Daily Driving Your Tow Vehicle? Dually?

[Mannyjt]

In my neverending quest of hating money I'm doing the slow dance around upgrading my tow vehicle and wanted to poll y'all on your experiences.

• How many of you daily drive your tow vehicle?
• How many of you that daily drive it do so with a dual rear wheel and how is that?

I've looked at enough capacities decals to go absolutely cross eyed and come to a few conclusions. Upgrading from a 2500 SRW to a 3500 SRW gets me almost nothing in extra capacities (listed at bottom, identical optioned trucks). I'd jump at a DRW in a heartbeat but I daily the truck for work and domestic life. I'm at exactly 11 months from taking delivery of this one today and hanging out at 29.2k miles so some significant time will be spent in the drivers seat.

We've had a less than stellar experience with our first trailer so we're strongly considering taking it on the chin and flipping it. (It's gotten bad enough I've stopped posting about it here. Suffice to say now we're taking it to a third party for eval. GD has been mostly great about dealing with the issues but we're exhausted with this unit and have some serious concerns about its long term integrity. It's got a July build date and the pre-refresh interior so we're thinking it was a last minute slap together before the changeover) Everything we're considering as an alternative has a pin weight that gets just outside of my capacities on the 2500 so we're on the hunt for the next move.

Differences between identically optioned 2500 and 3500 GMCs, all to the favor of the 3500 but only just:

GVWR: 800lbs
GCWR: 2200lbs
RAWR: 650lbs
Curb: 50lbs heavier
Cargo: 750lbs
Max Pin: 501lbs

 

[MoonShadow_1911]

In my neverending quest of hating money I'm doing the slow dance around upgrading my tow vehicle and wanted to poll y'all on your experiences.

• How many of you daily drive your tow vehicle?
• How many of you that daily drive it do so with a dual rear wheel and how is that?

I've looked at enough capacities decals to go absolutely cross eyed and come to a few conclusions. Upgrading from a 2500 SRW to a 3500 SRW gets me almost nothing in extra capacities (listed at bottom, identical optioned trucks). I'd jump at a DRW in a heartbeat but I daily the truck for work and domestic life. I'm at exactly 11 months from taking delivery of this one today and hanging out at 29.2k miles so some significant time will be spent in the drivers seat.

We've had a less than stellar experience with our first trailer so we're strongly considering taking it on the chin and flipping it. (It's gotten bad enough I've stopped posting about it here. Suffice to say now we're taking it to a third party for eval. GD has been mostly great about dealing with the issues but we're exhausted with this unit and have some serious concerns about its long term integrity. It's got a July build date and the pre-refresh interior so we're thinking it was a last minute slap together before the changeover) Everything we're considering as an alternative has a pin weight that gets just outside of my capacities on the 2500 so we're on the hunt for the next move.

Differences between identically optioned 2500 and 3500 GMCs, all to the favor of the 3500 but only just:

GVWR: 800lbs
GCWR: 2200lbs
RAWR: 650lbs
Curb: 50lbs heavier
Cargo: 750lbs
Max Pin: 501lbs

• How many of you daily drive your tow vehicle?
  
  We are full-time, so, yes, it's our daily driver.
  
  
• How many of you that daily drive it do so with a dual rear wheel and how is that?
  
  Nope - SRW

 

[ajg617]

Kind of a meaningless answer since before I retired, was mostly WFH due to the pandemic. Still work part time and TV is my daily driver (not a dually). It's also the vehicle we take when shuttling between home and kids houses (long trips). I'm personally far more comfortable in the TV then in the sedan. YMMV on that one.

 

[Redapple63]

We both still work full time and go into work. I don’t drive my truck daily. I only live 3 miles from work so I try to drive my truck every other week to keep the “juices” flowing. My truck will use more fuel driving 6 miles a day than going 120 miles on the freeway. Bad for truck and certainly not cost effective. I love my truck and wish I could drive it daily. 1 ton Duramax Denali.

My numbers
GVWR = 11500
Payload = 3487
RAWR = 7050
FAWR = 5600

Bill

 

[Second Chance]

Lots of variables here. Before I retired, my truck was my daily driver (hospital parking deck) - but it was a standard bed CC SRW. A little tight in the parking spaces sometimes, but it worked.

