Trailer getting away video
 

Here is a GOOD video of what happens when something goes wrong towing even with a heavy duty pick-up, but yeah, you can tow stupid amounts of weight with 1/2 tons as long as you don't go real far :eek:, Smitty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwOqA...eature=related

looks like the wind got him! out west I have seen semi's almost get blown over from side gusts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzcHoAPjv8w

holy sh@# !

He should have pulled over and stopped till the wind died down. Idiot.

That is nuts!!!

Perfect example of why I dont tow any faster than 50-55mph at any time. Too many things can happen, even at 55. Atleast at 50-55 you may be able to slow down faster and hopefully control a situation. I hear of guys towing their stuff 75 or faster. Not me.....

He must have felt something from the wind before that happened. Why he did not slow way down or pull over, is anyones guess.

Last week here in Utah we had 18 tractor trailers get blown over in one day, while they were parked. Speed isn't always a factor in situations like this.

Perfect Video to prove my point that a DUALLY is NOT more stable then a single wheel.
The trailer pivoted on the hitch ball like I have said in the past. The dually truck would only help with Payload in the bed, like a slide in camper.
Duallys are more for peoples EGOS then anything! LOL!

I could see a dually with a fifth wheel being more stable.

I'm sure a pin on a fifth wheel wouldn't allow the trailer to roll without making the truck roll too and dually rears would definitely keep it more stable in that case.

The fifth wheel would have taken more wind because it would be harder to spin the truck out by the axle than the bumper and more tongue weight to keep the truck tires holding. Not to say the end result would have been different, as that must have been quite a gust, but it would have a better chance.

Noticed it was not a FORD! Ha Ha

Interesting video, but I don't think it translates well to the boat loads we tow. I think that would have happened, or close to, just sitting still. That said, the fact that it was a dually probably saved it from going over sooner, and I'm pretty confident in saying the fact that it was a dually prevented it from turning the truck over too, before the rear wheels lifted up.

It would be a more telling video if shot from a vehicle in front of the dually shooting backwards.

As to why they didnt just stop and wait. The driver commented on the video at some point and basically said, they did stop once and the trailer almost flipped while they were sitting still, so they figured they would creep along and try to get over the pass as soon as possible. Apparently it was blowing like 60mph.

I would also venture a guess that if it had been a SRW it could have flipped over completely along with the trailer.

Like I have said in the past..if a dually is so much better then please post your pics of your dually boat trailer? If not then quit being a hypocrite.:lolhit:

The sail area that camper had in that much wind, it was problems to tow in those conditions. Should have exercised better caution and not gone out. I always check the weather, a smart thing to do.

A fifth wheel set up would have been more stable than a traditional setup, as was said above. Plus the difference in dual wheel truck sizes makes a diff too, ie- 350 vs a 5500 or a Sport Chasis truck. They are heavier than a 350 series.

The camper shell on the back of that truck also didn't do any favors for the rig when it comes to that wind.

And dual wheel fifth wheel semis blow over all the time also..............

Few reasons why duallys tow better.

Wider track.
Blow a rear tire and you aren't gonna lose it like a SRW.
Normally, heavier duty axles, ring gears, and springs.
Tires distribute the weight better and run cooler in the hot summer.
More stable over random potholes. Most potholes swallow up a single tire. It would have to be pretty large to swallow up a tandem wheel. Once again, a blowout protection.

My SRW superduty truck swayed when towing the boats. My Dually doesnt get affected by passing semi's and uneven road surfaces as much.

Not gonna get in a pissin match about tow vehicles. But let me ask you guys, what do you think 1 ton duallys were intended to tow? And what do you think 3/4 ton SRW wheels intended to tow? Big offshore boats have no business behind anything less than a 1 ton long wheelbase dually. Not escalades, expeditions, excursions, F150's, or H2 hummers. At least in my opinion. Ive attempted it with big boats and SRW. Didnt like it. My chart goes like this

1/2 ton pickups and suvs. 17-24FT boats.
3/4 ton pickups 24-29ft boats.
1 Ton dually 30-38ft boats. Maybe not even some 37-38'.
Medium duty Freightliners, F650, etc, 38-44ft.
Class 8 semi, 44+.

