Thinking about buying a Duramax dually

[1Gary]

Next month I am seriously thinking about getting a newer truck like a 05 to 07 Duramax.I have been considering a dually to cover any car trailer and truck camper I want in the future.At my age,it is a one shot deal for the last daily driver vehicle I will ever own.I will take it to a dealership to be checked out bumper to bumper before buying and baby it with details and service the whole time I have it.I am trying to think what it would be like to drive a dually every day.What with the rear end being so much wider and keeping it in my lane and parking.

Comments please.

[mdmead]

My dream truck has always been a crew cab 4x4 dually! I actually came close to buying one a few years back.

But realistically, a dually is way more than I need 99.9% of the time. I'm a Ford truck guy, so I'm thinking more of a crew cab 4x4 F-350 SRW. It will tow just about anything I would ever want to tow.

I have a small (8 ft) truck camper I put on my F-250 and I can see where a dually would be better with a heavier camper. I guess you'd need to consider how big of a camper you might put on the truck. Stability is certainly better with the dually, but airbags on a SRW can help quite a bit.

My extended cab long box F-250 is already a chore to park in some places and I've been in some towns/cities that just aren't big-truck friendly. With a big truck, you ought to be parking farther out in the lot where there is more room... which means a longer hike in. Adding a dually to the mix is going to make parking even a bigger chore. And obviously, you always need to watch those extended fenders and not clip things with them. (Look around and see how many duallys have broken or cracked fenders...) A consideration for me is also off-road access and the added width isn't helpful for accessing our cabin property.

My thought is to skip the dually unless the load you plan to haul/tow is going to necessitate the extra capacity. Remember, it also means buying six tires instead of four!

[doyoulikeithere]

Gary, Unless you make a living pulling a trailer with a bulldozer on it, you will never need a dually just to tow your trailer or haul a camper.
Way Overkill. a 3/4 or 1 ton single wheel can still tow anything you have to haul I suspect.

[1Gary]

A guy pointed out to me the mirrors are the same with on a single tire as a dually.And the mirrors are not wider than the dual rear wheels.

These Chevy trucks do seem to be huge.Might be something I'm just not use to.

I was wanting to get a RWD only,but a guy pointed out to me that the trucks are so light in the rear it is almost critical to have the four wheel drive.A complication I didn't want to add to the truck,but I do see his point.

I'm thinking if you take a race car and equipment and a open trailer,then add in a 11' camper on the 8' bed,the weight adds up quick.I'm not sure where the trailer is going to lead in the future.If at some point down the road it will become a 5th wheel or some sort of enclosed trailer.

I am just trying to imagine owning the truck and how it will fit in with what I do.Example:the fact is for the Duramax's it is not good for the turbo to start and stop them,that you have to let them warm up.Well the place I buy my smokes from is only like 4 miles away.Hardly enough to warm it up.So I would end up letting idle while I'm in the store and then drive it home and let it idle some more until it got to operating temp.

[mdmead]

A guy pointed out to me the mirrors are the same with on a single tire as a dually.And the mirrors are not wider than the dual rear wheels.

While true, it isn't the same thing. You see and protect those mirrors always. The fenders are quite a ways back and don't follow the same track as the front. (Even singles don't, but they are closer.) I'll tell you what, the mirrors on big pickups take some getting used to. They are WIDE. When I first got mine, I was always paranoid I was going to clip a like truck's mirrors on narrow country roads and bridges.

With an 11' camper, and then towing a trailer, the dually would be prudent. However, why an 11' camper? That is a BIG camper and overkill for one. If your goal is a 5th wheel or gooseneck, then I'd skip the duals.

Honestly, I'm just not a fan of diesels. Yes, they do haul and tow well, but personally, I can't justify the increased purchase price, increased cost of maintenance, and in my area, significant increase in cost of fuel. My 6.8L V-10 gas engine hauls everything I need, but I do wish for a bit more grunt with the camper on and towing my snowmobile trailer when I hit the hills. If I was looking for a used GM truck, I'd be seeking the 8.1L Vortec that was offered for several years. (Yes, gas mileage on big gas motors suck... but not as much as they did years ago. But you can buy a lot of gas with the money saved over buying the diesel, and honestly, new diesels don't get the mileage the older ones did.)

[Kidhauler]

Don't forget that when it comes time to buy tires that dually will set you back another 5-800 depending on the type of tires. Really most half tons now days will tow nearly anything you want in the way of a travel trailer or utility trailer. Plus the mileage is better than on a one ton.