After being on the road full-time for a bit, we realized we needed a DRW truck and had the opportunity to acquire one rather painlessly. We have a Honda CR-V (wife follows behind on travel days) for most of our running around, but when she needs the car for something (yoga, swimming at the Y, etc.), I have to use the LB, CC, DRW truck to run errands. That happened this week when I had a dental appointment (one of MANY this summer - but we won't go into that right now). Parking the truck at places like Walmart, Home Depot, the commissary and the PX is no problem. They have large parking lots and I just park out away from every one (taking two spaces) and walk in. The exercise is good for me. The dentist office is another story... small spaces in a small parking area. In cases like this I find a place that won't block other vehicles and back in as far as I can. It's doable - just a bit more trouble.

Rob

 

[Jomani]

My Ram 2500 is my daily driver. I went with the 2500 over the 3500 because of the ride. I have a very temperamental back that could not handle the stiffer ride of the 3500 unloaded. Since my 2500 has coil springs, I installed airbags to add stability when towing - drop the pressure down to 5 PSI when unloaded. I would never even consider a DRW as a daily driver. Parking is bad enough with a full sized SRW truck.

 

[pappcam]

My tow vehicles have always been my daily drivers. The wife has her own vehicle and the tow vehicle is mine.

 

[Scott'n'Wendy]

3500's are a pain in parking lots...DRW's even worse. But if the trailer you are buying requires the DRW...you can make it work

 

[jjbbrewer]

I daily drive my F450 (DRW, of course) - groceries, gym, hardware store, multi-level parking structures, even fast food drive throughs. No problems. I also have been down a fair number of 2 track dirt roads where I needed to turn around.

The F450 has a well advertised tighter turning radius than just about any DRW (and a lot of SRW) trucks, and it comes in VERY handy. Also understanding how the perimeter cameras work can make tight maneuvering a lot easier.

I haven't gotten into a situation I couldn't get out of yet (knock - knock).

 

[jleonard]

My 2500 is a daily driver also.

 

[Mannyjt]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

I was silly and walked in to a GMC dealership today..

Walked out with an order for a 2024 3500 SRW Denali. What can I say they had a provision available

The deposits fully refundable and they said they'd have no issues selling it so no hard feelings if I change my mind and order a dually.

Yikes. Haha

 

[LMagelitz]

I'm at exactly 11 months from taking delivery of this one today and hanging out at 29.2k miles so some significant time will be spent in the drivers seat.

Wow, that’s a lot of miles. I love driving our dually, but I don’t think I love it that much. If it were me, I would probably get a used car that gets good mileage and rides nice, and use it for work if that’s feasible for what you do. Then after you decide on the trailer, evaluate which truck you need to pull it. I’ve towed our Solitude with an SRW, and now our dually, and MUCH prefer the dually. Payload isn’t an issue, very stable, and no worries about a SRW blowout.

 

[trailrydr]

Well..... wouldn't want to have to use my Superduty to drive on a daily basis anywhere. Its to big, bulky, and because of its size and wheel base - even as the SB version, it has terrible turning radius. Now towing our trailer... no problem.

Have driven a LB DRW before and would not want it at all for a daily driver. Takes up way to much real-estate to manuever in tight areas and turning radius is even worse IMO. Not to mention the additional maintenace of extra tread.

Summary: Nope, will stick with our easy handling Malibu for any "soccer-mom" type excursions. Cheap to maintain, driving is easy/fits anywhere, MPG is great, and longengevity of the vehicle has been a blessing over time.

 

[Scott'n'Wendy]

I'll say my 3500 is a Dodge and it's turning radius sucks for parking lots. So when we bought a Jeep TJ for wheeling through the northern Ontario outdoors....it became the vehicle I took into downtown. That sucker can turn on a dime.

 

[trailrydr]

I'll say my 3500 is a Dodge and it's turning radius sucks for parking lots. So when we bought a Jeep TJ for wheeling through the northern Ontario outdoors....it became the vehicle I took into downtown. That sucker can turn on a dime.

Just got Historical plates on my '97 TJ. Your right.... even with 4.11 soft lockers it turns better than my Superduty, plus.... it can fit on the smallest trails doing it!

With the 4.11 soft lockers and 35" Boggers it articulates on a dime... but, maybe turns/rocks on a dime and a half!