Offshorexcursion, go put your 33' outlaw and excursion on the truck scales. I'll bet you come out around 20k lbs with fuel and gear. If you blow a rear tire at 65mph, do you feel ok with one tire supporting 20k lbs at the pivot point of a 55ft long rig on a rainy day? In my opinion (being a trucker by trade) that rear axle of the pulling unit is the most important of the 5-6 axle group. :drink:

I guess you missed the part where I mentioned the sail area of the trailer and wind conditions.......

Doesnt make any diff what you tow with with if the wind conditions are not conducive to do so in a safe manner.

Ya, really, all those c0cky longhaul truck drivers running tandem duals, how egotistical! :rolleyes:

A dually provides stability, plain and simple. They normally run stiffer tires, which helps with lateral stability in windy conditions. They provide faster recovery times to slip situations also. I wont go into detail over the blowout situation, as its obvious and has been covered in this thread already.

If you're going to mention ego, you may just be in the wrong forum! lol!:grinser010:

When I was hauling boats for a living, I hauled a 28' bowrider to New Mexico. I was using a SRW 3/4 ton. When the drivers side rear tire on the trailer blew out, it manged to grab the (very cheap) fender and yank it off the trailer tangling it between the two tires and the road. There was no rubber touching the pavement on that side at all, just skating on what was leftover of the fender. The trailer brake lines were yanked off because they were screwed to the inside of the fender for some reason, therefore leaving the trailer with no brakes. The trailer started its bucking side to side and slid off the pavement into the dirt, pulling the backend of my truck with it. It jackknifed and slid to a stop in the dust. No injuries, no truck damage, but thank baby Jebus there wasn't a cliff on that side. I think with a dually, that situation would have been a lot less dramatic. More rubber on the ground equals more force required to pull it off track.

I don't want to fight with anyone here but if the same amount of weight is on the SRW or DRW the amount of rubber on the road will be more with a dually BUT the pressure on the tire contact area of the dually will be half that of the SRW. The more pressure per square inch on the contact area will make it harder to break loose. The dually will most likely slide around much easier than a SRW.

The dually is strictly for carrying weight and in fact like a semi-truck when loaded lightly provides far less traction than a SRW becuase on the PSI on the contact area.

Case in point take a bobtail tractor and hit the brakes hard the tires lockup and skid. Add some weight, an empty trailer and they will still skid somewhat (the tractor rear wheels). Load that trailer heavy and you'll smoke the brakes before the tires.

It's all about ground pressure because the tire compounds are very hard, it's not like a race car with hot sticky tires, road tires are hard and designed to last a very long time.

Until the myth busters do an episode on this, I will stick with the dualley.

I have towed with both, and with 50 plus feet of boat and trailer behind me ( 350 SRW & DRW ), the dualley definately fells like it has a better bite, not to mention cuts out any swaying, and lastly stops much better than a SRW ( bigger brakes on a Dualley over a SRW ). Its alot different towing with rigs 35 foot and under due to weight and length.

The larger trucks I mentioned previously, no comparison to the 350 series.

Trailer on guys......

Now that is one I would like to see!

If you buy this book http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Tire-T.../dp/0306308061 it will explain everything you need to know. It will take me 3 hours to copy all the math to prove my point but my point was about traction or grip and not feel.

45tripps - the wider track is always better as with a dually when compared to the trailer width. When it comes to load (weight) or length the only factor is how much weigth is on the tow vehicle. A SRW F-250 can pull a 65,000lbs trailer with no problem at all and with proper braking on the trailer for the trailer's weight it can stop perfectly fine.

You might ask, how can I make a statement which seems so crazy? If I were to use a converter dolley and set my trailer tandems at the right distance so I can maintain say 2,000 lbs on the tongue of the F-250 and my braking on both dolley and trailer exceed my truck I will stop fine.

