Found my new truck for next Truck Camper!
Good good this would be cool with a TC on the back.
Forum Discussion
Bottom line, European heavy trucks drive on 4 or 5 axles just fine and tandem seems to be well more common than side duallies.
Correct. There is no problem at all- Your logic pnichols would apply to solid wheels, while pneumatic tires do flex and flex quite a bit.
Not the best pictures, but this is what I could find on the net.
Side flex can be huge. Obviously stiff truck tires, especially low profile will have it less, but still.
Bottom line, European heavy trucks drive on 4 or 5 axles just fine and tandem seems to be well more common than side duallies.
Tires can also flex a bit radius-wise, but that comes with big forces.
Don't expect such flex from truck tires.
- For what it's worth:
I challenge you naysayers who maintain that non-steerable tandems don't scrub on turning cicles (and thus wear faster on hard road surfaces) to draw a circle on a piece of paper. Then put a dot in the center of the circle. This dot represents the center of the turning radius that the tandem tires will be traveling around as they move along the curve of a turning circle. Now draw on this circle the view from above showing the set of tandems as they traverse around the circumference of the circle. Notice that each set of two tires in each tandem pair are linearly lined up with each other but being forced/dragged along the non-linear circumference of the turning circle. Studying this carefully, it's obvious what will be happening on turns with non-steerable tandems on vehicles.
This additional scrubbing is not a wear issue on soft surfaces, or much of an issue with relatively light-weight vehicles on hard surfaces or with tandem wheeled trailers on hard surfaces. But with heavy vehicles (like some RVs) - tandem rears will wear faster due to the scrubbing. Notice that U.S. big rigs don't use tandem duals to carry their heavy weights, as the scrubbing - even on gentle highway curves (let alone when maneuvering in loading lots) - will, over thousands of miles, cost them additional $$ from excessive tread wear over use of standard side-by-side duals.
I would not want a heavy RV with tandem duals if it was to be used for travel on hard surfaces thousands of miles over it's life. However, tandem duals definitely have flat-changing advantages and certain off-road traction advantages over side-by-side duals ... but on-highways ... tread wear is not one of them. SidecarFlip wrote:
Time to step up to the new Ford F450 Super Duty, a mere $94,000 comfortably equipped.
Should call it 'Super Stupidity' instead.
You must be talking sunroof, leather seats, upgraded radio and carpets?
My special order F350 come to $62k what include over $2 extreme towing package with 360 cameras and 2-tone tri-coat paint.- BUY USED
- Time to step up to the new Ford F450 Super Duty, a mere $94,000 comfortably equipped.
Should call it 'Super Stupidity' instead. Kayteg1 wrote:
Yeah, but Sprinter is not 2.5m wide and how many 350 Sprinters sell in Europe?
Working on both continents, I observe that it is using different approach to start with.
Europeans on the average have less money to spend, so they do their homework and go with
"spend more up front and save a lot later"
US citizens go more "buy on impulse, buy cheap and worry later"
Vide all those gasers v/s diesel truck disputes.
Obviously you will find exceptions on both sides. ;)
Germany is the second biggest market for Sprinters Globally. As far as dually trucks in General quite a market for them in Europe. Do no know if they the Europeans have less money to spend more likely less need to use RV's in general- Yeah, but Sprinter is not 2.5m wide and how many 350 Sprinters sell in Europe?
Working on both continents, I observe that it is using different approach to start with.
Europeans on the average have less money to spend, so they do their homework and go with
"spend more up front and save a lot later"
US citizens go more "buy on impulse, buy cheap and worry later"
Vide all those gasers v/s diesel truck disputes.
Obviously you will find exceptions on both sides. ;) Kayteg1 wrote:
I was thinking about the difference in dual tires between US and Europe.
In Europe tandem inline is partially forced by narrower roads and you often see double steering axles, what is unthinkable in US, but thinking about it, inline wheels on sharp turn will bend and tires can bend a lot, while US dually have 2 tires turning at different speeds against each other.
I had 3 axle equipment trailer and did not have excessive tire skidding unless I come to jack-knifing it.
Bottom line, I love to watch the movies where 4-axle trucks take 120% grades.
We use inline as well but as far as a Motorhome or Off Road no problems. Remember Sprinters and other makers Vans are side by side duallies. Inline tend to be used for extended chassis and off road applications
