Pickup truck tow vehicle stability tests

NC Hauler wrote:

IdaD wrote:
My problem with a DRW truck would be driving it offroad while camping, fishing or hunting. A full size truck is already a handful on many of those roads, but a duelly would be even worse. Plus they just don't perform that well on certain surfaces. If you're going to go DRW you pretty much need to go with a toy hauler so you can bring a Ranger (or equivalent) along.

And at the end of the day you can pull plenty of trailer with a SRW truck - anything that actually requires DRW would be too large to get into any good camping spots.

Never had a problem finding a camping spot with my almost 40' 5er hooked to my long bed crew cab dually....but maybe that's just where I go camping...Off road, I have no need to go "off road", though I have been in 10-12" of snow and truck did fine...been in some muddy fields and though the truck got EXTREMELY muddy, it got me in and out....(glad my dually doesn't know it's not supposed to be able to go good in the snow and/or mud):).

IF I were to go to a TH, wouldn't be to tow any "toy's" in the back, would be more for storage and exercise equipment.....:)

The difference is probably that you're in North Carolina and I'm in Idaho. The terrain is a little different out here. :C

"DRW's are great, when they work. They don't always work for every situation.

Just like SRW owners justify their SRW, there are plenty of DRW owners that make it seem like DRW's are better at everything, to include getting groceries.

Everything has its pros and cons, buy/use the truck with more pros than cons"

Agree!

Guess there is a difference towing a TT and towing a 5er...From outside fender well to outside fender well on my dually, I have 96", (8')...same width as my 5er...so they track pretty much dead even...but will agree no way do I want to take a high profile, almost 40' long 5er "off road", (don't know your definition of off road, but mine is...you need a 4 wheel drive to get to the trout stream and I'm not towing a trailer of any type into that :))....I've had my 5er on narrow gravel roads towing up the side of a mountain and down into some grassy meadows and never had an issue..in fact my property in WVa on a river can be a trick to get into...going on 3years, not been a issue...guess it may also be what you're used to driving and towing

Cummins12V98 wrote:


Just remember the DRW doubters and naysayers just want to justify what they have.

DRW's are great, when they work. They don't always work for every situation.

Just like SRW owners justify their SRW, there are plenty of DRW owners that make it seem like DRW's are better at everything, to include getting groceries.

Everything has its pros and cons, buy/use the truck with more pros than cons.

IdaD wrote:
My problem with a DRW truck would be driving it offroad while camping, fishing or hunting. A full size truck is already a handful on many of those roads, but a duelly would be even worse. Plus they just don't perform that well on certain surfaces. If you're going to go DRW you pretty much need to go with a toy hauler so you can bring a Ranger (or equivalent) along.

And at the end of the day you can pull plenty of trailer with a SRW truck - anything that actually requires DRW would be too large to get into any good camping spots.

Same boat... It's where and how I use my truck/TT.

There are places I have taken it where it takes an hour and a half to go 7 miles, DRW is a PITA without a trailer and with a long trailer the width would make it all but impossible.

Even a GN or 5er would be nearly impossible on some of the roads I tow on based on the pivot pint.

FishOnOne wrote:

msmith1.wa wrote:
Call me crazy but I am going to chime in on this.

The added width of the extra tires only helps tipping in a cornering or evasive manuveur beyond the point that a srw truck would start to lift the oposite tire. This will only happen after either there is not enough force to compress the spring further or it reaches the bump stop.

I recently was looking at rear springs for GM trucks. for GM it appears to me that the major difference is in the overload portion of the spring pack. With the drw having more leaves. This combined with two more tires is what gives the added load capacity. The stiffer springs will also make the body more difficult to tip sideways in relationship to the axle just like if a sway bar was installed.

Something that I have not yet seen mentioned in this thread, is given the same load with the four tires the drw would have less sidewall flex than a srw.

Bingo... And the first person to mention suspension affects on stability and less sidewall flex.

Perhaps you're a real engineer! Or just have real good common sense that some here like to beat others with! You know who you are! :R

It appears you too have very little common sense to call out someone that you know absolutely nothing about.., you can only hit back at others by degrading and innuendo...I'm not impressed...I not only have a 4 yr degree in Engineering, I also have a 4 yr degree in secondary education...Went to school and EARNED these degrees while working and supporting a family. Had to have some common sense to survive the jungles of Viet Nam, been married almost 45 years....that took a LOT of common sense to make it work, but don't expect you to understand any of that....you're too busy spewing hateful venom and belittling others when you can't think of anything else to say about others...The Golden Rule means little to nothing to you by almost every post I've ever read from you...I think you like others mad at you...kinda sad when you think about it.

