DRW vs SRW safety, tire blowout

AH_AK wrote:

3 tons wrote:
The weakest part of a tire is the sidewall…Since you already have uber robust 19.5’s, I’m afraid I’m missing your concern??…I suppose staying home is always an alternative option??

3 tons

I am not worried about a blowout with those tires. The issue this post was attempting to address was the blowout safety aspect that is often cited by DRW drivers as an argument for DRW over SRW. While logical, my feeling was that this argument for DRW blowout safety superiority is not supported by the accident data. Most of the replies here support that conclusion.

IMO, the advantage of DRW is lateral stability on uneven roads and cross winds. I just returned from a 7500 mile trip with a 12,000 lb SRW (11,000 GVWR, i.e. overloaded). Crosswinds and uneven roads were inconvenient. Not unsafe, but definitely slowed me down and made driving a lot less fun. I can't definitively say that a DRW would have been a more pleasant experience, but it seemed to me that the DRW truck campers were doing better than I was. I am curious to get the camper on a DRW to see if it is just my lack of experience, or, if the wider rear track helps substantially. Based on anecdotal reports from other drivers that went from SRW to DRW, I suspect the difference would be substantial.

Oh got it :) (sorry, I didn’t peruse the whole thread, so JMHO here…), well to your question, I’ve had both nearly identical trucks (with campers) with the only mechanical difference being SWR vs DRW and my first impression after driving the DRW was truly night and day concerning stability and sway…Part of this I would attribute to the fact that DRW tire size is different (narrower width sidewalls = reduced sway) and that the duallies act very much like outriggers (lateral supports) on a crane - a huge improvement in handling period…Trust that the driving difference is quite substantial and from my perspective ‘well worth’ the extra $1,600 or so premium, in fact due to this additional confidence and safety quotient (thinking of passengers) while carrying a heavy camper I would never go back to a SRW - it’ll work BUT it’s definitely NOT the proper tool for the job…I also camp a lot RZR off-roading on BLM lands, and (while it’s possible…), but I’ve yet to experience a single rock between the rear tires, and often cross the Sierra’s (hwys 50 & 80) in the snow (4x4 cummins, LB, CC, 4:10) and have never been required to chain-up…No chance of going back for us…

I’m glad that you asked…

3 tons