2WD vs 4WD tow vehicle
DW and I are considering purchasing a fifth wheel and a tow vehicle. The trailer would be in the 30-33 ft range. The theoretical tow vehicle would be a fairly new (less than four model years old) F-3...
Forum Discussion
Coach-man wrote:valhalla360 wrote:Coach-man wrote:
If considering 2WD a limited slip rear is a must! The Diesel weighs a lot more than a gasser, putting more weight on the front axel, less on the rear, if you get into anything slippery the rear tires may start spinning. With limited slip having both rear wheels providing traction will help greatly, otherwise you could have a problem. Just my $0.02 worth, good luck with your truck and rig!
Limited Slip is a good option to have but since we are talking 5th wheels, the OP it probably throwing at least an extra 1500# on the rear axle (probably more like 2000-3000#), so there will be plenty of weight on the rear axle.
I realizethat, but in soft, slippery conditions without limited slip you are not in a 4x2, you are in a 4 x1! With only one rear wheel you could easily get sltuck! Towing a fiver may help with the added weight, but you still tend to spin the rear tire, and dig yourself in. Limited slip could be a cheaper solution to the OP's delema depending on where he drives.
I think you misread my comment. Limited slip is a really nice option with limited cost and complexity for some extra traction.
The idea you are in 4x1 is not correct. It's actually somewhere in the middle. Both rear wheels will provide traction equivilent to the wheel with the least available grip.
Since the available traction is the coefficent of friction times the weight on the wheel, a truck pulling a 5th wheel typically has almost double the traction of an empty truck, so even without it's not as bad as some would make it out to be.
