Forum Discussion
- Electronic trailer sway control would have handeled the sway with ease. I have had it for two years now. It is always active, You never know when you will need a co-pilot.
MM49 Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
OK so what part of apply the trailer brakes without letting off the fuel are people not understanding? By doing this the trailer will snap right back in line everytime.
Don
Hitting the nail on the head!! If you watch the video closely you will see the turblance around the nose of the semi fist pushes the nose of the trailer away and as soo as it passes it pushes the tail. The speed the the truck was traveling seems to just right for the two pushes to really start the sway.
Had the driver tagged the trailer brakes he would be happily on his crazy way!!!Fast Mopar wrote:
transferred wrote:
Very true, dodge guy. The only thing I'll add is that that 3/4 ton was a gasser which weighs approximately 1,000 lbs less than the diesels. Not the main factor, of course.
It sounds like you are implying that since a diesel truck is heavier than the same model gas truck, that the diesel would be able to handle the load better due to the extra weight. Actually, according to the manufacturers, this is not true. A 4WD truck is a little heavier than the same truck with 2WD, and the 2WD version has a slightly higher tow rating. Likewise, a regular cab truck is lighter than the same truck in a crew cab, and the regular cab version has a slightly higher tow rating. Look up the tow ratings for any of the Big 3 and that is what you will find. Certainly a diesel truck will be rated to tow more than an equivalent gas truck, but it has nothing to do with the fact that the diesel engine weighs more than the gas engine.
Not only that they are sprung differently between a diesel and gas. So it's back to square one!Fast Mopar wrote:
transferred wrote:
Very true, dodge guy. The only thing I'll add is that that 3/4 ton was a gasser which weighs approximately 1,000 lbs less than the diesels. Not the main factor, of course.
It sounds like you are implying that since a diesel truck is heavier than the same model gas truck, that the diesel would be able to handle the load better due to the extra weight. Actually, according to the manufacturers, this is not true. A 4WD truck is a little heavier than the same truck with 2WD, and the 2WD version has a slightly higher tow rating. Likewise, a regular cab truck is lighter than the same truck in a crew cab, and the regular cab version has a slightly higher tow rating. Look up the tow ratings for any of the Big 3 and that is what you will find. Certainly a diesel truck will be rated to tow more than an equivalent gas truck, but it has nothing to do with the fact that the diesel engine weighs more than the gas engine.
You misunderstand me, I know the diesels are not rated for more weight I simply mean that at some point the tail is unable to wag the dog. For instance, if it was a class 6 towing the smallish TT it would still have swayed but the TV would not have been flipped around facing oncoming traffic. I doubt an extra 1k on the tow vehicle would've stopped the F250 being flung around but weight of the tow vehicle IS a factor with heavier being better.
Your citing of the truck manufacturers ratings is due to combined weight factors (why a 2wd is rated for more etc) involving lots of things but simple physics was behind my statement, nothing more. Of course, driving to fast and not properly using/setting up the trailer brakes are the primary causes of this incident.- OK so what part of apply the trailer brakes without letting off the fuel are people not understanding? By doing this the trailer will snap right back in line everytime.
Don transferred wrote:
Very true, dodge guy. The only thing I'll add is that that 3/4 ton was a gasser which weighs approximately 1,000 lbs less than the diesels. Not the main factor, of course.
It sounds like you are implying that since a diesel truck is heavier than the same model gas truck, that the diesel would be able to handle the load better due to the extra weight. Actually, according to the manufacturers, this is not true. A 4WD truck is a little heavier than the same truck with 2WD, and the 2WD version has a slightly higher tow rating. Likewise, a regular cab truck is lighter than the same truck in a crew cab, and the regular cab version has a slightly higher tow rating. Look up the tow ratings for any of the Big 3 and that is what you will find. Certainly a diesel truck will be rated to tow more than an equivalent gas truck, but it has nothing to do with the fact that the diesel engine weighs more than the gas engine.- Interesting argument: Could electronic wizardry have prevented this?
A newer, but slightly less substantial tow vehicle with stability control, sway control, etc. etc. may have trumped 'bigger truck' in this case.
Of course I wouldn't advocate such a thing, and it'd be very tough to prove one way or another, but it's an interesting thought. - Very true, dodge guy. The only thing I'll add is that that 3/4 ton was a gasser which weighs approximately 1,000 lbs less than the diesels. Not the main factor, of course.
- That video shows why it's not all about going out and replacing a 1/2 ton with a 3/4 ton! I'm sure that's not what the guy in the video did, but if you are having towing issues with a current TV, look at your setup first! Get weights and get the hitch adjusted. Then if you are still having some kind of problem, start thinking about a heavier duty truck!
If all you do is go out and buy a bigger truck because your current one isn't handling good, all you did was buy a bigger truck with same improperly setup hitch and trailer! - ok I will say it , he did not have enough truck
