Towing > 40ft - drw vs srw?

[NCRugRat]

I have a triple axle toy hauler with a top weight of 18k pounds. Four years ago I research the heck out of the type of tow vehicle to get and decided on a drw. I ended up with a 2009 F-450, but unfortunately someone decided to pull out in front of me last week and it totaled my truck. Now I’m in the market again and it’s just hard to find a good drw for a good price. I am still leaning towards a drw, but maybe it’s overkill. I notice a lot of people towing similar or larger campers with srw 350 or 3500s. My question is for those people - do you feel safe or wish you had gone with a drw? How about any sway? I do mostly flat towing with very little mountains. I appreciate any comments and it sucks to have to look for a new truck. My F-450 was solid.

[slapshot12]

transamz9 wrote:

slapshot12 wrote:
For me, 40' is where I'd be looking to go up to a DRW mainly for stability. Between personally and work, I've towed extensively with both SRW and DRW. When we were shopping for our Momentum, we went with a 349M which is 39' and 16500 max weight. Many of the larger triple axle floorpans weren't that much heavier and still within the weight limits of my '17 F-350 SRW, but hauling 42'-43' I'd want a DRW not only for additional CCC, but stability.

Guess I'm screwed then. Don't know how I hold it on the road. Lol

I never said there's anything wrong with it, that's just my personal preference. I see many people towing 42' trailers with SRW 350/3500's. Everyone can make their own choices.

[transamz9]

4x4ord wrote:
I agree with the dually guys: More tires make a truck more stable. I also agree with the SRW crowd: the new SRW trucks are stable. You no longer have to tolerate the disadvantages of a dually unless you have more than 3000-3500 lbs of pin weight.

more tires give it the ability to carry more. The suspension gives it stability.

[transamz9]

blofgren wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

transamz9 wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
Wide track will do squat for sway if you have soft springs or stabilizer bar. Once you have sufficiently stiff suspension, then you start getting wheel lift at the vehicle limits - This is when a wider track will help you. Have you ever seen a built out 4wd with really wide track yet considerable body sway?

If the two trucks have the same suspension setup, then the dually will be more stable simply because it has a wider track.

If you ride around with the suspension bottomed out it will but in the real would if the suspension are identical they will have the same stability.

A wider track means more stability to me. Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Of course wider track means more stability. Transamz9 is anti-dually for some reason; I’ve had the same type of head slapping threads with him before......;)

I’m in the 4 rear tires for me category. I’ve had both and know which one handles better. And strangely enough, manufacturers put higher tow ratings on them; must be coincidental! 🙂

No, I'm not anti-dually. I drive one every day. My company truck is a Drw. They are needed when they are needed but unlike most I don't think they are the have to have for everything. Everyone always says it because there are two extra wheels is what makes them handle load better when all the two extra tires do is give it the carry more weight. The suspension is what handles the weight.

[4x4ord]

I agree with the dually guys: More tires make a truck more stable. I also agree with the SRW crowd: the new SRW trucks are stable. You no longer have to tolerate the disadvantages of a dually unless you have more than 3000-3500 lbs of pin weight.

[Huntindog]

blofgren wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

transamz9 wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
Wide track will do squat for sway if you have soft springs or stabilizer bar. Once you have sufficiently stiff suspension, then you start getting wheel lift at the vehicle limits - This is when a wider track will help you. Have you ever seen a built out 4wd with really wide track yet considerable body sway?

If the two trucks have the same suspension setup, then the dually will be more stable simply because it has a wider track.

If you ride around with the suspension bottomed out it will but in the real would if the suspension are identical they will have the same stability.

A wider track means more stability to me. Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Of course wider track means more stability. Transamz9 is anti-dually for some reason; I’ve had the same type of head slapping threads with him before......;)

I’m in the 4 rear tires for me category. I’ve had both and know which one handles better. And strangely enough, manufacturers put higher tow ratings on them; must be coincidental! 🙂

Agreed. Stating that a SRW is just as stable as a DRW flies in the face of physics, common sense, and just makes one look silly.

[blofgren]

fj12ryder wrote:

transamz9 wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
Wide track will do squat for sway if you have soft springs or stabilizer bar. Once you have sufficiently stiff suspension, then you start getting wheel lift at the vehicle limits - This is when a wider track will help you. Have you ever seen a built out 4wd with really wide track yet considerable body sway?

