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 > DRW vs SRW safety, tire blowout

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jimh406

Western MT

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Posted: 04/07/22 06:16pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

DRWs are heavier and usually have different gearing to tow much more. My 06 Ford 6.0 PSD had 3.73s, and my 10 F450 6.4 has 4.30s. I bought it to potentially tow a fifth wheel.

I've heard it's supposed to be only a 1-1.5 mpg penalty to have a DRW if they are similarly equipped. Towing heavy at slower speeds in mtns, the difference in gearing isn't that big of an issue. Otherwise, a F350 DRW with 3.73s would be lighter and get better MPG with just a TC.

* This post was edited 04/07/22 06:23pm by jimh406 *


'10 Ford F-450, 6.4, 4.30, 4x4, 14,500 GVWR, '06 Host Rainer 950 DS, Torklift Talon tiedowns, Glow Steps, and Fastguns. Bilstein 4600s, Firestone Bags, Toyo M655 Gs, Curt front hitch, Energy Suspension bump stops.

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AH_AK

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Posted: 04/07/22 06:39pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Personally, I think it is really a matter of preference. Both can be safe and handle well, but the SRW will likely need significant mods to get there, whereas the dually may be able to do it stock.
w.r.t. lateral stability, I would agree that the extra rear track width of the dually is hard to make up for with suspension mods on a SRW. If you don't mind the DRW and can get a good one for a reasonable amount...go for it.

KD4UPL wrote:

I carried my Fleetwood 11x TC on a 2007 3500 SRW for a couple years. Then I switched to carrying it on a 2005 Chevy 3500 Dually. The difference in handling, stability, and ride was immediately obvious. The dually was far superior in every way to the SRW. I got exactly the same fuel mileage with both trucks, 10 mpg on diesel. The only real difference in the trucks was the SRW was a regular cab and the dually was a crew cab.
I don't care how many reasons you want to give a dually is the only way to go for a truck camper.
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.


specta

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Posted: 04/07/22 07:01pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

[image]

[image]

That's my work truck and I drove over 100 miles with the RR outside tire flat and never knew it.

I have no idea how it would feel with a 1-ton dually.


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jaycocreek

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Posted: 04/07/22 07:11pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Quote:

That's my work truck and I drove over 100 miles with the RR outside tire flat and never knew it.

I have no idea how it would feel with a 1-ton dually.


As you probably know,that's why truckers go around and pound there tires with a bar fairly often, It's pretty easy to have a flat and not know it and ruin a tire..


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ferndaleflyer

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Posted: 04/07/22 07:38pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I have over the years had at least 2 situations that I don't believe I would have survived had I not had a dually.
1-It was Friday before the 4th of July and I was towing a enclosed 32ft 3 axel bumper pull trailer with a race car and assorted junk inside traveling with traffic at about 70mph on I 40 near Burlington NC. The trailer hitch ball sheared off and I went for a ride. I think to this day what saved me was the dual wheels on the truck and the 3 axels on the trailer. Not much damage and I didn't hit anyone.
2-Coming down the hill on I-70 coming into Frederick, MD towing a trailer that was rear end heavy, it started swaying and was almost sideways, I floored it and as soon as it got straight behind me I locked up the brakes and got it stopped. Only the dual wheels stopped it from turning me around and maybe rolling the whole mess.
You never have to much truck.

notsobigjoe

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Posted: 04/07/22 07:42pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

KD4UPL wrote:

I carried my Fleetwood 11x TC on a 2007 3500 SRW for a couple years. Then I switched to carrying it on a 2005 Chevy 3500 Dually. The difference in handling, stability, and ride was immediately obvious. The dually was far superior in every way to the SRW. I got exactly the same fuel mileage with both trucks, 10 mpg on diesel. The only real difference in the trucks was the SRW was a regular cab and the dually was a crew cab.
I don't care how many reasons you want to give a dually is the only way to go for a truck camper.
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.


Yep, I agree. Never had any problems with gas mileage or checking tires and the width of a parking spot. I'll swear on a dually over a single any day but everyone has a preference. Not being snarky, I just don't have some of the issues that others have. I pretty much just load and go. Every time you check a tire you let air out of it. I stopped doing it years ago. I check my oil/fluids once a day when I'm driving. I just got tired of doing it at every fill up. JMHO
Joe

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Posted: 04/07/22 07:48pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

AH_AK wrote:

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 (or have first hand knowledge of) a SRW blowout that ended in a catastrophic outcome (e.g. crash)? …..
…...

In answer to your actual question, apparently no one, in spite of the frequent arguments to the merits.
No truck camper on, but had a blow out on the rear of my F350 SRW at 70 mph towing a utility trailer and truck didn’t even wiggle. Just a loud bang, flying pieces of rubber, and smoke. And a mangled fender.

specta

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Posted: 04/07/22 07:50pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

jaycocreek wrote:



As you probably know,that's why truckers go around and pound there tires with a bar fairly often, It's pretty easy to have a flat and not know it and ruin a tire..


It was fine when I left. [emoticon]

jimh406

Western MT

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Posted: 04/07/22 08:05pm Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

ferndaleflyer wrote:

I have over the years had at least 2 situations that I don't believe I would have survived had I not had a dually.
1-It was Friday before the 4th of July and I was towing a enclosed 32ft 3 axel bumper pull trailer with a race car and assorted junk inside traveling with traffic at about 70mph on I 40 near Burlington NC. The trailer hitch ball sheared off and I went for a ride. I think to this day what saved me was the dual wheels on the truck and the 3 axels on the trailer. Not much damage and I didn't hit anyone.
2-Coming down the hill on I-70 coming into Frederick, MD towing a trailer that was rear end heavy, it started swaying and was almost sideways, I floored it and as soon as it got straight behind me I locked up the brakes and got it stopped. Only the dual wheels stopped it from turning me around and maybe rolling the whole mess.
You never have to much truck.


1. Seems like that failure had zero to do with the truck. Of course, anything can fail, but was the ball rated for the load.
2. This was a case of improper loading. Of course, the easy fix would be not to do that.

I'm not sure someone working inside the safety limits of the tow vehicle and trailer would have ever seen either no matter if they were DRW or not. In any case, neither case seems to have a lot do with with a TC/Truck combination unless you also had a TC in your bed.

valhalla360

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Posted: 04/08/22 02:24am Link  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

If you need a dually for payload...sure.

Otherwise it's like the silly people who claim they will only fly on 4 engine jets when the fact is the new twin engine long range planes are safer than older 4 engine models.

Could you have a blowout, sure but with modern tires, it's a really rare event and assuming the rest of the suspension is in good condition, unlike to cause a life threatening accident.


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