I know that is not practical or legal but the point is it's the weight carried by the tow vehicle that makes a dually better or worse than a SRW not what is pulled behind it. If your load on the truck itself (not trailer) is high a dually would be better but a light load on a dually is more apt to skid and/or jacknife than the same load on a SRW.

The math is in the book, personally I've had both and think with the right loading both are equally as good.

ps I'm going to write to Myth Busters and ask them to show it, I would love to see it done:drink:

All I know is I have towed with SRW and DRW and I will never tow with SRW again.

Semis are migrating to Super Singles. Better fuel economy. What's really important here is tire design and technology, it has closed the gap single vs. dual, both in light duty and heavy duty trucks. Is there still a gap, maybe/sure/yes, but there is some truth here that when dually trucks first came out, tire technology and construction required it, more so than today.

Please post pics of your medium duty and dually boat trailer since dually's are so much safer.

BTW I tow a 50' car hauler behind a SRW Dodge for a living. (over a million miles logged 100% DOT record and accident free).....and my girlfriend drives too!!!! :)

Curious why so much hatred towards DRW? Your entitled to your opinion as are we all but if there was no place in the heavy duty pickup market for DRW then they would have gone out of production a long time ago. I have towed my 30' scarab with both a SRW and now a DRW and I love the DRW, it definitely feels more stable and twice the amount of traction on a wet ramp(considering it is only 2wd)

No disrespect intented but if you say that with 100% conviction, unless you had a truck failure i would say you had a bad feelings while towing it is most likely the trailer not the DRW vs SRW that made your problem.

I only comment here on things I know about, if you look at my photos on here there is one when I was 21 years old and had 350 trucks and trailer by then and they were not my father's or father-in-laws. I know this argument well and trailer weight distribution and axle position is more likely why people feel how they do then SRW vs DRW, the DRW compenstates or masks the underlying problem.

quick story - 1984 just when the laws were changing so we could run double 28's anywhere, I ordered 40 sets from Monon. Our company the day the law went into effect was the first comapny ever to run doubles coast to coast non-stop 60hrs NYC to LAX. We hauled clothing 100% so the loads were very light and we had problems week 1 with the trailers - they swayed alot. Monon came out to NJ and they followed me on the NJ Turnpike and at about 80mph the sway started. We went back to yard, cut off the 5th wheel off the converter dolley and moved it 4" and went righ back out. I was in the left hand lane running high 90's MPH and no sway at all. That little adjustment mad e the trailers track better because we always had very light loads, we move all 40 dolloey and rest is history.

I just trying to say, I believe of the problems people think they have with the truck is the trailer set-up and most people again not to insult anyone at all don't realize what they need to do to correct it.

me personally I love the dually, it's tough in the Wegman's parking lot or Burger King drive thru but other than that, very good. I'm not arguing that one is better or worse but the points being made about why the DRW might be better are not accurate, the physics dispute that.

Even your claim of twice the traction is not valid, you have twice the rubber but half the weight on each. Ever see a farm tractor with ballast on the wheels (I know we have some farmers on here)? Why ballast the wheels - reduced tire air pressure plus ballast equal better traction. If they added dual wheels the tractor wouldn't go anywhere it would just spin it's tires.

BTW - my next truck will be a DRW, I haul heavy loads and the SRW makes me a little nervious sometimes should I have a blowout, so I'm not bias just trying to be informative:drink:

Yep


John jr

Alot of good points made in this thread. Im not a professional truck driver, not my profession. I do know what feels and reacts better for my circumstances towing my biggest toy, and its a dualley.

In a perfect world and circumstances regarding the trailer setup and brakes, in the event of a brake failure on the trailer, a SRW truck has smaller brakes than a dualley, therefor the ability to stop is hindered somewhat. The dualleys bigger brakes would be more up to the task of helping to slow down the entire setup.