If the two trucks have the same suspension setup, then the dually will be more stable simply because it has a wider track.

If you ride around with the suspension bottomed out it will but in the real would if the suspension are identical they will have the same stability.

A wider track means more stability to me. Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Of course wider track means more stability. Transamz9 is anti-dually for some reason; I’ve had the same type of head slapping threads with him before......;)

I’m in the 4 rear tires for me category. I’ve had both and know which one handles better. And strangely enough, manufacturers put higher tow ratings on them; must be coincidental! 🙂

[wnjj]

fj12ryder wrote:

transamz9 wrote:
If you ride around with the suspension bottomed out it will but in the real would if the suspension are identical they will have the same stability.

A wider track means more stability to me. Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

From a basic physics point of view, until the point of lifting the inside tire, wider stance means less force is needed at the tires to counteract the tipping force (force x distance).

In reality, the tires are a part of the suspension and aren't solid. A wider stance means a same strength tire sidewall resists tipping more than if it were on a narrower vehicle.

If you put solid steel tires on a narrower vehicle it would feel more stable (less wiggly) than a wider one on rubber tires if both have the same suspension however, when pushed too far the narrower one will roll first.

In theory an equally sprung SRW with stiffer sidewall tires could perform better than a DRW with softer sidewalls but that would take awfully stiff SRW tires and really squishy DRW tires.

[fj12ryder]

transamz9 wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
Wide track will do squat for sway if you have soft springs or stabilizer bar. Once you have sufficiently stiff suspension, then you start getting wheel lift at the vehicle limits - This is when a wider track will help you. Have you ever seen a built out 4wd with really wide track yet considerable body sway?

If the two trucks have the same suspension setup, then the dually will be more stable simply because it has a wider track.

If you ride around with the suspension bottomed out it will but in the real would if the suspension are identical they will have the same stability.

A wider track means more stability to me. Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

[transamz9]

fj12ryder wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
Wide track will do squat for sway if you have soft springs or stabilizer bar. Once you have sufficiently stiff suspension, then you start getting wheel lift at the vehicle limits - This is when a wider track will help you. Have you ever seen a built out 4wd with really wide track yet considerable body sway?

If the two trucks have the same suspension setup, then the dually will be more stable simply because it has a wider track.

If you ride around with the suspension bottomed out it will but in the real would if the suspension are identical they will have the same stability.

[fj12ryder]

Bedlam wrote:
Wide track will do squat for sway if you have soft springs or stabilizer bar. Once you have sufficiently stiff suspension, then you start getting wheel lift at the vehicle limits - This is when a wider track will help you. Have you ever seen a built out 4wd with really wide track yet considerable body sway?

If the two trucks have the same suspension setup, then the dually will be more stable simply because it has a wider track.

[transamz9]

slapshot12 wrote:
For me, 40' is where I'd be looking to go up to a DRW mainly for stability. Between personally and work, I've towed extensively with both SRW and DRW. When we were shopping for our Momentum, we went with a 349M which is 39' and 16500 max weight. Many of the larger triple axle floorpans weren't that much heavier and still within the weight limits of my '17 F-350 SRW, but hauling 42'-43' I'd want a DRW not only for additional CCC, but stability.

Guess I'm screwed then. Don't know how I hold it on the road. Lol

[slapshot12]

For me, 40' is where I'd be looking to go up to a DRW mainly for stability. Between personally and work, I've towed extensively with both SRW and DRW. When we were shopping for our Momentum, we went with a 349M which is 39' and 16500 max weight. Many of the larger triple axle floorpans weren't that much heavier and still within the weight limits of my '17 F-350 SRW, but hauling 42'-43' I'd want a DRW not only for additional CCC, but stability.

[Bedlam]

Wide track will do squat for sway if you have soft springs or stabilizer bar. Once you have sufficiently stiff suspension, then you start getting wheel lift at the vehicle limits - This is when a wider track will help you. Have you ever seen a built out 4wd with really wide track yet considerable body sway?

[fj12ryder]

Wow, and all those cars with wider wheelbases didn't realize they just needed to firm up the suspension to make the car more stable. Who'd a thunk.