Arcamper wrote:
This topic really surprises me that anyone who has ever towed heavy would say 4 rear wheels are no better than 2. I just did a test myself out in our company parking lot. Parked my 3500 DRW next to a coworkers new 3500 SRW. Put my hand on the bed pocket above the rear wheel and pushed hard on both trucks. The SRW truck I could push about 3/4 inch back and forth. My DRW I could not move at all. It was all in the tire sidewall so I thought maybe his tire pressure was lower. Mine are at 65 and his were 70. After this controlled test I realized a DRW is more stable than a SRW of the same make and year.(How's that for scientific) LOL

Really though I pulled my current trailer for 6 years with a SRW and now pull it with a DRW and I can tell a difference in handling in the curves and wind. That's all the proof I need that it's more stable. And yes I know common sense and experience mean nothing. I think we need to go camping and not worry about it.....

Just remember the DRW doubters and naysayers just want to justify what they have.

NO Comparison towing with a DRW to a SRW. I thought towing the MS with the 11 Dually would be a good experience. I was truly blown away at how good it was over many different conditions. Maybe we should just keep it a secret.

This topic really surprises me that anyone who has ever towed heavy would say 4 rear wheels are no better than 2. I just did a test myself out in our company parking lot. Parked my 3500 DRW next to a coworkers new 3500 SRW. Put my hand on the bed pocket above the rear wheel and pushed hard on both trucks. The SRW truck I could push about 3/4 inch back and forth. My DRW I could not move at all. It was all in the tire sidewall so I thought maybe his tire pressure was lower. Mine are at 65 and his were 70. After this controlled test I realized a DRW is more stable than a SRW of the same make and year.(How's that for scientific) LOL

Really though I pulled my current trailer for 6 years with a SRW and now pull it with a DRW and I can tell a difference in handling in the curves and wind. That's all the proof I need that it's more stable. And yes I know common sense and experience mean nothing. I think we need to go camping and not worry about it.....

msmith1.wa wrote:
Call me crazy but I am going to chime in on this.

The added width of the extra tires only helps tipping in a cornering or evasive manuveur beyond the point that a srw truck would start to lift the oposite tire. This will only happen after either there is not enough force to compress the spring further or it reaches the bump stop.

I recently was looking at rear springs for GM trucks. for GM it appears to me that the major difference is in the overload portion of the spring pack. With the drw having more leaves. This combined with two more tires is what gives the added load capacity. The stiffer springs will also make the body more difficult to tip sideways in relationship to the axle just like if a sway bar was installed.

Something that I have not yet seen mentioned in this thread, is given the same load with the four tires the drw would have less sidewall flex than a srw.

Bingo... And the first person to mention suspension affects on stability and less sidewall flex.

Perhaps you're a real engineer! Or just have real good common sense that some here like to beat others with! You know who you are! :R

The Mad Norsky wrote:
I believe Sir Fish may be mistaken.

Previous vehicle F 350 dually (2011).

My current vehicle (Ram to save reading - 2014) dually also.

No real difference in how they ride or rode as in the case of the Ford.

I run the tire pressures the same front/back in either vehicle.

Again, no real difference in ride quality.

Where did I say a Ford DRW rides better than a RAM DRW?

It just happens that the only DRW truck that I've had some exposure to is a RAM... And yes that truck rides rough enough I wouldn't want it as a daily driver even if there is better stability over a SRW.

But this is my experience and opinion. Other's may vary!

The DRW truck does have a specific purpose and that's why we have it.

Cummins12V98 wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:
I will say when I ride in my BIL RAM 3500 DRW without a trailer attached that thing beats the hell out of you it's so rough, and that speaks volumes why many don't want one as a daily unloaded driver.

Personally I would never purchase a camper that would require having a DRW truck simply because I wouldn't want to drive one as my daily driver.

JMHO...

Give me a break! He must be one of these guys that run 80 in all tires if what you are saying is true.

Our F350 KR longbed SRW 4X4 friends have ridden in my 11 RAM Dually and they were very impressed with the ride, and interior.

I don't know how much air pressure is in his tires and that sounds like a real pain to have to add air when towing and then deflate when not, but I do know it rides like hell and even he admits it. It's a 07 5.9 cummins truck with a Ranch Hand front bumper. The heavy front bumper actually made it ride a bit smoother. This truck pulls a very heavy cattle trailer and there's no way in hell we would be constantly adjusting air pressure. Unbelievable...!

Are you saying a 3500 DRW rides smoother than a SRW truck? And what relevance does the interior comment from your friend have to do with this stability discussion? Your starting to sound like a salesman. :W