I towed a 42 I had with a SRW once after the brakes went out on the trailer. The SRW truck had a tough time of slowing down the rig. When using a 350 series at the time, the 350 dualley had no issues slowing down the entire rig.

Again several factors come into play, most importantly, towing with the proper rated truck for the job and a functioning well set up trailer including brakes. I am more comfortable towing with a dualley. The feel is definately different. The tires do have a stiffer sidewall ( atleast on mine ), therefore they dont flex as much as the tires would on a SRW, the over stability feels better, the brakes on the truck are huge. I dont care about drivethru windows or mall parking lots. For me the truck is a specific purpose vehicle.

To each there own, trailer on gentleman.......

150% agree!!:drink:

People can quote stats all day long but when it comes down to it I know what feels better when I tow and that is a dually!

Just this summer I watched my dually out perform an F250 4wd. We were at a ramp for a poker run and the ramp only extended into the water about 20' and then the concrete dropped off to a washed away sandy bottom. When I launched the boat all three axles fell off the end of the concrete. I said to myself this is going to be an issue when retrieving the boat. At the end of the day I just eased on the throttle and the dually pulled the trailer right up over the lip like the 8500# boat wasn't even there, no tire slip or nothing.

Immediately following a guy with a f250 had the same issue except his rear tires just sat there and spun. He had to put it in 4wd low to pull the tires of the trailer up over the ledge!

Like I said, I know what makes me more comfortable? :drink:

45Tripps I agree with you about feeling safe, but I want to make one point about boat trailers. I personally think from what I see that most do not have enough braking power for the loads they carry. Your point exactly that if you need the truck to stop the boat that much then the trailer is light on braking, that's just my opinion and my boat trailer is the same way, triple axle and you look at the pads and rotors compared to the truck and I say, could use a little more braking!

I was referencing in the event of a trailer brake failure, the dualleys larger brakes would slow the load easier, and also was relating something from personal experience.

My trailer has brakes on all 3 axels. The braking works great on the trailer and will slow the trailer and truck no prob. I have 16x8- 8 lug wheels on the trailer. Dont know how much bigger the brakes can be than what they are now. Bigger rims equals more trailer height. That can be a problem, especially since my 45 has an Arch.

I just prefer the dualley feel with the load, and the additional braking power of the dualley due to the larger brakes ( especially in the larger series of trucks) , just makes sense.

I too have been to ramps where the trailer has gone off the end of the ramp. This is where 4 wheel drive and or tongue weight is your friend.

No truer words spoken my friend!

Agreed, I am sure this is where the 800lbs of tongue weight helped me!

I don't hate DRW trucks at all. I love all trucks and motorized vehicles! I just have to be a little extreme to go up against all the dually lovers on here! LOL! I try to defend the average boater (by average I don't mean the avearage high roller on OSO!). Everyone has an opinion but so far I have seen more scientific facts proving a SRW can do just as good and the DRW "it just feels better". No true facts. Lots of false facts like "bigger brakes". Thats not true for the Dodge. Bigger rear axle. Again false statement for the Dodge. So all these lies get confusing to the average guy who wants to tow a powerboat and gets scared into buying a dually to tow when its not needed.

People take sugar pills all the time that make them "feel better" , its called "the Placebo effect"!!! DRW Placebo effect!!!

DRW have a purpose and are great trucks. They are just overrated on OSO to be a miracle saver that tow night and day difference. But that is not true, especially with a properly set up SRW.

My point on THIS thread was to point out that a DRW does not "save" you in every situation like people on here ALWAYS say they do in other threads.

There are so many factors I need to start a new thread just for DRW vs SRW!

+1

There are some facts, all the manufactures conventional and goose neck/ 5th wheel ratings for DRW are higher than the same SRW truck. They don’t just do that for fun.

As for the comments on this thread and others about a DRW not fitting in a fast food drive through, who is picking a TOW vehicle based on that? :eek:

Park it and walk!

BTW

My truck is a SRW, but I only have a 27ish to 30 foot boat.