dually and single rear wheel truck, what is a dually, what is the difference between a dually and single rear wheel truck, horse trailer dually, pros to a dually
ally? Learn the important differences between
a dually and a single rear wheel truck
when towing a horse trailer.
cluding tracking. Ruts remind you that if the
truck and trailer track the same, the truck
pulls better. Eight-foot-wide trailers track
better behind the dual wheels.
Braking. Dirt roads also eat the magnets that
activate the trailer brakes in the trailer axle
hubs, so I’ve never relied on the trailer brakes
to do all the work. It would surprise you how
much better dual wheels will brake. Generally,
going from a one-ton single rear wheel
(such as a Ford F350, Dodge 3500, or GM
3500) to a one-ton dually will give you one
size larger axles and brakes.
It’s not at all the same thing if you drive
mostly on pavement. Trailer brakes can last
a long time cruising down the interstate,
and now self-adjusting electric trailer brakes
are available.
Stability. A dually truck offers better stability
when you add a large, overhead, slide-in
most two-ton duallys (like the m2 Freightliner,
shown) have 6 to 10 gears, which is especially
helpful when towing your horse in the moun-
tains. Click to read more
HorseLink Magazine23
May 2010
camper. The extra tires will likely make you
feel safer, because they allow the truck to
handle heavy side winds and curves with
less lean.
Dually Disadvantages
Higher cost. Duallys get worse fuel mileage
than SRW trucks, because of their extra
weight and added drag. There’s 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’ll 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 wasn’t 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
isn’t a cab-and-chassis type, but a regular
bed with fender extensions for the outside
wheel.)
Tire-check inconvenience. With duals,
you’ll 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 won’t use it every
day. You can’t see whether one of the tires
is flat by glancing at it. If one of the duals is
flat for a long drive, the vibration can cause
the lug nuts on the wheels to loosen up.
NEwS HoRSEMAN- ADVENTURES TRAINING
HEALTH KIT CLICK & SHop ENVIRoNS
HAULING
pURSUITS
SHIp
HINTS
To view a Ceros magazine you need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser and have the flash player 8 or higher installed. To install the latest flash player, click the icon above, install the flash plugin and then click here to refresh this page.