Pickup truck tow vehicle stability tests

On the BMET scale, a dually is 72.7% more stable...

wclement1248 wrote:
06Fargo

The nonanswer you got is about all you will get. I to have been researching DWR vs SWR and there does not appear to be any actual testing. This will generate a lot of comments along the lines of bigger is better and SWR is unsafe towing. I will follow along to see if there is an answer to your question

Me too. No answer to the OP question so far.

RinconVTR wrote:
Take the stability of 2 rear tires and multiply by two...give or take.

OP, am we missing something? Is there a hidden question here?

Wow, not even close to reality. By this logic is we fit the entire length of the axle with tires (say 8 tires) it will be 8 times as stable (it's not).

The answer is yes, dually's are more stable but as long as you are within weight ratings, there is no safety issue. SRW trucks don't fall over because they are missing the training wheels. You would be very hard pressed to document a situation where a SRW would roll but a dually would stay upright while towing.

I suggest you start watching semi's. You will notice a great many are going singles (a little difference as the outside width is held steady). If they were falling over left and right, trucking companies wouldn't use them. That is about as objective as you can get on the subject.

The reason to get dually's is because you need the extra load capacity.

transamz9 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Op are you just trying to justify a SRW when you think a DRW may be the proper choice?

IMHO notice OPINION!!!

A Dually will be much more stable when road, traffic and weather conditions are not the norm.

Traveling along with friends westbound on I-10 Palm Springs to Phoenix staying ahead of a bad storm winds were hitting us on the side at about 45 mph. The friends were in their 40'MH when we stopped in GoodYear he asked how my rig handled as he said he was fighting his the whole way and looked worn out. i told him it was Rock solid and it was a very relaxing drive.

Westbound on I-40 headwinds at 40 or more towing at 75mph rock solid.

I knew towing our MobileSuites with a Dually would be nice but it exceeded my expectations by a mile.

I don't need no stinking study to tell me what I know from EXPERIENCE!

All JMHO.

Sorry dude but I call BS on this. My DD is a DRW 2wd and a 45 mph side wind will have me all over the road. My Vette gets blown around.:S

Got no reason to lie!

BenK wrote:
Common sense is very UN-common...

stand with both feet touching and have someone push you sideways

Again with feet wide apart

Which one will have that person pushing you sideways easier?

But...this is a common sense topic, so tough to get common sense into the
discussion...

X2 Ben

I guess most have never played football, it is taught from pop warner on to keep your stance wide. Same with cranes, why to they use out riggers? Even the cherry picker bucket utility companies use. Ever see a SRW one?
I driven both, if I didn't have a 13 plus foot RV standing over the bed the SRW would be fine.

Thanks for the opinions and anecdotes...

Always lots of anecdotal statements on rv.net around dual wheel vs single rear wheel "stability".

Anyone have any links that point to actual testing results under controlled conditions?

Yes, DRW is much more stable, but sacrificing fuel economy is the downside. If not carrying a lot of weight the SRW truck is a better option. Just costs less to operate.

Well, maybe what the OP is trying to quantify is "How" much better is a DRW versus SRW. Anecdotal evidence is one thing, but what would be great is to take out 2 vehicles and run them in the same closed courses with the same trailer that is in both their ranges (probably near the top of the SRW vehicle).

This reminds me of a write-up I saw somewhere of 5'er versus TT for towing. Feeling wise, the 5'er setup felt planted and there was less sway, the TT felt like it required more work to ensure it was driving straight. However, in emergency maneuvers, the 5'er was tipping quite heavily at lower speeds versus the higher speeds in which the tester was able to perform an emergency sway/lane change maneuver with the TT. However, the tester did note that the 5'er felt more planted even though it lifted tires on one side. I only wish where I read this at, but it was interesting. The same tests could be conducted between a SRW versus DRW to finally draw out how much more stability one could gain by getting a DRW. Sure, intuitively you have a wider footprint, but how much more stability does that really buy you? Everybody's subjective opinion does not necessarily line up with one another, however, hard numbers tell another story.

Common sense is very UN-common...

stand with both feet touching and have someone push you sideways

Again with feet wide apart

Which one will have that person pushing you sideways easier?

But...this is a common sense topic, so tough to get common sense into the
discussion...

I can't believe this is even a question worth asking. It's like "should I put air in my tires before I drive the truck".