Selling the DRW for a 3500 SRW?

[kburati]

Been driving a 3500 DRW '01 Duramax for 5 years now and I carry a 4500 lb. Slide in Camper. It carries it fine but I simply never used the truck as a daily vehicle like I had hoped so I've had to keep 2 vehicles registered and maintained (my old '94 1500) since there are many places the DRW simply is very inconvenient. BTW, I live near Boston, MA so most parking lots are lined for compact vehicles.

I'm considering selling both the 1/2 ton and the DRW and getting a 3500 SRW. From what I've read it's basically the 3500 DRW minus the extra wheels and one helper spring for capacity. (No need to lecture me on the additional stability of a DRW as I'm well aware.)

If I go this route I'd swap the stock tires/wheels for Rickson 19.5 and 245 tires with the 4500 capacity ratings which means I'd be good for 9000 lbs on the rear axle which I believe is my 3500 DRW axle capacity anyways. On the issue of sway and leveling I'd likely swap the springs for a full Air lift suspension system too.

I know the hardcore DRW guys out there are going to tell me I'm nuts but I really want to get back to one vehicle instead of maintaining 2 and having to worry about getting reamed at the Toll Booths all the time.

Looking for any factual insight here. Am I missing anything? From what I know I think I'll end up at the exact same capacity with this setup as my current DRW.

[rob from bc canada]

I think maybe the front ends are different, and that might be harder to fix.

My 3500 SRW has an allowable front axle GVW of only 2177 kg = 4590 lbs and the front weighs 1920 kg = 4224 lbs empty with just me in it.

That leaves only about 565 lbs available. You could use that up just putting a few more people in it!!

I do not know what the front axle GVW on a dually 3500 is, but the front wheel bolts look a lot different on some I've seen.

By the way, I haul a 3000 lb Okanagan, which puts me maybe just over totlal GVW of 9900, and last weekend after an hour on the highway at 110 kmh = 65 mph, I felt the rear wheels and the steel part of the wheels was quite hot to the touch. Didn't use the brakes at all, and the tires were cooler that the wheels, so that must have been coming fromn the bearings.

Never had that with my old 6.5 TD.

[kburati]

Thank you for the feedback. I checked the GMC site and on the CC version the Front Axle capacity for the SRW is identical to the front Axle capacity for the DRW CC (what I have now). On the Regular cab it does show a difference in front end capacity but it's not the axle it's the front spring capacity and it's 4500 lbs. On the GMC site every capacity is identical between the DRW and SRW CC 3500, every capacity except the GVWR and the Rear spring capacity (Rear axle capacity for all 3500 trucks is 9200). That's due to the fact that the 2 SRW 265 tires = 7000 lbs tire capacity and the 4 DRW tires = 10000 lbs tire capacity so I assume they leave the extra helper spring off.

Either way, the two mods I would do would be to replace the entire rear spring system with HD Air Suspension from Airlift (same one that's used on the DRW trucks aftermarket) and replace the wheels/tires with 19.5/245 which will change the 7000 lb rear capacity to 9000 lbs.

From what I know, the SRW CC Long Box has a rear curb weight between 2700 and 3000 lbs from what I've seen posted on this forum. The lower end is for the 2500HD Long Bed and the 3500 Long Bed CC likely is closer to the 3000 lb mark. This would allow for a margin of 6000 lbs on the rear axle/tire/rims which would be significantly more than enough.

If the front is an issue then it's an issue for me today so it's a non-issue. I'm pretty sure that my front end actually raises when I load the camper today, I'd assume that means that I'm not further overloading the front?

I can't explain explain the rear wheel heat issue you had but I'm also not sure that's unique to the SRW as I believe my DRW rims are typically hot too, not so much as to burn me or be terribly concerned since I have baked a rim on a trailer before and I know what that feels like. From what I know the rear axle/assembly/brakes on the 3500 SRW are identical to the DRW.

All that being said, how does your truck handle with the camper on it? My only unknown here is if the SRW causes additional sway and if so to what degree. I know I'll have to be more cautious on On/Off Ramps but there isn't any noticable sway today with my DRW.

[rob from bc canada]

My rear end weighs 2900 empty (Me and a few tools in the toolbox)

I had no problems with handling at all, both driving 70-75 on the highway, and humping around the gravel backroads with some 20% hills. The camper is quite high - full 14" basement model.

One time on a really rough potholed road, it swayed side to side quite a bit, but I think that is due to the fact they don't put a rear anti-sway bar on these. I think that could be added.

Most times, it drives like it isn't there - the only way to tell is to look at the fuel consumption on the computer 13 US mpg at 65 mph and 11.5 at 75. Overall trip measured MPG was 12.4 going up. This compares to about 17.5 US mpg I normally get driving around empty.

[kburati]

Do you have any other aftermkt items or are you running stock shocks/springs and still have the Jounce bumper? Any airbags? Is 3000 the camper sticker rating or have you weighed it? I've never actually weighed my camper, rather added up the options and compared it to someone who's weighed the same model camper as mine.

What Okanagan model do you carry, those are very nice units but they're not easy to find (neither are any of the Canadian campers nor Host campers) on the east coast of the US. Lance and Arctic Fox seem to have cornered this region. Do you use the Okanagan in the winter? How's it hold up? Is the heat ducted to the cabover? That's my only complaint with the AF, the heat simply dumps on both sides of the dinette and it's always 20 degrees colder up in the cabover.

I've often considered putting Hellwig Sway bars on my 3500 to combat the sway too.

[rob from bc canada]

Thats a lot of questions - I'll have a go:

1) Running strictly stock - no airbags

2) The listed wet weight is 2575 plus options so I'm guessing 3000 to 3300 - I just bought it and weighed it with propane and water but no stuff in it yet it came to 2970.

3) The one I just bought is an 06 Okanagan 90W for $22,000 Can. Before that I had a 93 S&S (ponderosa floorplan - whic we really liked) 9.5' from Kalispell Montana - it was getting a bit old and worm out. The weight was about the same - I used to carry that on my K2500 6.5TD regular cab. It had single glass and 3/4" walls the new ones are MUCH heavier.

4) I looked a Lnace and Arctic Fox too - Lance has some light ones but they have the old aluminum siding which often leaks, small basement single glass. The Arctic Fox ones are very nice, but they all have slideouts now which I found too heavy and thought would be too much trouble.

5) Not much experience with the Okanagan yet - it has double glass, ducted heat to basement, well insulated - so should be OK in winter - It has one-piece filon walls.