DRW vs SRW safety, tire blowout
Every time the DRW vs SRW debate starts up, dually owners always point to the safety of having 4 rear wheels in case of a blowout while driving. What I am wondering is has anyone actually experienced ...
Forum Discussion
3 1/2 years ago I leased a Smart electric car to use as a daily driver. The total cost of the lease down payment, monthly payments, insurance, maintenance, and charging was the same as the gas for my 8.1l Chevy DRW. On top of that, Calif. gave me a $2500 rebate. It was also really nice to drive around town.
At the end of the lease, I let it go because I only had a year and a half left before I retire and won't need a commuter car.
So from 2005 to 2018 and since last November, my Chevy long bed, crew cab, 4x4, DRW has been my daily driver.
Is it more challenging in crowded parking lots? Yes. I rarely park in the front of the lot.
Does it have the turning circle of a warship? Yes. A few more three point turns.
Does it cost a fortune to fill up the tank (especially in Calif.)? Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
But I've taken it through many-a drive through and only had to back out once (it was a bank). I've even taken my 20' trailer through with me a time or two. Opening the doors in a tight space is no different than an SRW. If you tilt your mirrors down, you can see exactly where your tires are in relation to the parking space lines.
There are other downsides to a DRW as well. Can't take it through a drive through car wash, rear tires are a pain to fill/check, tire replacement is 50% higher, etc.
Know your vehicle, be willing to walk a little farther, and your DRW will be good to you.
A DRW may be less convenient for some things, but IMNSHO, if you "need it" for your camper/trailer/etc., it's worth the tradeoff.
At the end of the lease, I let it go because I only had a year and a half left before I retire and won't need a commuter car.
So from 2005 to 2018 and since last November, my Chevy long bed, crew cab, 4x4, DRW has been my daily driver.
Is it more challenging in crowded parking lots? Yes. I rarely park in the front of the lot.
Does it have the turning circle of a warship? Yes. A few more three point turns.
Does it cost a fortune to fill up the tank (especially in Calif.)? Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
But I've taken it through many-a drive through and only had to back out once (it was a bank). I've even taken my 20' trailer through with me a time or two. Opening the doors in a tight space is no different than an SRW. If you tilt your mirrors down, you can see exactly where your tires are in relation to the parking space lines.
There are other downsides to a DRW as well. Can't take it through a drive through car wash, rear tires are a pain to fill/check, tire replacement is 50% higher, etc.
Know your vehicle, be willing to walk a little farther, and your DRW will be good to you.
A DRW may be less convenient for some things, but IMNSHO, if you "need it" for your camper/trailer/etc., it's worth the tradeoff.
JimK-NY wrote:BigfootBill wrote:KD4UPL wrote:
I daily drive my dually. It goes thru bank and restaurant drive thrus a couple times each week. It fits in parking spaces just fine.
This may be regional. I have personally had to back out of bank drive throughs and dont even bother trying to make it through fast food drive throughs with my dually.
I agree. I have plenty of issues with my SRW camper rig or even with the crew cab/8 ft bed truck by itself. I cannot get in or out of the parking spaces for most stores. Sometimes I can park in the back of the lot but for crowded lots I cannot park at all. The width can be cramped but the space between rows is a bigger issue.
