehicle. We are considering a 2021 F350 Diesel short bed SRW. I was wondering if anyone here could share their experience towing a heavy 15k lbs 5th wheel with and without a dually. I prefer not to go dually if I have to but I have no experience towing heavy 5th wheels.

MC

I pull a 303RLS with my dually which is a lot less trailer than you'll have. I pulled the same trailer with a short bed 2006 Silverado 2500 HD Duramax (legal on all weights, but just barely), and the difference is night and day. First there's absolutely no doubt about weights, braking, cooling capacity etc. Second is the stability. Some have commented about being passed by semis and it's a fact. Here in Colorado we get a lot of wind. Often I don't know it's blowing until I get to a truck stop and have trouble opening the door! The difference is remarkable.

One thing to consider - I don't know if other manufacturers offer this, but my truck has the Ram auto leveling system so there's no squat at all. You don't even have to think about it. You also have the ability to lower it a bit if you're front high on the trailer.

To be honest though this vehicle is a tow vehicle only, not my daily driver. If it snows, I'll drive my Subaru!