Best Big Bed Truck?

[LowTech]

Don't know what your going to build your "tiny home" out of, but those are the trucks I'd want to haul w. Doesn't have to be dually (I don't like duallies in the dirt much) but the right size and nice engines.

 

[akrvbob]

He doesn't give us much detail of the trailer, but I made the assumption that a house on a flatbed would be pretty heavy. A heavy trailer is better behind a dually.

Here's the problem with single 1 ton trucks: There tires aren't rated for much weight. Most rear tires are rated at 3500 pounds each so that's 7000 on the rear axle. Hey, lots of 5th wheels are 5000 pounds alone on the tongue!! The truck is at least another 4000. Then put some tools and water and a generator in the bed, and your tires are dangerously overweight.

It's expensive to get a tire rated higher than 4000 pounds and that's still only 8000 on the rear axle. That is simply not enough and you do NOT want to overload your tires. It's okay to go over GVWR or even the axle GW but NEVER the tire.

With a dually, your rear tires are rated at 14,000 pounds and you are almost never going to overload them Much safer.

And that's not even considering sway issues.
Bob

 

[Canine]

The sway issue is a good point, Bob. I was in a truck with singles that was towing a gooseneck and the driver told me to look at the tires and how they flexed when going around a corner. When we switched trucks to the dually and we were coming back, we drove part way with the gooseneck still loaded and he told me to look at the tires as we were turning. No flex on the tires. Big difference. Both trucks had stuff in the back with the one ton having a diesel fuel tank for filling his off road equipment.

When a truck is hauling AND towing a heavy load, duallys are the way to go. You could get H rated tires, but then you need to get rims that can handle the air pressure. Then you are pushing the limits of a truck with singles. When you run an object near its limits, it breaks down much faster. Cheaper and safer to operate more withing the limits than run near the limits. I wouldn't want to get a flat towing that much weight.

One tons tend to have larger brakes, too. Stopping is important.

 

[offroad]

Holy Toledo batman. That's a lot of tech data to consider. Thanks for the notes and clarity. Either go big or go home. Much to contemplate and plan.

 

[highdesertranger]

bob and canine are both spot on. for heavy loads nothing beats a dually. also they are much safer in case of a blowout. they work excellent off road too, because they get great traction if loaded. however most are to wide for a lot of back country roads. I have a narrow dually it's only slightly wider than a single rear wheel. I have no problem off road, except for my paint but that is just part of the game. highdesertranger

 

[Patrick46]

My buddy bought an extended-cab, 1-ton Dodge dually with a Cummins turbo diesel, (not sure exact year), with the 5-speed manual, for $5500 last year.
He's chipped it and changed the exhaust to a bigger one, and he's now getting like 18mpg's from it, pulling a heavy cargo trailer loaded with motorcycles...and he's put over 43K in ONE YEAR on it!!!!!

here it is in the background...

 

[LowTech]

Here's the problem with single 1 ton trucks: There tires aren't rated for much weight. Most rear tires are rated at 3500 pounds each so that's 7000 on the rear axle. Hey, lots of 5th wheels are 5000 pounds alone on the tongue!! The truck is at least another 4000. Then put some tools and water and a generator in the bed, and your tires are dangerously overweight.

I keep thinking about this and it doesn't make any sense to me. I have a 23' 5th wheel trailer that weighs 7,330, it has wheels all the way at the back. The kingpin weight is only 2,230. That's less than 1/3rd the weight.
Why would a 5th wheel, that is a live-in, weigh 2.5 tons on the kingpin?
Even w/ my 23' Ex Mil 5th wheel I've only got a ton on the king pin. So that would be right inline w/ a 1 ton weight cap.

Highdesertranger- On duallies off-road -

they work excellent off road too

That we will just have to agree to disagree on. Very few "offroad" (not dirt road) rigs run duallies, and there's reasons. But that's for another forum / thread.

 

[highdesertranger]

well they mostly don't do it because of the width. like I said mine is narrow so I don't have that problem. I very rarely have to put my truck in 4wd. highdesertranger

 

[offroad]

Patrick46 - what year was that? Did he just walk into an outstanding deal? Like winning the lottery? Does not sound like anyone can find that kind of solution.

---

Highdesert - what year make and model is that narrow duelly ? Is that rare as hens teeth to find something like that? Any practical way to get something like that?

 

[highdesertranger]

the narrow dualies came on all cab and chassis both 2 and 4wd. I am not sure what year they started or ended production. I do know they were available from 78-86. here is a pic of my 78.

the rear axle is a gm corporate 14 bolt. which is one tough axle. I have been told that you can bolt this axle on any gm dually, 3/4 or 1 ton even the newer body styles. note, I have never tried this on the newer trucks only the 73-86's. these axles are in demand in the signal rear wheel configuration(I have 5). they can be converted to dually with the proper parts, all factory. highdesertranger

 

[akrvbob]

23 foot is a very small 5th wheel, 35 foot is common and some are 40 foot. But, what I said is many are 5000 pounds on the tongue and the truck is at least 4000. If you add them together they come to 9000 and you are way over the weight capacity of your tires.

Let's take your example of 2500 pounds on the tongue. The truck is at least another 4000 so you are at 6500 on the rear axle with a very small and light 5th wheel. If your tires are rated at 3500 pounds each, (7000 pounds on the rear axle) you are within 500 pounds of being overweight on your rear tires. I'd be astounded if once you load everything you own in the world up in the truck and trailer you weren't at least 1000 pound over on each tire. If you doubt that, ask yourself how much do all your tools weigh and where are they stored? And that is with a very small trailer.

Most people totally overestimate the weight carrying ability of their tires and drastically underestimate the weight they are putting on each tire.

On the other hand, if you had a dually you wouldn't have an issue at all.
Bob
Bob

 

[Patrick46]

Patrick46 - what year was that? Did he just walk into an outstanding deal? Like winning the lottery? Does not sound like anyone can find that kind of solution.

---

---

Solution???

Here's a better pic of it.

He bought it in September of '13. He did NOT like the old factory green that was on it, so he painted it flat black, and I flamed it for him...and we did the whole job in 3 days flat!

He drove it back to Florida (where he's from), and covered the Eastern seaboard during that winter and the spring of this year...and he came back out here again in September once again this year.

so, YES, he's put over 43 K on this truck in barely 1 year of owning it.

here's a better pic...

 

[offroad]

Patrick46 - how did your friend find this? What model year and what search method did he use to find that truck ?

 

[wagoneer]

You will find inline 6 in everything from small cars to locomotives big rigs and ocean liners. The design is very balanced and universally accepted. Best inline 6 I ever had was the 1987 Mercedes
diesel wagon.

 

[offroad]

Just reading this thread again. All great information on planning the towing or carrying capacity needed.