 

[Mannyjt]

Wow, that’s a lot of miles. I love driving our dually, but I don’t think I love it that much. If it were me, I would probably get a used car that gets good mileage and rides nice

This was actually a fairly light year driving wise, I've been fairly local. I play double duty as Install Manager and Field Service Engineer for a CNC Machinery company and regularly am hauling around a 2.2k lb skid with a granite square on it or parts so the 3/4 ton was a bare minimum. Due to that my vehicle is generously subsidized and I have a fuel card and barrel of DEF. Otherwise I'd be doing exactly that.

no worries about a SRW blowout.

That's.. actually something I hadn't considered before. That wouldn't be ideal to be sure.

Well..... wouldn't want to have to use my Superduty to drive on a daily basis anywhere. Its to big, bulky, and because of its size and wheel base - even as the SB version, it has terrible turning radius. Now towing our trailer... no problem.

Have driven a LB DRW before and would not want it at all for a daily driver. Takes up way to much real-estate to manuever in tight areas and turning radius is even worse IMO. Not to mention the additional maintenace of extra tread.

As is even though the 2500 is a bit cumbersome I don't ever find it to be too much of an issue for maneuvering, but I'm not thinking that'll be the case with a dually. Realistically 90% of my drive time is for work or personal instead of towing so it's hard to justify a dually. We'll typically take my wife's little SUV if we're going down town for something but 98% of our running around we hop in the truck just because it's nicer.

I'd love to get just a dedicated TV but we're not making quite that much money yet. Maybe after she finishes her schooling. I considered getting a base model dually with no bed and welding a fifth wheel hitch to the frame for the TV but we can't pull a toad with a 5er and she has no desire to be following behind separate in her lease when we're mainly bombing 6+ hours north to the UP for our trips. Plus the drive and chatting through it is half the fun of the trip itself for us.

Summary: Nope, will stick with our easy handling Malibu for any "soccer-mom" type excursions. Cheap to maintain, driving is easy/fits anywhere, MPG is great, and longengevity of the vehicle has been a blessing over time.

Prior to the 3/4 ton I was working for another company where I had a shipping container I shipped ahead of me to jobs and was North American regional instead of Michigan. I ran two Malibus in to the dirt in 5 years like that. Miss those cars. Wish I still had one of em with less than 200k on it. Ah the days of 28mpg and $80 oil changes.. It was certainly easier to do our running around in one of those.

 

[Tony_in_AZ]

I commuted with my long bed CC DRW F-350 for a while.. It was 2 miles to the freeway, then freeway for 31 miles. Exit freeway , then 1000 feet to work parking lot.

Retired , On the road traveling , the grocery store, restaurants , etc are thought out in advance for parking. LOL

We had a heavier, longer toyhauler before the Solitude we have now. That is why the DRW truck was purchased. We like the stability and comfort of the DRW truck when pulling the 5th wheel. SO , we kept the truck.

If you are old enough, you may have heard the song: Give me 40 acres to turn this rig around.

 

[trailrydr]

........If you are old enough, you may have heard the song: Give me 40 acres to turn this truck around.

My favorite..... Ole Johnny Cash - One Piece At A Time!

"Well, Its a 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 automobile...."

Makes me smile every time I hear that song!

 

[Steven@147]

Well when we first bought our new 2018 Ram 3500 long bed DWR, anticipating the purchase of our current RV, the Wife did her last year before retirement driving it as a daily driver 50 miles round trip 5 days a week into downtown Austin 32 second street to the Hospital she worked at. Now granted she had to park it in the lower level parking garage next to the larger spaces reserved for ambulances, more to do with it's height but also width. She got real good at parking our "Behemoth". We also used it for shopping and groceries, but yes it was easier to park it out in the south 40 parking lots.

Now that we have been fulltiming since 2020, Behemoth has 87,000 miles on it and we have had it in some really tight places, but we wouldn't have it any other way, we love Behemoth as our only vehicle!

 

[Mannyjt]

Seems like there's a fairly even split on opinions with the DRW. I'm pretty torn.

We're looking at something like the 310GK. Listed as 2300lb pin but 20% of GVWR puts it at 3k which would be pushing it with an aux tank and the family. We want to step up to a Solitude when we shotgun our current unit but keep it shorter still so we can squeeze in to the occasional state park. It's just us and the dogs anyhow.

Decisions decisions..

Also, were probably some of the younger forum folks, I turn 30 this year �� lol