dually user-friendliness?

[One Ton Trucker]

I know that if I never buy a dually, I will never satisfy my ultimate nagging curiosity because I think they look awesome. What kind of mileage do you guys get from your 6.0 duallies? What kind of turning radius? How stiff does it ride? Do you honestly think I should kick the drive for the sweet dually, and just get the crew cab short bed?

[Logan]

I love mine. I don't need one, but I love it. What kind of things are you going to be using it for? The ride is a little stiffer, but you get used to that. I get between 14 and 16 most of the time. Hard to beat the girls with the big ole butts

[westcoaststrokin]

As far as turning radius my short bed turns about the same as a skinny long bed.

[tmkrek]

I have an OBS dually and I agree with the comments above. I love mine most of the time.......but I hate it when it comes time to rotate tires. I have alcoa's and a tire rotation requires a dismount/remount and balance so I end up not rotating tires nearly as often as I should.

[JohnO]

I didn't need a dually either, but they offered me such a good deal on on this 06 that I just couldn't say no. And, yes, I think the dually rear really makes it look right. This, by God, is a truck.

Compared to what other PS jockeys report, the dually doesn't seem to affect fuel usage much. No more than 1mpg, maybe less. I'm seeing anywhere from 13 to 20, depending on town/highway, hills, and what sort of mood I'm in. Seems to command a bit more respect on the road, too. The other motorists are decidedly more polite when I'm driving Big Duke.

You get used to it pretty quickly. It's a little wider, but after a couple of weeks, it's second nature. Going straight, if the mirrors clear, the dually will. Watch it turning corners. Just because your door cleared doesn't mean the rear will. I haven't driven a non dually F350 to compare, but I have noticed that high crosswinds on the highway don't faze this big monster, and it seems steadier on a wet road. I suspect the dually has something to do with that - more rubber on the road. Unloaded, it stops real well.

Turning circle is good, considering I have a dually rear, crew cab, and 8 foot bed. It ain't a Ranger, that's for sure, but I'm surprised how well it does. You do have to plan things a bit when you're in tight quarters, but you get used to that too. I believe they tightened the turning circle in 05, can't speak for earlier models.

Ride? This thing is a Cadillac, compared to the 1 ton trucks I used to drive on a farm in my youth. Very civilized, you can drive it every day, and I usually do. Some of that is the front coil springs they went to in 05.

Only real downside I know of is tires, you have to buy two more and it does limit your ability to go larger. Yep, I'm looking at buying a set next spring - if I'm lucky, I can get a set of Goodrich AT's installed for < $1400. Ouch! Rotation is a pain, and you have to clean off all the crap that accumulates on the inside rears or your truck looks weird. I'm showing 72k miles on the original Rugged Trail tires, so they seem to last well.

Life is short - get what you want. That's the conclusion I reached. I always wanted a big truck with duallies, too. You'll like it.

Hey, Logan - Girls with big ol butts - I like that.

[Clay Henry]

I like mine too...agree with all the above. Mine however has the front leaf springs and rides like a buckboard on some of these Oklahoma concrete highways. I don't mind, though, i look for the asphalt routes and go. And when you get you an SCT with a hot tune and do a burnout an get that thing sideways, your friends will drop there bottom jaw!...

[MrJohnWayne]

to all statements.


I love mine. I can get 18+ out of her but usually average 14.5 cause I have a fat foot. Turning radius ain't the best. It takes about 3 lanes + to do a U turn, but all in all the truck (with stacks ) sure do make it a head turner....

[SDDan]

Ditto to most of what been said already. Avg around 15mpg. Rides nicer than the '95 gasser it replaced. This is the nicest vehicle I have ever owned, I love driving it. I was actually looking for a CC SRW, but, found this dually and when the wife said she liked it I wasn't going to argue. For it's size it has a tighter turning radius than the '95. And for being a one ton truck it rides nice. I have the factory aluminum rims so rotating tires is a pain, but, thats my only complaint. Now I plan on getting a bigger trailler when money allows and I know I have the truck to hual it.

[Abrannan19]

I HAVE ONE..but my next truck will not be a DRW DD..

[pipelayerjdh]

The only drawbacks are tighter parking and two more tires to wear out. The ride is about the same and fuel mileage is not gonna be much different. The newer wide track front ends on the '08's turn better than the SRW trucks. On the older trucks, the radius is the same, give or take a little. My '97 only takes about 4 acres to turn around.