dually, single rear wheel truck, what's the difference between a dually and a single rear wheel truck, should I buy a dually, what is a dually
There is also the added tire cost.
Extra width. Duallys are eight feet
wide, which can be challenging when
negotiating drive-up windows and
most standard parking lots. You will
need extra-wide and spotter mirrors
to see past the duals to monitor your
trailer.
(On the farm, I pulled the outside
wheels off my dually when I was not
pulling a trailer and needed to get
around in the snow and mud. The
inside dual rear wheel will track right
behind the front tire if the dually oneton
is not a cab-and-chassis type, but a
regular bed with fender extensions for
the outside wheel.)
Tire-check inconvenience. With
duals, you will need to check for flats
by pounding on the face of the tire
with a hammer, just like big-rig drivers
do. A tire-pressure gauge is ideal, but
most folks will not use it every day. You
cannot see whether one of the tires is
flat by glancing at it. If one of the duals
Most two-ton duallys (like the M2 Freightliner, shown) have 6 to
10 gears, which is especially helpful when towing your horse in
the mountains.
USRider ® Equestrian Motor Plan
Hitch Up! e-Magazine • Spring 2010
is flat for a long drive, the vibration can
cause the lug nuts on the wheels to
loosen up.
Dually Class 6 Advantages
More gears. Most two-ton duallys
(for example, the M2 Freightliner and
Peterbilt 335) have 6 to 10 gears, which
is especially helpful when towing your
horse in the mountains.
Large brake drums. Dually Class 6
models have large brake drums and a
large clutch.
Made for towing. Two-ton trucks
(Classes 6, 7, and 8) are made to be
loaded all the time. My two-ton gave
me the least amount of trouble when
towing trailers. A heavy truck will give
you more control while braking on a
downhill, and will keep the trailer behind
you instead of seeming as though
it is trying to pass you.
Dually Class 6 Disadvantage
Rolling risk. The front axle is as wide
as the duals. This width helps these
trucks turn smaller circles than ¾- ton
trucks, but if you get too close to the
shoulder, it is easier to get sucked into
the soft dirt. If you are not used to the
way the shoulder pulls you, the tendency
is to pull away from the shoulder
— and that is when the vehicle can
roll.
Single Rear Wheel Advantage
More like a car or SUV. Towing with
a SRW is closer to what you are accustomed
to with a car. Drive-through
windows are easier to negotiate. Parking
without a trailer easier, and visibility
back to your trailer is better. If you
do not tow often and don’t use larger
trailers (12K gross), a SRW would be a
better choice. USR
H. Kent Sundling (a.k.a Mr. Truck) is
a well-known automotive journalist,
reviewing trucks, trailers, and accessories
for magazines and websites.
Towing with a single rear wheel truck is closer to what you are
accustomed to with a car. Shown is a 2011 Ford F250 SRW
Class 3 truck.
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